Each Thursday, a group of students, some of them from the U, meet in a coffee shop-themed room in the back of a church to ask questions and discuss important issues surrounding religion.
The meetings are hosted by the Campus Crusade for Christ, a campus group that works to provide a place for students to feel welcomed to come and talk about religion.
“(We) create an atmosphere where anyone can come in and feel comfortable to ask tough questions about God and life,” said Chaz Moder, a 22-year-old business major and former U student, who is now attending Westminster College.
Moder has been involved with the group referred to as the “CRU” since he was a freshman at the U, and now, he serves as a student leader for the group.
“There are people that are interested in seeing something different than the predominant religion,” said Josh Opp, who is also a student leader in group and a senior in business at the U.
The group gathers on a weekly basis and says they invite everyone to join the discussion. Although the group is primarily a Christian organization, they welcome students from all faiths, Chaz said, adding that some active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have come to the meetings on more than a few occasions.
The CRU hosts a barbecue at the beginning of the Fall Semester at the Residence Halls to help spread awareness about the group, but Moder said the group mostly relies on students to advertise events by word of mouth.
The group also hosts a fall and spring retreat where members from all “movements,” which is what they refer to their groups as, come together for a weekend to discuss their religious views.
Both Moder and Opp emphasized that CRU meetings held every Thursday revolve around a central theme of discussion and, unlike a typical Sunday sermon, the meetings take shape as an open forum where people can converse on a personal or group level.
“I have been involved for about four years,” Moder said. “Four years ago there were 12 people, today 50 to 80 people (come to the Thursday meetings).”
The group meets at the Capital Church at 1010 E. 700 South, where a local pastor allows the members to use a room for their weekly meetings. The group also provides shuttles to and from its Thursday meeting house and the Residence Halls.