Welcome! We’re glad you’re here.
Jubilee is a Christ-centered community for college students and young adults from all backgrounds. We ask questions about what it means to live as a community and as individuals that seek to put God at the center of our lives.
What we do
How to Join! To join in any of the activities, fill out this Interest Form or see our Linktree!
Small Groups
We have small groups that meet each week for students and young adults to build closer relationships that foster personal and spiritual growth - groups meet at different locations, usually at First Methodist, on campus, or at a local coffee shop. These groups are a great way to get more involved, make new friends, and explore your faith. For more information on how to get connected, see the new Small Group Interest Form.
Wednesday Nights
Our Wednesday meetings bring us together for a night of community and friendship! We gather throughout the semester at 7:30pm at First Methodist (219 E. 4th St.) for a free meal, discussion, worship, and hanging out. We welcome students and young adults from all backgrounds who seek community and connection, whether that’s chatting with your table or just hanging out to observe. This semester, stop by for tips on belonging, how Biblical wisdom can help you handle social media anxiety, and a couple of holiday parties! We offer rides on & around campus - just let us know on the Interest Form. Also, check a little further down the page for Getting to Jubilee on Wednesdays.
Social Events
At any given time, we have a number of events scheduled, for all different kinds of interests: trivia nights, ice cream socials, photo scavenger hunts, jigsaw puzzling, movie watching, and other laid-back activities friends can easily join. There might be five people gathering together, or there could be thirty-five; we like doing things together!
Local Outreach Retreat
Most every Spring Break in the last decade, Jubilee students have done mission work together, and recently we've made it more local and more impactful. We believe service is an important part of living out our faith, and we always have a good time meeting the needs of others while sharing God’s love. We'll be having our second Local Outreach Retreat in March 2025: serving with local organizations and individuals, hearing from local experts (e.g., city councilors), experiencing new faith practices (e.g., visiting the Orthodox Church), and staying together in a house, having fun while growing in faith and making the world a smidge better.
Service Events
We love making the world a bit better, by volunteering with organizations like Stone Belt and Thriving Connections, by assembling care packages for those experiencing homelessness, by going to rural communities and working in their libraries, and many other ways. We also occasionally write letters on behalf of things like climate change initiatives or the rights of the incarcerated. We’ve even adopted Butler Park with the City of Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department, to help remove invasive species!
Getting to Jubilee on Wednesdays
Rides: Available on & around campus on Wednesdays around 7:15pm. You can request a ride on our interest form or over the Discord (see our LinkTree), and we'll get back to you soon!
Driving: You can park in the First Methodist parking lot across 4th St. Ignore the "No Parking" signs (on Wednesday nights) & preferably park across from the fire station on the Lincoln St. side.
Arrival: Use the entrance on 4th St., by the courtyard. We'll have someone out front between 7:20-7:40 pm to guide people through the *right* door. This is a shorter route & goes past an elevator :) If no one's there to greet you, don't worry! You can still get in through the *left* door and follow the signs to the Jubilee room.
Either way: Get to the courtyard & we'll get you there! You can also look for a Nutcracker on the 3rd floor from outside & intuit your way up there. :)
Still have questions or want more information? Fill out our interest form.
Who we are
Jubilee is a supportive, accepting, and affirming community for college students and young adults from all backgrounds looking to grow in their faith together. Loving God, others, and ourselves is central to all that we do. We are an ecumenical campus ministry. This means our students come from all different Christian denominations—or none at all—while having the love and support of First Methodist available to them at any time.
Our Core Values
Community is foundational to who we are. We believe growth happens in the context of loving relationships, so we strive to build genuine connections that exist in and out of Jubilee. We want everyone to find fellowship, friends, and a sense of belonging here.
Authenticity is important because we don’t want anyone to change who they are in order to belong. This is a safe place where we can be genuine, open, and honest as we ask questions, share convictions, and express doubts without fear of judgment.
Inclusion matters because we all come from different places in our life and faith journeys. We embrace diverse perspectives and reject sameness as the only means to unity. We aim to welcome others in the unconditional love and grace of God.
Self-Care is something we prioritize. Healthy people make a healthy church; our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health is worthy of our attention. Without being self-centered, we look at what it means to care for ourselves, so we can better care for others.
Spiritual Growth is a fundamental part of our lives as Christ followers. In addition to our weekly gatherings, we engage in small groups and events to build close relationships and foster development in a setting that allows for greater exploration and encouragement.
Service & Outreach is essential to putting our faith and love into action. We seek opportunities to serve God, our community, and the world in joy. We extend beyond our comfort zones to meet people where they are and engage with them in love.
Meet Our Leaders
Director of College & Young Adult Ministries
The son of a UMC pastor in central Illinois, Markus Dickinson has wandered through many different ministry roles; from being the president of a church young adult group, to leading small group Bible studies, to volunteering in the local jail. He was also a professor in Computational Linguistics at IU for over ten years and once put someone to sleep talking about his dissertation. Markus has been helping with the Jubilee College and Young Adult Ministry since going on the Spring 2016 Mission Trip. He hasn’t been able to stop hanging out with the students since then.
Jubilee Intern
SJ (they/them) is a senior in the IU School of Education with dreams to be a K-6 teacher. They love being involved on campus, including as a member of the dance group within the Filipino American Association. Their hobbies include frequenting local coffee shops, reading Riordanverse books, singing nonstop, riding their bike, thrifting clothes, and scrapbooking memories. They are excited for their second year as an intern for the beloved Jubi-community!
Jubilee Intern
Tatum (she/her) is currently a senior studying Neuroscience at IU. She self-identifies as a nerd and is a member of Phi Delta Epsilon (PhiDE), the pre-medical fraternity, and Alpha Chi Sigma (AXE), the chemistry fraternity. When she isn't busy prepping for med school, you can find her talking about her latest obsession. Some of her favorite things include books, BTS, podcasts, ice cream, and traveling. She loves Jubilee and her JubiFamily and can't wait to still intern this year!
Jubilee strives to always be an inclusive, affirming, and loving community. Your feedback helps to keep us accountable and shows us how we can improve!
Let’s Do Life together
If you have a question about Jubilee, an event we’re planning, or just want to say hi, please send us a message!