Freshmen, transfer students and returning students have a variety of organizations, groups and events wanting their involvement and participation, and among these are campus ministries.

Several campus ministries have offered nightly events this week to get new students informed and involved.

“Most students decide what they’re gong to do with the rest of their school year activity-wise within the first two weeks of school, so everyone wants to get their organization’s name and purpose out,” said Roger Songer, campus minister of Christian Campus House/Christian Campus Fellowship.

Various ministries have held ice cream socials, picnics and cook-outs to allow new students to come and see what is available to them.

“Turn-out’s been extraordinarily good; better than usual,” said Greg Witto, director of campus life at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, where they have had over thirty students attend each night at this past week’s activities.

“I think students need to get involved in ministry, in serving one another in the name of our Lord and Savior,” Witto said.

Tony Soper, director/campus minister at the Wesley Foundation, said campus ministry is a place where students can gather together to strengthen each other in their spiritual life.

“We’re always lifting each other up and helping each other carry on,” Soper said.

Soper said their fellowship, which is an interdenominational group, has had 15 to 20 new students attend in addition to their regular group of about 25 to 30.

The Newman Catholic Center had a party on Sunday featuring the band The Last Resorts to welcome new students and will continue to hold events this week.

“The purpose of holding these events is to expose students to other students,” said Roy Lanham, campus minister/director

for the Newman Catholic Center.

“One of the most important things about college besides learning is to make relationships that hopefully can last a lifetime,” he said. “We need friends to support us in our journey of faith.”

Tim Sales, Inter Varsity staff worker, said the fellowship has had a lot of new students come out for their events.

“I think students should check out and get involved with campus ministry because physical life, emotional life and spiritual life are all three parts of life you need to address,” he said.

Some of the events hosted by the Christian Campus House this week were a coffeehouse, spaghetti dinner and luau.

Songer said he thinks students need to realize there is more to life than grades and getting a job. “They need to realize that the spiritual part of them is real – not a make-belief thing – and is important for them to come to grips with.”

Lisa Luering, a freshman special education major attended the Newman Catholic Center’s sand volleyball event. “It’s fun; fun people,” she said.

Luering said a friend, also a freshman, brought her to the event. “We thought it’d be better than sitting in the dorm,” she said.

She said she was not really involved with a church at home because she had a bad experience with it but came to college with plans to get involved in a ministry. “I thought I’d start over,” she said.

Brent Woodrum, a freshman pre-engineering major, said he was able to meet a lot of people that are good Christians and really nice at the events held by Christian Campus House this week.

“I really look forward to this year to really get in touch with God,” he said. “There’s a lot of people here that I’m going to be accountable to.”

Several ministries will have events that continue into this week. The Wesley Foundation will hold its Power Light devotional service at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, featuring its praise band F.O.A.M. (Fishers Of All Men). The Lighthouse will be open from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday.

Emmanuel Lutheran will hold an ice cream social at 6 p.m. on Thursday and a welcome back picnic at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Bible study is at 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

The Newman Catholic Center is having a make-your-own-sundae party after 9 p.m. mass on Wednesday and a freshmen-only pizza party at 7 p.m. on Thursday, followed by their new Alpha Omega program at 8 p.m.

Inter Varsity has its first meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the Greenup Room of the Martin Luther King University Union. The alternative rock band from Champaign, Lotrel, will play from 10 p.m. to midnight on Friday at The Warehouse.

Christian Campus House has Bible study at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Campus House and services every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in Buzzard Auditorium.