Every Tuesday evening at Indiana University Southeast, a class in University Center 121 looks a little different than usual. The lights are softer, chairs are set up in small groups and people are already talking before the meeting starts. While it may seem like a simple gathering, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make it happen each week. Delight Ministries, a national Christian women’s organization founded in 2012 at Belmont University, officially started its chapter at IUS at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. The group was created by students who wanted a stronger sense of community on campus. Emily Jade, the team director, said the idea was sparked by her own experience. “At the end of the last spring semester, I remember wishing that I had a solid group of other Christian girls that I could go through college life with,” Jade said.
After seeing Delight chapters at other schools, Jade reached out through the organization’s website and began working on starting one at IUS. Over the summer, she went through training and found other students who were interested in helping lead the group. By the start of the fall semester, they were able to host their first kick-off event and introduce Delight to campus.
Getting things started was not easy at first. Jade said that none of the leaders had experience running a campus organization, which made the process feel difficult at times. “None of us have ever led a ministry or campus organization before, so we dealt with feeling unprepared,” she said. But the group stayed organized by meeting each week and dividing responsibilities between seven different leaders.
A lot of the work happens before members even walk into the room. Leaders meet ahead of time to plan the week’s discussion and lessons, and they arrive early on Tuesdays to set the room up. Chairs are arranged, and lights are adjusted to make the space feel comfortable and welcoming. Each meeting follows a consistent routine. Group members will typically spend the first few minutes talking and catching up before moving into worship, a devotional lesson and small
group discussions. The smaller groups give members a chance to talk more openly and reflect on what they are learning and walking through. Even though the chapter is still growing, Jade said the response has been positive. “I hear all the time from the girls that they love having a safe, inviting space to come every week,” she said. She also said that the group focuses on building real connections and creating a place where people feel comfortable being open with one another.
In the future, the leaders hope to continue growing the group and bring in younger students who can keep it going after they graduate. For now, the focus is on building a strong community. “We’re more than a Bible study,” Jade said. “We’re a community that can really lean on each other in hard or stressful times.”
