Campus Ministries

College student: 'I'll never forget' tornado aftermath
By Cathy Farmer*

JACKSON, Tenn. (UMNS)-- Buried for three hours under tons of rubble left by an F-4 tornado, Jordan Thompson found new brothers and a deeper belief in God.

"I'd have given up, 100 percent given up, without my faith," said Thompson, a member of Germantown (Tenn.) United Methodist Church, of his entrapment after a twister leveled his two-story dormitory at Union University in Jackson.

IWU chaplain values job, guiding students during crucial years
This story is republished by permission of the Pantagraph

By Steve Arney

Hope Luckie had fairly specific criteria for her job search: City near an ocean, has a great jazz scene, great restaurants and a Major League baseball team. "And so I chose Bloomington. But it fits."

Commentary: Reflections on the Virginia Tech tragedy
Aug. 16, 2007

By the Rev. Glenn Tyndall*

BLACKSBURG, Va. (UMNS) - "Cut it down, it grows back stronger."
Translated from the Latin phrase "succisa virescit," this mantra became a unifying slogan this past year for the embattled lacrosse team at my alma mater, Duke University. But before the events of April 16 at Virginia Tech, where I have served as campus minister of the Wesley Foundation for 33 years, I didn't realize how appropriate this message would become for our own university and our students, our town, this campus ministry, and even for me personally.

Commentary on school shootings: For such a time as this
Apr. 18, 2007

NOTE: This message was delivered to staff members of the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference on April 17 during a worship service one day after a gunman killed 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech University.

A UMNS Commentary
By Angie Williams*

BLACKSBURG, Va. – "For such a time as this" - So, what is this time?

This is a time when we, the leaders of the church, need to discuss the deeper issues that lay the foundation for such atrocities as the massacre on the campus of Virginia Tech – and the implications for our response as the body of Christ.

This is a time when…

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Heifer’s Global Village Lets College Students Experience the Third World
The sophomore at the United Methodist-related college in Conway, Ark., found her experience at the Heifer Ranch especially meaningful, since it came on the heels of a devastating tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the South Asian earthquake.

A Simpler Life: Nurturing Heart, Mind, & Spirit
What complicates your life? Family expectations, your own expectations, roommates? Papers, exams, junk mail, e-mail? Keeping up with the latest fashion can be a full-time job. Holidays, extracurricular activities, class schedules, work schedules, can fill any calendar to the brim. Worry, fear, and anxiety can make any situation seem 10 times worse. Many things complicate our lives.

So . . . What About God Now That You’re at College?
You’ve made it through high school. Survived geometry, given your all for football, reported for the high school newspaper, partied through prom night, cheered the school on to victory, cut class a few times, studied hard, and played even harder.

Enriching Your Life With the Bible
Complex characters, bizarre plot twists, shocking true stories--an international best seller? You bet. It is the Bible!

College Fellowship Leads to Devotional Cookbook

A UMNS Feature
By Linda Green*

Graduating seniors involved in the fellowship program at a United Methodist-related college wanted to leave a legacy, so they turned the recipes for the meals they shared into a cookbook. The result is the Fellowship Cookbook, produced by students in the religious life program at Hendrix College in Conway, Ark. The book was inspired by a weekly dinner and devotional program started four years ago by the Rev. J.J. Whitney, the school's assistant chaplain and coordinator of the Hendrix Lilly Vocations Initiative program.