UCM is a campus ministry of Northwestern undergraduate and graduate students who try to make faith relevant in daily life. UCM is an honest, safe, and inclusive community following the example of Jesus. We embrace openness, strive to love God, and serve others to the best of our ability.

Whatever your faith or doubts, you are welcome here.

Join us!

UCM is sponsored by the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

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OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? -- Micah 6:8

At UCM, we keep our hearts open to the beauty of creation, to the ways God can work through us, and to the love of warm authentic community. We also keep our hearts open to the cries of the oppressed, to the places we are called to be peacemakers, and the struggles of our community.

We keep our minds open to intellect, reason, and science. We accept doubt as a part of faith and refuse to settle for easy answers. We keep our minds open to different opinions, and we love our neighbors of other faiths.

UCM is a queer inclusive community.

New Students

NEW STUDENTS

a place to belong
authentic, meaningful relationships
people from different backgrounds
a connection between faith and intellect
serving God and others
growing in faith and wisdom
working for renewal in society
discovering God’s call for your life
FUN!

"UCM brings people together who come from different faiths to give thanks and highlight what they have in common."

-- UCM Student

Ministry Team

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Offering encouragement and mentoring as you explore your faith

Julie Windsor Mitchell, Campus Minister and Executive Director

revjulie@u.northwestern.edu

Julie (she/her) has been the campus minister at UCM for over 25 years because she loves college students so much! She is an ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ and has dual standing in the United Methodist and Presbyterian Churches. She has a BA from Brown University in Religious Studies and a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. She loves to talk about life, love, spirituality, and social justice and she will jump right into all the hard questions. When she's not hanging out on campus, you can probably find her traveling abroad meeting people from different cultures, camping with her husband and kids, scootering around Evanston or deadlifting at the gym.

Amber Best, Garrett Seminarian

best.amberjo@gmail.com

"Hi there! My name is Amber Best (she/her) and I am in the second year of my Master of Divinity at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. I enjoy long walks by the lake, discovering new thrift shops and cafes, and baking enough chocolate chip cookies to feed an army. I grew up in the Air Force before my family settled in Ames, Iowa, where I got my BS in Kinesiology and Health from Iowa State. My goal in entering ministry is to help facilitate an environment where we all can be held in our differences and leave feeling celebrated, loved, and empowered."

Rose Carlson

rosecarlson2027@u.northwestern.edu

My name is Rose Carlson (she/her) and I’m studying Earth & Planetary Sciences at Northwestern. I love using rocks to learn about our planet’s past, and I’m involved in research on campus that employs geochemistry to investigate conditions in a super old, North American sea. My family attended a Mennonite church when I was younger, and joining UCM has been an incredible way for me to rediscover my faith after a long time spent away from any kind of church. In my free time, I enjoy doing conservation work around the Evanston area, riding my bike, and listening to Brandi Carlile.

Joy Kang
joykang2026@u.northwestern.edu

Hi, my name is Joy (she/her)! I am studying Social Policy at NU's School of Education & Social Policy as well as history and creative writing in Weinberg. I grew up in a Korean Presbyterian church and, after a long journey of church-exploring, found my way to UCM and all the lovely people there. In my free time, I love baking and listening to live music.

Elise Neal

eliseneal2026@u.northwestern.edu

My name is Elise Neal (she/her) and I’m studying Earth and Planetary Science at Northwestern. I am passionate about climate change solutions in our present world. In my free time I love reading, knitting, and spending time outside. I grew up attending a Methodist church and I'm so glad I have found a wonderful community at UCM that has given me the space to explore and grow my faith.

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