UA students and the Tuscaloosa community came together for a night of worship at Unite Bama at Coleman Coliseum last week.
Led by UniteUS, thousands of students from middle school to college and adults gathered at the basketball arena to worship Jesus.
Madison Prewett Trout is an influencer, an author and the daughter of UniteUS’ founder. She said she had attended the previous UniteUS events and supports and prays for each campus event.
Since Unite is a free event that comes to college campuses, Troutt said it’s a special experience since students don’t have to leave their campus to find fellowship and community.
“I have not seen the spirit of God move like this … across college campuses,” Troutt said. “I think the beauty of Unite is unique to anything I’ve ever seen before.”
Caleb Hudgins, a junior majoring in kinesiology, wrote in an email that he heard about Unite Bama on social media, as well as on pastor Jonathan Pokluda’s podcast.
Hudgins described Unite as a powerful night that has reignited his faith. He wrote that singing “Worthy of It All” with 6,000 college students gave him chills.
After the worship session, Unite leaders and UA students went to the fountain at Government Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa to perform baptisms. Hudgins wrote that he also went to see a few of his friends be baptized.
“It was so neat to see college students so on fire for Jesus that they wanted to be baptized in the fountain,” Hudgins wrote. “There were so many people there, celebrating as each person came up out of the water.”
During her message at Unite Bama, speaker Jennie Allen asked students to turn to their neighbor and confess their sins to one another. While many students were afraid of being judged by their friends, Hudgins wrote that this was the moment he was taking away from the experience.
“It so impacted me to see students being bold and turning to one another confessing our sin to each other, and breaking the power of the enemy off of our lives,” Hudgins wrote.
Emma Kate Lindsey, a freshman majoring in biology, wrote in an email that she enjoyed being able to worship at Unite Bama after a long day of taking exams. She wrote that she was able to forget about the worldly stressors and focus on Jesus.
“UNITE has impacted my faith because it showed that my eternity with Christ has nothing to do with me and what I do, but everything to do with Jesus,” Lindsey wrote. “I have no doubts now and a new revival within myself to chase after my relationship with Jesus.”
Lindsey wrote that she is excited to see a revival breaking out across the nation, especially one that includes college students.
“Revival in my generation is something I’ve been praying for years now and to be able to see it and feel it excites me and lights a fire in my heart for the Lord,” Lindsey wrote. “I am able to see how much of an impact that my generation will have on missions and sharing the gospel with the nations and to be a part of that is so awesome.”
Jonathan Varghese, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering on the STEM Path to the MBA, said he was a photographer at Unite Bama. He said he reached out to UniteUS via the contact form on the organization’s website and ended up photographing the event and baptisms.
Varghese said he saw the message of Jesus being received well in the room as he took pictures of students worshipping with the band Passion Music and listening to the messages Pokluda and Allen brought to the stage. He said around 100 students went with Unite leaders to be baptized afterwards.
“I really appreciated that the baptisms weren’t really quick and all at once, but were meaningful,” Varghese said.
He said Unite leaders encouraged students who were baptized to give their contact information to a leader so they could connect them with local college ministries.
Troutt said she hopes students find their next step to take after Unite by getting plugged into a local church and Christian community. She said she found her best friends when she joined a small group at her church.
“I hope that they have an encounter with Jesus,” Troutt said. “I hope every single person leaves changed.”
The most recent UniteUS event was held at the University of Georgia on April 3 at Stegeman Coliseum.
