Campus Minister Corner
It only seems natural to be talking about fruitfulness at this time of the year. As fall approaches, we prepare to celebrate the fruitfulness of friends and loved ones as we gather around tables for Thanksgiving. My children (5 and 7) remark at how the cotton crops that line the roads nearby have produced its fruit and looks like ‘southern snow.’ Now that’s the kind of snow I can live with!
I’d like to share a bit about the fruitfulness we’ve experienced so far this year at Greenville Wesley. In August, we returned to in-person gatherings with masking and social distancing. To be sure, this was no ‘return to normal!’ However, God has remained steadfast and faithful as we continue our work to proclaim the Belovedness of all students at ECU and PCC while equipping them to build Beloved Community.
In our weekly worship on Wednesday evenings, we’ve welcomed 30 new students who have never attended any Wesley event. We met over 150 students during our Welcome Week events the first week of class as well. Our worship attendance has fluctuated between 24 and 15 students, many of whom have helped lead worship by running our worship slides, leading the prayer, or reading scripture. With COVID and graduating seniors, we ended last year with about 4 active students.
Fruitfulness has also shown up in student giving. Students receive a weekly invitation in worship to consider making a financial contribution to Wesley’s work with the Crossroads Community Shelter. To date, we’ve received over $50 from students to contribute to that work. As a new part of GreenvilleWesley (and uncommon among campus ministries in general), I give God thanks for the fruit that is being born directly because of student giving.
Finally, fruitfulness has been experienced in our discipleship ministries. From weekly small group to our Sweeter Than Krispy Kreme bible study, we continue to make safe space for difficult conversations about faith and life as college students. We have shared conversation with an average of 7 students each week, including a total of 10 students who have never attended any Wesley event. Our Student Leadership Intern, Leah McDonald, is a large part of this fruit God is bearing in our midst.
God is faithful and God is bearing fruit in our shared United Methodist Campus ministry. Praise God!
I’d like to share a bit about the fruitfulness we’ve experienced so far this year at Greenville Wesley. In August, we returned to in-person gatherings with masking and social distancing. To be sure, this was no ‘return to normal!’ However, God has remained steadfast and faithful as we continue our work to proclaim the Belovedness of all students at ECU and PCC while equipping them to build Beloved Community.
In our weekly worship on Wednesday evenings, we’ve welcomed 30 new students who have never attended any Wesley event. We met over 150 students during our Welcome Week events the first week of class as well. Our worship attendance has fluctuated between 24 and 15 students, many of whom have helped lead worship by running our worship slides, leading the prayer, or reading scripture. With COVID and graduating seniors, we ended last year with about 4 active students.
Fruitfulness has also shown up in student giving. Students receive a weekly invitation in worship to consider making a financial contribution to Wesley’s work with the Crossroads Community Shelter. To date, we’ve received over $50 from students to contribute to that work. As a new part of GreenvilleWesley (and uncommon among campus ministries in general), I give God thanks for the fruit that is being born directly because of student giving.
Finally, fruitfulness has been experienced in our discipleship ministries. From weekly small group to our Sweeter Than Krispy Kreme bible study, we continue to make safe space for difficult conversations about faith and life as college students. We have shared conversation with an average of 7 students each week, including a total of 10 students who have never attended any Wesley event. Our Student Leadership Intern, Leah McDonald, is a large part of this fruit God is bearing in our midst.
God is faithful and God is bearing fruit in our shared United Methodist Campus ministry. Praise God!
Jeremy
