Hallie Mayes
Lantern Staff
The crunch of the fall leaves beneath your feet, laughter fills the air as you look up to see your bible study members carving pumpkins together. This is the atmosphere created on Friday, Oct. 9 at Butler CRU’s (Campus Crusade for Christ) fall party.
Based at the El Dorado campus, Butler offers many clubs students are encouraged to get involved in. One of which is the CRU. In the spirit of fall, CRU hosted a fall party event starting at 5 p.m. and held fall-centered festivities until 9 p.m.
Starting the evening off with pumpkin carving, sophomore elementary education major Natalie Nichols was more than thrilled to partake in pumpkin carving activities.
“The fall party is one of my favorite events that CRU hosts, so I enjoyed it a lot,” Nichols said.
Festivities progressed through the night; Frisbee golf and volleyball were next on the list for the group to join in together. Creating activities for a group of 25 is not easy, but leaders Luke and Ashley Busenitz were determined to make it feasible. Hayrides, cider and a bonfire concluded the night of fall-full events.
Ashley explains how with school in full swing, they wanted to give students an opportunity to be in fellowship with one another outside of campus. The party was held at Ashley’s family relation farmland in Towanda. Gracious hosts provided cider and hayrides through the family’s land for the evening.
“We love college students, and we really desire to show students how they can know who Jesus is and how to have a relationship with Him,” Ashley said.
Campus Crusade for Christ meets every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the Welcome Center. With games, laughter and a biblical lesson, the group is often found at the local Freddy’s following the meeting. It not uncommon for CRU members to spend time away from campus, as club leaders often open their homes as a place of gathering for students. This year alone has included group trips to the local coffee shop, BrewCo, a nacho night at leaders’ houses and foreseeable seasonal parties.
In addition to CRU nights, there are opportunities to join student-led bible studies. Typically split into groups of five or six, the Bible studies have allowed students to grow spiritually and connect on a deeper level with one another. Sophomore accounting assistant major Katie Atkinson explains she joined this club to grow closer to God and be in fellowship with other believers. This goal is exactly what she has achieved by attending the Fall Party.
“I recommend CRU to anyone who wants to have a good time or is wanting to know more about God and doesn’t really know where to start,” Ashton Conley, a freshman biology major, said.
According to CRU members, the doors are always open, and members encourage others to step out of their comfort zone and join this club.