Resonate is a Christian organization that was founded at Washington State University in 2007 by a group of Texans who moved up to Washington in the hope of starting a collegiate church.  The gang was successful and it was there Jacob Dahl, now one of the Ellensburg Resonate leaders, first got introduced to Resonate.  

Majoring in Civil Engineering at the time, Dahl said that he was welcomed to the organization as a junior, and after that, “God completely transformed [his] life senior year of college.”

Dahl and his wife, Jessica, both graduated in 2009 and came on staff as interns for a couple of years before getting married. Dahl said that over time the two began to “think and pray about where God might be leading our church” and so in 2014 the two started the transition to Ellensburg.

Fifteen people relocated to Ellensburg to help get the Resonate Church at CWU launched, as well as a few Washington State students transferring to Central to help set things in motion.

Nine years after the original Resonate was planted at WSU it has spread all across the Northwest. Now the group has churches at five college campuses: Washington State University, Central Washington University, University of Idaho, Eastern Washington University, and the University of Oregon.

Dahl said that Resonate exists to connect “Jesus to people, people to community, and community to mission.” He further explained that he feels college students are the most influential people on earth, and that if Resonate can bring those people together, and to God, that they can all come together to change lives. It is his goal to connect college students to God’s redemptive and restorative mission by encouraging students to use their God-given abilities to positively impact their lives, and the lives of others.

Resonate currently has over 1000 weekly participants divided amongst the five college campuses and their numbers are steadily rising. The CWU gang is planning on sending a group to Mammoth, OR to start a new church at Western Oregon University.  It is through the help of not only the Resonate staff, but also their hard-working volunteers and supporters that churches are spreading like wildfire up and down the Pacific Northwest.

Dahl was sure to add that all students are welcome to the events, regardless of their religious affiliation. “Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Atheists have all attended our events.” Dahl said. He explains that tons of different people come to Resonate events—from freshman to married grad students with children.

Resonate meets weekly in both a large group gathering, and several smaller groups meeting in dorms or off campus housing. Anyone interested are strongly encouraged to come to an event and see what Resonate, and its wonderful community of staff and students, are all about.  Free from judgment and embarrassment, Resonate is first and foremost a safe place for people to come and gather, make connections, build relationships, and learn about God.