Don’t Forget Your Faith: Student Religious Organizations on Campus
If I could offer one word of advice to freshmen, it would be to not ditch your faith while here at school. Whether you’re Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, or somewhere in-between, I encourage you to use your time at Wabash to strengthen and grow in your faith.
So many times, we are told “find yourself” and that we need to search, learn, test, and explore all other faiths. While this is good advice, it’s good to remember that it doesn’t mean we need to completely throw out what we’ve been taught already. Wabash is very lucky to have a vibrant group of faith-based organizations, and it’s integral to your development into a leader to cultivate your faith.
For me (and many others I know), college has been a time of great growth. What I have been taught has been strengthened because of being involved with a great group of guys in Wabash Christian Men. Being involved in WCM and Bible studies has helped me to fulfill the Wabash mission by helping me to think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely. I know if you search here at Wabash you’ll find that to be true for you.
Among the faith-based groups, I know the most about Wabash Christian Men, so I’ll discuss that at length and then mention some of the other prominent faith groups on campus.
Wabash Christian Men/CRU: Wabash Christian Men is an inter-denominational group that is associated with Campus CRUsade for Christ. Their weekly meetings are on Wednesdays at 9:00PM in Baxter 101. They usually have a short time of worship, followed by a message given by a local pastor. WCM also helps coordinate and plan the student-led Bible studies in each fraternity or dorm. Some of the WCM activities include Fall Retreat, a Campus Crusade-sponsored event in October and Winter Conference the first week of January. For both of those events, WCM members go to a retreat center and we spend the weekend with other Campus Crusade groups from around Indiana where we spend time relaxing, digging into the Bible, and meeting girls from Butler. WCM goes on various trips to visit with other CRU groups (especially Butler) at least once a month and sometimes more! WCM/CRU also hosts various speakers and events throughout the year so don’t be afraid to come to a meeting and get involved!
Newman Center: The Newman Center is a Catholic group that has a long tradition on the Wabash campus. They have their own building at 310 S. Grant Avenue that is used for many meetings & events including Holy Hour, Liturgy of the Hours, and Bible studies. The Newman Center also either hosts Mass in the chapel or transports students to St. Bernard’s Catholic Church every Sunday. This year they will be hosting a few speakers, including co-sponsoring Robert George with the Conservative Union. They will also be doing a few service projects and will be making a couple trips to hear speakers around the area.
AMP’D: Athletes Making Plays Daily is a Christian group (associated with Athletes in Action) that is focused on reaching and supporting the athletes at Wabash. Their weekly meeting is on Thursday nights, and they usually have worship and a message. They do numerous retreats and events throughout the year, and have made an impact after just a few years on campus as a distinct group that shares some of the same goals (and members) of WCM.
Muslim Student Association: This group helps to connect Muslim students on campus. They host some speakers and have regular meetings but one of their biggest events is their annual dinner that is open to the entire campus. Last year, their speaker focused on a comparison of Christian and Muslim views of Jesus and was (from all accounts) a very thought-provoking event with great food!
While those are the main faith-based groups, I know there are a few others (such as Orthodox Christian Fellowship) that are no less worthy of mention, but may still be in a growing phase. I encourage you to check them all out, but most of all, I encourage you to continue growing in your faith. When it comes to meeting and getting to know people on campus with common interests, faith lies at the very center of those common interests. The bonds you make with people who share the same faith and value system will have a much greater impact than bonds that you make with people in any other group on campus…so get involved and grow in your faith!
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