Cornell United Religious Work

URW Religious Communities
These groups are united through the CURW Covenant.
See Chaplains for contact information.

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African-American Worship	The African American Worship Service was founded to address the spiritual needs of African Americans on Cornell's campus. We strive to maintain a family atmosphere during our services so that every one feels comfortable, regardless of their religious orientation and race. We also serve as a support system for fellow students. Student participation is important in the overall planning and execution of the service.

Campus Crusade	"Becoming a family on a mission" Becoming - we believe that all of us are on a spiritual journey, and that God does not call us to arrive at some perfect place as much as He calls us to pursue Him wholeheartedly and to love Him more than anything else. We seek to be a people in process of growing in our knowledge of God, our love for Him, and our commitment to furthering His kingdom. Family - God has called us to be His family, brothers and sisters whose lives demonstrate his love for one another, and who seek to build and encourage one another in our relationships with Christ. We are called to be an inclusive family, valuing the differences between us and seeing in them the Lord's gracious gift for one another. We seek to build our sense of family through small groups, social events, retreats and conferences, and an ongoing spirit of spurring one another on toward Christ. Mission - God has called us to bring the message of His love for the world in Jesus Christ to all people, sharing with them and inviting them to enter into a relationship with Him through faith. We desire for every student at Cornell University and Ithaca College to hear and understand the message of Christianity about God's love for us in Christ, and are committed to pursuing that.

Chi Alpha	The Greek letters Chi (x) and Alpha (a) are the initials of a phrase written by the Apostle Paul in the Bible. Christou apostoloi translated means "Christ's sent ones." The name is a reminder that we should live to reflect Jesus. We invite everyone to be a part, regardless of background. We mainly connect through our large group meetings on Friday nights and small group Bible studies throughout the week. These gatherings are informal and cover topics from relationships to the nature of truth. Come check us out!

The Roitman Chabad Center at Cornell	Chabad at Cornell is one of 3,300 Chabad Houses throughout the world serving one single purpose: to be a resource for Jewish learning; community service; outreach to local communities. Chabad at Cornell specializes in providing a unique approach to Jewish spirituality, making it accessible to members of the Cornell’s Jewish community -- both students and faculty -- regardless of levels of knowledge or observance. At Chabad House, we focus on one-on-one relationships, responding in whatever way is necessary to each individual. We welcome every Jewish resident and visitor at Cornell. Chabad House offers Shabbat observance with Friday night services and dinner and Saturday morning services and a lavish Shabbat lunch. All Jewish holidays are observed both at Chabad House and on campus. Chabad at Cornell finds its emphasis on education in the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Chabad is an acronym for the Hebrew words Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding) and Da’at (knowledge). Lubavitch in Russian means a city of love. Its founders based its ideology on the idea that deep inside we’re all carved of the same spiritual fabric. Today, Chabad is a lifeline for Jews seeking deeper spiritual connection through study, religious guidance and spiritual mentorship. We offer classes and/or individual study in Torah, Talmud, Kabbalah and many related topics in both English and Hebrew. On a personal level, any student with an individual issue or problem is sure to find learned and sympathetic Rabbis and their wives at Chabad House who are never too busy to listen and help. National Education Day USA, commemorated by both the President and Congress every year since 1985, was established in honor of Chabad Lubavitch and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of blessed memory and bears witness to the central role of education at Chabad and its positive influence on ethical values in the wider community. Chabad at Cornell is proud to be a link in this historic chain and proud to be of service to the Cornell Community.

Christian Science	Through regular testimony meetings, Christian Science lectures, and other activities, the Christian Science Organization at Cornell University shares with the University community the spiritual truths of Christian Science as found in The Bible and in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. We strive to elevate the level of thinking in the academic community to a better apprehension of moral and spiritual values and of God's healing power, and we provide support and encouragement for all those at the University who wish to practice Christian Science in their daily lives. Anyone at Cornell may use the materials in our small reading room (319 Anabel Taylor Hall) to learn more about Christian Science. The room key is kept in our mailbox in the reception office on the first floor.

Chesterton House: A Center for Christian Studies
	Mission Chesterton House exists to facilitate discovery of the intellectual riches of the historic Christian faith, thereby empowering more faithful Christian living. Goals Discipleship: To assist Christian students integrating faith with scholarship Mentoring: To increase the pipeline of young Christian scholars Apologetics: To provide honest answers for honest questions Rationale Christian imperative to think and to engage culture The Scriptural command to love God with all one's mind suggests that intellectual activity is a way to glorify God. Christians also have a duty to participate in the creation and critique of cultural forms that influence everyday lives. Thoughtful Christian engagement with culture avoids the pitfalls of retreat, accommodation, and triumphalism. Academia as driving cultural force Academia has become the driving source behind ideas that find their expression in the arts, media, business, government, secondary education, and all spheres of society. This is true not only domestically but internationally, as large numbers of international students come to the United States for graduate studies. The Postmodern Moment Postmodernism brings a new appreciation for the relevance of one's "positionality" as it bears upon academic inquiry. Further, to the extent that academia is influenced by a postmodern despair of reasonable discourse, Christianity is positioned to be a defender of reason and considered discourse. Compartmentalization of Faith American evangelicals have not always sustained serious intellectual reflection on nature and culture. This failure has led to an abandonment of universities and "high" culture, as well as a compartmentalization of faith rather than an integration of faith with academic inquiry. Renaissance of Evangelical Scholarship Recently, there has been a resurgence of evangelical scholarship and quality commentary on culture, as evidenced by periodicals such as Books and Culture and Mars Hill Audio Journal. Christian students stand to benefit from being introduced to such quality works, which they otherwise may not naturally encounter.

Cornell Christian Fellowship	Our vision is to be a compassionate, discipling community, rooted in the Bible and prayer. We hold Friday night meetings in Anabel Taylor, One World Room at 7:30pm. There are also small groups that meet at various campus locations throughout the week for Bible study, fellowship and outreach. We are affiliated with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Contact jem72@cornell.edu for more information.

Episcopal (Anglican)	Diverse group of seekers and believers enjoys sharing the adventure/challenge of Christian faith, grounded in Scripture and celebrating within a dynamic tradition. Committed to Christian hospitality, we seek to respect the dignity of every human being.

First Ithaca Chinese Christian Church	FICCC is a small church that serves a lot of people. We have two congregations. The English Congregation members are mostly English-speaking or bilingual students born or raised in North America. The Chinese Congregation has lots of Mandarin-speaking and Cantonese-speaking seekers and believers from overseas - China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, etc. We welcome people of all ethnicities and we have a variety of fellowship groups that meet in various locations in town and use one or multiple languages. Go to our web site for more details.

Grace Christian Fellowship	Grace Christian Fellowship is a community of Asian American students committed to worshipping, witnessing and growing in faith together. We meet every Friday night in Kimball B-11 at 7:00pm. There are also daily prayer meetings and small groups that meet at various campus locations throughout the week for Bible study and fellowship. We are affiliated with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Contact jem72@cornell.edu for more information.

Graduate Christian Fellowship	Graduate Christian Fellowship is an interdenominational fellowship especially for graduate students. We're affiliated with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). We meet week nights in small groups for Bible study at fellow grads' homes, and have whole-group events on Saturday evenings. During the summer months the whole fellowship meets for worship and Bible study on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. at the Crossroads Life Center on the corner of Stewart and Buffalo Streets across from the ABC cafe in lower Collegetown.Everyone is welcome!

Hindu Students Council	The Hindu Students Council of Cornell University [HSC] will practice, promote and strive to learn about Hindu culture and ideals. By doing such, HSC will foster a community centered on the principles of Sanatan Dharma. Our mission is to awaken people to the vast wisdom inherent within our scriptural, cultural and religious heritage.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints	Religion classes and service and social opportunities for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and any others who are attracted to our way of life.

Jewish (Yudowitz Center for Campus Life)	The Yudowitz Center for Jewish Campus Life creates a vibrant, pluralistic Jewish community on the campus of Cornell University. Respect for individual and collective approaches to Judaism is a cornerstone of Cornell Hillel. Hillel is the gateway for Cornell's 3,500 Jewish students to get involved in a variety of cultural, social, spiritual, community service, and outdoor programs across campus. Hillel's Jewish Student Union serves as a diverse coalition of 26 student groups, and Hillel's professional staff encourage students to be an important part of our dynamic community where students, faculty and staff actively participate in creating a broadly defined Jewish campus culture. From social to cultural, religious to secular, Cornell Hillel offers a wide spectrum of opportunities to students interested in participating in or exploring their own unique Jewishness.

Korean Church (English)	We are a body of Christians who desire to worship our God in spirit and in truth and to grow as a loving community. All are welcome! Sunday worship service is held in Anabel Taylor Hall One World Room at 11:00 AM. We also have small group Bible study groups on weekdays. If you have any questions regarding our church, the worship service, or Bible study, please contact me by email (jjh49@cornell.edu) or by phone ( 607-266-0814).

Lutheran Church (ELCA)	The St. Luke Lutheran Church and its Lutheran Campus Ministry involves a full range of people, ages, and ministries. Undergrads and graduate students, faculty, and staff from five campuses plus people from the larger Ithaca community, including retirees and babies, share in multiple worship services (10:45 am and 5:00 pm), education, forums and church school, community outreach and service opportunities, plus fellowship activities. A campus ministry steering committee, composed of students, plans and oversees regular and special student ministries. Located at 109 Oak Avenue in Collegetown -- right behind CTB--we are here to share God's Grace.

Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)	Lutheran Student Fellowship We are a group of college undergrads, grads, and people who like to hang out with college students. We study the Bible, go skiing, go camping, and perform community service. But most of all we have become a great group of friends, who would love to have YOU join us.

Muslim (MECA)	The Muslim Educational and Cultural Association represents Muslims students, staff and faculty of Cornell and the Ithaca and Tompkins County community. MECA organizes daily prayers, weekly Friday services, and lectures, gatherings and outings year-round. It works, moreover, to educate the community at large about Islam and Muslims.

Navigators	The Navigators is a group of men of women who desire to love Christ passionately and help others do the same. Our calling is to develop women and men to be life long workers in the Kingdom of God.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship (Cornell Chapter)	The Cornell Orthodox Christian Fellowship seeks to know and serve Christ and His Holy Church through worship, fellowship, community service, study and evangelism. Sunday Morning Divine Liturgy is held at St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church beginning at 10:15AM.

Protestant Cooperative Ministry (United Methodist - Presbyterian, USA - American Baptist, United Church of Christ)	Protestant Cooperative Ministry is a campus ministry program sponsored by the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist Church. Regular programs include Sunday morning worship and opportunities for fellowship, education and service for graduate and undergraduate students.

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)	Ithaca Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends welcomes all to worship with us. Membership is not required. A Meeting for Worship after the manner of Friends is a period of meditative worship. In silence we seek to place ourselves in the presence of the Spirit in expectant waiting for guidance from the Inner Light. Meetings for Worship last approximately one hour and are "broken" by handshakes initiated by the Clerk or other designated person. From the first Sunday in October to Memorial Day, Meeting for Worship is at 11:00 on First Days (Sundays) in the Edwards Room on the ground floor of Anabel Taylor Hall on the Cornell campus. From Memorial Day through September, Meeting for Worship is at 10:30 on First Days in the Hector Meetinghouse on the Perry City Road. (Perry City Road is off Rt.96 northwest of Ithaca about four miles past the hospital. The Meetinghouse is about one mile west (left) off Rt. 96. For additional information about our Meeting and Quakers, see our web site at: http://www.quaker.org/ithaca/.

Roman Catholic	The Cornell Catholic Community is a year-round Roman Catholic parish on Cornell's Central Campus serving students as it primary mission, as well as faculty, staff, and others who wish to affiliate.

Southern Baptist	The Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM) provides discipleship opportunities to students through our shared goal of growing in Christ. Our approach has four components: discipleship, worship, fellowship and outreach. Together, we seek God's will as individuals and members of the local Body of Christ.

Tibetan Buddhist	In 1992, Namgyal Monastery began an important new chapter in the history of Buddhism and Tibetan culture in America. Monks from the monastery traveled from Dharamsala, India to Ithaca, New York to establish an actual branch of Namgyal Monastery in North America. The monastery's intellectual and sacred arts practices will be continued in conjunction with a new Institute of Tibetan Buddhist Studies. Senior Resident Monk, Tenzin Gephel serves as Buddhist Chaplain at Cornell and faculty fellow at Appel Commons Community Center.

Unitarian-Universalist	STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Religious growth and learning within our Unitarian Universalist congregation is a life-long search for inner peace and universal truths supported by a tolerant, diverse, and serving community. GOALS To empower individuals to think critically, act ethically, live with integrity, and respect self and others. To encourage an understanding of the world's religions, cultures, and traditions. To build a trusting and supportive environment as the foundation for a stimulating, intergenerational community. To embrace our Unitarian Universalist heritage while sustaining and enriching personal beliefs, rituals, and religious traditions. To foster and share an exploration of the mystery and celebration of life through experiences and learning within our Unitarian Universalist community. The Unitarian Universalisty Student and Young Adult Group meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 in the Cafe at Anabel Taylor Hall. All are invited to join them.

Vineyard Church of Ithaca	The Vineyard is a group of people who are committed to God and to experiencing the reality of His presence in our lives. We believe in a loving God who desires to express His heart to people by bringing healing and wholeness to their lives, in body, soul and spirit. The Vineyard movement is an association of churches with shared values, beliefs, and goals. It emphasizes a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ in a relaxed, non-religious way. Theologically, it is evangelical, while experientially, the Vineyard expects the supernatural in spiritual gifts.

Zen Buddhist	The Cornell Zen Meditation Group is a branch of the Ithaca Zen Center, in the school of Joshu Sasaki, Roshi, based in Mt. Baldy, CA (www.mbzc.org). Our local teacher is David Yoshin Radin, Abbot of the Ithaca Zen Center and Chaplain of our group. The Ithaca Zen Center, located in Danby, about six miles south of campus, holds Sunday morning practice and week-long sesshins (retreats) throughout the year. Practice is held at Cornell every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 pm in the Founders Room of Annabel Taylor Hall. Orientation and instruction in Zen meditation is required. Please contact Anne Marie at annemarie.jackson@autodesk.com for more information.

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ther religious communities at Cornell beyond CURW member groups united by a covenant:

Cornell Christian Faculty/Staff Forum
Cornall International Christian Fellowship
Hong Kong Christian Fellowship
New Life Presbyterian Church

For additional listings of congregations in the Ithaca Community please call 255-4214.
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