UM-St. Louis spiritual groups and campus faith-based organizations shared their beliefs and their organizations' objectives to students at the first annual "Interfaith Expo," held on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Tables lined the second floor rotunda of the MSC from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., while student members and campus ministers encouraged others to participate in college religious events and activities.
Some of the groups represented at the expo included the St. Louis Hillel (a St. Louis organization which reaches out to Jewish college students), the Catholic Newman Center (CNC), the Reformed Campus Fellowship (RCF), Campus Crusade for Christ, the International Students Incorporated (ISI), the Interfaith Campus Ministries and Campus Life.
Emily Walsh, St. Louis Hillel Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow, explained why their college faith group is also called "Gesher."
"Gesher means 'bridge' in Hebrew," Walsh said. "We are trying to bridge together Jewish communities at various St. Louis college campuses."
The St. Louis Hillel unites and works together with students from UM-St. Louis, Saint Louis University, Webster, Maryville, Logan College, Lindenwood, Fontbonne, Washington University and St. Louis Community Colleges.
Walsh said that the Gesher group meets for lunch in the UM-St. Louis Nosh the third Wednesday of every month, from noon to 2 p.m. and welcomes all faculty, staff and students to attend.
Tracy Van De Riet, CNC Campus Minister, said that there are numerous events held throughout the year in which students can partake.
"We participate in a wide variety of community service projects through Habitat for Humanity, during Lent we hold fish fry Fridays, we work with food pantries and also have Awakening and Twilight Retreats," Van De Riet said. "The retreats give students a chance to reflect on Lent. We also have [alternative] spring break service projects. I think that it is important for students to have faith and round out their college experiences by focusing on stuff other than school, such as spirituality."
Every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., and every Friday at 12:05 p.m., CNC holds open mass services. On Sundays, masses are also held at 8:30 p.m. at Bellerive. To find out more about upcoming CNC events, visit www.umsl.edu/~newman.
RCF is a college ministry of The Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church, located at 12928 Ladue Road, two miles west of I-270 and Ladue. This religious fellowship also coordinates events and activities for its members. RCF holds Sunday morning worship services, college Sunday schools, basketball events, mini-retreats, mercy ministries, special coordinated trips, Cardinals game gatherings, barbecues, summer cookouts and summer conferences. RCF also meets on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. at Mike Duffy's Pub in Richmond Heights.
"One of RCF's missions is reaching students for Christ through the Presbyterian Church of America," RCF Intern Michael Hart said.
While some of the religious groups mainly focus on Jewish, Catholic and Presbyterian beliefs, others who attended the "Interfaith Expo" are informal groups, non-denominational and interdenominational.
Campus Life is a non-denominational faith group, which holds regular informal Bible study groups. The Bible studies take place on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. in the Pilot House and on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the University Meadows Clubhouse, where refreshments are provided.
Besides meeting regularly for Bible readings, Campus Life also frequently visits local homeless shelters, participates with soup kitchens and hosts other events like ice-skating. Campus Crusade for Christ, an interdenominational group, gives students the opportunity to meet other students and to grow in their relationship with God through Bible study, prayer sessions and religious activities.
One upcoming activity, sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ, is a lecture that will be presented by Sujo John, a survivor of the World Trade Center and Sept. 11 attacks. This presentation will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 23, in the Pilot House at 12 p.m.
ISI gives international students and students of all multi-ethnic groups a chance to improve their English while studying Bible messages. A complete listing, brief description and contact information for all campus faith groups can be found on the UM-St. Louis Student Life web page.
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