Despite my strong personal beliefs as a Christian, I was skeptical about whether or not I would join any Christian groups when I got to college in Texas. I grew up going to church in New Hampshire, but I was not sure I would have anything in common with Christians in Texas. When I pictured what Christians might look like in Texas, an image of Bible thumpers in ankle length denim skirts came to mind. I knew that I was normal despite my identity as a Christian, but I was dubious that all the other Christians on campus would be like me.
My main apprehensions about joining a Christian community on campus came less from the stereotypes which I basically knew weren’t true, and were more from my fears of being rejected based on my more liberal interpretation of scripture. There is a common misconception that all Christians are anti-gay, conservative, chauvinists which is mainly spread by vocal minorities like Westborough Baptist and Duggar family types. While I doubted anyone at my school would be quite that extreme in their beliefs, I was still concerned that my status as a pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, all around liberal Christian would leave me unable to connect with my more conservative peers. Back home, I attend a United Methodist Church with a giant rainbow sign on the lawn declaring “Equal Before God.” As a child I was actively encouraged by my family, Sunday school teachers, and pastor to actively question what I was learning about God so I could understand my faith better. Growing up in such an open and liberal church environment is a big part of why I am so secure in my faith, but I worried as I moved out of the liberal bubble I grew up in that I would no longer be as comfortable identifying as a Christian.
I decided to very carefully dip my toe into Christian culture on my campus by signing up for a faith based mission trip before school started. The trip felt like a safe choice to start with because community service seems to be one of the few things all Christians agree on. I figured if nothing else the trip would be a good way to make friends before the school year started. As it turned out, I did make friends. I met many very normal Christian friends. Several of them invited me to go to RUF (Reformed University Fellowship), a national Christian student group with an active chapter on campus. Since my friends seemed normal, I figured the people at RUF ought to be okay too, so I might as well try it out.
I consider joining RUF to be one of the most positive decisions I have made my freshman year. I started out by going to large group, a weekly service which included lots of singing, as well as a sermon from our minister Michael. This was a great worship opportunity which helped center me every week. After I got involved in large group, so many kind and caring people reached out to me, and many of them have become close friends. I soon became involved in a small group Bible study, fellowship opportunities, and pretty much anything else that allowed me to hang out with my new RUF friends.
As I got to know the people at RUF better, it became clear that a very diverse cross section of students were represented within the community. There were all types of students including athletes, nerds, musicians, sorority girls, and everything in-between. RUF was a place where people didn’t really care about which social group you belonged to, or whether or not you went to parties. People at RUF connected with each other based on our identity as Christians and nothing else. The other important thing I learned is that just because I was in Texas didn’t mean everyone was more conservative than me. RUF had a broad mix of beliefs represented on either end the spectrum. It felt nice to meet many people with similar beliefs to me. Whether or not they agreed with me, people were usually very polite and open about discussing their beliefs.
Ultimately, all of my fears about joining a Christian group on campus were disproved. I am so grateful that I agreed to give RUF a chance because it allowed me to find one of the most enjoyable and supportive communities I can imagine. I would encourage any student coming to college for the first time, even those who were not raised Christian, to at least try a Christian student group. Whatever apprehensions you may have, it is well worth the risk to put them aside for an hour or two and go to a meeting. Worst case scenario, you decide it’s not for you, and you don’t have to go back. Best case scenario you end up like me and find a great group of friends to support you both as a Christian, and as a college student.
