April 28, 2026 by

When asked what their favorite thing about Cedarville is, students often respond “the community!” What makes the community at Cedarville special? And how can you make the most of it during your time here? 

What Builds a Strong Community? 

Cedarville students share our most important characteristic: our faith. The depth of community here finds its roots in this common identity. 

When the Bible speaks about life in community, it typically refers to the local church (see Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–35). Christ’s reconciling work on the cross saves people primarily to a relationship with God and secondarily to one another. This reconciliation of people creates the body of Christ, the Church. 

Our shared life in the Church points to a truth about how God designed humans: We have an ingrained need for human relationships. While no other social group should ever replace the local church, college is a great place to live out this God-given capacity for community.  

Cedarville’s unique environment offers students an incredible place to build faith-driven friendships with other believers of a similar age. No other time in your life will compare. Not only that, but you are sure to find other students with the same passions and hobbies. What are some ways to connect with others who share your interests on campus? 

Connecting on Campus 

Just coming to Cedarville automatically incorporates you into the wider campus community. It may take more intentional effort to find your group of people. That’s okay! The best thing to do is to get involved right off the bat — meet your Sting Group, introduce yourself to dormmates, participate in hall events, and take advantage of on-campus events like the ice cream social and ALT Nights. Here are some campus traditions you can’t miss. 

The University holds an involvement fair at the start of every school year for students. The fair hosts dozens of campus organizations, providing opportunities for involvement in student organizations with different focuses, like sports, academic, and professional orgs. 

The involvement fair also puts a variety of local ministries on display, including mentorship, elderly, special needs, jail, sports, medical, college evangelism, and youth-related ministries. These provide chances for you to serve and share the Gospel using your own unique passions and interests. 

And just in case you’re looking for more ways to involve yourself, here is a list of different opportunities for student life on campus. 

A group of guys who I serve with in a Cedarville local ministry (the Springfield Soccer Outreach). These guys have become some of my best friends.

Cedarville offers a plethora of great opportunities for students to get involved and meet others on campus. But what about finding a local church? 

Connecting With a Local Church 

Why is finding a church body during your time here so important? Jesus loved the Church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25–26). He redeemed all Christians through His blood (Ephesians 1:7) and reconciled all of them to another in His body, the Church (Ephesians 2:13-22). All Christians become part of this body on the basis of their faith in Christ.  

The Church is a diverse, worldwide body which also expresses itself in local congregations. Every local church represents a unique sliver of a global family coming together to worship the same God.  

Therefore, it is essential to find a Gospel-preaching, Bible-believing church where you might grow to maturity in your faith and serve others for the sake of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–14, 2 Corinthians 4:5).  

Can you guess where you might find information on churches? You guessed it: the involvement fair! The fair hosts dozens of churches every year. Explore the tables at the fair, ask questions, then take some time in the next few weeks to visit different congregations. The earlier you land on a church, the better! 

So we’ve looked at how to plug into the community here at Cedarville and in a local church. Now, what kind of relationships should you pursue during your time here? 

Types of Relationships 

From my four years here, I have learned the importance of incorporating different types of relationships into my life. Here are some examples! 

  • Church family — a great place to meet a wide variety of people of different backgrounds and ages 
  • Friend groups — a group of people who you spend time with regularly (having both co-ed and just guy/girl friend groups is a great option!) 
  • Individual friendships — other friends who you spend time with outside of a group setting (example: someone you eat dinner with once a week) 
  • Mentor(s) — at least one individual from your church or a trusted staff/faculty member who will encourage your spiritual and personal transformation 
  • Mentees(s) — at least one student (probably younger) who you can disciple and encourage in their spiritual transformation 

 

A group of my friends. We battled it out in a guy vs. girl pumpkin-carving contest at an ALT Night on campus.

A healthy mix of relationships will ensure you continue to interact with different kinds of people during your college years.  

A Final Word 

Cedarville offers a wide variety of chances for involvement here on campus. Our area also boasts a number of strong local churches where students can both nourish their spiritual growth and serve others. 

Make every effort to cherish the community you have during your college years here at Cedarville. God will use your relationships here to grow you personally and spiritually into a better member of His Kingdom.

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