The Holler: Vol. 2 No. 1 (Spring 2024)

THE HOLLER

YourLutheranCampusMinistry atWestVirginiaUniversity

WORSHIP AT THE HEA

OR,

“WHY YOUR LUTHERAN CAMPUS MINISTRY AT

WedocommunitydifferentlythanmostatyourLuthera CampusMinistryatWestVirginiaUniversity Some campusministrieshandout$50giftcardsifyougive themyouremailaddressandothersdrawyouinwitha funtriptoatropicalbeach.Somefocusoninformingyo ofallthewaysyoufailatlife,andafewwilleagerlytell youhowyouaregoingtohell,unlessyoubelongtothei church.Fromwhatwehear,toomanyarebait-andswitching,interestedinyouonlyasasoultosaveora numberfortheirmetrics…aslongasyoufitintoacertai boxorwillworktocutoffanyedgesthatdon’tsqueeze intothatbox Honestly,withsomeofthestorieswehear aboutotherministries,itisnothingshortofamiracleth anystudentswalkthroughtheChapeldoors.

Buttheyarehere,thanksbetoGod!Andaswe’vetalked withthesestudentswhonowcallyourLutheranCampusMinistryatWestVirginiaUniversity “home”,theyshareasimilarsentimentforwhytheyarehere:“you’renottryingtoconvertus ortelluswe’rewrong,you’rejustworshipingtogether”.Weneverthoughtthatgatheringto worshipandproclaimingtheloveandfreedomweexperienceinJesusChristwouldsetus apart,butitdoes.Inaworldwherethereissomuchemphasisplacedonwhatiswrong,

“YOU’RE NOT TRYING TO CONVERT US OR TELL US WE’RE WRONG, YOU’RE JUST WORSHIPING TOGETHER.”

whatisdying,andhowwearealldifferent, yourLCM@WVUshinestheLightinthe mountains,proclaimingthatChristhasdone everythingtouniteus,withGodandwithone another,andnomatterwhatdiesaround andwithinus,wearepromisedtherewillbeabundantnewlife.

Andthat’swhywefocusonworship.WorshipingtheTriuneGodtogetheriswherewe rememberwhoweareandwhoseweare.It’swhereGodformsandre-formsus,radically reorientingourhearts,minds,andbodies.Andit’stheplacewhereweareremindedweekly oftheloveandfreedomwereceivefromJesusChristaswepracticegrace,forgiveness,and mercyincommunity It’sinworshipthatwecanbehonestaboutourflawsandmistakes It’s inworshipwhere,insteadoftryingtoshowcasethebestofwhoweareandactlikewe’ve gotitalltogether,wecanadmitthatwehavemorequestionsthananswersandthatGod haswrappedouruncertaintyandimperfectioninGod’sunconditionallove.Worshipmatters, andsoifyouaskwhatyourLCM@WVUandyourChaplainsdo,theansweris:worship.+

2023-24

GRADUATES

Congratulationstoourten LutheranMountaineerswho graduatedduringthe202324academicyear!Welove y’allandareexcitedtosee howGodcontinuestowork throughyou!

ZaneCogar

BSinAnimaland NutritionalSciences

IN MEMORIAM: ERIK ANDREW MECHTEL

Erik,gatheredwith friendsattheLCM@WVU. Backrow,secondfrom right(blue).

BSinComputerScience

DavidHammond

BAinGameDesignand InteractiveMedia JayanthDhage

NathanHunstad BSinMechanical Engineering

DinushkaParanavitana PhDinEconomics

HaleyRoth

BSinBiochemistry

NoahSampson

DualdegreesinAerospace +MechanicalEngineering

KristianSpringsteel

BSBAinMarketing

KaleySponaugle

BSinBiology

MasashiRhysTakahashi DualdegreesinChemistry +ComputerScience

AnotebyChaplainBen: Oneofthethingsweappreciate aboutthecommunityhereat yourLCM@WVUisthatismade upofyoungadultsfromall over,somearestudentshereat WVU,othersareyoungadults whoareplanningtoenroll,and othersarestudentsfromother collegesanduniversities–even asfarasUniversityofMaryland That’showwemetErik,a studentfromUMDwhostarted attendingMassandhangingoutattheLCM@WVUwhenhe wasintownvisitinghisfriends.Erikwasanincredibleyoung man--smart,kind,funny,thoughtful,andafaithfulbrother inChrist.Weareincrediblyblessedandthankfulthatthe HolySpiritallowedforourpathstocrosshereattheChapel.

LastDecember,Erikdiedsuddenlyfromcomplicationsdue toamotorcycleaccident.Tosaythathisdeathhasrocked ourcampusministryisanunderstatement,andwithhow painfulandunexpectedthiswas,IknewIhadtoreachoutto ourstudents.WhenIcontactedErik’sclosestfriendatthe LCM@WVU,anxiousabouthowtheywouldhandlethenews, hetoldmethatourstudentshadalreadybeentalkingand prayingtogether,andmakingplanstoattendhisfuneralin Baltimore.Andthat’swhatwedid–Ihoppedinacarwith someofourstudentsandwedroveacrossthemountainsto showupforafriendthatalwaysshowedupforus

Erik’spresenceisstillfelthereattheLCM@WVU,especially aswecelebratedourgraduatingseniors,whomErikwould havebeenamongthisSpring Andalthoughwedidnotget togivehimapocketsizeELW,whichweallsignandgiveto ourgraduates,werejoiceinknowingthatheisstillatthe Tablewithus,singingamongthesaintsthesame“Holy”swe haveandcontinuetosing RequiescatinPace +

For if we have been united with Christ in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his

CALLING AL

INCOMING STUDENTS

Ifyouknowanincoming studentinterestedin connectingwithafaith communityatWVU,letu know!TheChaplainsare sendingoutwelcomeca packsforincomingstud asawaytoconnectbef theygettocampus:)

CHAPEL BUILDING UPDATE

AsyouwalkthroughtheDowntownCampus youcan’tmisstheiconicLutheranCampus Ministrychapelbuilding!It’sthebestlocation just-off-campusforworshippingtogether andreachingouttostudents,anditalso needsanewroof!Wearecurrentlyworking

throughquotes+grantopportunities,andhopeto“officially” launchthisprojectinthecomingmonths.Thisiswherewe needyourhelp:thecosttorepairtheroofalonewillsurpass ourannualgeneraloperatingbudget,yetourdreamtonot onlystoptheleaksbutalsomakethebuildingsafer, accessible,andmorehospitablewillcatapultusforwardwith excitingopportunitiestosharetheloveofChristaswereach outtoourcampusandserveourSynod.TalkwithChaplains Courtney+Bentodaytolearnmoreabouthowyoucan invest,asanindividualoracongregation,inthefutureof Lutherancampusministry!

BAPTIZED

WecelebratedGod’sinfinite loveforournewestsisterin Christ,Cassie,asshewas baptizedduringourSunday eveningMassonApril13th. Cassiebeganattendingthe LCM@WVUthankstoan invitationfromherfriend andnowbaptismalsponsor, Lindsey.Cassie(frontcenter) andLindsey(backcenter) arerisingsophomores.+

FOOD FOR THE BODY AND SOUL

AtyourLutheranCampusMinistryatWestVirginia Universitystudentsarealwaysgatheredaroundatable: eithercelebratingHolyCommunionorenjoyinggood food+fellowship!Thisyearwestartedastudent-led brunchforstudentsinterestedinspiritualcommunity butnotyetcomfortablejoiningworship,andBiblestudy cookouts.We’vewelcomed15-20peopleateachevent andlookforwardtohostingmorethiscomingyear!To sponsoraneventeitherdirectlyorthroughaThrivent ActionGrant,contacttheChaplainsBen+Courtney!