RUF Wake Forest 2020 Year In Review

Inside: Hear the voices of our students speaking and singing (page 2), read alumni stories (page 11), and more

Year In Review

REFORMED UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

Letter from the Campus Minister No one goes into campus ministry hoping to be a televangelist, but here we are!

When I began campus ministry at Wake Forest five years ago, I came equipped with a theology that taught me that the most important thing I had to offer students was the Word of God and my own presence; that it would be as I was with them, just as God is with us in Jesus Christ, that ministry would be most effective. One of the sweet joys of campus ministry is its simplicity and efficiency - a pastor, a bible, and students.

And in 2020, as we’ve stayed at home and kept our distance, RUF has had to adapt how we do ministry on campus.

I’ve heard it said that creativity requires constraints, (even blank canvases have edges!) and this semester has introduced new constraints as we have felt the squeeze of ministry during COVID: Students have not been allowed to gather in groups larger than 10 indoors and 25 outdoors; the lonely students are lonelier than ever; everything is distanced and masked, making knowing and being known by one another more difficult; and almost all spontaneity has been squashed for fear of exposure to COVID. But within the edges of our canvas, God has made something beautiful. In the spring, we continued to meet through Zoom and finished our study of the Life of Abraham. This fall, freshmen have gotten connected to others. Students have gathered for small groups, both our traditional small group bible studies as well as pandemic-proof Quads -groups of four that met for four weeks. Students have gathered to pray, drink tea, share meals, go for walks. A senior who came to faith in Christ through RUF was baptized this fall. Our musicians recorded music and students sang along, we’ve broadcasted our Tuesday night Large Group and studied the Sermon on the Mount together. These stories are told in the pages that follow.

Reformed University Fellowship exists on Wake Forest’s campus to reach students for Christ and equip them to serve.

The mission has not changed, and the Spirit who does the work loves the constraints we’ve been given. For though we’ve been squeezed, the Living God cannot be quarantined.

There has been so much good in this strange season of loss, fear, and polarization. Thank you for partnering with me in this work.

Grace and peace,

Rev. John Bourgeois Campus Minister RUF at Wake Forest

1

john.bourgeois@ruf.org | 804.767.0123

By the Numbers 907

668

# of students on email listserve

Staff 1:1s

55

# of quads

80

# of students involved in small groups

Student structure for this Fall

8

# of small group Bible studies

Hear our students speak and sing Scan this QR code using your smartphone camera

2

Student Perspectives

Ellie Casteel Freshman

Adjusting to Wake Forest as a freshman was a little nerve-racking, especially during a pandemic. I knew meeting people would be a challenge, as would be finding fellowship with other Christians. As soon as I got here, I realized God was ahead of it all. RUF found new, smaller ways to connect people because we couldn’t meet in large groups.

Ladies’ lunch ladder, quads and squads, freshman fellowship, and large group all allowed me to meet people who have hearts for the Lord.

Despite my fears, God has taught me His plan is better, and His plan requires faith and patience. I am so thankful for RUF and the fellowship with other Christians it has brought me, as well as the mentorship of Susan and other RUF staff members!

RUF has been a place of constant community for me during the Covid-19 pandemic this year. During March and April, when quarantine was at its height, I was still able to deepen the friendships that I had made during my time on campus. I was spending three hours a day talking with people who I had met in RUF. On-campus, my RUF has allowed me to continue deepening my relationships with the people around me as well as be mentored and grow in my faith.

Ian Smith Sophomore

Anna Loynes Junior

While the events of 2020 have caused a wave of emotions, I can honestly say I have most often felt confused. I am confused why the coronavirus is a thing. I am confused why the coronavirus had to begin during my precious years of undergrad. I am confused why some people are getting sick and others are totally asymptomatic. The questions are endless, and they often distract me from the things that matter most. However, during this season of living with unanswered questions, the RUF staff have offered hope and wisdom, sermons from Large Group have given me comfort, and bible study has reminded me that God’s plans are far greater than my own. I am so thankful that RUF has been able to pivot to provide community through the good days and the hard days, even if it has to be virtually.

RUF focuses on creating a community where people from all backgrounds can gather and learn more about the God of the Bible.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, this rings especially true. RUF has been a source of life and encouragement amid trying times, offering students a welcoming environment to learn more about what it means to be a Christian. I was so appreciative when RUF went virtual in the Spring, and I continue to be thankful for the constant that RUF provides in this ever-changing semester. I have seen the Lord at work in the energy and enthusiasm that RUF exudes, creating virtual and in-person events to engage students. These fruitful events serve as a much-needed breath of fresh air amid an overwhelmingly virtual semester. Despite the challenges of an online learning experience, my friends in the RUF community have proven such valuable resources to lean on and learn from.

Andrew Cecil Senior

Freshmen FELLOWSHIP It has been a blessing to be a part of freshman fellowship and outreach this semester. While there have been obvious challenges to gathering freshmen, our meetings have been a true picture of the Lord’s abundance. While adhering to the Wake Forest's rules and regulations, we have worked towards creating an inviting and all-inclusive environment for the freshmen. Our goal this semester was to provide a space for freshmen to feel loved, seen, known, and connected. In complete honesty, we weren't sure how we were going to pull this off during COVID. Meeting in small groups, gathering in large groups (of under 25), and interacting one-on-one with the freshmen has led to real friendships among freshmen, as well as between upperclassmen and freshmen. It was beautiful to watch conversations in small group time deepen as students came to know and care for one another. Many students have expressed that RUF small groups have been a haven for them amidst the stress and pressures of the pandemic.

They have been able to rest knowing that we have complied fully with Wake’s regulations while still provided a place for them to be together.

Because we have been meeting outside, freshmen fellowship has been very visible on campus this semester.

We have been given the opportunity to encourage not only students within RUF, but the campus as a whole. Even with all the challenges, it has been that much more remarkable to witness the God's goodness as he guides us through this semester of shepherding the freshmen.

Addy Brown Sophomore

Gracie DeLoache Sophomore

4

Inductive

BIBLE STUDY

Around fifteen years ago, three Wake Forest students started a bible study. The group comprised of a new believer, his roommate, and a high school friend who skyped into their weekly meetings. Over the years the study grew, took on the name Inductive, and multiplied into two groups,. My first experience with Inductive came as a second semester Freshman. I was as terrified about a bible study with upper classmen as I was excited. Now, two years later, those upperclassmen have graduated and are “adults”, and I find myself one of the co-leaders of a bible study that has been one of the cornerstones of my Wake Forest experience.

This semester has been radically different than anyone could have predicted or expected, and yet in the midst of chaos, the Lord has used Inductive as an anchor for us each week. This time has given us the opportunity to check in with one another, read God’s word together, and pray for each other and for our campus. The two Inductive groups have been studying the book of Ecclesiastes, which has been both a challenging and a fruitful experience. The main focus of Ecclesiastes is the message that as humans, we are created with a hole in our souls that can only be filled by our Creator, yet we are constantly grasping at the things of this world to fill it. The problem is that this leaves us feeling empty, confused, and dissatisfied.

Studying Ecclesiastes this semester has helped us grapple with everything that has been stripped away from us during COVID. As our lives continue to feel lonely, isolating, and foreign, we are comforted and challenged by the message that ultimately Christ is the one thing that can satisfy the yearning of our souls.

Andrew Mauney Junior

5

I continue to be amazed each week by how desperately I need to hear these truths over and over, and the ways in which the Lord uses Inductive as a means to reset my heart to the truth of His Word. As a group, we are so thankful to each parent and donor for their constant prayer and support which allows RUF to foster a community of students who are pushed to grow deeper in relationship with the Lord and with each other.

Kappa Delta

BIBLE STUDY

Religion used to be a touchy subject for me; I could probably spend quite a bit of time talking about the ways I resisted any and all nudges towards God and the church during middle and high school. But after going through a tough first semester of college, I asked my dad about navigating difficult times. He answered me quickly and without a moment of doubt. "God," he said simply. "Through God, all things are possible."

Well, I remember thinking, maybe I should give this 'God' thing a shot. When I returned to school second semester and had the opportunity to accept a bid to Kappa Delta, I was also presented with the option to join a bible study.

I figured I might as well see what all of the talk was about. Looking back on my past few years at Wake, I can confidently say that KD bible study has been one of, if not the, most positive experiences I've had.

Freshman year was tough. But a year that was already difficult quickly became unbearable when my roommate, Maggie, unexpectedly passed away in her sleep. After she died, everything became scary for me. Our dorm room in Johnson that was once a safe haven for both of us had quickly become the worst place in the world. Making new friends suddenly felt impossible. And trying to understand how and why my healthy, happy, eighteen year old roommate was suddenly gone was the worst part of it all. I will never look back on that time in my life as a happy one. However, it did bring me so much closer to both God and the girls in KD bible study. They were there for me when I wanted to talk about Maggie, but they also understood when I was looking to talk about anything else.

Additionally, Ellis was a huge guiding light in my life. During our first bible study after Maggie's passing, we spent a lot of time talking about grieving. One of the passages we kept going back to during our discussion was the 21st chapter from the book of Revelation. Only a day after discussing it during our Monday nights together, I was asked to read the very same passage at Maggie's funeral. As Ellis said when I told her about this: pretty hard to call that a coincidence.

As a Senior looking back on my college experience, it is incredible to see how KD bible study worked in my life not only during my freshman year, but throughout all of the years following. While so many things have changed since spring of freshman year, the one thing that has remained is God. That did not change when I was a sophomore. It didn't change when I spent five months studying in Australia. And it definitely has not changed upon the arrival of COVID-19 in our world. I can confidently say I would be a dramatically different person if not for Ellis and KD bible study. Despite not gathering in person over the past few months, the spirit of our conversations have never changed. I found just as much comfort in God and bible study over Zoom as I did when I was curled up on a couch in the KD lounge. Through all of the changes, challenges, travels, and pandemics, the persistence of God never changed!

Corbett Foster Senior

6

Enriching the Soil OF CAMPUS

Reformed University Fellowship provides a vital function at this unique time in our institutional history by pastoring students and creating experiences for them to better understand the world in all of its glory and shame.

The Rev. Tim Auman Wake Forest University Chaplain

7

John and his student leaders equip emerging adults to be healers in the world. Whether his students become healers as teachers or doctors, social workers or politicians, whether they become ordained clergy or active laypersons matters less than that they follow in the footsteps of the one who preached the good news to the captive, healed the lame and taught the blind to see. John believes that if his students use their lives and Wake Forest education in healing a hurting world then RUF will have done its job.

It has been a joy watching RUF enrich the soil of our campus to encourage young visionaries who may one day change the world.

Stories FROM CAMPUS I never knew what traveling 386 miles south would do for me. My journey from Columbus, Ohio to Winston-Salem was a scary one. Fears and doubts constantly filled my head: 'how am I supposed to fit in? Are people going to like me? I should’ve just stayed home and gone to college with my high school friends.' Each day when I entered through the front doors of my high school, I felt comfortable. People knew my name, smiles and waves always came my way. Why should I ever want to leave that? Yet, here I am.

Orientation week at Wake consisted of awkward conversations, forced laughter, and constant paranoia. Despite all of this, I found my first real friend. A few days later, he invited me to the RUF cookout. 'RUF', I thought, 'is that like a fraternity?' He informed me that it was a campus ministry and that I should join him. Now this wasn’t something I had in mind, but me, having no other friends, decided to join him. This cookout felt like orientation week all over again. 'They have to know I am not a Christian… no way do I fit in here.' But I was invited again, this time by others, to come to large group that Tuesday. You see, growing up, I would consider myself a nominal Christian. I was baptized and confirmed into the church, would attend on Sunday’s with my parents, and since I considered myself a good person that meant I was a Christian. I never truly knew God, never built my own personal relationship with Him.

Walking into the Green Room, I felt out of place. 'Everyone here has such a close relationship with God, it seems.' For an hour long I rubbed my thumb into my sweaty palm until my skin was just about burned, my mind running a mile a minute thinking about anything but what John was preaching. Once John concluded and the final song was played, I set my eyes for the exit, planning on never returning. However, I was approached by multiple people at the cookout from before. These conversations however no longer felt awkward, my laughter was not forced, and my paranoia of leaving the Green Room instead left my body. I found a real home at RUF, truly a place for the convinced, the unconvinced and anyone in between. Who I am as a person is becoming more and more shaped by Jesus and his Word, something I never would have thought of happening before that 386 mile drive here. RUF is a home to all, no matter what your story.

Drew Snyder Sophomore

8

Grace Castaneda Junior

While COVID has brought a time of uncertainty, anxiety, worry and disconnect for everyone, I found myself swallowed up by the disconnect and longing for the day to return to Wake Forest’s campus. I constantly found myself scrolling through my photo albums and nostalgically replaying snow days and the moment we beat Duke in basketball and rushed to the court. RUF was a hug that kept saying “It’s all going to be okay.” I always looked forward to the Zoom calls, hearing updates from campus, and, most importantly, reassuring scripture. RUF would bring and continues to bring scripture and reflection into our lives to get us through each week.

God has used RUF’s close community to maintain relationships with those exploring or developing their faith in a time of disconnect and separation. Personally, the Lord has used RUF as a reminder that he sees and notices our discomfort; yet, provides us with the warm light and hope of himself.

As both a Wake parent and professor, I have witnessed in a very unique way the many benefits of RUF. RUF changes lives by deepening the Christian faith of students and encouraging Christian community in ways that help students navigate the challenges and opportunities of college while also setting them on a course to live well and purposefully as adults. The ministry has a powerful leavening presence on campus that I am blessed by as a professor in the classroom every time I look out and see an "RUF" sticker displayed on the outside of an open laptop!

-Dr. Will Walldorf, Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs 9

Giving Report Annual Budget for RUF at WFU

$178,000

Amount Pledged for 2020 $145,000 Needed to close the gap

$33,000

RUF is funded entirely by the generosity of churches and individuals.

Would you consider partnering with RUF in our work at Wake Forest?

Ways To Give

By Check

Online givetoruf.org

10

Alumni

OF RUF AT WAKE FOREST

Aaron Ingle '12 I currently live in Charlotte, NC with my wife Sarah (WFU ’11) and daughter May (born March 2019). I work as an Associate Pastor at Hope Community Church where I oversee men’s ministry and visitor integration.

RUF was an absolute game-changer for me. I came on campus as a freshman in the fall of 2008 as a brandnew Christian. I knew I was a sinner and Jesus loved me, but that’s about it. I had barely read the Bible. I didn’t know what community and friendship with other believers looked like. I knew I wanted to go deeper, but I didn’t know what that meant. One of my first days on campus, I met a group of guys playing pick-up basketball who invited me to attend this thing called RUF. I had no idea what it was, but I tagged along. The welcoming community, the worship, and the preaching blew me away. And every Tuesday night afterwards, I was back in Pugh Auditorium for large group. During my four years on campus, God used RUF to grow me in my understanding of the gospel, my love for his word and fellowship with his people. It was also a part of meeting my wife Sarah and many other lasting relationships.

RUF laid an important foundation for life after college.

As I look back, much of who I am as a man, husband, dad, friend, and pastor can be traced back to how God used RUF in my life during my time at Wake. For this, I’m incredibly thankful.

11

I grew up in a Christian home but my faith really became my own when I was in college. I immediately got involved in RUF and found it to be a safe place to doubt, to ask questions, and to wrestle with my beliefs. Through sound Biblical teaching, I became much more aware of my depravity and my need for a Savior, and experienced anew the freedom and joy that is only found in surrendering to Christ. In RUF I also developed deep community, finding a place where I was known, loved, challenged, and encouraged. The ministry of RUF has continued to impact my life beyond my time at Wake, specifically in giving me a great foundation of faith and knowledge of God's Word as I moved into adulthood. I have gained confidence and boldness, and feel better prepared to share my faith in a secular work setting.

RUF also equipped me to value, commit to, and serve the local church, and ultimately led my husband and I to our church in Charlotte, where we have experienced the joy of being a part of a Gospel-centered community. Praise God for His grace, and the way that he used RUF to draw me (and my husband) to himself!

We are grateful!

I am originally from Leawood, KS, and graduated from Wake in 2016. I’m now living in Charlotte, NC with my husband, Taylor, who is also a Wake grad (2015) - we met my first day at Wake! Taylor works as an accountant and I am a PA, working in a hematology and oncology practice.

Caroline Dodd Heys '16

RUF

Interns

FROM OUR MINISTRY

Ben & Abby Gilbert A reflection from Abby:

A reflection from Ben:

Something we have talked about constantly this semester is the need to be flexible to still spread the Gospel at W&L. Our mission is to reach students for Christ and equip them to serve in his name, and that goal is unshakeably attainable with the help of Jesus. I have returned to Psalm 126 over and over this fall.

God is at work! He is not less at work now that I can’t go to campus, or because I can’t meet with huge groups of students. And though I may weep while I work now, his name is glorified and we will reap with him in joy.

As I look back on a semester that seemed entirely hopeless, I encounter my naivety in thinking anything is hopeless. My hope is in God who is making all things new in Christ. All things being made new...

That is such a good thought! It is easy to get bogged down in thinking about the world and everything going on in it without ever once thinking about Jesus. If we do think of him, often he is just a means to an end. He is not a means to an end, he is the end! He is who we must fix our eyes upon always. He is our hope. He is our life!

Ben Gilbert ('20) and Abby Windsor Gilbert ('19) were married in July (in John and Mary Clarke's backyard!) and are now serving as RUF Interns at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA.

12

Reflections from Staff

Ellis Keifer Campus Staff

Ministry in 2020 has been marked by endless rounds of planning, unplanning, and re-planning. Students we wanted to meet with were sent to quarantine, virtual gatherings were sabotaged by technical difficulties, and nearly all of our in-person events were canceled. But the chaos of COVID-19 has made God’s kindness unmistakable.

Stripped of the accouterments of “normal” campus ministry, we have seen God’s kingdom move forward apart from our ability to host events, our curated Gospel presentation, or the strength of our WiFi connection! The Gospel has been shared over Zoom, friendships have been forged in quarantine, freshmen have been connected into the local church, and students have been seen by Jesus when masks meant they could not even see each other. I am quick to forget that our work on campus is simply the overflow of our Father’s delight. God is kind to invite us into his redemptive work. He delights to use us in his redemption of this earth in spite of our many pandemic-season limitations. He has cared for us and our students this year not out of our abilities, but out of his joy.

This semester has been quite an adventure! RUF is jokingly referred to as "R-U-Flexible?" and this might be the most unpredictable semester our organization has ever seen. Our staff and students have had to roll with the punches in some pretty bizarre ways. I'm thankful for the love of Christ that anchors us. Highlights from this past semester include: many "crafternoons" spent painting and friendship-bracelet making with my students, a surprise trip with our staff to pick apples at an orchard in Virginia, stunning campus foliage, and plenty of coffee dates. My favorite thing so far has been spending time with students inperson. It has been life-giving for me to get to know some of the bright, hardworking female students here. It’s also worth mentioning that our sophomore women have done an especially fine job of welcoming freshmen into RUF. It’s a great honor to be a part of their lives and all that’s going on with RUF at Wake.

13

Susan Williams Intern

Truthfully, I can say parts of this season have only strengthened and improved RUF. My personal style 2019-20 to spend time with students often revolved around spontaneity. I loved showing up to campus early in the morning and leaving late at night after a long day of runins, unscheduled meals, unplanned activities, and whatever else was clearly the Spirit's work. When COVID hit, I was very nervous that ministry would become strained and feel futile. Surprisingly, almost the opposite has occurred. Despite the sad reality that we can't gather in large groups, we are finding more creative ways to spend time together. For example, I started hanging out with William Liu, a sophomore from Toronto (with a rich history in China). He is also the president of the World Tea Association at Wake, and we drink tea together almost twice a week. It's been really fun bringing other RUF guys to this, so they can meet new people while participating in something others have done for thousands of years. Golf, tennis, pickleball, sports/movie watch parties, cookouts, and fishing are some of the other ways we have shifted creatively. Ministry doesn't have to be coffee dates! I am thankful that RUF at Wake is thriving in the midst of a confusing time for students, and that RUF is a clear and attractive light to students who believe and don't believe.

Matt Williams Intern

Dakota Lee Intern

When classes went virtual in March, we thought students might be gone a month. Fast forward to August, and as we were planning for the Fall semester, we watched college after college in North Carolina return to virtual learning as Coronavirus overwhelmed their campus life. We didn’t have any reason to believe that Wake Forest would be any different. But here we are. Our expectations were wrong again.

Not only has Wake been able to contain Coronavirus, this has been a great semester of ministry! It’s harder for new students to get involved in RUF, but our student ministry team has done a great job reaching students in places where we, as a staff, can’t go. Our small group ministry is as robust as it has ever been, and one of our senior students even said that there is a “one-on-one culture” in RUF. By that, he meant that our students are seeking out time and intentional conversations with each other. We have missed our big events like inperson Large Group or the Parent’s Brunch, and we can’t wait until those events are a part of our normal routine again. But God has been kind to give us a sweet ministry for this season.

14

Reaching Students for Christ Equipping Students to Serve