Reformed University Fellowship

What Is RUF?

Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) is the campus ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America. Although we are sent to the campus by the PCA, we welcome students from any and all walks of life. Students from a wide variety of church and religious backgrounds are involved here at Auburn. We are here for the "convinced" and the "unconvinced."

Why Reformed?

The word "reformed" simply means that we hold to a historic and Protestant understanding of Christianity. Though many today would claim that truth is relative or unknowable, we believe that Christianity stands upon very clear and specific truth claims. Jesus Himself said that we must believe who he claimed to be and hold to his teachings. Our ministry is set up in such a way that students are given opportunities to wrestle with the truth (through the Bible-God's word), and to see that the gospel speaks to every need and every area of life. Through exposure to truth, we hope that many will come to know the One who is truth, Jesus Christ.

Also, we believe that Christianity is not just a moral system. It has a moral system, but that is not what it is. We believe that Christianity is not intended to make us better people; the gospel makes us new people. It brings new life for those who are dead in sin, and brings hope for the hopeless. We believe that those who come to see that Jesus is the truth will also see that He is life.

Why the University?

Jesus said, "I am making all things new!" RUF was born out of a desire not to abandon the campus, nor to be lost in it. It is the dream of RUF to be a ministry "for our campus", not for ourselves. This hope is founded in the belief that the gospel can change any person and any place.

Our leading question is not "what kind of ministry can we be?" but rather "what kind of university can this be?" Our dream is to see "the Loveliest Village" (both her people and institutions) transformed by the power and beauty of the presence of Christ.

Why Fellowship?

The Christian faith is not something that can be lived out alone. The Christian is called to live within a very special community- the Church. We taste the life of heaven together. We face our struggles together. RUF is committed to building up and inviting people into this unique and loving community. But, we know that the glory of the church is not her people. Her glory is her Redeemer, Christ the Lord! Because Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her, we are then delighted to gather under her care. We know that it is here that God is at work, gathering His people, and strengthening them for the work of His kingdom.

System of Belief

RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) brings to the campus a heart for God, a love for the campus and convictions that are well formed, deeply held and which allow us to bring a fully orbed ministry to students. As a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America, RUF reflects the historic positions of the Church which include:

1. Authority – The full authority, inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. The_ Scriptures being the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We also hold to the sufficiency of the Bible, that all we need to know for life and godliness is found in it.
2. Necessity – The necessity of new life in Jesus Christ. Only those belonging to _Christ have any hope for this life and the next.
3. Task - The task of the Church is to be the "gathering and perfecting of the_ saints," that is, to evangelize the nations, and to strengthen the faith and life of Christians through the means which God has appointed.

Goals

Instructed and guided by this system of belief, RUF has developed a philosophy of ministry that is biblically informed and pastorally sensitive. It is consistent with the God-given role of the Church on campus to reach and equip students to love and serve Jesus Christ and his Church. Our goals are...

1. Growth in Grace - RUF aims to help students understand and use the means _of grace that God has provided for Christian growth. This includes studying the Bible, developing a prayer life, understanding worship, and depending on the Holy Spirit in order for us to die to sin and grow in righteousness.
2. Evangelism and Missions - RUF must proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the _university community with the hope of reaching the world. We take seriously Christ's command to go and make disciples. So we are witnessing to the truth about God and man in the world of academic, relativistic thought, and we are depending upon the Holy Spirit to draw students to trust in Christ as Savior and serve him as King.
3. Fellowship and Service - Because Christians are united to Christ, they are also united_ to other believers. As Christians learn to participate by using their gifts and strengths, the body of Christ is built up. It also means reaching out as a loving, believing community to the university community -- demonstrating what it means to be a Christian.
4. Biblical World and Life View - Christianity is a way of seeing all of life. We believe_ that God is at work in the world upholding his creation and ruling over all his creatures. His revealed truth is the integrating principle for all knowledge. This provides the Christian with a frame of reference for thinking and life-style.

Distinctives

A typical university will have several Christian ministries represented on campus. An important question is, what makes RUF distinctive? Our distinctives are found in the following commitments:

1. A Commitment to the Visible Church - RUF ministries are not to replace the church._ We are the church going to the campus. Essential to our ministry is a commitment and accountability to the visible church. It is of first importance in our practice and teaching. The church is never seen as merely a useful means to grow, but rather it is seen as God's ordained institution by which the gospel is proclaimed and Christians become more like Christ. It is in the context of the church that all the means by which we grow are available. It is to the church that Christ has given the task of evangelism and discipleship.
2. A Commitment to In-Depth Bible Study - At RUF we believe in having fun, but also _that the quality of our fun and relationships as a group will be better, more mature, and more fulfilling when our lives are being transformed and seriously affected by a real encounter with all of God's Word. We believe that college students are ready for and interested in knowing God deeply.
3. A Commitment to the Student's Vocation - The vocation of university student is just _that - a university student. RUF takes that seriously and strives to equip students to be faithful and growing Christians who are conscientious in their studies. The campus is not reduced to a convenient pretext to do evangelism, but rather the place where God has providentially placed students to prepare for legitimate vocations after graduation. Christians learn, grow and reach others in the midst of this, not in spite of it. Our activities and expectations always seek to be consistent with this view.
4. A Commitment to Emphasizing Being Rather Than Merely Doing - RUF ministries will have a_ variety of activities on the schedule, but we do not expect everyone to be involved in everything. We have no agenda to involve students in a crush of activities, something that often burns them out. Rather, our goal is to help students become people who truly know God, and whose lives are profoundly affected because of it. This, rather than a flurry of activities, is what we believe people (especially students) need. And we believe that it is only this, more than techniques and memorized methods, which will make their life and witness more effective and authentic.
5. A Commitment to Challenge and Think - We believe in absolute truth, and we also _believe the most helpful thing we can do for people is to help them learn to recognize and discover that truth themselves. We avoid giving a set of pat, canned answers. We encourage thoughtful questions and place a strong emphasis on critical thinking, learning how to interpret and understand the Bible properly, and then applying it to all of life today.