Penn Students for Christ hold Bible studies

A dozen undergraduates don't often spend their Saturdays at a suburban home with a professor from the medical school. It's even less common for students to join this professor on a weekend to study the Book of James.

But for those involved in Penn Students for Christ, these meetings are customary. Wharton senior and PSC member Bobby Fijan knew School of Medicine professor Ray Townsend through his church on the Main Line and asked him to lead Bible study sessions for Penn students on Friday afternoons in Houston Hall.

"He has really wanted to be involved in serving students, and we're definitely interested in hearing what he has to say," said Fijan.

While the PSC holds student-led Bible study groups and social events throughout the week, Townsend's Bible study is entirely different, according to Phil Cook, a member of PSC's representative team.

"[Townsend] and his wife have had years of experience unpacking the Bible's meaning," Cook explained. "It's going to help us lead our own Bible study."

The rapport with adults in the Philadelphia community is not only about interpreting scripture but also about the relationship itself, Cook said.

"The Christian life is lived more than just with people who are your own age - it's lived cooperatively. Just getting to talk to them, there are some people who just have spiritual wisdom," he added.

Fijan proclaimed that this mentorship goes beyond the spiritual guidance and delves into more practical advice pertinent to Penn students.

"Our mentors are Christians, but they're also successful in the professional world as well," he said. "Dr. Townsend is a professor and a physician, so he can relate to pre-med students, and another mentor of ours, George McKenzie, is in finance ... so he can relate to the people in Wharton."

Townsend said by leading the Bible study, he hopes "to show this group of college-age kids, very intelligent kids [that] it's possible to both have a faith and to succeed in an academic environment."

And this mentorship is just beginning, Townsend emphasized.

"My hope would be to see other faculty taking over this kind of mentorship to widen the net. There are other faculty in the 12 schools at Penn that would relish the opportunity to participate," he said.

PSC welcomes this continued support in the future, according to Fijan. "As long as they're willing and able to, we want to keep it going."

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