Retreating Into Relationships?

Issue No. 2 Sept./Oct.

A lot has happened since the start of the semester, and so many things I want to tell you about! I could talk about the great discussions happening in the four Bible Studies I’m leading with students. There are also fantastic goings-on with the two student groups I work with, Koinonia (a service and outreach group), and Saturday Night Fellowship. Or I could even talk about any of the six students I’m meeting with individually or the two students Kelly’s meeting with individually for discipleship. But I would like to focus on the Fall Retreat we had earlier this semester.

Ten Kenyon students, Sam Van Eman, Kelly and I went to Joy of Living Ministries, Inc., a Christian campground outside of Danville, Ohio, for one night and day over a September weekend. During this time we played, rested, read scripture, prayed, and worshipped God together. This was a great opportunity for students to get off of campus and grow deeper in their relationship with Christ and others. We had the pleasure of having three one-hour teaching times from Sam. Like me, Sam Van Eman works for the CCO. Unlike me, Sam has written a book that was published last year. His book is entitled On Earth as it is in Advertising?: Moving from Commercial Hype to Gospel Hope.

After the retreat, I asked the students about it. One senior responded that she learned that, “We don’t trust that God can fulfill us completely...I want to trust God and believe that I am who He says I am...I want to start asking myself the following questions: What fulfillment am I seeking that I am trying to get from other things? What are those idols in my life?” In addition to what we learned from Sam, one freshman said, “It is such a refreshing and exciting change from high school to be around so many upperclassmen that genuinely like and care about us freshmen. I really feel like God is doing great things with His community of believers at Kenyon, and I’m so excited to be a part of it.”