Finding Fellowship: Pursuing Christ in Community at Harvard

By McKenzie Lemmo ‘28

Since preparing to come to Harvard, Chandler Piggé ‘26 knew he wanted to prioritize his faith. Already a member of the varsity basketball team, Piggé sought out community among fellow Christians. In his first days of freshman fall, an acquaintance introduced him to Athletes in Action (AIA), prompting a meeting with the group’s director in Annenberg Hall—an early encounter that would shape his spiritual life on campus. 

Now a senior, Piggé serves as one of the student leaders for the AIA’s LifeGroup, a small, weekly gathering rooted in Scripture and shared reflection. In this role, Piggé hopes to impart wisdom to the underclassmen he leads, whom he views as the future of Christian life at Harvard.

For Piggé, it's all about fellowship; “Harvard Christian community is truly loving, and it's truly welcoming,” he explains. “Some people probably are hesitant to join—whether it's a Harvard Christian community or Christian communities in general—because they're afraid of being judged or ostracized, whatever it may be. But I think that [AIA is a] community that definitely loves and welcomes more than anything,” he says. 

Athletes in Action is just one expression of Christian life on campus. Harvard boasts over eight exclusively Christian organizations for students to gather in worship, service, and study—each one welcoming a diverse range of Christian faith backgrounds. 

Harvard Undergraduate Faith and Action (HUFA), Asian Baptist Student Koinonia (ABSK), and Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF) similarly structure their communities around weekly small-group Bible studies and larger fellowship gatherings, providing distinct yet complementary approaches to Christian formation. 

AACF member Cadee Lee ‘26 reflects on her relationship with Jesus prior to coming to Harvard. While she says she entered college with “a good idea of what it meant to be a ‘Christian,’” she soon discovered that “living a life knowing Jesus meant so much more.” Alongside friends from AACF whom she calls “the biggest blessing” of college, Lee has learned what it means to actively pursue a relationship with Christ. 

Jonathan Chen ‘26 says that participation in HUFA’s Bible course has challenged him to read the Word with the perspective of his peers in mind. As a result, both his engagement with the Bible and his relationship with God have deepened. 

The new perspectives Chen found in the Bible course encouraged him to stay in the HUFA community. Like Piggé, he is now a senior serving in leadership, operating as one of HUFA’s co-presidents. “I can feel myself being challenged by the HUFA community to deepen my faith and pursue God more earnestly,” Chen reflects. “Through serving the group, I'm grateful to have experienced the joy of deep brother/sisterhood with other believers.” 

The mentorship and encouragement fostered within Harvard’s Christian fellowships extend far beyond weekly gatherings of faith, shaping relationships in dorm rooms, classrooms, and athletic facilities alike.

As basketball captain, Piggé prays with his teammates before stepping onto the court. Drawing on guidance from adult mentors in AIA and from Scripture, he has also made a conscious effort to minister to each of his teammates—getting to know them personally and supporting them on and off the court. This commitment has not only shaped his performance as an athlete but also his formation as a follower of Christ. 

“You truly have to live that out and live out what it means to love like Jesus did,” Piggé says. 

Charissa Shang ‘26, too, found a sustaining Christian community with Asian Baptist Student Koinonia (ABSK). Here, Shang continues to be inspired by her peers and their steadfast devotion to Christ.

After suffering from a difficult physical injury, Shang began to question whether she truly belonged at Harvard and whether God had put her in the right environment. “If it weren't for the people in the ABSK community, I do not know where I would've gotten the strength to look to God first for help,” she says, reflecting on the support she received during her recovery.

Across Harvard’s campus, Christian ministries cultivate spaces of faith, fellowship, and shared belief in Jesus Christ. Through communal worship and mutual encouragement, students are invited to pursue the One who pursues each of them. 

Having more than one option for Christian fellowship on Harvard’s campus offers students the choice in finding the right community for them. However, many students remain closely tied to one organization for the duration of their career, thus limiting their interactions with Christian students in other ministries. 

“It can often feel like the communities are somewhat isolated from one another; it can be difficult to build relationships with other Christians who happen to be engaged in a different community,” says Chen. 

Shang agrees that inter-fellowship is vital to connecting students in their shared faith in Christ—whether it's a casual event or a multi-group retreat, bringing all believers together is another way to support students in their walk with God. 

Despite the search for more inter-fellowship opportunities, Christian faith at Harvard remains steadfast as its multiple organizations are committed to keeping God at their center. The eternal love of Christ is mirrored in the endurance and devotion of students continuing to keep each campus fellowship alive—the hearts of their students are on fire for God.

Contributed by McKenzie Lemmo. McKenzie is a sophomore at Harvard College studying English.

The photograph for this article was contributed by Karis Ka . Karis is a sophomore at Harvard College studying Electrical & Computer Engineering and Art, Film, & Visual Studies.