ABOUT RUF

Reformed University Fellowship is the campus ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America. Although we are sent by the Presbyterian Church, we welcome students from any and all walks of life. We are here for the “convinced” and the “unconvinced.” While RUF is a ministry of the Presbyterian church students from a wide variety of religious and church backgrounds are involved with RUF at USF. So what makes RUF so unique?

Reformed

To say that we are “Reformed” means that we hold to the historic, Protestant, Christian faith that is rooted in the Protestant Reformation. The Reformed faith holds to many ideas held by all evangelicals. Nevertheless, there are a few important emphases that drive not just what we do, but why we do it. Central to the Reformed Faith is the Biblical understanding that God is in complete control of His creation. This also means that we are utterly dependent on Him for all that we have and are. We also believe that through the Bible alone we can know that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and all to the glory of God.

University

Given the unique character of the university campus, we believe the church is responsible to go to the campus by sending ordained campus ministers to establish permanent campus fellowships. RUF believes the university is a place where students learn, grow, and reach others in the midst of the campus, not in spite of it. The campus, then, is not reduced to a convenient pretext to do evangelism; rather, it is the place where God has providentially placed students to prepare for legitimate vocations after graduation.

Fellowship

RUF believes that community is a necessary ingredient of the Christian faith and essential for effective campus ministry. It is within the context of campus fellowship that students from different perspectives and backgrounds can explore the claims of Jesus, experience meaningful relationships, and mature in the faith. However, the campus fellowship is not intended to be a substitute for the church. Rather, RUF is an expression of the church ministering on campus in order to reach and equip students for a lifetime of service to Christ in the church, near and far.

To find out more about RUF click here.