When I first came to the University of Washington, I knew that the first thing I needed to find was a place to belong. On a campus of 45,000 students, I found it easy to bond with the students in my freshman interest group and on my floor in the dorms. Although these people were friendly and fun, I knew that I needed to find a community of people who shared my core values. Most of all, I was seeking friends who were not only nice, but those that I could trust and depend on for anything. I recognized that what I needed the most was a place to belong.

When I finally got to the University of Washington, I knew that I wanted to join a Christian group. Now, I am aware that there are many different Christian organizations on campus, but back then I only knew about one. A friend gave me information about a second option, but I wasn’t planning to take her advice, since I had my mind set on joining the group that I had known about initially.

My first Friday night on campus, I attended the annual kickoff meeting of University Christian Fellowship (which goes by Chi Alpha on other campuses). The first thing that stood out to me was that the people in this ministry made an intentional effort to get to know me personally before the first official meeting. I remember that I talked to a staff member and a student who both listened to my story and showed me incredible kindness.

At the meeting, I recall being overwhelmed by the tangible presence of God. I could sense his presence in the worship and teaching which were reflective of His character as it is described in the Bible. I could see and sense the students around me strengthening their relationships with one another through friendship, as well as their relationships with God, through prayer and praise.

These relationships are two of the most important reasons why University Christian Fellowship has been the most valuable part of my college experience. As human beings, developing relationships with other people is incredibly important to our physical, mental and emotional well-being. We were not designed to live without other people (and in my opinion, without God). If you try to do it alone, college can easily become the most depressing season of your life.

If I had not been involved in University Christian Fellowship at the University of Washington, I am certain that my journey in college would have looked very different. It would have been impossible for me to make it through these years without the support of friends and mentors that I could truly depend on for anything. As a result, I have never grown more in my faith or in my relationships at any other time in my life.

At University Christian Fellowship, we like to say that, “There is always room for one more friend.” This philosophy of inclusion and boundless love was extended to me when I first came to the University of Washington and remains something that I value to this day. All over this campus, I see people that are hungry for relationships, desperate for a sense of identity and ultimately looking for a place to belong. Looking back, I can see that God had a plan to satisfy my needs for love and belonging by leading me directly into University Christian Fellowship.

A few days ago, I was struck by the reason why University Christian Fellowship is so powerful and spiritually refreshing for me. In my opinion, the value of this ministry can be identified through the relationships. In this group, horizontal relationships with friends are developed through love, laughter and fellowship. Simultaneously, vertical relationships with God are experienced through worship, praise and teaching. Personally, I have found that these two forms of relationship have served to satisfy my deepest needs for love and belonging.

The combination of these two directions of relationship forms an incredibly symbolic shape, which is that of the cross. At University Christian Fellowship meetings, one cannot help but to taste and see the Fruit of the Spirit coming to bear through these horizontal and vertical relationships. The cross is the central reminder of why we love God and other people. We love because He first loved us. While we were still sinners, Christ took our sins upon himself and died for us, thus restoring us to a personal relationship with God. Once a week, we meet as a body of believers in this point of divine intersection. When we gather in this sacred location, we catch a glimpse of God’s perfect will, both at the present moment on earth and in the future glory of heaven.