Transitions…

As many of you may know, I will be stepping down as the Campus Minister of Rochester College. The last two years have been such a tremendous blessing. This community, this family at Rochester College is amazing.

I want to be clear and communicate that I am not leaving because I am discontent, worn out, bitter, angry, or in some other way discontent. Put simply, I am moving on to my next position because I believe that it is a wonderful fit for my calling and gifts.

My new post in God’s kingdom finds me serving as the preaching minister at Rochester Church of Christ, next door. So if you need me, I am just about 600 yards east. I hope to still maintain contact with you all–the preacher in me wants to invite you all to services, but really just coming by to talk would be great too.

I am fully confident that the next minister to come into this post at RC will be more talented than I am, and wil serve you faithfully. I am not a part of the hiring team, so I am not aware of who that will be or when it will happen, but I trust that those making this decision will make a good decision.

While I will still be around teaching a class each semester, I do want to formally leave with one last reminder to our campus community:

God loves you and so do I.

Adam

Cody’s thoughts: God’s Plan & Our Plan

This being my senior year of college I have found myself praying more and more about my future.   The future holds so many different changes that are coming my way.   How will I support myself without my parents helping me?  Where am I going to be living?  How do I get a job?   These questions have been continuously going through my head.  I am sure that most students are going through a similar situation I am going through.

I find myself being so afraid of making the wrong decisions.   Like there is one path that I cannot veer off of.  I am finding out more and more through prayer and experience is that God works through whatever path you have taken in life.  If you are actively listening to God, he can work with you whatever situation you do choose.

Since I am going to be a minister, I have often thought in my head, “What if I choose to work at the wrong church?” The more and more I think about this, the more that I realize that each situation is really as good as you make it.  What I would challenge students to continue to do is to actively live in a relationship with God—he can make good in whatever choices we make.    Observe how he is working with the decisions that you make.   Try and look at the blessings you have received while on the path that you are on.

-Cody

Shack-a-thon sets a record!

Shack-a-thon took place on September 24-26, and this year it did more good than ever. Our group of 32 participants who sacrificed their own comforts to stay out in the shacks helped set a record for money raised by this event. After all of the fundraising, Shack-a-thon was able to present Habitat for Humanity with a check for $1130 to help them help others who are in need.

Habitat was a perfect partner for this event. Through our partnership we not only helped provide financial assistance for their continued work building homes, we also were able to help build some of those homes ourselves. Three different groups of students went to different homes under construction and worked. In addition to getting to help hands on, we also met the the families we were building for. It was very rewarding.

Doug Sanders provided wonderful spiritual guidance as we dedicated ourselves to doing good for others. His messages were full of practical experience with those in need and touched at the heart of what real life Christian ministry to those in need looks like. His depth and wisdom–not to mention his willingness to live outside with us, made him a perfect fit for our weekend.

A special thanks goes out to those people who helped make Shack-a-thon possible. From the meals that are donated by faculty, staff, administration, and even student organizations, to the students and staff who participated, we are grateful. Shack-a-thon was a huge success, and we are blessed to have been a part of it.

Shack-a-thon 2010

Each fall, Rochester College experiences something unforgettable–Shackathon.

On September 24-26, Campus Ministry invites students to commit a weekend to helping raise awareness and funds for those without homes by participating in Shack-a-thon.

Shack-a-thon is not so much a homelessness simulation as it is a fast of sorts. We gather together and live in our “shacks” and go without some of the comforts and ammenities we take for granted. This fast from our normal excess makes us keenly aware of what is like to be in need. We find that in the absence of our stuff we find our true happiness and value is found in community with one another. But more than just a great experience for those who participate, Shackathon is a way to raise awareness and money for those who live without a home, without their basic essentials, and in need of a caring community around them.

This year, Campus Ministry has partnered with Habitat for Humanityto make this event very special. As you know, HFH works hard (literally works with their hands) to provide homes for those families in need. As our partner they are not only the beneficiary of all the funds raised by Shack-s-thon, they also will be providing us with a service project on Saturday as we help volunteer in their fall build campaign.

Shack-a-thon is spirituality in real life. This year we are welcoming in a spiritual guide who will help focus our thoughts and lead our minds to find encounter with God through this experience. Doug Sanders is a minister with the Otter Creek Church of Christ in Nashville, TN, and he dedicates most of his time to ministering among the homeless of Nashville. Doug helps those who live in Tent City as they regroup from the devastating floods of this last summer.

Shack-a-thon is open to every student, but it is a fundraiser. Each participant must pay to be a part of this experience. In order to participate in this event, students must raise $50 individually, or they can take advantage of the “shack special”–$150 for a group of five people.

Students gather at 3:00pm on Friday to assemble their lodging for the weekend. This year, in addition to the shacks that will be constructed, students will be allowed to create a tent city and stay in tents as well. Students live in the tents and shacks for the weekend. The event culminates in a worship service Sunday morning. Each evening is highlighted by a fireside devotional. To sign up for Shack-a-thon, simply email Adam Hill: ahill@rc.edu

RCCM Spiritual Life in 2010-11

RC Campus Ministry exists to call for and empower the Rochester College community to a more and more faithful practice and reflection of Jesus Christ.

Campus ministry seeks to engage the Rochester College community by…

• Fostering and growing community interaction and fellowship

• Offering meaningful, practical, and encouraging spiritual experiences

• Providing opportunities for  service, missions, and leadership opportunities

In truth, the richness of the Christian faith is not best expressed as an intellectual knowledge of certain concepts and prescripts; rather, faith should inform, transform, and empower daily living. This belief is evident in our new Spiritual Life theme for 2010-11:

“Let Justice Roll Down”

This quote from Amos 5:24 reminds us that the kingdom of God is not something merely known in one’s head, but is embodied–lived out. As Cornell West has aptly stated, “Justice is what love ooks like in public.”

This year we are calling our campus to the practice of justice. This is a not a partisan effort, but a conscientiously Christian effort to live out the love of God in public. We are very excited about several new efforts that our campus will get the opportunity to particpate in.

Groups on our campus community will apply for the opportunity to receive a cash grant that will be used to personally help someone from outside our campus community… just because it is a good thing to do. It is not about being rewarded; rather, it is about blessing others ho are in need with a real and tangible hope. We will hear stories from one another’s experiences and spend a year dedicated to helping others.

This year we are partnering with Habitat for Humanity in Oakland County to make this service weekend even better. In addition to our normal weekend in the shacks (tents are allowed this year), participants will take part in a Habitat build on Saturday. We are also going to be spiritually fed by Doug Collins, a minister to the homeless in Tent City in Nashville, TN. This weekend will be a fantastic blessing to all involved. Sept 24-25, 2010.

The social justice organization Invisible Children will be coming to our campus to show their latest documentary and host a talk-back session with students. Come and dialogue with people who have worked and lived in Africa helping those in need. Wednesday, October 6, 2010.

Also, you will not want miss the Global Justice Conference coming April 1-2 of 2011. This year we are focusing on practical ways to combat the horrible injustice of Human Trafficking. Special guests from abolitionist ministries, law enforcement agencies, and justice organizations, as well as noted authors and activists will convene on campus to explore ways that our community can become a light that drives out the darkness of salvery in the modern world.

We are looking forward to a great year that glorifies God and calls us to action living out the kingdom in real terms. If you want to learn more about or be involved in any of these events, please contact campus ministry.