Though Northeastern isn't a religious institution, it has become a place where I have felt my faith grow most. On a campus with so many students, it’s essential to find the people you feel most at home with. I’ve always found clubs to be one of the easiest ways to do so, especially given that Northeastern has over 600 clubs and organizations dedicated to unique interests. So whether it’s cooking, sports, fashion, culture, religion, food, or literally anything else that interests you, there’s certainly a space for you to express that interest on campus.
Finding Your Place
When I first arrived on campus as a freshman, I honestly felt overwhelmed. I knew I wanted to find a community, but I didn’t know what kind until I attended a club tabling event that took over campus, offering different ways to get involved and find my place. Now that I'm in my senior year, I know that Northeastern hosts two of these events annually, one in the fall and one in the spring. Even being in my last year at Northeastern, I always stroll through these tabling events and join new clubs. When I first attended a club tabling event, however, I recall strolling aimlessly, just looking for something that would spark my interest. I felt awkward and shy, but when I stumbled upon Northeastern’s Cru branch, Agape, a smiling student named Nathan welcomed me, and I instantly knew it was the place for me.
Like its parent organization, Cru, Agape’s mission is to “Love God, love each other, and love our campus.” During my three years in the club, I can proudly affirm that I’ve felt this mission to be true. I’ve met my closest friends in Agape because Northeastern's niche clubs make it easy for students to build meaningful relationships. As mentioned earlier, you're not required to join a spiritual group as a Husky, but for me, it’s been the core of my college experience. With that in mind, I’m going to dive a little deeper into how spiritual life at Northeastern works.
Campus Resources
One of the easiest ways to get involved with a spiritual group on campus is to go to the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service. This office can help you connect with a religious or spiritual group on campus and can even refer you to resources outside campus. While you’re there, be sure to inquire about the events they host, as they often offer free yoga classes in their nondenominational sacred space.
Once you’re connected to a group, remember you don’t have to be glued to it. For example, as a Christian student at Northeastern, I’ve found my home in Agape, but I also attend other Christian clubs, such as ENC, Intervarsity, and SOON. These groups also often host inter-fellowship nights and activities where you have opportunities to meet other students in the Boston area. If you’re certain you want to be involved in some form of spiritual life but aren’t quite sure which group suits you best, I recommend floating around and seeing what feels right. It’s important to note that spiritual groups are often open to newcomers, too, so it’s totally okay if you’re just testing the waters and not quite sure of your beliefs yet.
Club Traditions
If a group you find feels like home, stick with it. Spiritual groups offer weekly meetings, and many also host fun events and opportunities to deepen your bond with students in the group. For instance, Agape’s board game nights, where we challenge each other to intense rounds of Nertz and other games, are always a blast. It’s always a challenge to keep our volume down late at night when the competition gets heated, but we’re not ready to go to sleep yet. I’ve also always enjoyed our spring semester cooking competition, “A-chope,” where we split into teams and race against the clock to prepare the most delicious dishes for the student judges. The Holy Half Marathon is always a fun way to stay active and reflect on Holy Week with other campus groups, such as the Catholic Center. Lastly, one of the most beloved traditions of the Christian fellowship groups on campus happens at the end of the year, when we gather for an inter-fellowship formal to share appetizers and dance all night. As you can see, Agape is a tight-knit group of students pursuing the Lord, but we also know how to have a good time, engage in a little friendly competition, and make memories with other spiritual groups on campus.
Retreats and Religious Outings
If you asked me what my favorite Agape memory is, however, it would be impossible to pick just one. Therefore, I’ve narrowed it down to two recurring events I feel define the Agape experience most vividly. The first of the two is sunrise worship. Each Easter, Agape wakes at the crack of dawn and heads to the Charles River dock for sunrise. While there, we gather around students with guitars and small drums as we sing, study the Bible, and reflect on our faith journeys. These magical moments aren’t rare in Agape, however. Each fall, we attend a retreat in New Hampshire, where we spend the weekend doing similar religious activities while also spending time with friends, making s'mores, playing lawn games, and hanging out by the lake, tubing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and sailing. Though fall retreat and Easter sunrise worship may seem like simple events, they speak volumes to me, showing how spiritual life club involvement extends beyond campus and leads to lifelong friendships and personal growth.
Volunteering Opportunities
My experience in a spiritual life club on a non-religious campus is not unlike others. For many, spiritual groups aren’t just a way to grow in their faith but also a way to get involved in the community. My experience in a spiritual group at Northeastern has led me to get to know the city of Boston better through volunteer opportunities. One of my favorite volunteering experiences with Agape was distributing food, water, hygiene items, and clothing to those in need at a church on Massachusetts Avenue with my friends. It was magical to see how a small act of kindness could change someone’s whole week.
Finding a Church
At Agape, we always remind our members that while Agape is a great place to grow in your faith, it is not a church. Finding a church or sanctuary when you first come to college can be intimidating, especially if you're doing it alone. However, when you join a spiritual group on campus, many students already have a home church in Boston, so you can tag along without the awkwardness of attending a new church alone. The Center for Spirituality, Service, and Dialogue is also a great resource to ask questions about nearby churches or other spiritual sanctuaries.
The Bottom Line
My time at Northeastern would not mean half as much to me as it does now because of the incredible people I’ve met through campus spiritual groups. The raw truth is that being in a new city on a large college campus can be nerve-racking, but when you’re doing it with people you feel at home with, it’s not scary; it’s adventurous. So if you’re on the fence about whether experimenting with spiritual life at Northeastern is right for you, my advice is to go for it. After all, you never know who you might meet or how much you might grow.
