UPCaM Welcome BBQ

This Sunday (Aug 23rd) UPCaM-ers gathered together for the first time this year to welcome new students onto campus with a celebratory BBQ. The BBQ showcased eight area churches––even more than in past years, including Mt. Zion Congregational Church (United Church of Christ), St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Trinity Cathedral (Episcopal), Bethlehem Lutheran Church, South Euclid United Church of Christ, Church of the Covenant (Presbyterian), Church of the Saviour (United Methodist), and Antioch Baptist Church.

Tables were set up around the perimeter of the Interfaith Plaza with pamphlets, posters, and free goodies. As is tradition, Trinity Cathedral had a popular table with its “decorate your own frisbee,” while the Church of the Covenant highlighted its student program and the Church of the Saviour gave out reusable bags for its first time at this event. The table for UPCaM itself sported a few games, which the children of one of the attendees spent much time enjoying. Over twenty-five church members represented the area churches, contributing to the cookout table and the happy confusion of conversation at the BBQ.

Free to students, the annual two-hour BBQ is held during the week of new student orientation, on the last day before classes begin. In many ways, it is a celebration of the last days of summer, and of the new beginnings offered by college. This outlook is dearly held by church representatives, and is evident in their support and encouragements. The BBQ acts as a wonderful opportunity for new (and old) students to be introduced to area churches. Students are able to connect with multiple churches in order to begin the process of finding a church for college, and it also acts as a chance for UPCaM to exhibit its own group.

As one of the smaller religious organizations on campus, the BBQ is an important event for connecting with potentially interested students and church community members. This is particularly significant since many of UPCaM’s trustees and board members are ministers or active members in area churches attending the event. UPCaM-ers can meet these board members for the first time in addition to learning more about University Circle’s churches.

With faces both familiar and new, and good food (graciously cooked, as usual, by Minister Ray Banks)… what a great way to kick off the school year!

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Photo credit given to Barbara Essex, via Facebook

This blog is written by me, Katie Buerger (unless noted otherwise) and maintained by UPCaM@Case. I am a current sophomore at CWRU, and have been an UPCaM member since my first year. Because I am Spiritual Potpourri’s exclusive writer, this means the opinions and perspectives given in blog posts are limited to my views. I think myself to be open-minded, but I am human. I do research my topics (all the sources are listed at the bottom of each post), but I ultimately can only write from my perspective as a Christian. I try to write to a general audience (not exclusively to Christians), but I do at times make assumptions about the knowledge of my readers. However, I would like to assert that my views are not representative of UPCaM’s or Christianity’s – they are mine alone.