Allowing fellow Olds College students to connect with each other through faith and fellowship has earned the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Club the group of the year on campus.
The club organized fellowship evenings this past year at the United Church on Thursdays. The event was designed by club members to help fellow students get together and share the message of Christianity, said Luke Chamberlain, one of the members of the group's leadership team.
“What we did was meet at the United Church … (to) hand out hotdogs and just interact with the students. It was a good time to interact with students and meet a lot of new classmates,” he said.
Chamberlain said the idea was simply to get to know fellow students and pass on their faith.
“The way we look at it is outreach…. We wanted to share that story (of Christ's resurrection),” he said.
The club had about 10 students as part of the leadership group and up to about 30 that attended Bible study events on Mondays and Tuesdays. Chamberlain said next year the club wants to expand its focus and help out other groups on campus. This past year, the group helped out with the annual Operation Christmas Child campaign in the community.
“That's a goal of ours for the future is to get together with other groups and do other events with other campus groups,” he said.
Murray Ball, one of the members of the United Church, said he was impressed with the students' efforts, and when they came forward with a plan to use the church as a base for their fellowship events, it was wholeheartedly accepted. A group of students had attended services at the church and brought the idea forward.
“When the students brought this idea forward (and) thought it would be beneficial to the community, we were more than happy to open our doors and let them make use of our facilities. I think they have made a contribution to the community this year through their efforts,” he said.
“They have reached out to their peer group and they've said, ‘here's something else you can do when you're in Olds (and) you want to become part of the community here and come and join us.' And I think they came up with an innovative program, one that was easy to access and one that was rewarding to the students that were reaching out to their peer group,” Ball said, adding he thought it was good recognition for the club's efforts that Olds College named it the club of the year.
"That's a goal of ours for the future is to get together with other groups and do other events with other campus groups."Luke Chamberlain, member, Olds College Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Club
