Appalachian State University

Join us every Wednesday at 8:30pm in the Student Union (Grandfather Mountain Ballroom)

Welcome to RUF! We are a Christian ministry for App State where the grace of God in Jesus Christ is at the center of everything we do. Our desire is that every student at App State would have an opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus, wrestle with his claims, and find home in a community that embodies the values of his kingdom.

RUF welcomes students who are committed, curious, skeptical, or cynical. So come visit us at a large group on a Wednesday night, at First-Year Fellowship, or join us at any event! We'd love to meet you and hear your story!

Join Us

Large Group

Wednesday at 8:30PM
Student Union (in Grandfather Mountain Ballroom)

Morning Prayer

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 AM
Crosspoint Church

Connect

more information at www.appstate.ruf.org

Meet Our Team

Alec Cotton

Alec Cotton

Campus Minister

Alec grew up in Connecticut and Florida before attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, where he confirmed a call into ministry. He is married to Riley, his High School sweetheart, and they have two kids: Miles (born 2017) and Marlee (born 2020). He attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and served for 8 years as a student ministry director and assistant pastor at Christ Church Presbyterian in Jacksonville, FL. Having been around the awesome people of RUF for a while, and feeling a deep desire to minister to college students, the Cottons took the call to App State in 2023. Alec is excited to be the Campus Minister at ASU and to be exploring the mountains. Reach out to get together for some combination of good food, good coffee, good conversation, and exploring! You can reach him at (904) 687-5303.

Sophia Barkhouse

Sophia Barkhouse

Intern

I grew up as a missionary kid in Kosovo until my sophomore year of high school, when my family moved to our US home in Columbus, GA. I attended the University of Georgia (go dawgs sic em woof) and got my degree in Social Work with a certificate in Music Business. RUF was a turning point in my relationship with Christ and brought me closer to him despite my reluctant and easily distracted heart. I led worship at RUF and love to write and play music in my free time! I also love a good cup of coffee, running, laughing, reading, being silly, and being in God's creation! I'm so excited to move to Boone and meet the students at App State -- go neers!

Danny Waller

Danny Waller

Intern

Danny grew up in Columbia, SC, a criminally underrated city. He stayed in Columbia, and went to the University of South Carolina where got his bachelors in History. Danny loves sports (unfortunately, given his alma mater's lack of success), binging TV shows, movies, and just about anything that involves chilling with friends. He's pumped to go to such a beautiful area and school as App State, and is thrilled to see the Lord at work there!