This is Re-Ignite: one of the University of Tampa’s (UTampa) newest registered student organizations and one of its most inspiring success stories.
By Logan Mullins
TAMPA, Fla. — It’s 3 p.m. on a Sunday, and the Sykes Chapel hums with low conversation. Students shuffle chairs around a long rectangular table scattered with cookies, sodas, notebooks, and Bibles. A PowerPoint glows on the wall — the words of a verse projected across it. The laughter dies down for a moment as a volunteer begins to read aloud.
Founded in 2024, Re-Ignite began as a small Bible study of six friends who wanted a place to talk about faith. A year later, dozens of students gather weekly to do the same thing — only now with a charter, a leadership team, and a growing presence on campus.
“It’s funny — we started this in a dorm room with a few friends,” said Oliver Johnson, a sophomore at UTampa and the club’s treasurer and co-founder. “Now we’re talking about funding, outreach, and events. It still feels personal.”
Photo courtesy of Oliver Johnson.
“When I first got to UTampa, I really wanted a community of believers,” said sophomore Elijah Haight, the club’s founder and president. “I had a hard time finding that, so a few friends and I just started meeting on Sunday afternoons for Bible study. And that turned into Re-Ignite.”
That casual beginning shaped the club’s identity. Re-Ignite was never meant to be another religious organization with rigid hierarchy or ritual. It was meant to feel human.
“We already had a Bible study going on, and we realized what we were doing was so different from what the Christian clubs already had to offer,” Johnson said. “We didn’t want sermons or strict doctrines. We wanted open dialogue and deep understanding.”
Their meetings reflect that philosophy.
Every Sunday begins with small talk and a lighthearted icebreaker led by Johnson or Haight. Once everyone’s settled in, a verse appears on the PowerPoint and someone volunteers to read it. Then, Johnson breaks it down word by word, explaining what certain terms meant in their original Greek or Hebrew, placing the verse in its historical setting, and asking how that context might shape modern life.
“We break down each verse historically — what did these words mean in ancient times, and how does that context shape our lives now?” Johnson said. “It’s not just reading — it’s interpreting.”
Afterward, the room is divided into smaller groups for deeper discussion. Some students share academic insights while others talk about how the passage hits them personally. No one’s interpretation outweighs another.
“Everyone’s interpretation is treated with respect,” said junior Lily Galvin, the club’s social media manager. “No answer is wrong — just different. It’s about understanding together.”
That openness is intentional. Haight said the club’s non-denominational status allows it to include students from every background.
“We are non-denominational, and we hold by that principle,” he said. “We have Baptists, Anglicans, and people who just want to explore. We focus on unity over difference.”
Diversity is evident in the atmosphere, where community circles and introspective discussions coexist.
Conversations jump from history to emotion, from translation to testimony. Personal stories are shared freely and receive no judgment.
At the end of each meeting, a volunteer will lead the club in a group prayer, with requests ranging from “good grades” to “healing for a friend.”
“No matter what people bring up, we treat it with respect,” Haight said.
“There’s a lot of trust in that room,” Galvin said. That same trust helped her find her place at UTampa.
“My first meeting, I didn’t know anyone,” she said. “But everyone introduced themselves right away, and I immediately felt welcome. It didn’t feel like a club — it felt like a community.”
Her role in managing Re-Ignite’s online presence helped the club grow even faster.
“Social media lets us show the real people behind the club,” Galvin said. “We post pictures from meetings and events — it feels human, not performative. My favorite thing is when people message our Instagram asking what time we meet next. It’s small, but it means they felt something just by seeing us.”
That authenticity extends to the group’s events. Re-Ignite’s Easter service last semester drew more than 40 students.
“People didn’t just come for the event, they stayed after,” Haight said. “They talked, laughed, and connected. That’s what Re-Ignite is about.”
Not just limited to the campus, Re-Ignite often takes events on the road. Last semester, Re-Ignite had several beach trips, where members played volleyball and prayed on the sand. Emphasizing community, the older members offer to drive the freshmen and sophomores, ensuring that no one feels left out.
Re-Ignite on their beach trip. Photo courtesy of Lily Galvin.
As the fall semester continues, the group’s focus is on their annual Friendsgiving, planned for Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m. The event will be part outreach, part celebration — a moment to slow down and share a meal before finals and the holidays.
“It’s just another way to remind everyone that this is a family,” Johnson said.
Despite the casual tone, the club’s purpose runs deeper. The students see their faith as something to practice, not just to study.
“I can’t pour out if I’m not being poured into,” Haight said. “Being a leader means leading by actions, not just words.”
As the final prayer closes, chairs scrape softly against the floor. Nobody rushes out. A few stay to clean up the cookie crumbs, and others linger to keep talking. The verse fades from the screen, but the conversation keeps going — just as it has every Sunday since Re-Ignite began. In a campus full of constant motion, Re-Ignite offers something rare — an hour of stillness that feels alive.
Sometimes faith doesn’t need a sermon, or even a sanctuary. Sometimes, all it takes is a table, a few friends, and a verse worth discussing.
Photo courtesy of Elijah Haight.
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Thumbnail Photo Caption: Photo courtesy of Elijah Haight.