summer ruf...

We've finished our summer RUF Thursday night get-togethers! This summer we had about 10-15 students from several colleges (Virginia Tech, Duke, UVA, Liberty, & CVCC), and each Thursday they all brought food to share for dinner (pictured above was our "breakfast for dinner" theme), and then we enjoyed a great group discussion through this book...


"The Enduring Community: Embracing the Priority of the Church"

We'd recommend the book to any of you, especially any of you who find yourself frustrated, burned out, or disappointed by the church OR feel confused as to what the church's role is, what you can do to serve her, or why the church matters in the first place.

I (Amy) can't begin to tell you what GREAT and necessary discussions we had each week, so I thought I'd share what the students said! (those of you who receive our newsletters will probably see some of these again!)

• "In walking through "The Enduring Community," I have obtained a redeemed view of the goal of the church. After seeing and experiencing the pettiness and pain that can accompany the real world church, it was reviving to get a glimpse of how the church was made to be, and what we can do to get it closer to its ideal. It was a very challenging and healing walk through a biblical perspective of the church."

• "I loved the topic of church community, the discussion was honest and thought-provoking. The most profound thing that I'm taking away from RUF is that my attitude about church should be "what did God get out of me today" not "what did I get from church." The study will change my attitude about the church forever.

• "RUF has been an awesome way to still feel connected. I have learned so much and have been humbled to learn just how much there is left for me to do in church to build community."

• "RUF has been a great place for me to come every week to be challenged both intellectually and spiritually. While I truly enjoy the stimulating lessons and discussions, that's not the reason I keep coming. The reason is that the leaders really care about me, and will always listen to my overly-dramatic sob stories, even though I'm sure they have better things to do. They are knowledgeable about what they teach, and they also practice what they preach. It's a great community that I hope to continue to attend in the future."

• "This summer was my first time joining an RUF group. I have loved every moment that I have spent with my RUF Lynchburg group. RUF is the type of group that I have been looking for since I have been in college. I have enjoyed the summer study that we did on the enduring community. It was a very thought-provoking study and I loved how it was full of group discussions. The church is built upon the people, and how we all need to be involved in the church. I enjoyed hearing everyone's views on the summer study. I am looking forward to continue building relationships with my Lynchburg RUF group throughout this year!"

• "RUF has been a true blessing to me this summer. I am still growing into my faith & figuring out what I need & want in a church and in myself. It has made me take a hard look at myself & realize that I have not been taking an active role in my own faith. I always thought that as I got older, I would figure it out & it would come to me. However, I now realize that I need to actively pursue faith & love. RUF has brought God back to a forefront in my life & made me see that I need to make some changes within myself."

• "Getting involved in Summer RUF has really made an impact on my understanding of the church and community. After reading and discussing The Enduring Community, I feel like I have a much more Biblical understanding about the church, its function in my life, and my role in it. The people I met also made a huge impact as I learned what true community means and how to love and care for others. After becoming involved in Summer RUF, I feel much more equipped to serve in the church and feel as if I have a much clearer direction in which to continue."

Praise God! May His bride, the church, be strengthened & transformed through this study!