On Oct. 26, the Campus Crusades for Christ (CRU) held a barn dance at the Kai family barn in Pender. The event set a new record for number of attendees including WSC alumni and CRU members from UNL.

Kaylee Fujan, the co-president of CRU, helped plan all the details with the CRU team.

“I think this month’s dance had such a great turn out because we invited WSC alumni plus some UNL friends to the dance,” Fujan said. “The barn dances are hosted at the Kai family barn in Pender. We usually try and have a barn dance every month. Our next one will be November 29.”

The record number of people there reminded Fujan how much she enjoys being part of the CRU team.

“We had 150 people there on Friday night,” Fujan said. “That’s what I love about getting to serve, learn, and do life with friends and meeting new friends has been one of my favorite parts of CRU and my time at Wayne State College.”

Fujan definitely believes that students who attend the barn dance benefit a lot from attending.

“I think the barn dance was a great opportunity for people to make better connections with people they didn’t know while building deeper friendships with the people they did know,” Fujan said. “Activities like the barn dance give students a chance to make more of those ‘college’ memories in a safe, fun environment.”

Fujan thinks that the barn dance brings those that attend closer together in their faith as well.

“At each barn dance we have someone share their Jesus story,” Fujan said. “It’s encouraging to know that we’re not alone in our struggles. At CRU we get to take those friendships and things we learn and apply it to life in practical ways.”

“We have worship, a short teaching by a local pastor, and lots of time for fellowship,” Fujan said. “All of that combined creates an environment not only for people to learn, but it creates a place for people to thrive together.”

According to Fujan many people have been introduced to the CRU community through the barn dance and now they are regular members of the group at their weekly meetings.

“It’s so much bigger than CRU or the barn dances, the biggest way students benefit from things like the barn dance or our weekly cru meetings on Thursdays is that they are welcome to come as they are, enjoy fellowship and learning, but most of all, they benefit from learning more about Jesus Christ and His radical love for them, which is what it’s all about,” Fujan said.

Faith is a big part of Fujan’s life and she said she is very happy to guide others in their faith through CRU as well.

“We are not a bunch of perfect people, we are broken, but we have hope through Jesus Christ,” Fujan said. “Because He paid the price for our sin through his death, then gave us hope and freedom through His resurrection, we have the great opportunity share this good news with others through building community.”