Princeton Christian Fellowship (PCF) has been central to my Princeton experience. When I was seeking Christian community at the beginning of my time here, PCF welcomed me with open arms. I am so grateful to have found such a warm and loving group of friends and adult mentors. PCF has supported me in so many ways and has helped me grow spiritually, intellectually, and socially. While PCF hosts events every week of the semester, its holiday celebrations are particularly noteworthy.
This Easter was my first Easter away from my family. Easter has always been a special time for me, and I knew spending it without my family would be difficult. However, I was able to spend Easter with my PCF family–I participated in a myriad of Easter festivities organized by PCF. PCF does a great job ensuring that busy students who are away from home still have the opportunity to celebrate and reflect on such an important holiday.
On Maundy Thursday, the PCF student-led Fellowship Team coordinated the annual Prayer in the Garden. Late that night, a group of students gathered in Prospect Garden for a time of song, prayer, and reflection on Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion. A couple of friends and I walked from a study spot to Prospect Garden, and it was so encouraging to join such a large group of peers to prepare together for Good Friday. The rain didn’t stop us, and as I huddled under an umbrella with fellow students, I felt a sense of peace and unity.
On Good Friday, PCF teamed up with Nova Christian Union and Manna Christian Fellowship, two other Christian groups on campus, for an Interfellowship Good Friday Service in McCosh 10. McCosh 10 is one of the largest lecture halls on campus, and it was wonderful to see it nearly completely full of people–not only students but also some adults from the Princeton community. Along with scripture readings that presented the full story of Jesus’ arrest, death, and resurrection, the service featured a worship team composed of members from all three fellowships. They led us in song and prayer, and a guest speaker presented a message to remind us of the depth of God’s love for us.
When Easter Sunday rolled around, a large group of my PCF friends and I took a bus to our church. Every Sunday morning, a bus service picks us up from Princeton’s campus and drives us a few miles down the road to Stone Hill Church of Princeton, a nondenominational church that serves members in and beyond our community. It is a great opportunity to meet and connect with community members who are not college students, and many PCF members get involved in community service at Stone Hill by performing with the worship team or working in the Sunday School. On Easter Sunday, Stone Hill was decorated with calla lilies and packed with people. After the service, we returned on the bus to Princeton, and our group dispersed to attend various Easter brunches, hosted by the PCF staff members. Earlier in the week, I had signed up to eat brunch at my PCF mentor’s house just a short walk off campus. I was joined by eight other Princeton students, and thanks to my mentor and her family, we enjoyed a home-cooked, family-style meal and three hours of warm conversation around the table.
After leaving my mentor’s house, I traveled about a half hour into Pennsylvania for Easter dinner with a family from Stone Hill. PCF and Stone Hill have worked together to connect PCF students with “adoptive families” at Stone Hill so that we have a relationship with a family nearby. My adoptive parents had invited me to join them and their extended family for Easter dinner at their home, and I was so grateful to spend Easter afternoon and evening with them.
Although I still missed my family this Easter, PCF and the connections I have through PCF made being away from home much easier. I am so grateful for how supported I feel by my Christian community in and around campus.
