Multifaith Centre

Students' religious, spiritual, and secular identities have an essential place in a student's development. Value systems, knowledge, and understanding are developed and explored at University, and the faith students hold is a considerable part of that process.

Research suggests that "[s]tudents show significant spiritual growth during the first three years of college and spiritual growth appears to enhance other college outcomes such as academic performance and satisfaction with college… leadership, psychological well-being, intellectual self-esteem, commitment to diversity…, commitment to promoting racial understanding" (Astin & Astin, 2010). 

We believe it is essential to facilitate and offer space on campus for students to engage with, learn about, and connect with faith practices. We hope to provide opportunities for students to find those with like-minded ideas and beliefs and grow from the benefits of community support and spiritual practice during their academic journey. It is also important for students to have exposure to diverse perspectives, cultivating respect for ideas and values that may be different from their own. We want all students to be able to navigate the world, flourishing alongside people with different spiritual identities, opinions, and ideas.

At the Multifaith Centre (MFC) of Simon Fraser University, we aim to:

• Offer pastoral care and support for all individuals within the University, --students, staff, faculty, and those engaged in the community-- who has spiritual, emotional or practical needs.
• Work through bridge-building with others in the University, the wider community and with the churches, tabernacles, mosques, and temples to encourage individual spiritual growth and development.
• Provide opportunities for appropriate forms of regular worship, reflection, prayer, fellowship, outreach and celebration for all University community members. 
• Foster a lively, educational, and informed debate about issues throughout the University that have a spiritual, moral, or personal dimension; to sensitively unfold the relevance of spirituality and its necessity in what it means to be fully human.

Your gift to SFU's Multifaith Centre Development Fund will directly impact students' lives. 

You will be helping someone who needs a faith community, who has big life questions or who needs general human contact, love & support. We have seen more and more students connecting to their faith communities, asking questions, and engaging in faith dialogue as they develop academically. The Multifaith Centre is building out more educational events, support options, and general community invitations for fun so students may find safer spaces as they engage with their religious AND academic identities.

These are reasons why a gift from donors like you can make such a difference. Not only are you helping MFC to provide support services and ways to create community—you are showing students what they believe in, value, and care for matters; that there is a community out there that cares for them and wants to help them succeed both in their faith and academics.