STARTING UNI WELL
Get familiar with the campus with tours and info sessions. It’s also important to get used to Learn JCU and your student email.
Make Contact
Before O-Week
CS JCU runs welcome events for new students, even before uni begins. This is the easiest time to meet new people before the flurry of Week 1 kicks in.
Chuck us a message to connect and find out what’s coming up.
Get Connected
GET KNOWN
AS A CHRISTIAN
The best tip ever: get known as a Christian from early on.
Not in an annoying way, but a natural way, like: ‘Just heading off to the Christian uni group at lunch time. I’ll join you another time.’
You can do this as you introduce friends: ‘We met at church’, or ‘we met at the Christian uni group.’
Getting known as a Christian is simple; everyone can do it. It starts your journey as an active believer at uni.
uni-level exploration
unconditional community
unmissable presence
FIND A CHURCH
If you’re a Christian who’s moved to study, you’ll be looking for a new church. We recommend asking your home church’s minister or pastor for recommendations.
If you don’t know where to start, or have never been to church before, why not come to the uni group and visit another student’s church? That way, you can go with someone you know, and they’ll introduce you around.
You’re at uni
for more than a degree!
Joining an AFES group is like finding solid ground. We’ll help you lift your eyes up from uni’s daily hustle to see Jesus, the one who gives meaning to it all.
What better stuff to think about at uni what matters for eternity – Jesus! There’s no better way to go through uni than with other Christians to support one another.
Find My Group
International Students
Moving to Australia for university? Welcome! Changing countries can be an isolating experience, but it doesn’t have to be. AFES groups are a great place if you’re interested in exploring Christianity or want a Christian community to hang out with.
We’re here to connect you with Christians on campus, encourage and grow you in your faith, and help you to share the message of Jesus as King with your peers on campus.
Learn MoreHere are
some Qs we get
asked a lot.
Yes! Christian Students JCU is affiliated with the Student Guild as an official group.
You’re very welcome to come – regardless of your experience of church (or if you have no experience of church!). Christian Students JCU is a place to make friends and discover more about Jesus.
Christian Students JCU complements – not replaces – church. We’re a community to walk alongside you in your faith during your uni years. They’re a great place to invite classmates who might not feel comfortable entering a church service to explore Christianity. AFES groups will grow your love for God, biblical understanding and missional heart in a unique and unmissable way whole you’re at uni!
AFES stands for the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students. We’re a movement of student groups from across the country, associated with IFES (the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students).
We understand the pressures on uni students – exams, assignments, work, and more. It can be hard. We don’t want to overload your schedule, but we really do want to encourage you to prioritise making time to invest in faith. Most groups run several events a week, on different days and times – some in the day, some in the evening. Just start off small and see if there is 1 event that you can make it to.
There are also opportunities to connect outside of semesters, including NTE (our National Training Event), and local mid-year camps and conferences. If our structured events are still difficult to attend, we’d encourage you to meet with a small group of students at a time that suits you 🙂
Totally valid question. There’s an increased awareness of questionable sects operating on university campuses. At AFES, we’re never okay with manipulating or coercing people. Our groups strive for transparency: we openly name our beliefs, affiliations and leaders, and clubs are usually affiliated with the Student Associations.