6. 10:30 Focus Group

Deacon group
11/18, Library
Hal led, Amy took notes

Kate - junior, 1st year of involvement, English and secondary ed.
Sheila - resident, take care of the church, senior, English major headed to Luther Seminary for Youth & Family ministry
Matt - sophomore+ 1st year, will be a deacon tomorrow, anthropology/social work, pre med
Barney - 5th yr, elementary education, didn't get into Christus Rex full capacity until last year. Deacon last year, He's BARNEY, of "Tuesdays with Barney." :

FF: Importance/value of Christus Rex?

Kate - we feel the family atmosphere because we know a lot of people. But a lot of people pass through here, study here, walk through even if they don't worship here. They too will see a smiling face, be greeted when they come in. Students have a sense that they can go sit down and play the piano, in this atmosphere that is totally different than the dorms. They are free to go anywhere in here, its important to the campus because of that.

Sheila - like a family around here once you get into it. Our friends are here, and people here that care about us and are concerned about us. If we're having trouble we can get help here or relax here and not think about it. Like home even before I lived here!
We try to greet people, smile when we're working here. People who come in to study feel comfortable. We try to put out hospitality to everyone.
Tabula get a lot of people who walk through when it's cold, use the phone, use the building…

Matt - its different, moves in an opposite direction of the rest of campus. Campus = mechanical. Here I come stressed out and talk with someone and the stress goes away. I love the conversations here. Conversations here are very open, people have different opinions but everyone seems to be fine with it.
Worship services at first a little odd because it was so structured, but the sermons are cutting edge dealing with issues that a lot of places don't deal with.
In the deacons things they challenge us - we watched Dogma, Search for Historical Jesus. I like it. My dad had always questioned stuff with me, but discussing stuff like this with other friends I would get a hostile or defensive response, here there is an openness and acceptance of opinions.

Barney - every time I come in here I get this calming feeling, I transform from this stressful college student - I'll mean to just stop by and end up in a four hour conversation. Very relaxing place, a good stress manager. What I feel in the rest of the campus its very cold and institutional, here always someone you know, a smiling face, asks how your day is going, talk with you if you need to talk, etc.
Contemporary yet has that traditional sense to it. Sermons relevant to college age students, not canned, a lot of thought and themselves in the sermons and it comes out to me.

FF: Genius or wisdom of Christus Rex?

Kate - genuineness of everything that is done here. Nothing is forced, its very real. I can feel it, esp when you talk to Tim and Kathy when they ask you a question you know they care.

Sheila - a big one is hospitality. What can we do to welcome people and make people feel comfortable here. Tim and Kathy always thinking about it, asking us for ideas and how we can help. Free coffee. Always encouraged to say hi to people we don't know.
It wouldn't work if it was just Tim and Kathy's ideas. They know they need input from us to make it work and we need them to keep us grounded and guide us when we get off track, process things that didn't work out.
Because they care about you they can ask questions that no one else can ask. You know they will care about what you have to say and listen

Matt - hosp is not fake. I feel it's difficult to talk to a complete stranger, so even though it's a little harsh or whatever, I'm trying and that's authentic.

Barney - Tim and Kathy are constantly asking us how to improve things, how to think about things, which is different from the way they look at things. They are interested in what we want as college students. That's why we are attracted to it, its geared toward us. Traditional services like the olden days, but sermons relevant to us.
One of the big reasons for me coming was Tim and Kathy themselves, how they approach people. They have very different styles, Kathy has a very flamboyant style. Tim more fireside chat, it's masterful watching him talk to someone for the first time.

FF: How has Christus Rex affected your faith?

Kate - this place has been incredible for my faith. I was in a small church where it was easy to have faith. Coming to college was scary; I didn't have that comfort zone for 2 years. This year getting involved here has been incredible. Last 2 years was a low point in my faith journey. The last few months some crazy stuff has been going on in my family, and Tim and Kathy know that I don't need to be challenged right now. They know if you don't want to be challenged. They know when to push and when to care. Even when they're not challenging they're always supporting.

Sheila - taught me to question. Home church we do it this way because we've always done it this way. Here we are encouraged to question, if we don't agree with something, question. We get into deep conversations about things that we question and that's celebrated here. Different views are celebrated here, not attacked for questioning things that were always taken for granted.
At home there wasn't a lot I could do. Here I am a lot more involved in everything - deacons, living here has helped me realize that I want to work in the church, and go to seminary. Watching Tim and Kathy has been good for (vocation) I want to do what they do.
Here everyone's gifts are welcome. If I'm not good at something, that's ok - I'm good at something else. "I don't have to fit into a mold and be a perfect Christian or something"
I knew Kathy would have some wise things to say and give me a hug after. They're very observant.
A low-risk place to try out our gifts. If you fail, you learn something. It encouraging to have a place to try things out.

Matt - helped strengthen. In other places questioning was not OK. I looked at Tim and Kathy's coffee table there was Phil Jackson's book about Zen - and I thought there is room for me here. "I'll talk to you later, I have to pee"- first interaction with Kathy - arms flailing. :
Openness to other faith traditions. I question my own beliefs a lot and in this environment I feel much more comfortable doing that.
Tim and Kathy Not afraid to fail.

Barney - a daily reminder. For the past for summers I worked at bible camp, 3 months of immersion, then back to school and faith goes on the back burner. Being here I'm brought back to that more often, even walking through here is a reminder. It's a more daily thing for me.
Tim and Kathy are not afraid to challenge me, long conversations with them where we challenge each other, they're not afraid of doing that, or how I'll react. They welcome it I think.
It makes me think about my faith life on a daily basis, where if I wasn't part of this community I wouldn't do that. When I think about my faith, it challenges me, and then I chat with Tim and Kathy and they give me more things to think about, more questions so that I keep growing. Welcome the questions have content to back it up.
Tim and Kathy not afraid to take risks with this place. Like Tuesdays with Barney - not planned just a made up on the spot idea. Takes guts to do that, some people would not be willing to say this is yours run with it. That was a pretty big complement to them and me, and I think they would do that with anyone here. There's been many programs like that here - some work, some don't but they aren't afraid to try. That keeps this place moving so it's not stagnant.

Observations/Highlights:

• "genuineness of everything that is done here"
• "They know when to push and when to care."
• "A low-risk place to try out our gifts. If you fail, you learn something. It encouraging to have a place to try things out."
• Tim and Kathy invite student input, leadership. Allow students to take risks, help them learn from success and failure.
• Gift based ministry is the focus.
• Openness to questions, other religions, wacky ideas. We'll try anything once atmosphere.