I’ve always been a very independent person, so imagine my surprise when my first weekend away from home at college was one that was completely panic-stricken. I was concerned that I had made the wrong decision in choosing to go to a school three hours away from home. That feeling persisted until my roommate invited me to the Baptist Campus Ministries for an event called Survival. At Survival, we had small group time, seminars and pizza, providing you the chance to get to know other freshman majoring in the same thing as you, living in the same dorm as you and maybe in some of the same classes. Survival was the first night I knew I had made the right decision in coming to UA; the first night I felt like it was home.

Ever since then, the BCM has often served as a place of refuge for me. I immediately got involved with their small group Bible study called Journey Groups, their Tuesday night worship titled Discovery and Wednesday lunch. Journey Groups allowed me to be able to learn more about God and more about myself in a small group setting. Discovery helped me meet some upperclassmen that I now look to as mentors. Wednesday lunch provided a delicious home cooked meal once a week that was a nice break from the dining hall food. I’ve also gotten involved with the freshman leadership team.

In February and March, the freshman leadership team is reaching out to the Air Force ROTC Cadets. We will have a special lunch honoring the cadets Wed., Feb. 29, and we will host a dinner honoring the cadets on March 1.

Even if you are not a part of the ROTC, we would still love for you to come to one of our events. It’s not too late to join a spring Journey Group, and this semester we have five studies to choose from on different days and at different times so as to best fit with your schedule. Discovery is Tuesdays at 7 p.m., and Wednesday lunch is every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Your first Wednesday lunch is free, and after that, they are only $1.

The BCM has been a great way for me to get involved in different activities. For anyone who doesn’t already have a campus ministry or church to attend, I hope the BCM can provide that same sense of welcome and safety it did for me that first week I was at UA.

Megan Miller is a freshman majoring in journalism.