Written by Keanu Ruperti
Some of the most pivotal years of life take place between the ages of 18 and 30. It is a season full of newness, but also uncertainty and even a little bit of confusion. For some, it means leaving home, stepping into college, starting a new career, or simply trying to figure out what comes next.
What I’ve come to realize about my own young adult years is how much the place I called home shaped that season of my life. Whether it was my dorm room here on campus or my first apartment on my own, those places became more than somewhere to sleep. They became places of stability.
When I moved from Hawai‘i to Eugene, I missed the sense of home and community I had always known. Starting over in a new place was exciting, but it was also lonely. I remember how important it was to have people around me who knew me, encouraged me, and shared the same desire to grow in faith. Looking back, I can see how deeply those relationships shaped me during my young adult years. That experience is part of what makes this new season so meaningful to me.
Along with my wife, I now have the privilege of overseeing the Kingdom Collective—a Christian housing community on the New Hope campus for young adults ages 18–30. But Kingdom Collective is designed to be more than a place to live. It is a place where young adults can find Christ-centered community, grow in their relationship with Jesus, and experience the kind of family and belonging that can make their new season feel like home.
Kingdom Collective was previously home to the dorms for New Hope Christian College, but we have now opened our doors to young adults throughout the Eugene community. Our hope is to bring together Christian students from New Hope Christian College, the University of Oregon, Bushnell University, and other schools, as well as young adults who are working and simply want to be surrounded by godly community.
We know that what makes a place feel like home isn’t how many rooms it has, how nice the kitchen is, or whether there is a gym. It’s having people who know you, pray for you, challenge you, and remind you that you don’t have to walk through life alone. That’s the kind of community we want to build at Kingdom Collective. And we are already seeing glimpses of it.
We already have a great group of mission-fit young people, and we are already seeing the fruits of real relationships and joy filling the buildings. We have future pastors, worship leaders, missionaries, kids directors, teachers, and world changers who are calling the Kingdom Collective home for this season. They are in a season of becoming, discovering their calling, growing in their faith, and figuring out what God has next for them. And we are just getting started.
This fall, we’re looking forward to fun events like our worship nights, Bible studies, and even an open mic night we’ll be hosting in November. More than anything, I’m excited to see how the Kingdom Collective becomes a “spiritual pit stop” in the lives of every young adult who calls this place home, whether for a year or more!
I believe the Lord will use this place to build up His people, strengthen their faith, develop their gifts, and prepare them for all He has called them to be. What a privilege it is to walk alongside them for this season of their lives here at Kingdom Collective. It’s so much more than housing. It’s a place to belong. A place to grow. A place to become who God has called you to be. And we’re blessed to be a part of the journey.
*to learn more about Kingdom Collective, please visit kingdomco.space
