It was “The Fight” at the beginning, says John-Michael Elder, explaining a new on-campus worship experience.
The sophomore Bible major from Franklin, Tenn., says “The Fight,” as it was deemed at the start, began as “a small group of guys studying the Bible and sharing experiences of the Spirit.”
“The small gathering led to thoughts of making something bigger where more people, girls and guys, could come,” Elder said.
That new worship gathering he and his close friends started at the beginning of the semester now is called “Fridays at 5,” and meets every Friday at 5 p.m. in the Ezell chapel.
“We share in a worship experience with music and someone who shares a word,” Elder said. ” This isn’t definite yet, we’re still playing around with it. Nobody here is a preacher; we’re just digging in [the Word] together.”
Elder noted that the worship group is open to everyone.
“We all have different perspectives which God uses to open new perspectives for others,” Elder said. “We all come from different places so it’s cool to hear everyone’s story.”
The leaders don’t have specific goals for numbers they want to reach or what the group should look like. Right now, Elder said , their objective is to follow where God is leading them. That is, after all, how it began when he had the vision for the group. His friend Steve Graham, junior Bible major from Iowa, helped him make it a reality.
Cameron Gilliam, sophomore exercise science major from Mt. Juliet, is an integral part of “Fridays at 5,” helping to lead the group in worship.
As a Christian-affiliated University, Lipscomb offers many opportunities of worship and learning aside from chapel and Bible classes. This completely student-run worship gathering on a weekend night is a more contemporary approach to worship, and Elder hopes it will continue to be successful.