Campus Ministry Notes

Dear Waldorf Alumni,

Blessings to you as we start this new year, praying for a healthier and more fulfilling 2022 than the last 2 years as we continue through this pandemic.

Even as the pandemic continues, Campus Ministry continues to thrive! We have increased both the diversity of programming and attendance in chapel; grown attendance for on-campus religious groups; hired many new and skilled students to work with Campus Ministry; and done all of it with an unprecedentedly large entering class this year.

That class was so large, in fact, the Religious Studies department asked me to step in to teaching one section of Introduction to Biblical Literature in Fall 2021, in addition to my Campus Ministry duties! This was my first time teaching a college course, or any kind of semesterlong course of any kind, and while it was an unprecedented challenge, I enjoyed nearly every minute of it! The class gave me a far broader vision of how Waldorf prepares students to be leaders at Waldorf, and where students might need help as they transition into college life. I kept these two callings in conversation the whole semester: my teaching enriched my ministry, and my ministry enriched my teaching. As of now, I am proud of any student who makes it through such a rigorous course, and comes out of it asking themselves better questions about what they believe, which is more important than a number or letter on a grade report.

I especially want to thank the Academic Achievement Center for helping me with students, as I believe Campus Ministry is at its best with regular communication across a variety of offices, as befits the liberal arts goal of “Teaching the whole person.” I have also been proud to share the Word of God with local congregations as a substitute preacher, and represent Waldorf in that way. Connecting to local communities is a non-negotiable part of campus life, and in preaching in local congregations, I have continued building close relationships so that both Campus Ministry and those churches might become better from engaging with each other.

Once again, I would like to thank the Waldorf Community for supporting us through the continuing COVID-19 pandemic: though we don’t know when it will end and we can start going back to normal, I appreciate the continuation of support from all of you, because you know how important connection is.

To paraphrase a biblical passage from Esther 4:14: “Perhaps you were called for such a time as this” and that includes everyone in the Waldorf community.

In closing, I pray that all of us stay healthy, and that we care for our neighbors with the burning love that Waldorf has instilled in us with the pillar of “Community.”

Sincerely,

Eric Adamcik, Campus Ministry Coordinator

CHAPEL Recap

I have been delighted with the way Chapel has gone in Fall 2021, and the ways in which it continues to evolve! We have increased attendance to their highest numbers since I arrived on campus, and encouraged more students and faculty to step up and lead chapel by sharing their stories and reflections.

For Faculty, we were first blessed to have History Professor Dr. Jonathan Klauke in Chapel during Homecoming Week, where he preached about 5 different Bible verses at once to help guide new students into their experiences at Waldorf. Later in the semester, we also invited Religion Professor Steve Smith to talk about Reformation Sunday and Martin Luther, reflecting on the university's Lutheran heritage and how we use those roots to continue educating the whole student at Waldorf.

And yet, as varied and helpful as the Faculty chapels were, the student lead chapels shone the brightest in the semester! Our first-year student Nolan Reynolds, led a wonderful chapel about being your best self, which was coupled with a song from his days as a church camp counselor-he blew us all away, showing a maturity as a worship leader that I, as a campus minister, didn’t have until seminary, let alone college! I was also ecstatic to host a series of chapels with my Biblical Literature class, who had the option of leading a chapel around a text we’ve studied as their final exam. A good half of my students used this option, which was a fantastic alternative to a final paper, in that my students were encouraged to get to a text’s core and practice public speaking. In these chapels, my students shared helpful insights about loyalty in Ruth and life transitions in 2 Kings, and for that, they made this Campus Minister-turned-Professor very proud!

Our final chapel of the Fall semester was led by our new Peer Minister for Chapel Worship, Tori-Ann Francis, who gave us a lifeaffirming prayer asking for God’s presence in the midst of loneliness around the holidays, finals, and the future in general, requesting God’s “protection and coverage.” It was a warm moment for all gathered, and one we badly needed in that cold and busy time of year!

If you or someone you know want to keep up with Chapel, and Campus Ministry in general, we usually broadcast our chapel live at 10:30 am on Wednesdays during the school year on the Facebook page for “Waldorf Campus Ministry”.

CAMPUS MINISTRY photos

Members of Campus Ministry created Valentine's Day cards for residents of a local senior community center. Campus Ministry presented a program at chapel called "Breaking Shackles" during Black History Month. Campus Ministry members offered a break with breakfast pizza to help students de-stress.