July Wesley Foundation Update
UI peers

July 15, 2009
Greetings,
We hope that you are all enjoying your summers!  Here is the July addition of the Wesley Foundation Update!  Remember to send any questions about the Wesley foundations to lmlarson@hotmail.com. 
 
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
~John Wesley~

University of Iowa
Student Forum Trip

University of Iowa Wesley Foundation students; Mel Smith, Audrey Banner and Eddie Crise traveled over Memorial Day weekend to Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana for the United Methodist Student Movement Forum: "Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges." They were part of an Iowa delegation of 8 students and 2 campus ministers. They joined several hundred United Methodist students from the United States and other countries to learn from one another, share their diversity and develop their spiritual leadership in a pluralistic world.

Audrey Banner served on the Forum steering committee. She met with the committee over the course of a year to plan and implement the event. Even though it was difficult to take time away from classes she felt all the work and planning was worth it!

At Forum these students heard dynamic speakers, participated in workshops and small groups, voted on legislation affecting the United Methodist Church, participated in worship, engaged in service projects, and built friendships and connections.

The keynote speaker was Eboo Patel, founder and Executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based institution building the global interfaith youth movement. The UI delegation found Patel's work inspiring and his call to be interfaith leaders compelling. 

Now they want to reach out to other student faith leaders on their own campus, asking Patel's questions: What does my religion have in common with his religion or her religion? What can we do together?
Mel Smith came up with a plan of action for contacting UI student faith leaders to engage in service and dialogue. Her comment: "Let's get started this summer!"
University of Northern Iowa
UNI The University of Northern Iowa Wesley Foundation building - the United Methodist Campus Ministry presence at UNI - received significant storm damage early Friday morning, June 10th.  A thunderstorm with straight line winds caused the roof over the chapel and game room to blow off.  Several inches of rain involved in the storm caused extensive damage on all three levels of the Wesley building. The heaviest damage is concentrated in the game room, lobby and chapel areas.  The basement dining room also suffered damage.  Thankfully, no injuriUNI4es occurred to any of the three student residents currently staying at Wesley.
          
Wesley staff and volunteers are currently working with a local recovery/restoration firm on getting the building dried out and on initial clean up. As of Sunday evening, June 12th, electrical power to the building was still shut off.  Until power is restored to the building, the office phone number (319-266-4071) is out of service.  If you need to reach someone call Wesley Director, Dave Glenn-Burns, at 319-610-6365. The email address for general purposes continues to be wesley@cfu.net and for Dave Glenn-Burns, wesley.dave@cfu.net.UNI3
 
Full damage is still being assessed and decisions have not yet been made about whether the Wesley building will be able to be fully utilized for the upcoming Fall seUNImester or whether the ministries will be temporarily housed elsewhere while the damage is addressed.   More information will be provided as i
t becomes available.  Thank you for your prayers and support of the staff, students and volunteers at UNI Wesley Foundation during this time.



Iowa State University

We're moving toward the end of one of our busiest Summers ever at the Wesley Foundation at Iowa State.  While our "regularly scheduled programming" has lightened up a bit (we do Barbecue Bible Studies on Wednesday nights and FaithLink discussions each Sunday morning BEFORE 9:30 worship), we've been (and will be) busy with a variety of special events and activities. 
 
We've spent 6 hours in two mini-retreats planning our faithspring alternative worship experience which happen each Sunday  (5:30 p.m.) classes are in session.  We've come up with some challenging, faith-forming and relevant topics and themes.
 
We've assembled our annual Summer Mailing to all Iowa UM clergy and each incoming student with United Methodist connections.  If you'd like a copy of our Summer Mailing for yourself or to pass along, contact Campus Pastor Jim Shirbroun (jim@cwames.org).
 
Saturday, July 18 will find us cooling off as we tube the Des Moines river. 
 
It's back to work on July 26 as we host our second All-Church Brunch of the Summer.
 
Our Student Leadership (Vision/Action) Team will embark on a 3-day retreat Aug. 14-16 to make final preparations for the Fall Semester and we'll have a couple of  "pre-classes" flings with a visit to the Iowa State Fair, a "Welcome Back to Wesley" picnic.
 
Then, it's off to the races with 3 worship experiences (8:30 and 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.), 2 student receptions and our BIG "Welcome to Wesley" picnic the day before classes begin.
 
We're keeping our sisters and brothers at the University of Northern Iowa Wesley Foundation in our prayers as they work to recover from the damage to their facility. 


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