A PUBLICATION OF THE CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN STUDY
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F A L L 2 0 21
THE STUDY CENTER
PHOTO BY BRITTANY FAN
Executive Director Welcome A Letter from Bill Wilder Dear friends, I don’t know about you, but it often feels to me as if we’re in constant transition these days. That’s certainly been true at the Study Center lately, but, thankfully, there’s a lot to celebrate. For one thing, it’s been a joy to welcome new students to the Study Center and UVA and to see so many others back in the building after the pandemic last year. In August, we were able to host four welcome lunches (three for incoming first-years and their families and one for second-years who missed out on so much of this last year) and there’s much to look forward to in the year ahead. Apart from the 24/7 hospitality, we have some great small groups and lectures planned. You’ll find some information on both in this newsletter. There have also been major transitions on the staff side of things. We said farewell to Carly Vanness, the mastermind and MasterChef behind our move-in lunches and exam snacks (and so much more). Last year Carly took on the communications role as well, serving as Director of Programs and Communications and showing herself to be gifted in yet another area. Above all, Carly communicated love and care to students in her five years on staff here, for which we’re grateful. At the same time, we’re delighted to welcome a new Director of Hospitality, Hannah Fritzeen, and a new Director of Communications, Callie West. Hannah and her husband moved from Virginia Beach, where Hannah served on Young Life staff for four years. Callie comes with a long background in communications and event planning; she lives in the area with her husband and two-year-old son. It’s such a blessing to have them both on staff as the Study Center begins a new year filled with renewed opportunities for ministry. Finally, I’ll mention one other (and major) transition coming up at the Study Center this year. At some point in the spring, Lord willing, construction will begin on the largest expansion of this building and ministry since the last addition in the late 1990s. We’re excited about the ways this will enable us to form students to Christ in the various ways illustrated in this newsletter. Stay tuned. We can’t wait to tell you more about it.
STUDY CENTER STAFF BILL WILDER
Executive Director bill@studycenter.net
FITZ GREEN
Senior Director for Education & Programs fitz@studycenter.net
RICK CAMPANELLI
Director of Graduate Ministries rick@studycenter.net
HANNAH FRITZEEN Director of Hospitality hannah@studycenter.net
RACHAEL GREEN Librarian rachael@studycenter.net
ETHAN HIGHTOWER
Director of Undergraduate Ministries for Men ethan@studycenter.net
KATIE HIGHTOWER
Director of Undergraduate Ministries for Women katie@studycenter.net
STUART HORNSBY Campaign Manager stuart@studycenter.net
JAN MATHEWS
May the Lord bless you in all your transitions.
Administrative Assistant jan@studycenter.net
Yours in Him, Bill
TRISH OWEN
Librarian librarian@studycenter.net
DEBBIE RODRIGUEZ Director of Finance debbie@studycenter.net
CALLIE WEST
Director of Communications callie@studycenter.net
DANIELLE WILCOX
Director of Development and Parent & Alumni Relations danielle@studycenter.net
2 0 21 R E S I D E N T I A L SCHOLARS FALL RETREAT
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2 0 21 F O U N D A T I O N S WEEK RETREAT
CONTACT US Phone: (434) 817-1050 Email: info@studycenter.net Website: www.studycenter.net Find us on social media: @studycenterUVA
The Study Center seeks to promote Christian formation Q & A with Ellen Foster In April, the Study Center hosted an event with great student interest. Licensed counselors at New City Counseling in Charlottesville, Ellen Foster and Amie Elmore, led students through an interactive workshop highlighting topics such as God’s design for our bodies, mental health, and stress and anxiety management. We’ve spoken with Ellen to better understand the importance of these topics to students at UVA and the wider Christian community.
This workshop was one of the most popular that the Center has hosted in recent years. Why do you think that is? I think anxiety and depression tend to be the outward symptomatology that’s most noticeable for students. For college students, there’s a lot of newness, so anxiety and depression can be topics that they’re very familiar with. It seems to be something that college students are talking about more as they experience these things and their friends experience them. It’s very relevant. We were also still in the throes of Covid when we did the workshop. Part of what we covered was anxiety, depression, and our bodies. I think Covid just made us very aware of our bodies, because we’re not around that many other people. So we’re paying more attention to ourselves and noticing potentially, ‘Oh, this feels off’ more than we normally would, because we’re less distracted by other things.
In recent years, there have been major steps towards understanding anxiety and depression in our wider society. It’s less taboo to go to therapy and these topics are talked about more openly. Have you seen that openness impact the Christian community specifically? If so, how? At New City Counseling, we see both Christians and non-Christians, but the biggest impact I’ve seen recently is that people feel like, “We’re allowed to pay attention to this.” People are seeing that mental health and spirituality do not have to be separate. Actually, we’re meant to be integrated creatures where our mind, our body, and our emotions are connected. I have seen more of an openness, and this might be a way that culture is informing Christianity in a good way. Sometimes we get nervous about that, but I think it’s allowed us to live more fully into the way that God created us.
What does the Bible have to say about these topics that you think is most helpful and important for students to hear?
Can you share some helpful recommendations for navigating depression and anxiety that you shared with students during the workshop?
It can be easy for people to point to passages in the Bible that say, “don’t be anxious” or “be anxious for nothing” and it can bypass anxiety. However, the peace we have in light of our resurrection hope doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay attention to our present bodies. I think God intended us to use our bodies as something we’re meant to pay attention to. God coming to us in the form of an actual body through the incarnation tells us something about the importance of our bodies. I don’t think anxiety and depression just have to be things we’re trying to get rid of. They actually may be an invitation for us to pay more attention. I mentioned this to the students in the workshop — anxiety and depression can serve as a check engine light. They can be an indicator that something deeper is going on, and it’s your body’s way of getting your attention.
Let yourself sit and be still and quiet. You can read Scripture, or there’s a great practice called the Examen. At the end of the day, you just go hour by hour and just check in with yourself. Ask, “What happened that hour? How did I feel?” It helps you remember all the things you took in in a day and how it impacted you. It’s helpful to be aware of that instead of just moving on quickly to the next thing. Part of what happens with anxiety is we’re pinging all over the place because we haven’t landed. People laugh when I say “deep breathing” but getting oxygen to your brain when your emotions are elevated allows your brain to reengage and think more clearly. The other practice we covered in the workshop is called a body scan. You sit in a chair with both feet on the ground. Then you start with your head and go all the way down your body, noticing if or where you hold tension. Our bodies really will tell us a lot.
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Through the communication of biblical truth Fall Reading List Read along with our staff and students as we cover these books in our small groups this fall. Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World - And Why it Matters by Michael S. Heiser
Revelations of a Single Woman: Loving the Life I Didn’t Expect by Connally Gilliam
The Scandalous Message of James: Faith Without Works is Dead by Elsa Tamez
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
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For Christians currently experiencing anxiety and depression, how can our future hope impact our current struggles? Right now, we live in the already and the not yet. The reality is that everything is not redeemed yet. We know that it will be, but we’re in this middle space. God has never left his people alone in that place; that’s been true since the beginning of time. In Jesus God did make everything right, but it’s still the wilderness place for us. I think not having the expectation that everything is going to be perfect is important. God never promised that. He did promise that he will always be with us and we’re not alone. As Christians we shouldn’t be surprised by struggles and trials. If we could do that, we would be doing ourselves and the world a huge favor. When we’re shocked by these things, it doesn’t leave as much room for what the gospel really is; which is good news for a broken world, not a perfect world. And that’s where we live.
What are some major ‘takeaways’ you wanted students to gain from this workshop? We really wanted this workshop to be an invitation to students to pay attention to themselves and their bodies and their stories. We also wanted them to broaden their categories for anxiety and depression. How we navigate and interact with those experiences doesn’t have to be so prescriptive. It’s not an eightstep quick fix. We don’t have to stop with anxiety and depression; we’re actually starting there and going underneath those symptoms. It’s important for them to learn to trust their bodies and what their body may be saying. So many of us don’t think about our bodies that way, or if we think about our bodies they are these things that have betrayed us and we don’t trust them. Especially when we’re anxious or depressed, it can feel like we’re messed up or broken, but that’s not necessarily true.
Ellen Foster is a licensed counselor at New City Counseling in Charlottesville, VA.
For the good of the university community
The Study Center Internship Program by the numbers Every year our team of interns handles the unseen, nonglamorous, and sometimes thankless tasks that make the Study Center run. From taking out the trash three times a day to sanitizing every nook and cranny during a pandemic, the dozen or so interns keep the Study Center clean, hospitable, and fun. Enjoy taking a look into all the ways these students serve in the internship program.
My first year, the Study Center was like my second home. I was probably there more than I was in my own dorm room. But as an intern, I became a part of the household. It felt like it was my home. As an intern team, we each do our part to make the Study Center run. It’s a lot of work that people don’t see behind the scenes, but I think it’s so important that the Study Center lets students be a part of running a space that is their own.
- Kaitlyn Carico, Col ‘23 Biology
60 pineapples cut weekly during exams 52 coffee mugs washed and unloaded daily
47 fingerprints wiped off the library doors 35 hand towels cleaned weekly 15 communal forks lost and searched for each semester 10 student interns this year, working 5 hours a week 8 different types of lightbulbs in the Study Center that regularly need to be changed 3 pounds of butter used each week for Friday snacks 1 big clean up a semester when dish soap is mistaken for dish detergent
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With hospitality and care Practicing Hospitality in a Pandemic For an organization that relies heavily on face-to-face interactions and personal connections, the last 18 months have encouraged our team to think creatively about how to continue our ministry effectively and safely on Grounds. Like so many others, we moved content online and adapted our programming to meet social distancing guidelines. While not an ideal substitute for in-person ministry, we’ve been delighted to see that the sense of community and hospitality the Study Center is known for can still be conveyed without being inside the four walls of the building.
“I really enjoyed my time at UVA and appreciated the Study Center’s hospitality while I was a student. I just knew it was a place where I could go and be welcomed. I love being able to still be connected to that in some way, even from abroad.”
- UVA Alumna, Charlotte Harmon
Last year, Charlotte began participating in our online Greek Reading Group from her new home in Turkey as a way to stay connected with other people during the pandemic and dive further into the Greek language. She’s remained a faithful member of the group and has continued to form new relationships within the Study Center while working in Turkey. Interested in joining one of our virtual Greek or Hebrew reading groups? Email Katie Hightower at katie@studycenter.net.
Vegan Gluten-Free Fudge Bars Fridays at the Study Center mean two things: small groups and snacks. Our interns and staff dedicate time every week to planning and preparing tasty treats for the students who attend a small group on Friday afternoons. Enjoy this recipe that has become a fan favorite in our kitchen.
Ingredients
Instructions
1 cup tigernut flour
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
1 cup cassava flour
2. In a food processor, pulse together the flours, tapioca starch, butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and salt until blended. Reserve 1/2 cup and set aside. Press the remaining dough into the prepared pan.
2 tablespoons tapioca starch 1 cup dairy-free, soy-free butter 3/4 cup brown sugar, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup canned coconut milk 10 oz. dairy free chocolate chips
3. In a saucepan, combine the coconut mik, chocolate chips, and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Stir on low heat until melted. Remove from heat and pour the filling over the shortbread crust. 4. Crumble the remaining dough over the top. 5. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before refrigerating for several hours. This recipe is based off a recipe by Allergylicious Sweet Treats and Vegan Eats
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In unity with other Grounds Ministries Something to Look Forward to
Fall 2021 Events September 21
October 16
October 21
October 23
Lecture: “Being Christian in the University”
Duke v. UVA Homecoming Study Center Tailgate
Lecture: “Courtship and Dating: the Good, the Bad, the Historical”
UVA Family Weekend
Skip Burzumato, Bridgewater College
Parents’ Reception (5:00 p.m.)
Kevin Hart, UVA Professor of Christian Studies
Small Group highlight The Study Center hosts a variety of small groups every semester for students, community members, faculty, and more. Topics this semester include the Holy Ambition of Women, Reading the Psalms with St. Augustine, Why are People So Divided by Religion and Politics, and more. We’re also excited to be hosting L’Abri Tea in partnership with RUF at UVA this fall. The small group will be open to any undergraduate student at UVA, and the format will be simple. Each week, a student will bring a question to the group and participants will discuss... over hot tea, of course. This highly relational and intellectual style is grounded in the model found at the L’Abri organization based out of Switzerland. Did you know many of our small groups are open to community members and several of them are even hosted online? Visit our website at studycenter.net to learn more or email us at info@studycenter.net to get involved with a small group.
Study Center House Tour (4:00 p.m.)
Alumni Highlight Callie Goyer BECOME A DONOR
“I give to the Study Center because of how much it gave me while I was a student at UVA. It gave me friendships, it gave me community, and it gave a network of people I could lean on during hard times. Most of all, it gave me a place to call home in Charlottesville.” PAG E 7 | T H E ST U DY C E N T E R FA L L 2021
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