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The Fellowship of Christian University Students, or FOCUS, was first established at the USU around 1974 and has been a mainstay of religious life for many students in Logan.
"We provide the opportunity for students of every faith to experience the love of Jesus Christ by fellowshipping with his believers," said Rob Gunn, the campus director for the group.
He said the group meets many times during the week and shares the opportunity to learn more about life as a believer in Jesus.
Originally called the Campus Crusade for Christ, the group changed its name in 1995 to reflect what it is, he said.
"The students felt it would be better to change the name to FOCUS because it sounded better," Gunn said.
There are currently about 30 members who attend meetings and they create a broad base of different cultures, experiences and religious backgrounds.
The group currently uses the Maranatha Baptist Church building located at 395 S. Main. The church allows them to use this building for their services and other events, he said.
Although FOCUS uses a Baptist church as their meeting place, Gunn said they are not attached to it.
"We have members representing most types of religious organizations. Some Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and even some Episcopalians," Gunn said. "We don't base membership in FOCUS on a specific church, so we have a mixture of followers from most denominations."
FOCUS serves a very important function for Christian students at Utah State, he said.
"There is a much larger tendency for professors to be very liberal in their views. It can often be very antagonistic to students who have certain values and principles," he said. "What we try to do is provide a voice of reason and clarity to ever-changing societal values. We try to provide a fair and balanced educational experience for the students."
The group is focused on the university and the students who attend and often participate with other school organizations to get their message across.
Most recently, they helped host Jerry Root, a doctor of religion and philosophy to come speak to students about the life of C. S. Lewis.
"We had such a great turnout to the event and the comments were very interesting," Gunn said. "The students were glad to have an experience like this on campus because there seemed to be so few of them available."
The group holds meetings each Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday where they focus on different issues facing a student today.
Sundays are the time when the students gather together to sing, pray and receive talks on religious subjects.
"This is a great opportunity to meet people and worship our Lord," states their Web site.
Tuesday nights are time for Bible study.
"In reality, it's not just Bible study. We also offer other classes that range from the life of Paul to one about how to have healthy and real relationships," Gunn said.
Thursday nights, he said students get together and hold a prayer service and just talk with each other.
Students who participate are often from other states or countries and have never really experienced living in the unique culture Utah State has to offer, he said.
Gunn said that he could not think of another public university that had a situation quite like USU's.
"The majority of students are LDS and most people from out-of-state have never really experienced that before. By holding our services and events, we provide a place where they can feel united and have a sense of belonging," he said.
Some of the benefits from belonging to FOCUS also include the opportunity to understand other students' beliefs and values, as well as their own.
The organization offers students the opportunity to grow in other ways, as well.
From the FOCUS Web site, "In partnership with Campus Crusade for Christ, FOCUS sends students to the corners of the known world to share the Good News. Campus Crusade has many options for mission projects both stateside and internationally, as well as mission partnerships through Maranatha Baptist Church."
Recently, the group has sent students to more than 15 states and countries to help bring others to a belief in Jesus Christ.
Just a few of the places include: Iraq, Israel, Russia, Venezuela and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Gunn said the opportunities for growth offered by the group helps to meet the overall objective of FOCUS.
"The best part of this group is when people really get it. It's when they find out who Christ is and what he has done for them," Gunn said
"It's when they get serious about their faith and don't have to live off their parents' beliefs and values anymore. It's about people who lay down their hostility and start to really understand who you are and who you are trying to represent," he said.
FOCUS meets at the Maranatha Baptist Church on 395 S. Main each Sunday morning at 9 a.m. and Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
For questions about FOCUS contact Rob or Miriam Gunn at 753-0280.
-nebulter@cc.usu.edu
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