by Sidney Huffman
Florida State University is home to roughly 31,000 undergraduate students and 17 on-campus residence halls. With thousands of students moving in, the week before school starts can become quite hectic — especially when moving all your possessions in the humid Florida heat. Freshmen can be spotted quite easily with their families in tow as varying ranges of emotions spread upon their faces. Most upperclassmen have learned to stay as far away from campus for these move-in days, but many of Florida State’s campus ministries see this week as an opportunity.
Christian organizations on and around FSU unite each fall to display their love of Christ to the campus and fellow Seminole peers during Florida State’s “Go Week.” Among the organizations are First Baptist’s Church of Tallahassee Collage Ministry (fsuchurch.com), FSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry (fsubcm.org), FSU Campus Crusades (fsucru.com), Chi Alpha Campus Ministries (xafsu.com), University Lutheran Church and Student Center (universitylutheranchurch.org), Seminole Christian Life (seminolechristianlife.com), Navigators (fsunavigators.org), Every Nation Campus Ministries (everynationtallahassee.com), and Christian Campus Fellowship (fsuccf.com). These organizations join together for one sole mission: to reach out to their campus. And Florida State believes they’ve found the perfect solution — to focus on building relationships with a little work and sweat along the way.
“Go Week” runs the week before school starts when students are allowed to move in to their home away from home. Christians — ranging from freshman to seniors to graduate students — outside of each dorm every day are willing to help carry anything and everything up to rooms, and they hand out water and play Frisbee, among other fun activities. A recent poll taken on Florida State’s campus revealed that only 18 people out of 50 who claimed to be Christians attended a church, while the rest admitted they would attend if they found a place where they felt they belonged. “Go Week” doesn’t wait on the individual student to attend to a church; “Go Week” takes the church, fellowship, and love directly to the students by their fellow peers. The Friday when “Go Week” wraps up, a large Luau is held on campus for everyone to gather and to merely have fun through food and fellowship among one another.
College pastor at First Baptist Tallahassee, Zach Allen, is known for organizing acts of service because they allow Christians to “show the love of Christ in practical ways.” And that’s exactly what’s found within Florida State’s “Go Week” — college students uniting together to spread the love of Christ through serving their peers and building relationships that allow for Christ to work wonders upon their campus.
*2011’s “Go Week” was held August 26-27. Stay tuned to fsuluau.com for photos and other event info. Read more about those who minister to the Florida State University campus in the Fall 2011 issue of Collegiate magazine. Visit lifeway.com/collegiate to order now.*
