Calvin University Campus Ministries

Commencement Worship last Friday was a very meaningful time with our graduating seniors and their family and friends! We reflected on God's faithfulness in the past, declared our trust in God for the future, and prayed for our seniors as they go out into the world to think deeply, act justly and live wholeheartedly as Christ's agents of renewal in the world. Class of 2024, we are so proud of you and pray God's blessings on you!

Join us this Friday at 4pm for a worship service in the chapel for graduating Calvin University seniors and their family and friends! Pastor Mary Hulstwill be preaching and music will be led by seniors!

This past week we have walked through Jesus’ days leading up to his death through the book of John. We’ve focused on Jesus as victor, substitution, sacrifice, example, and King and celebrated the Lord’s Supper together. Each chapel opened with singing these words:
“Beneath the cross of Jesus I find a place to stand, and wonder at such mercy that calls me as I am. For hands that should discard me hold wounds which tell me, “Come.” Beneath the cross of Jesus my unworthy soul is won.”

May you continue to reflect this weekend on Jesus’ invitation to come to the cross.

Visit the Preserve to walk the Stations of the Cross installed along the "arbor path" to Whiskey Pond Trail between the South Pond and Venema Plaza.

To guide you, verses & meditation prompts are offered via a QR code tucked under the arbor.

We're grateful for the collaboration with Campus Ministries in bringing this to the Preserve.

The Stations of the Cross will be available now until Easter.
Trails and bathroom facilities are open dawn til dusk.

Tomorrow begins the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. The season of Lent is a time of penitence, discipline, and renewal. In the Ash Wednesday service, we are reminded of our mortality, we confess our sins, and we experience forgiveness through Christ’s death and resurrection. The “imposition of ashes” is a central part of the service. We invite you to join us for this special service on Wednesday, February 14 at 10:30am in the chapel.

The Chapel at Calvin University podcast is now available! Catch up on a Wednesday sermon you may have missed or share a sermon you appreciated with a friend. This semester, Pastor Mary Hulst is preaching on the "I Am" statements in John. We'd love to have you engage in person or via the podcast! New episodes will be posted on Thursdays!
https://soundcloud.com/calvin-campus-ministries

Our campus-wide Bible study on John begins next week! There are some great groups being offered for the Calvin community to be part of! https://calvin.edu/offices-services/campus-ministries/bible-studies/

Check out some of the ways our students have been engaging in faith formation this year in a variety of contexts at Calvin!

Faith Formation is On The Table Calvin University offers a buffet of options to help students grow in their faith. On January 28, one of those options kicks off: a campus-wide Bible study of the Gospel of John.

To our beloved Calvin community, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! May you experience the hope, peace, love, and joy of Jesus!

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Please consider giving to the Calvin Community Care Fund as part of your end-of-year giving! This is a fund for students who have unexpected financial needs, usually related to emergency health or dental needs. It has a huge impact on relieving student anxiety around medical needs! Follow the link below and select "Community Care Fund." Thanks for caring for our students!

https://calvin.edu/support/giving/?fbclid=IwAR0tx4ny1BesMrbS7taA1E0OcnYe4Oe5QXMN9xAjinKD8Lw5PQpaucwfSHM

Yesterday we had the opportunity to voice our gratitude and hear other’s gratitude in chapel. We hope throughout this week and the Thanksgiving holiday that you find ways to reflect on God’s faithfulness and love and respond with gratitude.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭100:4-5‬ ‭NRS

Campus Ministries invites the Calvin community to participate in a Thanksgiving Prayer Walk happening Thursday, November 16 through Saturday, November 18. We will have 6 stations starting at the chapel and ending at the arena entrance that will prompt you to pray prayers of gratitude together in groups at a time of your choice! Instructions, a map, and prompts can be found at the link below and will also be available via a QR code on yard signs throughout campus at each station. We expect that groups could move through the entire walk in 30-40 minutes (about 5 minutes at each station).

Campus Ministries will formally host two times when anyone can join: Thurs Nov 16 at Noon and Fri Nov 17 at Noon

Barnabas will also be leading their dorms/groups at the following times:
Outdoor Rec: Thursday at 11:30am
BB: Thursday at 4:30pm
BHT: Friday at 4:30pm
BV: Friday at 4pm
KHvR: Saturday 1:30p
NVW: Thursday at 3:30pm
SE: Thursday at 7pm and Friday at 4pm

We also invite groups (your staff, team, club, dorm, etc.) to go together at any time of your choosing throughout the three days. We look forward to intentionally engaging in prayer and thanksgiving as a community!

"And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." -Colossians 3:17
https://calvin.edu/offices-services/campus-ministries/Thanksgiving%20Prayer%20Walk.pdf

Last Friday we surprised Pastor Paul Ryan in chapel for 20 years of service at Calvin! He has impacted so many lives in his time here and we are so grateful for him! Share a message of congratulations and appreciation in the comments and we will be sure to share it with him!

We look forward to worshiping together tonight at LOFT at 9pm! All are invited. Cookies, tea, and hot chocolate in the Undercroft afterward!

https://calvin.edu/offices-services/campus-ministries/worship/loft/index.html

Campus Ministries will provide an easy-to-lead curriculum for the Calvin University community that will run from September 11 through November 17 on nine Psalms that will help us pray our lament, trust, sin, frustration, journey, anger, surrender, & praise. We are actively recruiting for leaders! Sign up to lead a group or learn more:

https://calvin.edu/offices-services/campus-ministries/bible-studies/index.html

We are so thankful to have had the chance to worship with the Calvin University graduating seniors and their Families one final time last Friday at Commencement Worship! We pray for God's blessing on each of their lives and that they would go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Join us this Friday at 4pm for a worship service in the chapel for graduating Calvin University seniors and Calvin University Families and friends! Pastor Mary Hulst will be preaching and music will be led by seniors!

As we journey through Lent, Pastor Mary Hulst will be doing a sermon series titled “Peter’s Holy Week.” We hope you’ll join us on the following Wednesdays at 10:30am!

https://vimeo.com/event/454701

Today is Ash Wednesday which begins the season of Lent. Since we won't be gathering for chapel due to the university being closed for weather, we wanted to share some resources with you to engage with.

The season of Lent is a time of penitence, discipline, and renewal. On Ash Wednesday we are reminded of our mortality, we confess our sins, and we experience forgiveness through Christ’s death and resurrection. In Scripture, ashes serve both as a symbol of mortality and as a sign of mourning and repentance. But neither sin nor death is the final word. We have confidence and gratitude: Christ has conquered death, and nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

For more reflections today, watch this Ash Wednesday service recorded in 2021 when we were not gathering in person for chapel due to COVID. (Content begins at 03:05)
https://vimeo.com/512975036

We strive to provide a place for students to grow in their faith, and your support is essential to that mission. Today, , you can support students by helping Calvin University reach 600 donors. For every 100 participants, you’ll unlock $2,000 of a match. Will you give right now and support the students served by campus ministries?
Make your gift a calvin.edu/go/giving.

Tomorrow is ! Your gift to Calvin University supports students in a variety of ways. Be sure to join us as we share some fun surprises throughout the day.

Can’t wait to give? Make a gift now at https://calvin.edu/support/giving/giving-tuesday-2022 and it will count toward our goal of 600 donors to unlock a $12,000 match.

LOFT IS BACK!

Everyone is welcome THIS Wednesday at 9p in the chapel for Living Our Faith Together—a time of singing, prayer, and testimony (think of it as an extended Friday chapel). We will do this on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month on August 31, September 14 & 28, October 12, and November 9.
Coffee/tea/hot cider and cookies to follow!

We are so excited to share that we will be having a 9 week campus-wide Bible study on the Gospel of Mark! This is for anyone ! Weekly passages and ways to engage the text will be provided for you and Pastor Mary will be preaching on other Mark passages during Wednesday chapels.

More information & sign up to be a leader here: https://calvin.edu/offices-services/campus-ministries/bible-studies/

We are so excited to share that the first Calvin Worship EP, "Not in Vain," is now available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube! Our students worked so hard on this EP. We hope that you will be encouraged as you listen to and worship with these songs!

YouTube
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nSPfpN04Mcfds3Oq7s93wlky3C_LT8oSU

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/2dytdhJpLFLI4wPfOdO1nV?si=RGiAqNS3T-e7KXMJAKcXdA

iTunes
https://music.apple.com/us/album/not-in-vain/1630166693

"But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher)."
-John 20:11-16

Our Tenebrae service from this past Sunday is now live. We invite you to reflect on Christ's death today through this meaningful service.

Tenebrae Service: A Service of Shadows for Holy Week The service of Tenebrae, meaning “darkness” or “shadows,” is a prolonged meditation on Christ’s suffering. Readings trace the story of Christ’s passion, musi...

"So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them."
-John 19:16b-18

The Calvin University community is invited to gather in the chapel tomorrow at 10a to listen to Rev. Reggie Smith, who will be preaching for Holy Week and in response to the tragic death of Patrick Lyoya here in Grand Rapids. We will pray, lament, and ask God for justice. All are welcome. Jane Bruin in the CISD office and Campus Ministries will have walk in hours during the day as well.

Also, the REgroup will meet tomorrow (Thursday 4/14) at 6pm in the Perkins House. The group is facilitated by Shayne McNichols in coordination with Kieychia Barnwell Likely, and exists to provide a space for students to process issues related to race and race-based trauma. All students are welcome to attend this drop-in opportunity (sign-up not required).