Friends,

There are more than a thousand different clubs and student-led organizations at Purdue, from the “3-D Printed Prosthetics Club” to “Animal Robotics” to “Ethical Hackers of Purdue.” My personal favorite? A club called “Space-Loving Individuals Negotiating Gravity.” What do all of these groups have in common? Students are seeking a place to belong.

In Luke’s description of the early church, the good doctor wrote, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship” (Acts 2:42a). The Greek word translated “fellowship,” koinonia, carries the ideas of participation, communion, and sharing. They were experiencing a new and ongoing sense of belonging which not only met an intrinsic desire to be included—to be family—but also became the essence of their witness as disciples of Jesus. This picture of fellowship, of belonging, is still the calling for the Body of Christ and the Spirit’s primary vehicle for transformation, healing, and mission.

We have highlighted a few of the ways that the Campus House community is continuing to grow as a Jesus-centered community being formed together. In a leadership huddle this morning, one of our guys mentioned that, though his tendency is to “go it alone,” out of obedience, he has been purposefully including others in his life in the kinds of daily discipleship that can’t be taught in a classroom or a Sunday morning sermon. The side effect has been deeper friendships, a reciprocity of vulnerability, and (ultimately) a greater sense of belonging.

In a conversation with student leaders last week, I was struck by their intentionality in seeing and connecting people into their lives and friend groups, having themselves experienced a sense of belonging in the Body of Christ. Not only does such action push back the pervasive loneliness so rampant on our campus (and in our world), this art of koinonia, of belonging, continues to reverberate as they continue their journey post-Campus House, commissioned as members of Christ’s Body.

Thank you for your partnership in this good work.

Rob Schrumpf, Lead Pastor
On Behalf of the Campus House Staff