Ever since fifth grade, Elizabeth Newell dreamed of attending Columbia University. Her childhood hero, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is an alum, and she wanted to follow in her footsteps. Now a Columbia sophomore, Elizabeth is passionate about justice and making our world a better place.
Elizabeth comes from a small town in Missouri and grew up surrounded by conservative Christian culture. As she got older, she says she “began to recognize that a lot of the people who described themselves as Christian were not really following Christian teachings” but were instead using Christianity to justify their fear and judgment. Elizabeth sensed this wasn’t right and became curious about what Jesus actually taught. She read about liberation theology and wondered if there was a way to connect her passion for justice to Christianity. She looked around for a church where she could explore these questions and came up empty.
During her first week at Columbia, Elizabeth met Pastor Becca at a Religious Life Open House and discovered she was also from Missouri. They got to talking, and Pastor Becca invited Elizabeth to Village’s weekly dinners. “At my first ever dinner,” Elizabeth remembers, “someone asked me what I wanted to study and I brought up evolution as a kind of litmus test. So many people in the past had told me I was not a real Christian because I believed in evolution. But at Village, everyone was supportive and curious and wanted to have a real conversation about it.” Elizabeth kept coming back to Village week after week because, she says, “it is such a relaxed space. I don’t feel like anything is being pushed on me politically or theologically. It is a space to explore and grow spiritually.”
Village has helped Elizabeth clarify and claim her own Christian identity. “I realize now it is part of following Jesus,” she says, “to be aware that others are suffering, to feel moved to do something about it, and to make it not about yourself.” Moreover, being part of the Village community has been a real source of encouragement in her life. “Because I go to Village,” she reflects, “I am a lot happier. I have more joy and more conviction to help others, or even to just interact with new people and begin conversations and friendships.”
Your generosity to Village Campus Ministry has made it possible for Elizabeth to find a loving community where she can connect the things she cares most about to Christian faith. Thank you for being part of this ministry we all share.