Since its establishment in 1972, Baptist Student Hostel (formerly Baptist Youth Hostel), has been a home-away-from-home for young people coming to live and study in Palmerston North. It is owned by the Baptist Union and consists of a 33-bedroom hostel, four-bedroom flat for students with special dietary needs, and three additional flats that students can rent. A Board of Trustees has governance oversight while daily operations are entrusted to a couple who live on site.
Baptist Student Hostel was nearing its fiftieth anniversary when Lucas Abbott moved there from his home in Carterton, in the Wairarapa, in 2022:“I’m originally from Wellington but moved to Carterton with my family in 2013 before heading to Palmerston North to begin a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies.”
At Rathkeale College near Masterton, Lucas flourished in literacy-based subjects like English and History. After considering following in his father’s footsteps by taking up computer science, Lucas instead opted for a career in the media industry.
Choosing Palmerston North over Wellington, Lucas attended a Massey University Open Day and found out about the hostel around the same time. He decided to drop in while attending the Open Day, meeting then-managers Graeme and Sharon Roff – “I felt completely welcomed and decided I could see myself living here”. He completed an on-line application that night.
Although uncommitted to Christianity at the time, Lucas’ application was still welcomed. “Back then, I was never really a committed Christian; I was curious about faith but didn’t feel called to it.” At the hostel Lucas came to feel included by other students, with new-found friends making the effort to involve him in conversations and activities. “I was invited to explore faith, but it was never forced. I remember asking myself, “How do I connect with this?”.” Lucas was on the way to discovering much more about who God is.
Lucas reckons he became ‘more comfortable in his own skin’ as a result of joining Baptist Student Hostel. Previously he struggled with self-image and found social situations challenging. But getting to know people in the hostel helped Lucas open up, and he became a more confident version of himself. Such notable changes were positively commented on by his parents whenever he returned home.
Lucas eventually returned to Baptist Student Hostel, not once, but twice, ending his residency at the end of 2024. “The hostel became for me not just a community – it became like a found family, almost.” What helped was the hostel’s smaller, more intimate size and the pastoral care that resulted from being there. Since then, he has made some enduring friendships.
On completing his degree, Lucas moved into one of the hostel’s flats with four friends. The transition to working life hasn’t been easy. After several months of job seeking in a tight market, Lucas eventually found work as a Communications Assistant at Te Manawa, the local museum, art gallery and science centre. And being in the flat has created special memories. “I’ll miss it when I leave (at the end of this year); I didn’t expect it to be so profound.”Getting work has helped restore Lucas’ confidence and hope for the future.
Lucas’ faith journey continues. A major turning point came at the end of his third year of study, when, after receiving guidance and some practical discipling, Lucas is steadily getting to know God. “Somebody wisely told me that the Christian life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon – it’s for all of life. I’ve needed to dig into reasons about why faith is important. It’s completely liberating.”
Now on the board of Baptist Student Hostel, where he advises on multi-media marketing, Lucas says that he sees the hostel from a different perspective and with a renewed sense of appreciation.“I’m grateful for everything the hostel provided me with”.
Since its establishment, Baptist Student Hostel has seen around 1,500 young people head out into the world. It continues its legacy of helping young people get a strong start in life as they move away from home. The managers would love to hear from anyone who has lived at the hostel and can be contacted on 06 355-5107 or info@bsh.nz. Applications for 2026 are also open for intending students.
More information on Baptist-run student support and accommodation can be found on the He Rito website.
Original article posted on Baptist New Zealand
Photo: Lucas Abbott, by Tony Rasmussen