SMU students are coming together to promote spiritual growth among incoming first-year students.
Katy Langley, a junior marketing major, gathered friends Christian Daw, an English major, and marketing major, Sarah Leverett, and started the group Crossroads. The idea to start Crossroads came from similar groups at Texas A&M University, UT and Texas Tech, whose goals mirror those of Crossroads.
“It is something that I really felt God asking me to start at SMU, and from there he led me to the other directors. We did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people,” says Langley.
“Crossroads is something that we all feel will greatly impact SMU because it is something that we ourselves could have benefited from, and we are so excited,” says Langley.
Crossroads encourages all incoming first-year students to get involved in the Christian community on campus.
“This will allow SMU to have a bigger and more apparent Christian presence on campus,” says Crossroads Publicity Chair Angela White.
Crossroads’ main goal is to help first years adapt to the Christian community early on in their college careers, thus allowing them to adjust to life in college as a Christian.
Crossroads will provide a weekend of collective, spiritual growth to first years, rooting them in constructive and upright fellowship, according to White.
Crossroads will also provide a median for first years to get to know other Christians in their class and upper-class Christians.
“It will encourage them to hold each other accountable for living the life that God calls us to live,” says Langley.
Crossroads will host a two-day retreat from August 25 to 27, which will consist of worship with a band, speakers, small groups and a question-and-answer panel, among other things, says Crossroads Director Christian Daw. This will be the first event Crossroads has hosted.
“The Crossroads retreat will be an annual event. After this year’s retreat, we will select new directors who will then go through the application/interview process to choose a new exec and then counselors,” says Langley.
According to White, Crossroads does not affiliate with any denomination or campus ministry.
“We will be able to give the incoming first-year Christians a chance to get a feel for and understanding for the Christian community at SMU without the added pressure of having to choose a particular ministry right off the bat,” says White.
Crossroads is proud to announce, a first-year retreat for Christians has never been done before on the SMU campus.
“It is for the students, by the students, so the first years will get a real perspective of what it is like to be a Christian at college,” says White.
Langley says she hopes to see Crossroads grow and become a big part of the SMU community as it continues over the years.
Crossroads was started in the fall of 2004 and is sponsored by SMU’s Chaplain Office.
