Webster’s Dictionary defines passion as “the object of any strong desire,” and many Iowa State students who attend The Salt Company, a Christian organization on campus, has decided it wants its passion to be God.

Every Thursday night, 400-500 Iowa State students gather in the back of Jockos Auto Parts Store to worship God.

Jeff Dodge, the director of TSC, said its purpose is two-fold.

“Our main role is to lead the people of God, to worship God, and to learn more from him. And our second role is to be an avenue for them to bring non-believers in, so we can represent the truths of God to them,” Dodge said.

Over Christmas break, 60 students and leaders from TSC attended Passion ’97, a worship conference in Austin, Texas.

“Passion ’97 was a group of about 2,200 university students and seniors in high school from all over the country who gathered together to learn more about the Lord,” Dodge said.

He said the name Passion comes from the scripture passage Isaiah 26:8 where it says God’s name and renown are the desires of our hearts.

“Desire, in the passage, could be translated into passion,” he said.

Jake Bradley, a junior in zoology, said Passion was a call to be a generation that will follow God’s law so his name and renown will be known on campus and in the world.

“It was a call to arms just to be bold and share your faith and worship God with everything that you are,” he said.

Bradley said he learned God is big.

“I learned that the God I serve is big, and he can do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine,” he said.

The conference was important because the Iowa Staters who attended now have a calling to tell everyone on this campus about Christ, and it’s life changing, he said.

“If you don’t believe in God with all of your heart and accept Christ to forgive your sins, you are going to hell, and we don’t want anyone at ISU to go to hell, so it’s our job to tell them about Christ,” he said.

Kelly Day, a sophomore in accounting, said the worship at Passion ’97 was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

“It was the most intense time of worship and learning that I have ever been exposed to,” she said.

Many people at the conference signed a declaration that had five points of commitment.

One of those commitments was to pray earnestly for our campuses and for a revival and renewed passion for Christ, said Day.

“Since 60 of us went from Iowa State, and 60 of us came back affected by what went on, Iowa State is going to see the effect of those who went to passion,” she said.