Their ultimate objective, as a group, is to help each individual member become an authentic and unwavering Christian. This accountability and study of God's word makes a difference on campus. For many new students, the others in their group become the first friends they get to know and their main support away from home. Another described the experience as a way of showing an outward commitment to Christ. Groups are brought together when a student fills out a form and turns it in to the office of spiritual development.
Students commit for a semester, but it is common for a group to stay together for the academic year.
Leaders agree that growth is evident in the members of these groups, because they trust and know each other well. This trust, they hope, will lead to a lifetime of dedicated service and relationship with Christ. Like many freshmen, Cathy Zoutendyk, a junior from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., had a hard time leaving home and getting adjusted to her new college environment. She struggled to find her core group of friends and had a hard time finding people with common spiritual goals. She heard about covenant groups and decided that may be a good way to meet people and help her relationship with God to grow.