As an incoming freshman about to start my college career at The University of Texas at Austin, I had a few questions that I needed to address. Why am I here? What do I want from college? How am I going to achieve my goals?

Carl

Breaking out of the niche that I had carved for myself in high school, I could not wait for a new beginning in college. I had never been away from the watchful eyes of my parents. The small Chinese Church that I had been attending left me searching for more in my Christian life. Even all the hours that I had spent marching in the school drum-line would no longer be there to consume all my free time. Since I had so many opportunities at UT, I needed to be clear on my goals for my time during college. And amidst all the doubts for the near future, my biggest concern was deciding who I was going to spend my time with. Where would I find a community that I could call home?

New Challenges in College

This was the challenge that I faced when I began college in Austin. I realized that the people around me in high school had influenced me in so many ways. They supported me when my family was having problems. My sense of home and belonging had come from my friends at church. Just like a lost sheep instinctively knows that it needs a flock, I knew in my being that I would need a group of people to spend my life with in college. They would be my new home, my stronger support, and even my companions in pursuing a purpose in college. I wanted the 4 years I spent at UT to set the direction for the rest of my life, and I knew that I was too lost and too unsure of my future to make these decisions on my own. I needed some friends to show me a path for my life. So I set my heart on finding a group that I could really join myself to, and that is exactly when I met Christian Students on Campus.

New Beginnings Seeking Community

It was the first day of my freshman orientation. I got out of the car and stepped into the scorching Texas heat, and almost immediately I was met by a friendly face asking if I needed help. Having directed me to where I needed to check in, the student handed me a flyer and invited me to join Christian Students on Campus at a Bible study. That week I established a relationship with some members of the club and ended up staying in contact with them even after I left orientation by reading the Gospel of John. Everything seemed great for the moment.

When the school year began, I still had my sights set on a number of different groups that I wanted to try. I went from Burdine to Welch Hall to Jester, group after group, searching for a place where I would really fit in. Yet with each group that I went to, I never found that sense of belonging I was looking for. I still felt like just another face in the crowd, another name on the sign-up sheet. Everyone wanted me to join in on their ideas and their personality, but nobody seemed to care about what I was like and what I needed. Nobody took the time to get to know me personally.  I was slowly losing hope of finding a home at college.

Finding Community with Christian Students on Campus

That’s when I began to notice something was different about Christian Students on Campus. Everyone cared for me in a personal way. One friend would take the time to pick me up from my dorm and drive me to the grocery store every week. Another would wake up early every Monday morning to pray with me. Even one of the alumni from the club would invite me to his home every week to eat a home-cooked meal. I couldn’t understand what it was. Why did they care so much? Why did they do all this for a freshman that they had only just met?

Discovering a Higher Purpose

Eventually, I learned. They served a purpose that was higher than a club reputation or mutual entertainment. They served God’s purpose—to gain a group of people who genuinely love Jesus and are built up to express Him as one Body. With this vision, they shared the Lord’s heart for me to become a part of this Body. This is why they didn’t see me as just another name, or another face in the crowd. I honestly believe that they cared for me so much because they understood that I was looking for such a community. And as I began to spend more and more time with them I couldn’t help but agree.

I needed companions, and I found some who cared for me with the love of Jesus. I needed belonging, and I found a group of people that I felt comfortable spending all my time with. I needed a purpose, and I found those who were spending their lives in college working towards an eternal goal with lasting value. Looking back, I am so thankful that the Lord met all of my needs and introduced me to a Christ-filled community that I could call home.