Morgan Ahle grew up going to church on Sundays, attending First Baptist Church of Carlyle. Her mother led by example, and eventually Ahle and her father were baptized on the same Sunday.
Growing up in a small church in a mostly Catholic small town wasn’t easy. But the young woman had a best friend, one of the pastor’s daughters. The Broughtons moved to Carlyle while Ahle was in seventh grade, and the girls quickly became friends. “She really inspired me in my walk with Christ; she pushed me to grow in my faith,” Ahle said. They were fast friends throughout high school.
Then tragedy struck.
A month before leaving for Maryville University two Broughton sisters died in an accident. “I was really mad at the Lord,” Ahle said.
Heading to college, “I told God ‘I want to find people who love you, but I don’t know if I love you.’ I was grieving.
“I said, ‘If you want me to love you, you’ll have to work in bringing people because I can’t muster up the courage to love and seek you.’”
The new college student planned to major in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and she would compete in high jump and long jump in track and field. But as for a faith-plan, that was not so certain.
While visiting different campus organizations the first few days at school, Ahle got burned out on ice breaker questions. “I wanted deep questions, for someone to ask how I was really doing,” she said.
Then she noticed students at a Christian ministry were asking those questions and wanted to know her on a deeper level. They were from Cru (formerly called Campus Crusade for Christ).
“I was intrigued from the start. I got plugged in with them, and they helped me find a local church,” Ahle said. She started attending Matthias’ Lot, an SBC church in St. Charles, Mo.
She grew from attending Bible studies to being a student leader in campus ministry and in her new church. She also served on a six-week mission trip to the Middle East where 93% of the population has little or no access to the gospel. “I didn’t want to go at first. I thought, There are enough people on that trip that I don’t have to be the one to go,” she said. “But I prayed for God to break my heart for what breaks his. The thought of Muslim girls dying without hearing the gospel, I couldn’t stand that.”
Having grown in her faith throughout her college career, Ahle felt called to continue serving God after graduating in 2025. She’s a Cru Campus Intern in the St. Louis Metro area, working to share the gospel and disciple students on college campuses in the area. “The love of Jesus transformed my life,” she explained. “Knowing the gospel, feeling the weight of that and knowing that other people don’t have that has changed my perspective. I want to do everything I can to draw more people to Jesus.”
The local church’s role
College is a pivotal time for a young adult’s faith. During that time, a student’s faith can flourish, or it can fall off. It’s important to celebrate students who are flourishing in their faith and who emerge from college with a faith stronger than they entered.
Daniel Good
Daniel Good, Collegiate Ministry Catalyst for IBSA, pastors Cornerstone Church in Savoy, near the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois. He says parents and churches are important partners in bringing young people into adult faith.
A lot of Ahle’s story falls in line with what Good suggests to help students flourish in their faith while at school. He said a lot of students’ faith fails because they don’t get plugged into a local church.
“For many this is the first time they’ve set their own schedules, and they haven’t built a spiritual routine yet like reading the Bible daily or praying,” Good explained. “That can be a missed opportunity for parents and pastors to ensure they’re teaching high school seniors and building that routine” before they leave home.
As a pastor, Good wants his college students to have a good, biblical routine.
Ahle learned these points during her college career. She said it took some time, but it’s impor-tant for anyone who wants to grow in their faith.
While Ahle was very active in a student ministry on campus, she didn’t let it replace her church. “It’s so important to get involved in the local church,” Ahle said. “Cru is great, but it’s an arm in the church. I’m involved in it, but I’m getting so much more from my church.”
A 2019 Lifeway study shows the number one reason college students stop attending church is they moved to college, and away from their home church, without connecting to a new congregation: 69% were attending church at age 17, but that number dropped to 40% at 19.
Before college starts, Good advises parents to help students find a church. “Help pass along why church is important and what to look for in a healthy church,” Good said. “Don’t let them pick one just because it’s hip and cool.”
IBSA can also assist students’ church search, even if they’re attending out of state, Good said.