Every week, hundreds of students gather together in a large lecture hall for group worship with Campus Crusade for Christ, or “Cru,” as it's affectionately known by members. The group, among others, has grown immensely in size and popularity over the last few years.
Moral constancy\nThe popularity of such organizations follows the surge of evangelicalism, or the belief that faith should permeate every part of life, said Kathryn Lofton, an IU religious studies professor who researches religion and popular culture. \nShe said groups such as Cru, which was established in 1951, and Christian Student Fellowship offer moral constancy during the time when most college students are undergoing great personal change. \n“The premise for a lot of people is that you go to college and you debunk everything; you go to college and you experiment, you try new things, you try everything from the metaphorical new hat to a whole new hobby, a new major, a new taste in boyfriends – everything’s a sampler. \n“College is supposed to be – I think for a lot of people – it’s imagined to be a buffet,” she said. “The strategy of these organizations is to create a harbor in the storm, a reminder that whatever that buffet might be, the utensils, the plate, that you’re using, should always be Christ.” \nThe groups are not meant to criticize or fundamentally alter student’s college experiences, she said, but to help them from straying too far from their faiths. \n“It’s not punishing. This is not an experience where you go and you get told what you do wrong,” she said of Cru meetings. “These are meant to be sites of conversation, feeling like you can be honest. You can reveal your worst self.”
More personal interactions\nThe organizations grew and developed out of the 1960s, she said, as a way to counteract the free-spirited culture of the time. Prior to the ‘60s, students often attended campus services organized by actual churches or denominations, instead of outside groups like Cru.\nToday, Lofton said Cru, and groups similar to it, aim at setting wholesome habits that will stick beyond the student’s college years. \n“I think the hope is that you’ll come out of college and think, ‘God, the thing that kept me above water were \nthose practices and they came from a holy place so I’m going to keep up with that holy place,’” she said. \nBut a September 2006 study by the Ventura, Calif.,-based Barna Group, which conducts research on religious issues, suggests that might be an uphill battle. \nThe study found that college students and those in their twenties had significantly lower levels of church attendance than older adults. At the same time, though, the study found twenty-somethings were 70 percent more likely than other adults to want to connect and talk about religion with people and groups, even if they couldn’t find a church.\nSuch findings come as no surprise to John Robertson, the campus minister at the local interdenominational Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, who has found that college students are looking for personal religious interactions. \nHe said his church is currently revamping its college ministry, called QUENCH, and is considering adding a new type of worship service geared specifically to college students. \nAs part of the brainstorming process, Robertson has been studying Cru to discover why students find it so appealing. \n“There’s not one magic formula,” for attracting students to such services, he said. “But for the most part … the format is really good music and that the message is extremely relevant.”
An interesting message\nRobertson said Cru isn’t a competitor to the college ministries at Sherwood Oaks, but he said both ministries have to find their respective niches to be successful. At his church, for instance, he pairs some college students with older \nchurch members, something Cru can’t offer. \n“It’s not so much competition,” he said, “but I do think every church is gong to have to say, ‘What’s the most effective thing we can do?” \nLofton, the religious studies professor, says the college groups will continue to be successful so long as they remain social and compassionate to students, who have come to appreciate the style of interdenominational ministries.\n“It’s the comfort of being able to think that there’s not a creed I have to memorize, there’s not a certain reading of the scripture,” she said. \n“It’s just, ‘I really think this guy Jesus Christ has an interesting message.’”
