May 2010 Wesley Foundation Update
Greetings,

The spring semester has concluded and some students have graduated, others are home for the summer, and some are in school for the summer. Meanwhile the Wesley Foundations are still planning events to reach out to the students at their various places in life.
University of Iowa Wesley Foundation Celebrates Outstanding Alumni
Anna Blaedel and Eric Swanson will be Ordained Elders in June

Anna and Eric were both active at the Wesley Foundation at the University of Iowa and served as peer ministers on our student leadership team.  Anna will be ordained in the Iowa Annual Conference and Eric in the Great Rivers Annual Conference.
 




Courtney Ball named  an Outstanding Young Alumnus by Iliff Theological Seminary.

Courtney Ball, pictured to the left with wife Emmy and daughters Annyssa and Aldyn, was honored as an outstanding young alumnus by Iliff Seminary, for his work as cofounder and co-director of Matthew 25 ministry hub in Cedar Rapids.


Congratulations to these fine alumni. 
Iowa State University

We have had another great semester at the ISU Wesley Foundation and are moving into a great line-up of summer activities.  Each week on Wednesdays starting on May 26 we will be having BBQ bible studies on the church terrace and on Friday evenings a group of students will be going fishing together each week. On top of these weekly events we have a number of "one of a kind" events for students throughout the summer including picnicking at Ledges State Park, going to an Iowa Cubs Game, Tubing at Seven Oaks in Boone and going swimming at the new aquatic center in Ames.
 
We also look forward to the opportunity in June to get to meet incoming students at ISU summer orientation resource fair. This "trade show" style fair gives us the opportunity to meet and talk with students coming to ISU. It is always a great time to meet new people and help get them connected to our ministry.
 
Chris Hockley
Campus Ministry Associate
 
University of Northern Iowa

In the midst of the storm recovery project (which is coming along nicely, for those interested) 12 UNI Wesley students are traveled to Miami for a week long service/learning experience. We worked with an agency called DOOR, which stands for Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection. We served with Camillus House, Missionaries of Charity, Miami Rescue Mission, and urban gardening project and a Farm Share food bank project. A key aspect of the week was the daily reflection and learning from our experiences.

We were prepared for each experience (sort of) but were not prepared at all for each experience. It was a little like learning how to swim by jumping in the pool/lake and struggling until you learn. Some of us were corrected because we didn't cut the lettuce correctly, others didn't sweep the floor right, others couldn't seem not to get in the way. But the beautiful thing was the learning that emerged in the daily reflection.

Most of the group will be returning to UNI in the fall and will carry this Miami experience into the new year. It will be very cool to see what God will do with it all.

If you would like to have someone from our Wesley Foundation come to your church and talk about this trip or the Green Cedar Valley Initiative award our remodeling received, or the overall recovery project, please contact us at wesley@cfu.net or 319-266-4071.
 
Drake University

The book is called, "How to Survive the Real World: Life After College Graduation," and it is a popular gift this time of year. It is filled with advice from graduates on a wide range of topics. I'm not sure if the title is condescending or naive; maybe both. It suggests that life on campus is something less than real, or that the college experience is free from responsibility or risk. The former is misguided, the later is simply wrong.

Life on campus is fraught with risk and no student is immune. Some of them are well equipped to deal with the risk. Some are not. Drake University is still recovering from the tragic story of one student who became overwhelmed. The local news outlets thoroughly covered the saga as details emerged about the life and death of a bright, charismatic student with many friends. His funeral was a touching tribute, but few of the mourners could make sense of this senseless loss. On campus, the Drake community cycled from questions to answers, and back to more questions. Suicide always leaves questions unanswered.

Dr. David Maxwell, Drake University president, felt it was important to provide an additional memorial service on campus for students and staff. The beauty of the day stood in sharp contrast to the pain carried by those who gathered at the heart of campus. "Dust in the Wind," and "Welcome to the Jungle," were played as students shared memories of their friend.

As theologian-in-residence at the Wesley House I take exception to the lyric, "All we are is dust in the wind." It may be a good song, but we are much more than that. As artist-in-residence at the Wesley House I find truth in the Guns-n-Roses song title, "Welcome to the Jungle." It speaks volumes about the reality of life found on a college campus. It is, at times, a jungle - an emotional, spiritual, psychological jungle. This world is all too real.

The Wesley Foundation at Drake, along with campus ministries across the state, is intent on providing a mature spiritual presence to students, faculty, and administration engaged in the very real, very risky world of higher education. With the support and encouragement from the Iowa Annual Conference, we aim to further our goal of transforming the world.
 
                                                                                                                          Ted Lyddon Hatten,
                                                                                                                          Drake Wesley House

 
Students can make college search a spiritual journey

by Mary Jacobs
Part 2 of 2

Know the landscape
Sometimes, making a connection with a United Methodist campus ministry involves knowing where to look, according to Ingrid McIntyre, director of connectional relations for GBHEM. Depending on the type of institution, the opportunities for religious life vary widely. At the nearly 100 United Methodist affiliated colleges and universities in the U.S., there's typically a chaplain on staff, and in some cases, a campus minister as well.

However, there's a wide range in terms of what students can expect at United Methodist-related campuses. Some are nominally United Methodist; at others, United Methodist influence is clearly evident in campus life and in the school's mission.Students can also find a Methodist presence at hundreds of non-affiliated colleges and universities around the U.S. in the form of a Wesley Foundation, a Wesley Fellowship or a part-time United Methodist campus minister who serves with an ecumenical Protestant campus ministry.

Even if there's no United Methodist ministry on campus, some local churches near college campuses offer separate ministries for college students, ranging from weekly home-cooked meals to college-aged Sunday school classes and choirs. "Many United Methodist churches in college towns will maintain a good relationship with the college, the chaplain or campus minister, and even the president of the college," said Ms. McIntyre. Students can also find opportunities for nourishing their faith through activities that aren't necessarily United Methodist or even overtly religious. Many students, for example, find volunteer service and outreach meaningful and faith-building. Others might find spiritual inspiration through interfaith programs or religious studies classes. At many historically black colleges and universities, gospel choirs are a popular avenue for students who want to stay connected to their faith. Ms. Alley advises students to look for a place that feels comfortable, but not necessarily cozy. Keeping the faith in college doesn't require a school full of completely like-minded people. "Find a place where you are both encouraged and challenged in your faith," Ms. Alley said. "Be willing to try something a little different than you are used to."
The Rev. J. Wayne Clark, chaplain at Hendrix, echoes that advice. He often counsels freshmen who feel "homesick" for their home churches because campus religious life is inevitably different from what they knew at home. But that's good, he said. Taking time to ask questions and explore in college will often strengthen the student's faith.

"College is the stage in life when you start claiming faith as your own," he said. "It's no longer just your parents' faith. It becomes your faith."