What the Church Can Learn from Off Campus
What people are longing for, and how the church can learn from pop culture.
I didn’t expect Off Campus to make me think about the church.
Like many people, I started watching because everyone seemed to be talking about it. I expected the typical college drama filled with jealousy, betrayal, and people bringing out the worst in one another.
Instead, I was surprised.
At every turn, when I expected pettiness, I found kindness.
When I expected sabotage, I found support.
When I expected shallow relationships, I found vulnerability.
As I watched, I found myself rooting for almost everyone. (Okay, maybe not Sean.)
And it made me wonder: Why is Off Campus connecting so deeply with people?
The answer, I think, has less to do with romance and more to do with what people are longing for.
They’re longing for genuine friendship.
For emotional safety.
For healing.
For places where they can be fully known without fear of rejection.
And when something in culture connects deeply with people, the church should pay attention.
Not because culture has all the answers.
But because it often reveals what people are longing for.
And if we’re serious about loving and serving people well, understanding those longings matters.
*Minor spoilers ahead.
Vulnerability & Emotional Safety
One of the things Off Campus gets right is creating spaces where people can stop performing.
Throughout the series, we watch characters build trust in their relationships. As trust builds, they slowly lower their defenses, not because someone forces them to be vulnerable, but because they’ve experienced enough safety to be honest.
Spoiler: One of the clearest examples comes after Thanksgiving when Garrett opens up in the car. We see someone wrestling with disappointment, expectations, and emotions he doesn’t quite know what to do with. Hannah doesn’t rush to fix him. She simply makes room for him to share, and cry, and feel.
We see it again when Garrett hands Hannah the unopened can and quietly reminds her, “I got you,'“ and then holds the can while she sings karaoke, keeping his promise to keep her safe.
It’s a simple moment, but it communicates something many people desperately need to hear: You’re safe with me and You don’t have to carry this alone.
Perhaps that’s why scenes like these resonate.
People are longing for emotional safety.
For relationships where they can be honest.
For spaces where they don’t have to pretend everything is fine.
The church should pay attention to that…the church should be that.
Genuine Friendship
Another reason the show connects so deeply is its portrayal of friendship.
Not perfect friendship.
Real friendship.
The kind that shows up.
The kind that stays.
The kind that walks with people through heartbreak, mistakes, family struggles, and uncertainty.
The kind between Logan and Garrett.
Spoiler: When Garrett begins pulling away, Logan notices. He confronts him, speaks honestly about the distance between them, and refuses to pretend everything is fine. But Garrett isn’t ready to talk, so Logan gives him space. And when Garrett is finally ready to open up about what’s really going on with his dad, Logan doesn’t make it about himself.
He doesn’t get defensive.
He doesn’t stay angry.
He realizes Garrett’s struggle was never personal and gives his friend the space to be honest.
That’s what healthy friendship looks like.
Not avoiding difficult conversations. Not pretending problems don’t exist. But creating personal connections where vulnerability, truth, and grace can coexist.
People are longing for friendships like that.
For all our conversations within the church about community, the truth is many people still feel profoundly alone. They attend church regularly but struggle to find relationships where they are truly known.
Yet the early church was built on exactly that kind of connection. People shared meals, carried burdens, and lived life together (maybe not in a dorm or frat house, but you get the point. LOL).
Perhaps the popularity of Off Campus is revealing that people aren’t simply looking for a place to attend.
They’re looking for a place to belong.
The church should pay attention to that…the church should be that.
Healing & Breaking Generational Cycles
A recurring theme throughout Off Campus is the courage to confront the things that shaped us.
We see it in Hannah’s journey. Rather than pretending her past doesn’t affect her, she’s forced to acknowledge the ways it continues to influence her relationships, fears, and sense of safety. Her story isn’t about instantly overcoming trauma. It’s about learning to trust again.
We see it in Garrett’s story too.
Spoiler: Beneath his confidence is a young man determined not to become his father, while fearing that’s his destiny. He doesn’t want to repeat the patterns he’s inherited. He wants something different.
And isn’t that true for so many of us?
Many people walk into church carrying wounds they didn’t create.
Shame.
Fear.
Abandonment.
Messages about their worth they’ve believed for years.
Yet churches sometimes focus so heavily on behavior that we overlook the pain beneath it.
We want people to change.
God wants people to heal.
Jesus didn’t simply address behavior. He addressed hearts, identity, and the deeper wounds driving what people could see on the surface.
Perhaps that’s one reason Off Campus resonates so deeply.
People aren’t just longing to become better.
They’re longing to heal.
The church should pay attention to that…the church should be that.
Healthy Masculinity
One of the most refreshing parts of Off Campus is its portrayal of masculinity.
When most shows feature a group of college-aged men, we expect immaturity, arrogance, emotional avoidance, and endless competition.
Instead, we get something surprisingly different.
The men in Off Campus are competitive, confident, and protective, but they’re also emotionally available. They express affection for one another. They talk through conflict. They support their friends during difficult seasons. They aren’t afraid to admit when they’re struggling.
Perhaps most importantly, they don’t seem threatened by strong women.
Garrett doesn’t try to control Hannah.
He encourages her.
Supports her.
Believes in her.
The same pattern shows up throughout the friend group. The men aren’t diminished by the strength of the women around them. They’re better because of it.
That’s a refreshing picture in a culture often swinging between two unhealthy extremes: toxic masculinity on one side and confusion about masculinity on the other.
Biblical masculinity was never about domination.
It was never about control.
It was never about having the loudest voice in the room.
Jesus—the ultimate example of manhood—used His strength to serve, protect, elevate, and sacrifice for others.
Perhaps that’s why so many people connect with the male characters in Off Campus.
They’re showing a version of masculinity that is both strong and emotionally healthy.
The church should pay attention to that…the church should be that.
What If Our First Response Was Curiosity?
When something in culture connects deeply with people, perhaps our first response shouldn’t be dismissal.
Perhaps it should be curiosity.
Why is this connecting?
What is this revealing?
What are people longing for?
Because people are longing for vulnerability.
For friendship.
For healing.
For examples of healthy masculinity.
The church should pay attention to that.
More than that, the church should be that.
Hi! I’m Torrie. Thanks for stopping by.
If this article encouraged you, provided language for what you’re feeling,
or challenged you, I’d love to hear your story in a comment below.
Hallo, Hübsche