Equipping Shepherds

HU is committed to providing resources for spiritual formation

COLUMN BY REV. ARTHUR WILSON, MA ’12

As Jesus prepared to depart from His disciples, he gave Peter a command in John 21:17 that I believe is relevant for us as we strive to help students become and remain disciples: “Feed my sheep.” As he handed the mantle for spreading the Gospel and establishing the church to the disciples, Jesus reminded them that one of the most effective ways to accomplish this was by providing nourishment and support that promotes growth and sustainability.

At Huntington University, we have numerous shepherds who are positioned to engage students for spiritual growth and sustainability. But it’s also important to acknowledge our responsibility to equip, resource and support these influencers. While developing the comprehensive Spiritual Formation Plan, we gained a firm understanding of the ways we can set up our shepherds and students for success. Financial resources ensure that the vision for effective equipping can come to fruition. This is why we’ve established the In Stride fundraising campaign.

I look forward to the day when I’m able to share with you the fruit that emerges from the funds raised through In Stride. If you’d like to learn more about this opportunity, feel free to contact me or a member of the University’s advancement team. May the Lord’s blessing be upon you!

We have big dreams for how we desire to equip shepherds. Here are a few of them:

Online

Through RightNow Media, we’re committed to providing content that will strengthen shepherds’ effectiveness in building relationship and providing spiritual support to any HU student, regardless of where they are in their faith journey. As we imagine the high-quality content we want to produce, we’re also aware of how costly the equipment and software required to make this a reality is.

On Campus

We’re devoted to providing physical resources such as Study Bibles and books to support students’ spiritual formation. As the relationship between shepherd and student strengthens, so does the student’s willingness to take seriously the books that the shepherd deems valuable. By providing resources, we create more opportunities for students to receive holistic and spiritual support from the men and women they admire and look to for guidance.

Global

We’re committed to providing every HU student the opportunity to serve the Lord in another part of the world by providing financial support. If you’ve ever served the Lord in another context, you know how spiritually transformative this kind of experience can be for the individual and the collective group. Imagine how impactful this could be for the relationship between coach and athlete, faculty and student, or student and student at HU.

One acorn can grow an oak tree. One oak tree can produce a forest. One forest can change the world.

Give online at ForesterFund.com today

To learn more about the Forester Fund, please contact Marcy Hawkins at mhawkins@huntington.edu or (260) 359-4097.

Steve Thomas Joins Advancement Staff as Director of Gift & Estate Planning

With more than 25 years of charitable estate planning and fundraising experience, the majority of Steve’s career has been in higher education directing planned giving programs. Prior to his years in philanthropy, Steve practiced law, focusing in the areas of estate and business planning.

If you are interested in learning more about planned giving at Huntington University, contact Steve directly at (260) 359-4005 or sthomas@huntington.edu.