Student Ministry at U. Pittsburgh Drawing Large Numbers

“Going into the water and coming out, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders”

Posted by Mike LaChance Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 01:00pm 0 Comments

This is nice to hear. It can only add balance to the culture on campus.

‘Spiritual hunger’: Pitt student ministry draws 600 to worship, baptism

Reports of a spiritual awakening on campuses such as the University of Pittsburgh are adding to the evidence that more college students are embracing Christianity.

One professor told The College Fix many students are exhibiting a “spiritual hunger.” And new data from the Barna Group shows church attendance is up among college-age adults, especially young men.

A Christian group getting a lot of attention is Pitt Purpose, which the university’s football tight end Jake Overman began earlier this year with the help of a few area pastors, according to a Relevant article published in June.

Since the spring, the student-run group has been hosting weekly meetings, and a worship service and baptism that it held in September attracted more than 600 students, according to Pitt Purpose’s Instagram page.

“Pitt for Jesus 2025 was nothing short of revival. People met God at the altar, many were set free, addictions were broken, and an entire university was touched in just one night!” the group wrote on Instagram. “We declare that this will be the generation that turns back to God!”

The group also shares students’ testimonies on social media. In one recent post, student Aisha Norman spoke about how she strengthened her relationship with God during the September event.

“I could not believe and fathom how many young believers there was there giving their life to Christ,” she said.

“It was such a surreal moment, it was like [God’s] presence weighed down on me so heavy,” Norman said. “… That day, I felt so free from overthinking, and shame and guilt.”

Norman described the worship event as an amazing and humbling experience, and said being a part of the fellowship was truly rewarding.

Another student, Carter Dierdorf, who plays on the university’s baseball team, said he participated in the September baptism service, and it was “amazing beyond belief.”

“Going into the water and coming out, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders,” he said in an Instagram post shared by Pitt Purpose.