Three atheists, one agnostic and one Christian volunteered for a panel discussion to consider the question, “If Christians would listen, what would you say?” Well, they did have a lot to say—and the InterVarsity students who sponsored the event humbly listened. The honest dialogue turned into a riveting evening that engaged the hearts and minds of believers and non-believers—to the benefit of all.

Often Christians are perceived as being close-minded and judgmental, especially on certain topics. This fall, the InterVarsity group at the University of Washington honestly admitted that, as a group, they had not been good listeners to those around them. They wanted to change—but how? The group decided to host a “Listening Event” once or twice a quarter that would replace their regular large-group meeting.

“Our vision is to serve the campus, so we want to be a community of Christians that is accessible,” said Phil Hoffman, InterVarsity staff. “But we felt dissatisfied that our weekly large-group worship gathering was still not a very inviting place for non-Christians.” Phil believes the listening events are helping the Christian community become more inviting, as well as serving the students on campus by giving them a forum to talk more deeply about meaningful issues.

Find out what happened, by reading the rest of this article on InterVarsity’s website for students, studentsoul.org.