![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fd50526b-f3b3-4fa0-9550-9c896f42e58d.jpeg\")
<\/a>Thorimbert says that describing InterVarsity as \u201cfaith-based\u201d can make the organization more approachable for students who may be hesitant about participating in something explicitly religious; also, whenever possible, the group tries to meet in familiar, open campus spaces such as cafeterias rather than behind closed doors. Thorimbert says entering a private room for an explicitly spiritual or religious activity can be intimidating for some students.<\/p>\n
\u201cOften on campus, to say you\u2019re religious or to say you\u2019re Christian is an immediate turnoff,\u201d says Thorimbert. \u201cBut there\u2019s something in our brain that when we hear the word \u2018faith-based\u2019 or \u2018spiritual,\u2019 it\u2019s a little more chill. It feels more welcoming, which I think is good.\u201d<\/p>\n
InterVarsity has been running lunch discussions at Camosun for the past four years, with much of its programming intended to be student-led. Lunch discussions typically begin with three to five questions before participants are allowed to take the conversation in their own direction. Topics can include, for example, identity, relationships, the nature of humanity, religion, and how people understand suffering.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe guide the conversation in some way,\u201d he says, \u201cbut it\u2019s more for the sake of having a good conversation, less of, \u2018I want the topic to go in this direction.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n InterVarsity also tries to create an environment where participants can question religion rather than feeling they must accept a particular answer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not scared of critical analysis of the faith. We see that as useful and important,\u201d he says, \u201cso we\u2019re not scared of questions or doubts or fears.\u201d<\/p>\n That approach extends to the group\u2019s Bible studies, which they are working toward starting, at the Interurban campus. Thorimbert says InterVarsity uses methods similar to historical, critical, and literary approaches to studying other texts, allowing students to engage with the Bible regardless of how familiar they are with it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe try to do our Bible studies in a way that is practical, accessible, but also intellectually rigorous,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Creating a space for students from different backgrounds requires more than simply inviting them into the room, according to Thorimbert.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what we\u2019re doing, InterVarsity staff and students are always thinking about, even if it\u2019s only Christians in the room, how would we lead this in such a way that someone from any background could [not just] come and feel like they belong, but feel like they could actually offer something into the space,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Thorimbert first became involved with InterVarsity as an undergraduate student in Kingston, Ontario. He was drawn to a community that allowed students to engage with questions surrounding issues such as poverty, alcoholism, and racism, as well as InterVarsity\u2019s emphasis on mentorship. Now working with students himself, Thorimbert says one of his favourite parts of the job is being present while students wrestle with questions about their identities and futures.<\/p>\n \u201cI love what I do because so often it feels like I just get to be a sounding board for the big questions that students are asking,\u201d says Thorimbert. \u201cWho am I? What do I want my life to be about? How do I relate to other people?\u201d<\/p>\n Thorimbert doesn\u2019t believe students need to find immediate answers to those questions.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes those questions can feel so anxiety-inducing. It can feel like you have to answer them immediately,\u201d he says. \u201cSo it feels like a gift to have the opportunity to be in the process of thinking about those big life questions with students in a non-anxious space.\u201d<\/p>\n