Campus Ministries welcomed over 60 churches and ministries to Commons Lawn on Wednesday, Sept. 6 for its annual church and ministry fair. This event set a record for churches attending the fair, thanks to its decoupling from Cokes & Clubs.
The decision to split from Cokes & Clubs was mostly a practical one, according to Susan Burner, assistant director of Campus Ministries. Burner said that for the past several years, a number of churches have been placed on a waitlist. This was due to a lack of space and equipment. With Cokes & Clubs and the church fair sharing Commons Lawn and a limited number of tables, Campus Ministries was only able to admit 40 churches to the fair.
This year, however, Calvin was able to offer tables to 61 churches from 13 different denominations, as well as a large number of non-denominational churches. The CRC was the best-represented, with 21 of the 61 churches coming from Calvin’s parent denomination. Other churches included 13 non-denominational churches, six Presbyterian, six Wesleyan churches, and many more. This wide array of denominations and affiliations is a “recognition of the diverse denominational background of Calvin students,” says Burner. Although spanning across different denominations, in order to be admitted to the fair, each church was required to acknowledge agreement with the Apostles or Nicene Creed.
Burner said that such a large group of churches would enable students to “see a breadth of church offerings in Grand Rapids, and…find a place that stretches them, if that’s what they’re looking for, or find a place that feels like home if that’s what they’re looking for.”
All church representatives interviewed by Chimes noted the importance of decisions being made in college. Burner said that “churches want to reach out to Calvin students and love them well.” Pastor Tarence Lauchie, pastor of Grace for the Nations Church, echoed this sentiment, saying that “college students are making important decisions – to follow or not follow Christ – and campus ministry is a valuable part of that decision.”
Lauchie emphasized the value his church places on community, as one of five core tenets of the church’s ministry. He was not alone in bringing up this aspect of church ministry. In between handing out conversation-starter cards to students stopping at the church’s table, Dave Hartwell, Communications Coordinator at Church of the Servant CRC told Chimes that the church’s focus for this academic year is on fellowship — one of three key values in the church’s mission statement.
The fair also went beyond just churches. For the first time, the Barnabas teams, which are responsible for faith development in the dorms, and other Calvin ministry organizations had a physical presence at the event. Campus Ministries began experimenting with an event attended by all the Barnabas teams last year, which achieved good turnout and engagement.
Sarah VerMerris, assistant director of discipleship, remarked on the benefits of having members of the Barnabas team – known as “Barns” – at a physical, in-person event, saying that “it’s good to have many mechanisms of communication and introduction.” VerMerris noted that having all the Barnabas teams in one place helps to create a physical community, and that enabling students to engage them in a low-pressure, informal environment creates familiarity.
While overall student attendance was down, Campus Ministries and church representatives alike feel that the separation from Cokes & Clubs is a net positive. Pastors and church representatives remarked to Campus Ministries that they felt they were better able to have effective conversations with students without time pressure, according to Burner. The change also allowed students who might otherwise be tethered to their student organization’s table more opportunity to represent their church.
For students unable to attend the fair, Campus Ministries maintains an extensive database of churches in the West Michigan area. This database includes details about language, transportation and more.
