Our Values
The gospel of
Jesus Christ is the heart of RUF. As we reshape our lives around
it, we have an opportunity to join God in his work of pursuing these
vitally important values.Changing Lives
We believe that the good news of grace
can change any person…because it has changed us. The gospel alone
holds the power to bring lasting change. When we rely on Jesus'
work and record rather than our own for our relationship with God,
God not only forgives us, but lavishes his love and acceptance upon
us as adopted sons and daughters. And the way in which we grow
in the Christian life is the same way in which we enter it – by
receiving Jesus and relying on what he has done for us by his
grace. That is why we are devoted to helping one another become
more like Christ by growing in grace. We affirm that deep,
lasting change occurs by studying the Bible, developing a prayer
life, participating in worship, and forming authentic relationships
with others.
Building Community
Jesus not only calls us to follow him
as individuals, but also gathers us into a community in which we
learn to apply the gospel to every aspect of our lives. In our
relationships with one another, we strive to reflect the
countercultural values of the gospel, and as we do we provide the
world around us with a glimpse of who God is and what his coming
kingdom entails. In light of the fact that God calls us to himself in
order to be a vehicle of blessing to others, we are committed to
sacrificially serving others on our campus and in our world.
Healing Our World
We believe the gospel is true, and,
therefore, it cannot be kept to ourselves. We are committed to
thoughtfully and respectfully communicating the gospel through the
words we speak, the deeds we perform, and the community we embody so
that we might give others the opportunity to discover the true story
of God’s grace. In light of the fact that the salvation Jesus
brings is comprehensive and affects the whole person, we are
committed to tangibly expressing God’s care for the world by
seeking wholeness for the poor, justice for the oppressed, and
restoration for the physical world.
Renewing Our Culture
Christianity is a way of seeing all of life. Rather than dividing the world into sacred and secular realms, we recognize that every sphere of life belongs to God and provides us with an opportunity to serve him. We aim, therefore, to discern our unique vocations within the world and to pursue them with excellence, distinctiveness, and integrity so that our university, as well as our culture, might experience the renewal of the gospel.