Merely two weeks ago, Auburn University's Reformed University Fellowship, or more commonly known as RUF, held its first weekly meeting of the fall semester. But what was different about this semester than in semesters past, was that RUF offered two meetings instead of one during the first two weeks of school. One was at 7:30 p.m. and one at 9 p.m.. Upon talking to RUF worship leader, Kyle Wherry, we found out that both services were packed with people sitting and standing in the aisles and that there was no way everyone could fit into one service.


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So what is causing this sudden boom which has prompted holding two separate meeting times? Well for one, Wherry claims that every year the meetings start off crowded.

"Every year it starts off really crowded, a little bit overcrowded," he said. "We have people sitting in the aisles and just a lot of people come the first few weeks."

Usually, the trend for students at the beginning of each semester is to check out different campus ministries before finding one in which they want to regularly attend. Because that has been the trend the past few years, RUF figured it would try this new approach for the first few weeks of school in order to accommodate every student that wants to come. Usually this crowd dwindles some as the year goes on. Due to this general assumption, RUF will go back to just one weekly meeting this Monday due to the projected smaller crowd due to it being Labor Day Monday.

Another reason for the overcrowding in these meetings is that this year at Camp War Eagle, more freshman than ever checked PCA interest on their religious preference cards that they fill out. "PCA sponsors RUF" and is the part of the Presbyterian Church that RUF aligns with, Wherry says.

RUF wanted to be able to readily cater to these preferences of this new freshman class.

Overall, hosting two meetings times turned out to be quite the smart decision.

"If we had had one meeting, there's literally no way we would've been able to fit everybody in there," Wherry said.

But for now, keeping two meetings times is simply "not the plan" but depending on how Labor Day plans and schoolwork kicking in full gear affects the next few meetings, those plans could change.

So for now, if interested, check out Reformed University Fellowship this upcoming Monday at Dudley Hall on Auburn's campus.