Christian groups offer sense of community

As Christian students adjust to the independence of college life, many also try to find a new church or faith-focused group that fits their spiritual needs.

There are a wide variety of Christian groups on campus, and walking down Bruin Walk can give students an idea of what’s offered. On any given day, members from three or four Christian-based student groups will be passing out fliers and inviting new students to join.

Many students said they joined Christian groups to meet new friends with similar values and interests. Deborah Wong, a third-year linguistics and psychology student, joined Grace on Campus her first year at UCLA.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t make friends,” said Wong, who joined as a first-year student. “But I met a lot of people through Grace on Campus. It narrows who I hang out with.”

Grace on Campus is a nondenominational Christian student ministry that is an extension of Grace Community Church, located in nearby Sun Valley. Group members regularly attend church together, hold meetings every Friday night to learn about the Bible, and also have smaller Bible-study groups.

Jesslyn Kwong, a second-year English student, said most of her friends are also members of Grace on Campus.

“It’s definitely where most of my friends are,” Kwong said. “It helps finding a place to get settled it. These are the people I interact with, and they have the same values.”

The Friday night meetings, held in the Broad Arts Center 2160E, include music and a sermon from Pastor Justin McKitterick of Grace Community Church. More than 300 students belong to Grace on Campus, and the lecture hall is often full.

Programs handed out to the students include space for the students to take notes.

Diana Fang, a third-year linguistics student, belonged to Grace Church before she came to UCLA, but said friends reached out to her to join Grace on Campus.

“It’s solid teaching, straight from the Bible,” Fang said. “It keeps the world smaller, and it is a source of spiritual food.”

She also said Grace on Campus was important as she made the transition from high school to college because it gave her a feeling of belonging.

“Christians want to find a church when they come to college,” Fang said.

The number of Christian groups on campus can be overwhelming for an incoming freshman, but Fang said there are no rivalries to recruit the most students between the groups. Students can check out several groups until they find one they are comfortable with, and some students even belong to multiple Christian student groups.

“All the groups have the same goal but different styles of presenting it,” Fang said.

Paula Wu, a first-year neuroscience student, belongs to Passion Church, which is part of the simple church movement that aims to bring church to the people. They meet weekly on campus or in apartments in Westwood.

The size of each church is kept between 10 and 20 people. If the church gets too big, they split into smaller groups. Wu said the structure of the simple church is very reproducible.

“There is a whole cultural barrier behind church,” Wu said. “Jesus loved all people, but not all people fit into church. We do church where people are at.”

Wu had heard about Passion Church before she came to UCLA and joined as soon as she arrived. She said the people she met through Passion Church are the people she now considers her family.

“We study together, work out together,” Wu said. “There’s a spirit of openness and understanding.”

Joining a Christian group can give students the opportunity to create close relationships that last for years. Camden Crane, a fourth-year psychology student, joined Campus Crusade for Christ her first year on campus and said she has created friendships that have lasted throughout her college life. She’s still friends with the Bible-study leaders from her first year.

Though Crane had never been involved in the Christian community before college, she said that the members of Campus Crusade she met were very supportive and even encouraged her to check out other groups.

“It really grounded me in college,” Crane said. “It’s been a really unique experience.”

Campus Crusade has a variety of areas that students can participate in. They meet weekly for worship and fellowship, hold small group Bible-study sessions, and are involved in the community. On Tuesday nights, members of Campus Crusade go to Santa Monica and feed the homeless.

“There’s a lot of outreach,” Crane said. “We really enjoy reaching out to people.”

The diversity of Christian groups on campus can give students the opportunity to find a group that fits their needs. Kwong said whether it’s fellowship or Bible study, each group offers a place for students to stand up for their faith.

“It’s good to have an anchor,” she said.

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