Apr 03, 2014

Creating a welcoming environment for faith and worship at UNI

The University of Northern Iowa is home to more than 20 recognized student religious organizations. The groups offer ministry and fellowship for students, faculty and staff. Some of the groups are denominational, like the St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center and the Wesley Foundation, which is the United Methodist Student Center. Others are interdenominational, such as UNI Navigators, a Christian organization that provides conferences, seminars and personal mentoring.

There are groups for Christian athletes, those of the Muslim faith and students interested in celebrating religion through the performing arts.

"We want you to feel welcome. We want you to come and feel like you're part of this community." - Tabitha Tabor, president of Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BASIC), a group open to Christians of any denomination.

BASIC was founded more than 15 years ago and has collaborated with a variety of religious student organizations on campus as well as local churches. One event BASIC participates in is Freedom Week, which helps raise awareness of human trafficking. Other events include the College Hill outreach project in which student groups get together to perform small acts of kindness on College Hill.

These organizations provide students with the opportunity to connect on a more personal level, offering programs for smaller groups and casual social events, and larger-scale events, such as camping trips, retreats and spring break mission trips.

Tabor says the main goal is to create a welcoming environment where students can grow in their faith together.

Some of UNI's religious organizations include:

  • Alternatives Pregnancy Center Campus Outreach
  • Cedar Valley Episcopal Campus Ministries
  • Brothers and Sisters in Christ
  • Chi Alpha
  • Chinese Students and Scholars Association
  • Explorers of Religion
  • Intervarsity Christian Fellowship
  • Knights of Columbus
  • Lutheran Student Center
  • Lutheran Student Fellowship
  • Muslim Students Association
  • Nazareth Lutheran Church College-Age Ministry
  • Orchard Hill Student Ministry
  • Presbyterian Campus Connections
  • St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center
  • The Salt Company Student Fellowship
  • UNI Christian Performing Artist Fellowship
  • UNI Fellowship of Christian Athletes
  • UNI Navigators
  • UNI Freethinkers and Inquirers
  • Wesley Foundation
  • The River College Ministry of Prairie Lakes Church