Background
About FOCUS
We are a diverse community of students, alumni, parents, faculty, clergy, and professionals from a variety of Christian denominations drawn together by a common faith and purpose. Through relationships, area meetings, programs, and events, we offer a safe space for students to consider life’s most important questions.
11Local Areas |
19Yearly National |
56Staff & Board |
What is FOCUS?
Fellowship of Christians in Universities & Schools (FOCUS) is a diverse community of students, alumni, parents, faculty, clergy, and professionals from a variety of Christian denominations drawn together by a common faith and purpose. Through relationships, area meetings, programs, and events, we offer a safe space for students to consider life’s most important questions. We have eleven local Area Ministries and offer 19 National Programs each year.
What does Local Area Ministry look like?
Our presence on campus is the result of an invitation by faculty, headmasters, and sometimes a student group. We seek to respect all members of the school community regardless of their religious beliefs. FOCUS staff members often help schools with coaching, or visit schools to support students in clubs, plays, or musical events. Sometimes students invite FOCUS staff to guide their discussion in on-campus small groups such as a Bible study or a fellowship meeting. Many areas also host regular meetings in a family’s home for fun and food, followed by a simple talk or Bible discussion. Staff may also be invited to speak at assemblies, chapels, or in class.
Who attends FOCUS?
FOCUS welcomes students from both independent (i.e. private) and public schools to all its meetings, events, and programs. However, FOCUS was founded to fill an important gap: many independent school students have limited opportunities to explore the Christian faith. Our primary aim is to enable independent school students to discover – in a non-coercive setting – the reality of faith for themselves.
FAQs
Most Asked FOCUS Questions
OUR HISTORY
The Early Years of FOCUS
The roots of FOCUS go back to the 1960s, when founder Peter Moore first began to organize gatherings for New England boarding school students to explore Christianity in fresh and lively ways. The program grew as faculty, heads of school, alumni, and parents recognized the need for informal opportunities on campus and off to explore Christian faith.
This early FOCUS community nurtured an effort that would eventually extend from the Northeast, down the Atlantic seaboard, and to San Francisco.
