Because of the pandemic, college students in Bay County have fewer opportunities to befriend fellow students. Between stay-at-home orders and online classes, students don’t have as much time to connect with others. However, one student organization has been going strong through the pandemic: Collide College Ministry. Today, Collide meets on Thursdays at 7:00 PM in the Emerald Coast Fellowship sanctuary on Highway 390. The organization provides a welcoming atmosphere for students to meet new friends and gain encouragement.
I recently interviewed Alex Gentili, the leader of Collide, to discuss how the organization started and how it is helping college students today.
The Beginning
Collide was founded almost seven years ago in August 2014. As Gentili explains, the organization began when he and Dr. Steve Taylor of Emerald Coast Fellowship sponsored the Baptist Collegiate Ministries club at Gulf Coast. The two decided to drop formal club meetings in favor of hosting services off-campus. They also changed the club’s name to give it a fresh feel. On Thursday nights, the organization began meeting at the WRECK building by First Choice Physical Therapy on Highway 390, a tradition they have halted due to the pandemic. Collide’s mission was to allow college students to connect—a goal that Gentili still stands by.
The Family
Since Collide’s beginning, the organization has become a mainstay in Panama City. All Bay County college students are welcome to attend. Gentili describes the students at Collide as “one big family.” “On Thursday nights, they (Collide attendees) seem to blend… people are kind and open,” Gentili comments, “they like to hang out.” This camaraderie between students has kept the ministry alive during the pandemic.
Collide in 2021
This semester, Collide is continuing to meet in the Emerald Coast Fellowship sanctuary. Collide services are held on Thursday nights from 7:00 to 8:00 PM and include worship songs and a message. Collide also hosts activities such as Bible studies and cornhole tournaments. Masks are not required, but students can wear a mask if they choose.
Gentili encourages students interested in Collide to check out the organization’s social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook. He aims for Collide to continue its goal of building relationships between students in 2021 and beyond.
Find Collide’s social media accounts by clicking the icons below.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Faith Dorr
Student Author - Spring 2021
Sarah Faith Dorr is an English major at Gulf Coast State College who aspires to be a professional writer. Her mission as a student is to develop her writing skills while serving others. In addition to writing for Commodore Waves, she is a student tutor at Gulf Coast’s Writing and Reading lab. Her hobbies include reading classic literature (C.S. Lewis and Shakespeare are some of her favorites) and writing the occasional short story or poem. She also loves keeping up with the latest Disney movies — Star Wars and Marvel included.
