13. More First Year Students

12/1, 7p
Conference Room
Dawn led, Amy took notes

AE - female, senior transfer, 1st year, 16 years old. Did public school until I was 10, two years of home schooling, then went to college with my dad when I was 12. Technical theater with a biochemistry minor, done next fall. An exchange student, started in Missouri, went back to U of Hawaii for 3 years, but the theater there closed for three years. So, I came here because there is great theater here. I just dropped in here (Crossroads) the first week of school because they have Sunday worship and I've been attending regularly ever since.

HD - female, 1st year. Accounting and Math double major. Home in Menominee, WI, ELCA congregation there, I wanted to stay in that tradition - my mom was LCMS and didn't like it. We always went to church, my dad not so much. Went to camp my last year of confirmation and had a great time. Went back and volunteered for three weeks the next summer which was totally worth it - loved it again. And thought I would be a counselor but I couldn't be a senior counselor so I'm hoping to be a lifeguard instead. That's when I became religious for myself, not as a part of my family. I got baptized and confirmed in transitional times at my church, so camp was my stable connection - you're living it, not just hearing it. I went through severe depression my freshman and senior years of high school - and my faith was what got me though it - that and camp. Coming here I knew would be a big transition, so I needed something to belong to, and I'm on the swim team which is a big thing, but I heard about Crossroads when I was here for orientation and have been coming ever since.

SF - female, 2nd year. Know Fred from education classes. My family's church is in New Richland (ELCA), so this is more convenient for me. Fred is more personable with students my age - my home pastor is really for elderly people. Fred wants to know about you and why you're interested in being here. I'm a Social Studies major graduating in the spring, then coming back to do a master's in special education.

FF: Impact of the ministry on you or the campus?

HD - I don't see anything about it on campus, but we know that it's here, and my friends know its here because I tell them about it, and I invited them. So a couple of them have come. I just like the atmosphere - it's more like camp, more interactive than at home. My two pastors at home are one who's really good with elderly people and the other who is bounce off the walls youth guy. I couldn't relate to either to them. And no one will sit in the front row - lots of listening and watching, not personable, it's like you're outside it looking in. Like here it's like you're inside the conversation. I can relate it to an experience so it's more effective.

SF - I absolutely agree - it's the same at my home church. No matter how the pastor tried to connect to me it just didn't work. It's never directed to the high school college age. Pastor Fritz didn't try to push religion on me. It just happened that we are the same synod. He just mentioned it, never ever pushed it and I think that's important because college kids want to make their own decisions. I came here about 3 months after I met Fred and I was having a really rough time - both my parents are alcoholics and I was crying all the time. So I came to church because I needed to know someone loved me - and Fred's sermon was about loving one another, and he looked right at me and said God loves you. And that was it; I've been coming ever since. And I'm not as regular as I should be, but in my low times I always come back here and the sermons are for me.

AE - I'm Assemblies of God/Baptist - I've never been inside a Lutheran church. Pastor Fred is down to earth and he can relate to you not as a pastor as a teacher but just as a friend. A lot of times I come here and the sermons are really relative to what's going on in my life and he'll say things that seem directly for me.

FF: How is this perceived on campus?

HD - I see stuff about Intervarsity and FCA all over campus. Two of the girls on the swim team are in FCA and have invited me but I haven't gone yet. Not thought of poorly. Crossroads and FCA seem kind of the same.

SF - I've only been here a couple years, but it seems like you hear more about the churches than other places where I've been to college. More students talk about going to church and I don't know if it's the Minnesota nice thing or what.

AE - I think it's well known, when I mention I go here people know what it is, but I don't think it's a place that's visited by non-Christian people.

FF: Genius?

SF - Pastor Fritz (all nod) he's so personable, he's interested in you, in you meeting people like you, in you making a difference in your life, he wants to help you and he'll discuss God with you on a level that's understandable.

HD - Pastor Fritz - it's not "in your face" religion and that makes a big difference. There's no "God loves you" right away. It just comes up. One day we were shaking hands after the service and he asked me about my injury that I got in swimming and then suddenly we were talking about religious stuff - it was casual.

AE - He's not just concerned about the religious aspect of your life - he's concerned about what's going on in your life everyday.

FF: Where's God at work?

SF - Through things that are said - how things so ironically relate to you. I went to church for years and I never got anything out of those sermons. And I came here and learned from the process of healing from situations in my past. When he talks and it's like it's coming straight from God. I'll ask for a sign to help me cope and it comes right out of his mouth.

HD - It's definitely more than having a way with words - he'll talk about something and I'll say, "Oh my gosh, that just happened to me."

AE - You can see he's led by God. There's no question - when he says things you know they're not coming from himself its coming from God.

FF: What did we not ask that someone would want to know about Crossroads?

HD - So different from the traditional church, much more directed to our age group. Like growing up it was a struggle to find something in the sermon that related to my life. Here it's just obvious. Plus there's no pressure or expectations of a traditional church - it's a relaxing place. Don't have to dress up, behave, be quiet, sit up straight.

SF - Everything she said about the traditional church I completely agree with - you were in the dress, you were going to Sunday School, you watched dad usher, you went there because your grandparents went there and their grandparents started the church. Here it's personable, and he's always got projects for service but he doesn't push it, he brings it up and lets you know how you can help. You don't feel obligated but you can do something.

HD - There are so many projects that I've wanted to do but I'm always out of town for swimming. And he always has something else I can do. I had always wanted to go to Gustavus Adolphus when I was in high school - but then I thought why spend 15000 to go there when I could go here for free. I wanted Gustavus Adolphus because it was Lutheran, but when coming here I wanted to make life-long friends with people of my own religion, people who were like me. I wanted to be involved that way - I didn't want to feel like and outsider with my religion and so I wanted a community and that's why I cam e here. Also the youth program was really big in my church and that was a big deal - and the first time I went I was so scared and then my mentor was the youth director and my best friend was on the youth board, and so I got to be the secretary and the treasurer and stuff - then the youth director resigned - and we were like you need this person to keep the church going. So three of us tried to keep it going and the other two graduated and left me. And here is like the youth activities without being too childish - I like living in it, not observing.

AE - You're getting something different from the worship service - different setting every week. Plus Fred tries to get you connected with other people, even ones who aren't necessarily on campus - like the Lutheran Brotherhood Bundle Me Warm ladies came and hung out with us - they're like 80 years old. Like there was a guy in line ahead of me from North Dakota and Pastor Fred said, "Oh stay, I know some people from North Dakota - I'll introduce you."

Observations/Comments:

• These women are making connections at Crossroads - we watched them connect with each other during the interview.
• God loves you - isn't shoved down your throat, it's a part of Fred's everyday conversation, doesn't feel forced.
• Fred's MO is invitational, casual.
• Atmosphere is relaxed, no pressure or expectations
• Each one's initial contact was different - AE dropped in for worship, HD heard about it at orientation, SF had Fred as an instructor.

Quotables

• HD - "…here [worship/preaching] is like you're inside the conversation. I can relate it to an experience so it's more effective."
• SF - "I was having a really rough time…So I came to church because I needed to know someone loved me - and Fred's sermon was about loving one another, and he looked right at me and said, 'God loves you.' And that was it; I've been coming ever since…the sermons are for me."
• AE - "[Fred]'s not just concerned about the religious aspect of your life - he's concerned about what's going on in your life everyday."
• HD - "So different from the traditional church, much more directed to our age group. Like growing up it was a struggle to find something in the sermon that related to my life. Here it's just obvious. Plus there's no pressure or expectations of a traditional church - it's a relaxing place. Don't have to dress up, behave, be quiet, sit up straight…"