5 Organizations Only Found at a Christian College

5 Social Organizations at Christian Colleges

Chapel Teams
Faith Outreach Programs
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Pro-Life Clubs
Ministries

You’ll find a wide variety of organizations at a Christian college, but some of them might surprise you, especially if you’ve only been looking at secular universities. Religious colleges have a lot more freedom to express their views and values when their entire campus is devoted to their faith. Here are just five clubs that you won’t usually see outside of religious schools.

1. Chapel Teams

A staple of universities like Trinity Christian College and Colorado Christian University, chapel teams are student-led organizations that are devoted to the campus house of worship. They do everything from leading prayers to collecting donations, and they’re usually involved with the organization and maintenance of things like choirs, religious study groups and guest speaker rotations. At Christian universities, attendance at weekly worship services is often mandatory, and chapel teams help to keep everything going for hundreds of students at a time.

2. Faith Outreach Programs

Oklahoma Christian University calls it their “Student Missions Organization.” St. Olaf College calls it their “Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice.” At the end of the day, it’s the same thing: an organization that wants to spread the word of God through missionary work. Sometimes, the students are preaching at local events or fundraisers; other times, the students are traveling abroad to take their Bibles to underdeveloped countries. Regardless of the specifics of their names and activities, their end goal is the same, and it’s not something that you’ll see at a lot of secular colleges.

3. Fellowship of Christian Athletes

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading the Christian faith to athletes, coaches and other sports personnel. It has branches in many different colleges, including secular ones, but it’s most commonly recognized and celebrated in religious colleges. The FCA encourages both students and faculty to act in moral, mindful ways as they pursue their dreams of athletic success, and it hands out annual awards to players and coaches who set good examples for others. Players, for example, must have 3.0 GPAs and written recommendations from their coaches, and they should serve as “faith models” when it comes to their religious beliefs.

4. Pro-Life Clubs

Pro-life clubs aren’t inherently Christian, but they’re often discouraged or banned at secular colleges, so religious institutions are where they thrive. Generally associated with Students for Life of America, an organization that provides resources for pro-life campus groups, these clubs promote their values in matters of abortion and adoption. Activities differ, but students might organize fundraisers, distribute informational pamphlets or volunteer at pregnancy centers. They might also engage in political discourse and other matters of law.

5. Ministries

Last but certainly not least, a lot of Christian universities have student- and faculty-led ministry groups. These groups tend to be large, well-organized and sponsored by everyone from local pastors to distant alumni. They bring everyone together to share their faith and participate in events, activities, choirs, worship services and evangelical missions, and they can be considered the beating heart of many Christian universities. While they aren’t exclusive to religious colleges, they’re much more important and much more developed in places where religion is part of the school’s identity.

These are just a few clubs, fellowships and student groups that are common to religious universities. As you can see, some are focused on faith, but others aren’t. Organizations at a Christian college are just as unique and varied as organizations at a secular school.