The Clackamas print., February 07, 2018, Page 4, Image 4

L,_____ a r ts a n d c u l t u r e
CHRISTCOMNECTSCOLLEGE
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEANETTE WRIGHT
THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS RISING ON CAMPUS
JHE CLACKAMAS PRINT
W hat puts “ com m unity” in a com m unity college
campus more than student clubs? One type of student
club on cam pus is religious groups. Clackam as
Community College’s Oregon City campushosts three
religious clubs, Chi Alpha, ReGeneration and the Brown
Bag Bible Study, all of which aim to connect students
together through their respective Bible study groups.
All three groups are Christian-based, but all have
their own differences in how they operate. One main
similarity is their focus, as leader of the ReGeneration
group, Taylor Reavely, said.
ReGeneration is a campus ministry group based
out of New Life Com m unity Church in West Linn,
Oregon, and is fairly new; Reavely started the group
last September. After attending GCC as a student-
athlete, Reavely said he felt a need on campus for a
personal group study to help students .connect with
each other. The number of attendees varies term to
term, with about 20 students' participating regularly
in the four weekly meetings.
“ Our purpose, as we set out, really, is to be a spiritual
resource, and a safe place for students, as we discover
who Jesus is and what it means to follow H im ,” said
Reavely. “ Our goal is to engage students and connect
them on campus, but not just leave it on campus,
because that’ll change every quarter.”
The stud en t-to -stud en t discussion dynamic is
something ReGeneration focuses on.
“ Having the group be a place where students can
come and find a community just focused on God, other
students that are curious, you know, it’s a good way
to just grow and learn,” said Ben Foullon, a student
Community College.
leader of ReGeneration.
ReGeneration meets four tim es a week, w ith a
different person leading the group on each of those
days. Providing a welcoming atmosphere and wide area
fordiscussion is key to the interaction of the groups.
Whether a person who has a religious upbringing or
not, believes in God or not, most of us have questions,
and things in lifethey go through, that open them to
some ideas,thoughts, said Jam ie Dewees, community
The ReGeneration Bible study group opened their Bible apps to appreciate the word of the Lord on Feb. 1
in the Fireside Lounge at Clackamas Community College.
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advisor to Chi Alpha.
“ I believe that, to be effective, and to promote, is to
invest relationally, and really try to get to know people,”
said Dewees.
Their discussions primarily surround the scripture
the group reads that day, although topics have a huge
range, depending on the people attending.
“ [ReGeneration is] a great group. I enjoy the
individuals, too, and form of expression is a lot more
important than the reasons that might surround it,”
said Greyson Mbock, a CCC student who attends two
of the groups.
Mentoring and providing life advice is a huge part of
the campus ministry for Beth England, leader of the
Brown Bag Bible Study. “ I think the most important
thing is having the opportunity just to build a
relationship with the student, so that they know that
there’s a safe place to go or a safe person they can talk
to about anything,” said England.
England started the group, an offshoot of Northwest
Collegiate Ministries, in 2002, and has led the group
on campus since.
Brown B ag Bible Study is sm aller, and more
immediate, with a meeting once a week on Wedftesdays,
but England said she tries to be on campus Monday
through Thursday, just to be a resource for students.
Even though the three groups arejseparate, they
are united in the mission to create dbmmunity and
togetherness on campus.
Students can find more information about the groups,
including meeting times and locations, on posters on
billboards across campus, or the group websites.
Fe b ru a ry 7, 2018