A PUBLICATION OF THE CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN STUDY
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WINTER 2020
T H E S T U DY C E N T E R
THIS ISSUE: Photography descriptions and credit: On the cover: Brendan Berkel studies in front of the fire (picture by Peter Larsen) Page 2: (clockwise from top left) Abi Davis decorates the Study Center for Christmas (photo by Elizabeth Armistead; baking pumpkin cookies for Friday small groups; Undergraduate Bible Study; intern Kaitlyn Carico staffs the greeting table (photo by Katie Hightower); Politics and Common Life promo; Abby Cornwell, Madison Gould, and Wesley Stepler decorate for Christmas (photo by Elizabeth Armistead); Katie Graves outside the Study Center; the ginkgo tree out front showing off this fall Page 4: (from top) A group selfie from a Grounds Ministers Meeting early last semester, Jen Sapunarich is in the bottom row, third from the left (picture by Ethan Hightower); Volunteers gather for a picture before Move-In Day 2018, Nico Ruiz is first on the left; Incoming firstyear students gather around a game of Codenames during Foundations Week, Isabella Flory is first on the right Page 6: (from top) Claire Simons and her 20th birthday cake; Carly (bottom left) and Rachel Gaffin (top right) with all of the interns who graduated in 2019, Claire is top left, photo by Brittany Fan; Cassie Stiles and Rachel Delaney (right) pose with a tray of cookies they have baked for Friday small groups; The Hospitality Interns (and Carly) from fall 2019, Rachel Delaney is top right Page 7: (from top) Brendan Berkel (top row, second from left) in line for lunch during a Lunch Club event in February 2020, photo by Brittany Fan; Caitlyn Unsworth (bottom left) and friends at a DCF retreat in fall 2018; Nine out of thirteen of the women in the Elzinga Residential Scholars Program this year, Cecily is second row left, photo by Peter Larsen; Cecily Wolfe and Annie Valentine in spring 2019
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
NIKKI FLANNERY
Director of Development and Parent & Alumni Relations nikki@studycenter.net
RACHAEL GREEN
Sign up to join our email list at studycenter.net/keep-in-touch. WWW.STUDYCENTER.NET The Study Center newsletter is published for our friends and supporters. University Christian Ministries, Inc. (d/b/a Center for Christian Study) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation EIN 51-0192618.
Librarian rachael@studycenter.net
BRET HEDDLESTON Facilities Assistant bret@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
Administrative Assistant jan@studycenter.net
DEBBIE RODRIGUEZ Director of Finance debbie@studycenter.net
CARLY VANNESS
Director of Programs and Communications carly@studycenter.net
WHO WE ARE We are a non-profit education and outreach ministry serving the University of Virginia and Charlottesville since 1976. We seek to serve Jesus Christ by fostering the serious consideration in the university environment of a biblical worldview, and by encouraging and facilitating wise discussion of the Truth in light of the challenges of contemporary culture.
CONTACT US Phone: (434) 817-1050 Email: info@studycenter.net Website: www.studycenter.net Find us on social media: @studycenterUVA PAG E 2 | T H E ST U DY C E N T E R W I N T E R 20 20
So, what is the Study Center? Well, how much time do you have? It’s not easy to sum up this many-faceted ministry in just a few words! That’s one reason I enjoy hearing students and staff answer that question as they walk firsttime visitors through the building. What will they say? Where will they start? The building? A home away from home? The education? “Wise discussion of the Truth in light of the challenges of contemporary culture?” The community? A meeting place for the various fellowship groups across Grounds? The graduate fellowships? Do they know us through the Darden, Law, or Graduate Christian Fellowships? Do they take the “ministry that cares about the heart and the mind” approach, or do they favor the ‘core values’ description (Christian formation, through the communication of biblical truth, for the good of the University community, with hospitality and
care, in unity with other Grounds ministries)? By God’s grace, we are all part of a large community of people whose faith in Christ and love for him has been formed and strengthened in countless ways at the Center for Christian Study. In this newsletter I am going to indulge one of my great joys and listen to others answer that tough question, “What is the Study Center?” I hope that it will also be a chance for you to reflect with me on the goodness of the Lord through this place–in lots of ways and over lots of years. I hope too that, however you may answer that question, you’ll join me in making sure students continue to encounter the Lord Jesus in all those different ways here at the Study Center this year. If all goes well, they’ll have the same trouble coming up with a short answer to that question.
Bill Wilder Executive Director
What is the Study Center to you? “A turning point” The Study Center marked a turning point in my faith journey. It was there I learned to take a more intellectual curiosity in my faith than I had growing up. I am thankful for that perspective which has stuck with me years later.
- Jared Kassebaum GCF Alumni, Engr Ph.D. ‘08
The Study Center will always hold a special place in our hearts. It is the place Jared and I first met. Through Friday evenings spent at Graduate Christian Fellowship, we grew in our love for each other and for the Lord. We loved learning from Bill Wilder and Fitz Green and others; we found a cozy home-away-from-home, drawn in by close friendships and Bible studies and retreat weekends. We have not been back to Charlottesville in over a decade. When we dream about a trip back, we usually start with all the tasty food we would eat— Shebeen, Take It Away, Bodo’s. But the place we most want to visit is the Study Center.
After 15 (or 30 or 40) years, I think it will always feel like returning home. We pray for the Study Center, the staff, and the students. We support the center financially and in prayer so that, as Bill Wilder always says, students would not put their spiritual education on hold while pursuing their vocational education. We pray for future generations to find the same warmth and love as we did.
Beth Kassebaum GCF Alumni, Engr ‘05, Engr ‘07
“Radical hospitality” The Study Center is a place where God has shown me his radical hospitality. Whether through a warm conversation, hot cup of coffee, book of poems found on the shelf, or time spent studying alongside fellow believers for the common enterprise of glorifying God, this place always draws me into a deeper worship and reverence for Him.
- Katie Graves LCF Student, Law ‘22
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“Central” As a resident of the basement apartment we lived in the “house that never slept.” There was a steady flow of activity whether it was community-based, undergrad, or graduate student buzz. Having a presence so close to grounds was invaluable in providing a place for community to develop. The roommates I had during that time still gather with our families 25+ years later as a testimony to the depth of that community.
- Bryan Rex
“My harbor”
Former Study Center resident Col ‘96 The Study Center has been a safe place for me since coming to college—a sort of home away from home. I attended Foundations Week before arriving at UVA this fall, and it helped me tremendously during this transition. I felt like I already had a community around me that supported me and would encourage me throughout my four years. I have had so many friends be impacted by the Study Center and knew that I wanted to be involved with it when I came to Grounds. The staff has been so warm and welcoming and has created an environment where I can grow personally, academically, and spiritually. God has used the Study Center by giving me a place where I am seen just as I am rather than as my accomplishments. At Foundations Week, we discussed the pressures that college can place on a student. They reminded us that we are not defined by our achievements, and that we are loved and accepted outside of whatever we accomplish. This has given me a lot of peace since starting classes. I love walking in and seeing everyone’s smiling faces and feeling like I belong. For me, the Center for Christian Study has been a place of rest and refreshment.
Isabella Flory, Col’ 24 Student
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As a college minister I deeply appreciate the work and community of the Study Center. I, and the students I minister to, benefit from its open doors, hot drinks, nurturing staff, and abundant books. I have also benefited from the regular Grounds Ministry Meetings; meeting other ministers and hearing their updates is always uplifting for me.
- Jen Sapunarich
College Minster with Christ Episcopal Church
“A gathering place” The Study Center is an incredible place to meet brothers and sisters in Christ. While here, I’ve met students from all different Christian fellowships, made lasting friendships, had great conversations—even pulled the occasional all-nighter. God has used the Study Center—for me as for so many other students—to grow my faith through Bible Studies, mentorship with Ethan and Katie Hightower, and friendships with fellow believers of all ages.
- Nico Ruiz
A Study Center regular, Col ‘21
WILL YOU MAKE A GIFT TO OUR ANNUAL FUND? Your gifts to the Study Center enable us to serve students, alumni, parents, and community members with the love of Christ. Even in this unique year, there is so much ministry happening here. We would love you to be a part of it. Elzinga Residential Scholars Program • Grounds Ministry Meetings • six staff members who meet with and mentor students • Lunch Club • free tea and coffee • three mile walks with Rick • Foundations Week • Law Christian Fellowship • covered outdoor study space • Christian Greats reading group for students and community • fast Wi-Fi for online classes • Resident dinners • Move-In Day Launches • Darden Christian Fellowship • online and in-person small groups • LCF Zoom lecture series • tea time study breaks • 14 Study Center Interns • online lectures • fresh baked cookies on Fridays • weekly Undergraduate Bible Study • a clean and safe place to study and see friends • DCF outdoor picnic gatherings • 12,000+ volume library • Graduate Christian Fellowship • weekly intern dinners
Will you consider: • Making a one-time gift or pledge using the attached envelope? • Setting up a recurring gift at www.studycenter.net/giveuva? • Including the Study Center in your will or estate? Visit www.studycenter.net/give for more information or to give online. Questions? Contact Nikki Flannery, our Director of Development and Parent & Alumni Relations, at nikki@studycenter.net PAG E 5 | T H E ST U DY C E N T E R W I N T E R 2020
“A space of fullness” Almost every friendship from my time at UVA was deepened at the Study Center. Some of my best memories happened around those tables, in the Nook, or in the blue chairs in Rachel and Carly’s office. I spent a lot of late nights and early mornings with people that have pushed me in my faith. I even met my best friend (and now fiancé), Peter, through the intern program, growing closer over weekly dinners and cleaning deck furniture. The Study Center taught me so much about the gift of hospitality. I had the opportunity to both feed my peers and be fed with dinners and snacks that met my crazy dietary constraints. I experienced the comfort and joy that thrives in a space of fullness in stomach and spirit—the lived out example of the comfort extended by Jesus to broken people throughout the Gospels.
-Claire Simons Former Intern, Col ‘19
As a first year, the Center for Christian Study was a place to be cared for and welcomed. It was the place I could go to make a warm cup of tea and finish those tedious ENWR papers. It was the place I eagerly looked to for meals that were much more appetizing than what the dining hall had to offer. It was the place where I met my future roommate at a dinner and trivia night. When I became a Hospitality Intern at the Study Center, I became more connected with the staff and community here. These relationships have taught me a lot about God’s character. I constantly witness the staff reflecting the generosity of our Father; they never hesitate to pour out their time and resources for others. I deeply cherish the ways my time here has shaped my view of work. It wasn’t long after I became an intern that I learned one thing: work can be something you enjoy. I had always imagined work as being the thing you do to make money so that you can do other things that you enjoy. However, I quickly realized that when I was working at the Study Center, I wasn’t trying to track how much money I was making while I was working. I didn’t show up because I knew I would get paid. I entered the kitchen because I loved baking alongside Carly and the other interns. I came to grind coffee because it allowed fresh pots to be brewed and ready for anyone who walked in the door. Even my PAG E 6 | T H E ST U DY C E N T E R W I N T E R 20 20
work of cleaning the bathrooms or moving furniture somehow didn’t feel like work. Knowing that everything the Study Center did was out of love and care for the people who would enter its doors allowed me to joyfully partake in the tasks that kept it running. I’ve continued to see the way the Lord has used this lesson as I think ahead to my career after graduating. I want to work and plan to pursue work as a teacher. I now know that if I enter this role with the purpose of loving and serving the people I encounter, then teaching won’t be just “work” to me. It can be a way to be a witness for Jesus and display some of his character to the people around me. Thanks to the Study Center, I know the joy that comes with this kind of work.
Rachel Delaney, Educ ‘21 Study Center Intern
God has used Darden Christian Fellowship and the Study Center in my life in more ways than I could’ve ever imagined. The friendships and mentorships I developed through DCF will last for years to come. I think back especially fondly to the women’s small group that met on Thursday mornings. It was incredible to dive into God’s word together and to get really deep and practical. We’d talk through the challenges of navigating the core, internship/career recruiting, and Darden social life, applying a lens of faith that I didn’t always have the courage or insight to consider on my own. In DCF, through our small group fellowship, weekly first coffee meetings, and many ad hoc conversations, I met so many incredibly sharp, intellectual people who displayed humility and led with extreme selflessness. There was no self-promotion or ‘my way or the highway’ leadership in DCF, and that opened the door to tremendous growth and deep connections that made our time at Darden truly special. God used DCF (and continues to use the folks I met through DCF) to teach me more about His nature, and to help mold me into the person I am today.
Caitlyn Unsworth, Darden ‘19 DCF Alumna
“A second home” During the school year, I often spend the majority of my waking hours at the Study Center, especially this semester, with all of my classes being online. While it is certainly a place to study and do work, I also love seeing old friends and meeting new people in the Christian community. From Bible studies to conversations in the kitchen, the Study Center continues to offer me many opportunities to grow in my relationship with the Lord, learn with and from my peers, and enjoy the company of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
“A place to slow down” I was first introduced to “the Stud” by Robert Cunningham, the Grounds minister for Reformed University Fellowship. He told me the building is filled with people who want to get to know you and love you—something all new students at a university are looking for. When I transferred to UVA, I lived far away from Grounds. Between classes, I probably spent every hour at the Study Center; it was a place to see friends, eat a meal, study, listen to birds, rest, and grow spiritually. I can’t think of another place on grounds where all those things seamlessly happen in the same space. At UVA, the atmosphere is very performance-driven; we are expected to go and conquer everything in sight. While the Study Center is a place to study, it’s also a place to slow down and grow in your relationship with Christ and with other believers. Many small groups, prayer meetings, and shared meals take place in this building. It serves as an important reminder that we, as Christians, are not meant to walk through this life alone.
-Brendan Berkel
Study Center Intern, Engr ‘21
- Cecily Wolfe
Elzinga Residential Scholar, Col ‘21 PAG E 7 | T H E ST U DY C E N T E R W I N T E R 2020
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