Booths from several campus religious organizations gathered Sunday afternoon in Dunn Meadow with two goals in mind: to pass out ice pops to sweaty visitors and, more importantly, to offer a sense of religious community to FaithFest’s visitors.
A girl in an inflatable dinosaur costume stood near booths and greeted students who were there for games, food and a place to talk openly about their faith. The event, set up by IU Campus Religious Leaders Association, consisted mainly of freshmen looking to get involved.
“I’m just trying to branch out so that I can find somewhere to feel comfortable,” freshman Kendall Green said.
Green said she was involved in Cru, a Christian student organization, in high school and wanted to learn more about the same organization on IU’s campus. She said she hoped to use FaithFest to find a religious group to be involved with to help feel more at home on campus.
“None of our organizations are in competition,” said senior Madison Bouwers of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship. “All of our organizations are working together to bring Christ to campus.”
Bouwers has been a member of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship since she was a freshman.
“We’ve been a part of IU’s campus for about six years, but a lot of people still think we’re a sorority, which we’re not,” she said.
Chi Alpha, like many other Christian organizations at FaithFest, is a group of students that gathers weekly for worship and Bible studies, Bouwers said. The group also engages in other nonreligious outings, such as going out to lunch to form a stronger bond between members.
“It’s really just nice to have a group you can lean on, especially when you’re still new and adapting to campus life,” Bouwers said.
Although the main demographic is Christian students, members from all different faith backgrounds have joined, Bouwers said. For example, a group of students who identify as atheists joined the community last year.
“Our goal is to guide people who feel lost, either in their faith life or just in general,” Bouwers said. “We’re not here to judge.”
Many other groups had the same views on welcoming nonreligious students. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a nondenominational Christian sports ministry, stressed their openness to both non-Christians and non-athletes.
FCA is still building its reputation at IU, as it is the group's first year on campus. Sophomore member Jesse Sherman and his friends said they first heard about the organization in high school, and they are trying to expand its presence to high schools in Bloomington.
Like Chi Alpha, FCA offers Bible studies and small group discussions, as well as nonreligious recreational events to attend. Many organization leaders stressed the importance of welcoming freshmen into the groups as they are adapting to campus.
“Almost every student plays a sport or played one in high school, so we want to use the relatability of sports and tie it into faith life,” sophomore Nick McHale said. “The commitment you put into a sport is the same commitment that we want students to use toward discovering their faith.”
