Calling all religions! Calling all religions! This is the message that a Christian organization here at UT, Volunteers for Christ (VFC), seems to be portraying with the creation of a new discussion group entitled "The Parlor." Every Tuesday night at 8:00, anyone can come to The Parlor to listen or participate in an open talk about life and God.

The Parlor is set up to have two VFC interns, someone who works for VFC without pay, conducting the discussion group. A topic will be presented, such as who God is, and then the floor will be open to anyone who has an opinion on the matter. At the end, one of the VFC interns will explain what the Bible says on the issue. Afterward, there will always be coffee and desserts to enjoy, along with time to socialize.

Laura Wodowski, a sophomore who has attended VFC for a year, said, "It is very informative. There are a lot of people who have knowledge on a wide variety of topics." Not only was the conversation delightful, but so were the people, Wodowski said. "I enjoyed going because everyone is open and welcoming. You meet people with the joy of the Lord in them."

Mike Plewniak, who is the director of VFC and pastor at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville , stated that the goal of the Parlor is to encourage non-Christians to come and express their viewpoints, but to also share the gospel of Jesus Christ. "We wanted to engage the average student on campus to hear the gospel." According to Plewniak, the topics of The Parlor at first will be devoted to God, like who and what he is. Then there will be a transition to more cultural topics, such as abortion and sex before marriage.

The Parlor has already appealed to a large number of people; a discussion group can sometimes consist of up to 50 students per night. There is also a wide range of religions present, such as catholic or atheist, which allows for a more interesting discussion. The meeting places for the The Parlor are as follows; North and South Carrick meet in the Tennessee Room in the Basement, Hess meets in the lobby, Clement meets in the basement, and Reese meets in the basement. In order to find out about other VFC events visit their website .