Welcome, New Students!
So, you’ve scanned our QR code. You might be wondering,
“What is Pres House?”
The truth is, we’re a lot of things. We are:
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We’re an open and affirming student church that is excited to welcome everyone — LGBTQ+, atheist, Christian, curious human. “Welcome” at Pres House means that you’re invited to bring ALL of who you are. We believe every part of you is worth celebrating!
At Pres House, you’ll meet folks from all sorts of religious traditions (or none) and socio-economic backgrounds; folks with diverse racial and ethnic identities, political affiliations, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, and more.
Wanna dig into the details of Scripture? We can do that.
Wanna make art as part of worship? We can do that.
Wanna try meditation? We can do that.
Wanna learn to pray through taekwondo? We can do that.
Wanna … you probably get the point.
There are a lot of ways to do this thing called “faith,” and we want to hold space for you to learn, experiment, and make mistakes as you grow. And here’s the best part: you don’t have to do any of it alone!
There are 50,000 students at UW-Madison, and finding your people might feel a little overwhelming. We try to make it easy for you. Sunday worship, weekly gatherings, retreats, service trips, special events, studying in the lounge … the list goes on and on. There are so many ways to find your people at Pres House. Here’s what some students have said about that:
“For at least my first six months as a student I was racked with anxiety, homesickness, and unremitting perfectionism, and my weekly sanity checks at Pres House staved off many an emotional breakdown. My small group gave me the safety and support to vent my fears and insecurities, and even to disclose family crises.”
— Emily
“The community at Pres House is one of a kind. As a little baby freshman, I was pretty in my shell, but luckily I found Pres House, where I felt welcomed and met an amazing group of people. Pres House became my second home in my first year on campus, where everyone is part of a big family.”
— Olivia, a.k.a. “Tito”
“While I have no problem with Christ, I have nearly lost faith in Christians on multiple occasions. But in Pres House, I found a home among a group of Christians who are willing to decolonize Christianity, dispel religious distortions of sex … and unabashedly accept ALL of who all of we are.”
— Spencer
Everyone in college is asking difficult questions. But sometimes, you might feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t know the answers. Pres House is a place where you can bring your uncertainty about life, faith, and everything else. You don’t have to pretend like you have all the answers here; we certainly won’t!
Racism and white supremacy. Climate change. Abortion rights. Abolition. Gun control.
Choosing a major. Making friends. Drinking. Dating. Sex.
There’s a lot going on right now, and we promise not to ignore it. We’ll preach about it, talk about it, and do something about it; and we’ll do it all together.
Let’s face it; sometimes, you’re just hungry. Between Sunday dinner (and leftovers), free frozen meals on Mondays and Thursdays, Midweek Morsels on Wednesday, study lounge snacks, and the occasional impromptu spaghetti party, the odds are pretty good that you’ll never leave Pres House on an empty stomach. Plus, there’s no better way to make friends than by sharing a meal!
We’d love to connect with you while you’re here on campus!
Pres House is open on weekdays from 10 am – 5 pm, and you’re welcome to drop by to explore the building and chat with Pres House staff. You can also reach out using our contact form or schedule a meetup with our pastors, Erica and Nii Addo, by clicking on their photos!
Rev. Erica Liu (she/her)
Erica has served Pres House since 2004. She is a second-generation Taiwanese-American who grew up in the San Francisco Bay…
Erica has served Pres House since 2004. She is a second-generation Taiwanese-American who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. She lives in Madison with her partner, Mark, and together they have two daughters. Erica has a B.A. in Mass Communications from UC Berkeley, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. Some of her favorite spiritual disciplines include practicing the martial art taekwondo and Sabbath.
Until I entered college, I thought Christianity was mythology and that Christians were weak-minded people. But I ended up sharing my dorm room with a Christian and to my surprise, we became friends. During that year, I was challenged to examine what I believed about life and community. What I discovered was that the love and power of God bring radical transformation within people and the world. God’s call for our lives goes way beyond what we can imagine–it’s much riskier, bolder, and more fulfilling than the plans we make.
There are many ‘dividing walls of hostility’ we put up between each other–race, class, sexual orientation, gender, politics, and religion, just to name a few. I believe strongly in Jesus’ vision where all people are reconciled to God and one another. I invite you to enter into this community, not to find people who are just like you, but to live out the commandment to love God and ALL your neighbors, which means practicing what I call ‘holy friction.’ I hope you will engage in that journey with the community at Pres House.
Nii Addo Abrahams (he/him)
Nii Addo is a second-generation Ghanaian immigrant who spent most of his life in southwest Missouri. He has an M.A.…
Nii Addo is a second-generation Ghanaian immigrant who spent most of his life in southwest Missouri. He has an M.A. in Religious Studies from Missouri State University and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Nii Addo has a deep passion for the Star Wars universe (pre- and post-Disney) and is an avid, albeit sad, supporter of Manchester United Football Club. He also appreciates a high-quality donut, especially after a long bike ride.
I grew up in a deeply faithful household and was nurtured in my faith by my parents, my brother, youth pastors, and mentors. But I’ve always been the inquisitive sort. As I got older, I started to probe the boundaries of my faith tradition. Throughout my years in college and seminary, I began to see that God was not who I thought God was. I began to see how God is not bound by our expectations, how God in Christ ‘overturns every notion of propriety to be with us,’ and how God’s Spirit disrupts the status quo and beckons us out toward new horizons.
I believe that relationships are at the center of what it means to be God’s people. In my role at Pres House, I hope to find new ways to welcome folks into deeper relationships with God and with their neighbors. This community is a place where we can learn how all of our stories—as unique and diverse as they are—intersect with God’s story, and I consider it a privilege to be a part of that journey!
Keep an eye out for Pres House events during Wisconsin Welcome! They’ll be listed in the Guidebook app. During the first two weeks, you’ll see us tabling outside Pres House and at the MSC Fair, the GSCC Fair, and the Student Organization Fair. Oh, and we’ll have some posters in the dorms and chalk on the sidewalks too. We’re trying to make it easy for you!
Open House ~ August 31 and September 1, 7 – 10 pm
Games, snacks, crafts, and open jam sessions. Come any time from 7 to 10 pm to take a break from unpacking, make some new friends, and enjoy (or play) some live music!
Cookie Break ~ September 2, 4 – 6 pm
One of our most iconic events and a great way to meet new people. We set up on the patio and give away hundreds — yes, hundreds — of free Insomnia Cookies. Plus, we break out the prize wheel. You might win some candy, a super-cool sticker, or a crisp high-five.
Welcome Worship ~ September 4, 4:30 pm
Our first worship gathering of the new school year. We start upstairs in the chapel but end downstairs in Lower Hall where we’ll eat a delicious home-cooked meal together. No end time listed because there’s no telling how long you’ll want to hang.
Trivia Night ~ September 5, 7 – 8:30 pm
Come alone or with a group of (up to) five. Either way, we’ll make sure you have a chance to meet some new people, answer some wild questions, and win some sweet prizes, like gift certificates to downtown Madison stores and restaurants. And we guarantee to stump you at least once.
Midweek Morsels ~ September 7, 4 – 6 pm
The kickoff for everyone’s favorite midweek hangout; every Wednesday, 4-6 pm. We serve up some delicious homemade baked goods along with free coffee and tea. The Wii is on, the puzzles and board games are out, and the vibes are immaculate. Whether you come to socialize or study, Midweek Morsels is what you make it.