Christian students have the opportunity to practice their faith and meet others who share their faith on Nicholls’ campus.There are several Christian organizations for students. Some of these organizations include St. Thomas Aquinas, Baptist Collegiate Ministries and Chi Alpha. All of the Christian student organizations share a common goal.
The Rev. Jim Morrison leads the St. Thomas Aquinas Center. Its goal is to allow college students to live and to grow in their faith. “We want to present a holistic approach to the students at Nicholls,” Morrison said. “That would include the spiritual component in their academic, physical, social, psychological and spiritual developments.”
The center provides a place for students to gather and share their beliefs.
St. Thomas has around 200 students registered with the center and an average of 150 who are active weekly. They have weekly Bible studies on Thursdays, as well as daily prayer and mass.
Once a month in the St. Thomas Aquinas Center, they have Catholic Stuff 101, an opportunity for students to ask questions and learn about their faith.
St. Thomas is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters, two groups for college-aged people to learn about their faith as well as leadership skills.
Students involved with St. Thomas help in teaching younger religion classes.
Morrison said some students fall into temptation when they get into college. “They lose sight of their relationship with God,” Morrison said. “They just go through the motions or go through it without thought. Students integrate faith so that every choice, every action they make is centered on the gospel and on Jesus Christ.”
Morrison said campus ministry is important because it is a time when students get to claim or lose their faith. “It’s easy to practice the faith and not question it when you live with your parents,” Morrison said. “(The students) are on their own, and they just let that whole element go.”
Morrison found students who do get involved really claim their faith and choose to get involved with it.
Another Christian student organization on campus is the Baptist Collegiate Ministry. The BCM is led by Director Tim LaFleur and intern Kevin Celestin.
“The BCM’s goal is to equip students to become wholehearted followers of Jesus Christ and thereafter get discipled in their walk with our Lord,” Celestin said.
The BCM has an average of 80 to 100 students participate in their various activities and functions. Every Tuesday, they have Phat Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Phat Tuesday is a service with contemporary worship, drama and a speaker.
They also have a free lunch and bible study for all students on Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., as well as Fellowship Fridays at 7 p.m.
“I think the BCM is a good place for Christian students that go to Nicholls to have a place to hang out with other Christian students,” Carl Baudoin, freshman from Houma, said.
The students involved with the BCM took part in mission trips to New Orleans and Raceland earlier this semester.
The BCM also sees students fade out of their faith and others explode into it. “The students are surrounded by peer pressure when they enter college,” Celestin said. “They tend to drive off away from their family.”
Another Christian student organization that can be found on campus is Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship. “Chi Alpha is a movement of college students earnestly following Jesus,” Chris Buckle, campus pastor and leader of Chi Alpha, said. Their vision of campus ministry is to provide college students with an avenue to grow as disciples, mentors and leaders in their classes, communities and throughout the world.
Chi Alpha has an average of 50 students involved with the organization on a weekly basis. The group does not have its own building in which to meet. Chi Alpha has weekly services on Thursdays at 7 p.m. in Le Bijou Theater and Two for Tuesday prayer and fellowship in the snack bar area of Donald G. Bollinger Memorial Student Union. The goals of these gatherings are to meet with God, meet among friends and meet real needs.
The Greek letters Chi (X) and Alpha (A) are the initials of a phrase written by the Apostle Paul in the Bible which, when translated, means “Christ’s sent ones” and is a reminder that we should live to reflect Jesus.
Prayer, discipleship, fellowship, worship and witnessing are important to Chi Alpha. “Chi Alpha has no denominational boundaries,” Buckle said.
He also finds that some college students give into peer pressure and fall away from their faith. “There are temptations and trials from peers,” Buckle said. “In college students have 100 percent freedom.”
“Chi Alpha is not there to judge people at all,” Buckle says.
All of the Christian student organizations on campus welcome all students, no matter their religion, beliefs or place in life.
