The university’s largest Christian ministry, Salt Company, held their first meeting of the new school year Aug. 28 behind Taco Bell, 2650 Lincoln Way.

More than 600 Iowa State students attended the kick-off meeting.

Jeff Dodge, director of Salt Co., said it is “a ministry of Cornerstone Church of Ames to students of Iowa State to become a community of obedient believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Dodge was quick to dispel rumors that “Salt” stands for something. “

We simply get our name from Matthew 5:13,” he said. “We want to be an attractive seasoning to point people to Jesus Christ.”

The group meets every Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. inside Jocko’s Auto Parts, 112 Sheldon Ave., behind Taco Bell.

Dodge said everyone is welcome to attend the weekly meetings.

“One of the hallmarks of our ministry is our worship is led by a dynamic band, followed by challenging and relevant teachings from the Bible,” he said.

The hope, Dodge said, is for every student to have an opportunity to know the one, true God.

The theme for this semester’s talks is “Knowing God.” The Salt Co. staff said they hope to clear away misunderstandings of who and what God is like.

“We hope to discover together from the Bible, nature and reality of the one true God of the universe,” Dodge said.

Don’t let the large weekly attendance scare you off, said Dodge.

On the average, about 500 students attend each week, but he said there are many opportunities to get involved and meet people.

“We have a number of avenues for small group interaction,” Dodge said.

Some events hosted by the Salt Co. include social events, school break events and small group discussions.

The Salt Co. also has a meeting time for freshmen.

“We have a staff member devoted to the freshmen, and they meet on Sunday nights at 7:00 p.m. in the Memorial Union,” Dodge said.

For questions, contact the Salt Co. office at 232-5488.