VOL. 1 NO. 2
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FALL 2023
THE HOLLER
Your Lutheran Campus Ministry at West Virginia University
THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION YOUR LUTHERAN CAMPUS MINISTRY AT WVU: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW
If you walk through the Lutheran Campus Ministry Chapel, you will see many signs of God’s work through The Rev. Dr. Jerry K. Robbins, who served our community as pastor for 35 years, alongside his equally amazing wife, Alice. In fact, the witness of Lutheran Campus Ministry on the campus of West Virginia University owes much to Pastor Jerry and Alice’s gifts + dedication to generations of students who walked these hills and halls.
7, 1935 REMEMBERING PASTOR JERRY SEPT. OCT. 30, 2023
When the land where the Lutheran Campus Ministry now sits was transferred from St. Paul Lutheran Church to the Lutheran Campus Foundation at West Virginia University, Pastor Jerry was there, serving first as a seminary intern as the LCM@WVU was being established as a stand-alone center-based campus ministry, and then as pastor, overseeing the construction of our Chapel. His dedication to important faith conversations, outreach to students at different walks of life, and his ways of celebrating our Lutheran tradition and embracing the new movements of the Holy Spirit was always focused on God’s love of our students.
Pastor Jerry outside the Chapel he loved and served from 1964 -2001.
Chaplain Courtney recently discovered a box of letters that Jerry had kept during his time serving at the LCM@WVU — letters and cards from students that Jerry saved about your latest vocational changes: births, weddings, job changes, and moves. His care for the students who passed through our campus is reflected in how much you all have cared for him as well (some of which you can read on page 2).
As we grieve his death, we give thanks to God for the ministry Pastor Jerry carried out among us and for Christ’s promise of Resurrection. Well done, good and faithful servant. +
PRAYING ALONE
REMEMBERING “PR” + THE LEGACY OF CAMPUS MINISTRY
“Let my prayers rise up like incense, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to You”
Pastor Jerry was my pastor during my five years at WVU. I have many wonderful memories of him and how his office door was always open. He was the calming influence so many of us needed while adjusting to campus life. - Lora Hammersla
TOGETHER
Praying to God is an immensely vulnerable act. When our hearts are broken open to reveal our deepest fears, longings, and joys, we often work to keep those prayers tucked far away, never spoken aloud or shared with even our closest friends. Perhaps it’s what we’re used to, or perhaps it’s also because we struggle with the emotion and intimacy stirred up by the Holy Spirit as we pray. At the same time, there is something tremendously powerful in being able to externalize that prayer, which is why we began a practice during Sunday evening Mass of writing our prayers on slips of paper and then giving them to God with our offerings, in writing if not in speech. This has become one of our favorite new traditions during worship and throughout the week as Chaplains Ben + Courtney read and pray over these offerings and our students. +
Pastor Jerry was the heart and soul of the Lutheran Student Center and the Association. I’m positive I graduated from WVU mainly because of his mentoring and my being a part of the Lutheran Student Association. - Carl Bowman One of the true Saints of LCM. Jerry is one who enabled campus ministry to be the fellowship responsible for many, many of those who now lead the Church to the place Jesus (and Martin Luther) hoped it would go. - Pastor Chris Heavner When I think of the ministries of the church, campus ministry ranks right up there near the top for me. There is nothing more important than helping young people transition from home to the big world that awaits them. In a university setting, that is particularly important as they sample the smorgasbord of ideas they encounter and decide how they will fit, or not fit, into their lives. PR was wonderful at that. I will be always grateful for knowing him and for the support and care he exemplified. - Norma Bowyer to Chaplain CARING FOR InBenaddition teaching at Camp
your FUTURE LUTHERAN Luther, LCM@WVU hosted our
MOUNTAINEERS second HomeBase
retreat for High Schoolers in the West Virginia Western Maryland Synod. We are so excited to see some of them begin on campus next Fall! +
God doesn’t have favorites... but we do! We had a fabulous turnout for our
Thank you
LUTHERAN MOUNTAINEER
BACKYARD BRAWL
TAILGATE!
Students, alumni, and friends from all over gathered in the parking lot of St. Paul Lutheran with food, lots of laughs, and 100% Mountaineer spirit! Some even ventured into the Blue Lot to sing ‘Country Roads’ (and ‘Sweet Caroline’) with more of our Lutheran Mountaineer family, and it doesn’t hurt that we won the game, too! Thanks to a Lutheran Campus Ministry fundraising challenge with the LCM in Pittsburgh your raised over $1,200 for your LCM@WVU! Let’s go Mountaineers! +
FOR YOUR PRAYERS, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND SUPPORT! WE COULD NOT (AND WOULDN’T CHOOSE TO) DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!
YOUR LUTHERAN CAMPUS MINISTRY AT WVU IS... CELEBRATING OUR PAST
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Cultivating meaningful + supportive relationships with young adults, including over 44 different people in worship during Fall 2023! Increasing student initiative, including worship leadership and care of the community Discovering new ways to support alumni and young adults from other universities + vocations Strengthening relationships with congregations throughout Appalachia and beyond
EXCITED FOR OUR FUTURE
Care for the wider community through increasing chaplain presence on campus Create connection + support for new students before and as they arrive on campus Continue mentoring students in their spiritual journey + vocational discernments during one of the most formative times of their lives Enhance our physical property and resources with a new roof + improved accessibility
DONATE TO PROVIDE SPIRITUAL CARE + SUPPORT FOR YOUNG ADULTS THROUGH YOUR LUTHERAN CAMPUS MINISTRY AT WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
tinyurl.com/GiveLCMWVU
YOUR LCM@WVU CHAPLAINS
THE REVS. BEN + COURTNEY ERZKUS
LIVE-STREAM PRAYER During the academic year you can pray daily prayer live with us on Facebook (or watch later), Monday through Thursday!
SUNDAY MASS & DINNER @LCMWVU We worship every Sunday of the semester at 6pm followed by a free dinner. You are always welcome to join us!
BEN@LUTHERANMOUNTAI NEER.ORG 717.881.4631 COURTNEY@LUTHERANMOUNTAI NEER.ORG 717.881.4621
mini makeovers
for Lutheran Mountaineers
Thank you, Lutheran Mountaineer Family, for the hospitality you extend to young adults at West Virginia University through your Lutheran Campus Ministry! Thanks to you, we installed outdoor seating on our front porch (well-used by LCM@WVU attendees and the wider campus!), renovated the Chapel gardens with native West Virginia plants (led by student Trevor Silbert with help from St. Peter’s Lutheran, Uniontown, PA), and held a student-led clean up of the downstairs fellowship + study area (on their day off, no less)! We are excited about how the Holy Spirit is leading us to continue improving this holy space as a sanctuary for all students at West Virginia University!