College is the first time in students’ lives where they are truly alone and independent. They become full-fledged adults whether they want to or not, and any decision (good or bad) is their own responsibility. Naturally, individuals are pulled many different ways: some to the party scene, some to student organizations, and some to a new understanding of a greater purpose in life.
Salt Company, a Christian student organization on campus, first came to IU during the Fall 2020 semester as part of a church plant called Embassy. Since then the group has grown its numbers, and its impact on campus as more students are drawn to the conversation of faith. Derek Jones, the Salt Company Director at IU, started the Indiana plant with the goal of spreading the Gospel message to students during a prime turning point their lives. His motivation came from the experiences with his own faith journey in college when he ran track at Iowa State.
“Salt Company was the thing for me in college that just was so responsible for my growth as a human being as a young man at Iowa State,” Jones said. “Just so thankful for the people that cared for me in college that I just want to be one of those people that’s there for IU students.”
One of the students Jones reached was Matthew Mastin, a junior at IU studying comprehensive design. Two years ago Mastin came into college like many others do: with a lot of questions, not many answers, and several influences. Fast forward to today, and Mastin now has a great group of friends, a supportive community, and an answer to the question of his identity. To top it all off, Mastin became a member of the Salt Company leadership team, and has worked with many underclassmen coming in with the same questions he had.
Jones on his faith journey as a student athlete on the track team at Iowa State.
One of the biggest events this group does is something called Salt Company Conference, a weekend-long gathering of about 5,000 students from 24 different Salt Company’s all across the United States. The Salt Company National and the Salt Network put this event on every year in Des Moines, Iowa. Students arrive in the city on Friday night and are greeted with the first main session. These larger meetings house every single individual and feature worship sessions and sermons.
Saturday is the big day of the conference. It starts off early in the morning with Session II, followed by what are called “Breakout Sessions”. These sessions are held in much smaller rooms, fitting maybe 100 to 200 students, and cater to more specific topics and conversations. For example, some breakout sessions from this past year include “Evangelism”, “Family Wounds”, “Stress and Worry”, and “Rest and Boundaries”. Breakout sessions allow students to choose different subjects they are interested in, concerned about, or struggling with. These gatherings are much more intimate, with guest speakers explaining the topics and their experiences, giving advice for students, and providing a Q and A portion towards the end of the session. Saturday has 2 main sessions, and 3 breakout sessions, with lunch happening in between those five meetings.
The weekend closes out on Sunday with the fourth and final session. After that, students make the trip back home, with a new perspective on faith and life.
Salt IU at the 2023 Salt Conference ahead of Main Session III on Saturday Night.
Nearly 100 Indiana students made the nine hour drive from Bloomington to Des Moines.
In total, 4,100 students from 26 Salt Companys across 14 different states attended the 2023 Salt Conference.
Bringing it back to Bloomington, Salt IU has many opportunities to be involved and engaged. Starting off on Mondays and Tuesdays, Salt breaks out into “Campus Groups”. These smaller group sessions are held at different places, usually the houses of Salt leaders, and have a Bible study feel to them. C-Groups are meant to build tight-nit communities within the larger discourse of Salt Company, giving students the opportunity to make friends, form bonds, and reflect on that week’s message as well as dive deep into spiritual conversations.
Salt’s main gathering is held on Thursday nights at a place called “The Warehouse” at 8:00 pm. There, students can interact with a wide range of peers, enjoy worship music, and listen to a sermon given by Jones and other guest preachers; think of it as church but for college students. Thursdays are what Salt Company is known for, and if students are ever curious about the organization or their faith, Jones and the entire staff encourage them to come to a Thursday night.
Finally, Salt Company’s sister church, Embassy, hosts its entire community on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am. Embassy currently has a temporary home at The Woolery Mill, until it finds a permanent place of residence. This is the normal church Sunday that students would have the opportunity to join.
Salt will enter its fourth year as a student org on campus in Fall 2023.
Outside those three or four days of the week, Salt has weekly/monthly campus outreach events from tabling to games to parties. This is a way for the group to interact with thousands of students that walk through the campus on a daily basis. All news and information about these events, as well as any changes in location, can be found on the Salt Company Instagram page @saltindiana. With this setup students have the ability to enter a variety of environments and start with the one they feel most comfortable in.
