‘Open Table’ Brings College Students Together in Georgetown

Members of the Southwestern University basketball team and Open Table college ministry stand with Jackson Hollis during his baptism.

What began as a simple prayer for connection has grown into a thriving college ministry at First United Methodist Church Georgetown—and a powerful witness to the Spirit’s movement among young adults.

Earlier this fall, the congregation celebrated the baptism of Southwestern University student Jackson Hollis, a moment that Rev. Tina Schramme, associate pastor at FUMC Georgetown, says “went beyond all of our expectations.”

“Baptism is always a celebration,” Schramme said. “But when someone who found Christ as an adult makes that public proclamation of faith, it’s something extraordinary.”

Hollis and his friend Sebastian began attending FUMC Georgetown in the fall of 2024. Both were new students on the Southwestern University basketball team. Sebastian was fairly new to his faith, and Hollis had little church background.

“They visited several churches in the area,” Schramme said, “but they felt comfortable and welcome here. At the time, we didn’t even have a college ministry.”

That soon changed. Schramme and Youth Director Kenny Bray began praying about possibilities and connected with Morgan Garrett, a Southwestern junior who was trying to start a United Methodist Bible study on campus. Together, they decided to host a weekly Tuesday meal and Bible study at the church—an experiment that quickly exceeded expectations.

“The first week, seven students showed up,” Schramme recalled. “The next week there were 12. It just kept growing.”

Within months, the gathering—called Open Table—became a hub for college-age students seeking faith and community. When the fall 2025 semester began, 55 students attended the kickoff event.

Less than a year after joining, Hollis had become a leader in the ministry. In September, he asked to be baptized. His basketball coach postponed practice so the entire team could attend.

“The whole team walked over from Southwestern to be there,” Schramme said. “We invited them, along with all the Open Table students, to stand with him at the altar during worship. In 25 years of ministry, I have never seen such a sight.”

She described it as “a beautiful proclamation of what can happen in a life, in a church and in a community in a short amount of time.”

Schramme credits the ministry’s growth to “many years of prayers and the leading of the Holy Spirit.”

“We laugh and say we’re just trying to keep up with God on this one,” she said. “There is a real hunger among young people for an open and inclusive space to grow in faith. As a United Methodist church, we are able to offer that.”

Thanks in part to support from the Horizon Texas Conference, Bray was named the church’s full-time college-age ministry director this August. Open Table now gathers 35–40 students weekly for meals provided by FUMC groups and nearby United Methodist congregations. Participants include Southwestern students, as well as young adults from other colleges and local workplaces.

FUMC Georgetown’s next step is to create a permanent home for the ministry. In 2026, the church plans to convert a historic house on its property into “The Wesleyan House”—“a place where the table is open, and young adults can connect with God and each other,” Schramme said.

“Thanks be to God,” she added.

Rev. Tina Schramme, associate pastor at First UMC Georgetown, contributed to this story.