Encounter changes everything.
And campuses are one of the most important mission fields in the world.
My name is Zac Thomas. I founded Altar Sessions, a house of prayer ministry based in Nashville, TN, and I've said yes to serving it full-time.
Altar Sessions exists to see college students encounter the heart of God through prayer and worship. On a weekly basis, we serve college students in the Nashville area while also serving some high school students as well. These are some of the most influential campuses in the country, filled with future leaders, artists, and world-changers.
The years between high school and early adulthood are when faith either takes root or falls away. Research from Barna Group shows that nearly two-thirds of Christians come to faith before age 18, and more than three-quarters before age 21. Yet Lifeway Research found that about two out of three young adults who were active in church during high school stop attending between the ages of 18 and 22. The college years are where a student's faith gets tested, and too often it's lost. That's exactly why Altar Sessions exists: to meet students in this critical window with the presence of God, real community, and discipleship that helps their faith become their own. When a student truly encounters Jesus in college, it shapes everything that comes after: their calling, their family, their city, and the people they reach.
A typical week with Altar Sessions is built around four rhythms. Every Thursday night we open the Prayer Room, a consistent space on campus for worship, intercession, and time in the Word, where students learn to take ownership of not only their own walk with God, but their own campus! Throughout the week, I walk closely with students through Bible studies, hangouts, one-on-one discipleship, and prayer, helping them build a faith that shapes every part of their lives. We also equip students to share the gospel in everyday ways: through conversations, prayer, their testimonies, and the friendships they already have on campus. And we're raising up young leaders to carry the burden of the Lord for their generation, because a generation must be reached by its own generation. We've seen students give their lives to Jesus, get free, fall back in love with God, and start carrying His presence onto their own campuses. And we're just getting started.
This year we're also traveling more than ever. God is opening doors beyond Nashville to other campuses, churches, and cities. What began as a burden to see students take ownership of their campuses has continued to grow into a broader ministry of gathering, equipping, and sending. We lead gatherings, encourage other ministries, and help spark the same hunger for God we've seen here at home. What started in one prayer room is spreading, and we want to go wherever He sends us.
Serving full-time means I can be on campus every week and say yes when God opens a door somewhere new. I lead gatherings, disciple students one-on-one, train young leaders, and take the gospel to the places where students actually live and study.
When you give, you're not just supporting me. You're investing in a generation of students who will know God and make Him known.
Your support helps:
host weekly worship and prayer gatherings
disciple and mentor students
raise up student leaders to reach their own campuses
mobilize our team to other campuses, churches, and cities
bring the gospel to Nashville & the nation as a whole
I'm building a team of monthly partners who believe in this mission and want to help fuel what God is doing on these campuses and everywhere He's sending us.
If this stirs your heart, would you pray about joining that team today?
Would you consider joining the story God is writing?
Every gift is an investment in eternal impact, and every seed sown helps a student encounter Jesus.
If you've been stirred to see college students know God, this is your invitation to join me.
Follow along on Instagram at @altarsessionsnashville.
With love and faith,
Zac Thomas
Founder, Altar Sessions