Get involved
See what RUF at UGA is actually like.
Large Group, Freshman Fellowship, Community Groups, ministry teams, and conferences each offer a different way to learn, ask questions, build Gospel-rooted relationships, and serve alongside other students.
Incoming Freshmen: Fill Out Our Interest Form
Fill Out the FormBuilt for your first year
Freshmen Fellowship
RUF Freshman Fellowship is here to be a place that’s easy to slip into, whether it’s your first time or tenth.
Connect with other freshmen, build deeper friendships, hear a thought-provoking message from Scripture, and share the ups and downs of the year with people who care. It is for the convinced to grow, the curious to explore, and the skeptic to bring questions.
- What
- Hangs, a TED Talk-style message, and small groups with same-gender freshmen
- When
- Tuesdays from 8:00–9:30 p.m.
- Who
- Freshmen at UGA, UNG, and Athens Tech
- Where
- Tate Student Center, Room 473 · The glass-walled room at the top of the main staircase, directly above the Market at Tate.
- Parking
- Tate Deck · Tate Surface Lot · Hull Street Deck
The easiest first visit
RUF Large Group
Wednesday night Large Group is a great place both to learn more about RUF and how you can get involved and also to get a true taste of what the community of RUF is actually like.
We expect you’ll experience what all of us experienced our first time at RUF—a room full of genuine, welcoming people; worship that transforms through its honesty and depth; and teaching from the Bible that is as compelling as it is gracious.
So why not grab a friend and come see why hundreds of other students at UGA and UNG have made RUF home?
- When
- Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
- Where
- 165 Pulaski Street, downtown Athens
- Parking
- RUF attendees may use all Redeemer parking around the building. ParkMobile signs can be ignored during RUF events.
Parking and arrival
See exactly where RUF attendees can park.
Open the official parking guide at full size before your first visit. The graphic remains readable on a phone and can be opened in a separate tab for zooming.
Open full-size parking guide ↗RUF Community Groups
Gospel-rooted relationships that gain traction in real life.
In RUF, the core of our approach to ministry is the cultivation of Gospel-rooted relationships.
It’s not enough to simply know things about God; these realities need to be experienced and lived out in relationships to gain traction and generate change.
Our community groups are designed to be places where both believers and skeptics can feel at home and grow. Groups consist of anywhere from 10–20 students who gather together weekly in a leader’s house.
Sign Up for a Community GroupMonday · 7 PM
John and Zach
John's PlaceSutton and Lucy
Sutton and Lucy's HouseTuesday · 7 PM
Ryan and Deacon
Deacon's PlaceMae and Maria
Maria's HouseSophie and Lily
Sophie's HouseThursday · 7 PM
Ella and Heather
Ella's HouseMinistry Teams
Deeply nourished. Practically equipped to serve others.
Add these two things up—a ministry through students and under the oversight of trained staff—and you get a ministry that deeply nourishes you and practically equips you to go out and serve others.
The teams below are a place to make new friends as you serve alongside like-minded people at a level that fits your schedule. If you’re interested in joining a team mid-year, please reach out!
01
Spiritual Growth
Worship
Keeps our hearts fixed on the person and work of our triune God by leading the UGA and RUF community in engaging, honest, accessible, and formative worship.
Examples: Worship leading, song selection, soundboard operation, equipment setup and takedown, and special worship events.
Prayer
Regularly prays bold, perceptive, expectant prayers on RUF and UGA’s behalf and works to cultivate a culture of this kind of prayer across all of RUF.
Examples: Weekly prayer meetings, leading prayer at Large Group, and coordinating on-campus prayer walks and prayer days.
Discipleship
Cultivates the relational and spiritual health of RUF’s community and coordinates a network of weekly small-group Bible studies accessible to the full spectrum of UGA students.
Examples: Leading community groups and meeting one-on-one with group members.
Large Group
Works to ensure that what is remembered from RUF Large Group is a welcoming community, a hospitable room, and a rich experience of God’s presence instead of glitches, distractions, or hurried people.
Examples: Setting up and taking down the room, special events, the book table, and handouts.
02
Relational Growth
Freshman Family
Pursues, welcomes, and weaves freshmen on our campus into the fabric of RUF’s life and community through personal discipleship, connecting events, and Tuesday Freshman Fellowship.
Examples: Welcome Week outreach, mentoring, one-on-ones, and freshman social gatherings.
Freshman Fellowship
Cultivates the relational and spiritual health of freshmen from UGA, UNG, and Athens Tech who gather through RUF’s Freshman Fellowship ministry.
Examples: Leading Freshman Fellowship prayer groups and meeting one-on-one with freshmen.
Connections
Seamlessly weaves newcomers to RUF—such as UGA and UNG transfer students, sophomores, and students on the fringes—into the life and mission of RUF’s community.
Examples: Casual hangouts, cross-cultural development, transfer student dinners, and sophomore class events.
03
Outreach & Mercy
Campus Care
Keeps RUF’s eyes alert to the tangible needs and burdens of our fellow students, faculty, and staff and develops avenues for us to reach them and help lift their burdens.
Examples: Thank-yous to faculty and staff, UGA Food Pantry drives, and on-campus service activities.
Hospitality
Ensures the community, events, and avenues of RUF are always accessible and hospitable to the full spectrum of UGA students.
Examples: Name tags at Large Group, the welcome table, Welcome Week, and welcoming newcomers.
Outreach Events
Creates events that offer a foretaste of the new heavens and new earth by breaking down barriers, drawing outsiders in, and bringing lighthearted joy to all who come.
Examples: Night at the Pit, Fetch, tailgates, Not-a-Date, Spring Thing, watch parties, and Parents’ Lunch.
Conferences and retreats
Unparalleled spiritual, relational, and personal growth—and unforgettably fun.
A few times during the year, RUF gets out of town for conferences and retreats.
Registration usually opens around three weeks before each retreat. Any enrolled UGA, UNG, or Athens Tech student who is 18 or older is welcome. Scholarship help is always available.
Fall
Fall Conference
October 9–11, 2026SharpTop Cove · Jasper, GeorgiaA Friday-to-Sunday weekend for new and old friends, thoughtful teaching, and time outdoors.Explore Fall Conference →Winter
Winter Retreat
January 29–31, 2027Ridge Haven Camp · near Brevard, North CarolinaA Friday-to-Sunday mountain weekend with worship, teaching, games, and time to deepen friendships.Explore Winter Retreat →Summer