Campus ministries, supported through Ministry Shares, share God’s love and help young adult believers grow in faith and walk in the light.
FAITH GREEN TIMMONS
Michigan Conference Communications
Next time someone asks, “Are you green, or are you blue?” as a Michigan United Methodist, we can offer a unique answer. Razzing about collegiate rivalry can be fun. However, our connectional response provides opportunities for an evangelistic impact on the student bodies at our state universities.
We don’t have to choose between being green or blue. Boldly and without apology, Michigan Methodists are both. Ministry Shares, financial gifts from local churches, play a crucial role in providing United Methodist campus ministries via the eight Wesley Foundations. These campus fellowships offer opportunities for forming relevant connections, meeting personal needs, sharing heartfelt experiences, and seeking spiritual direction. Two of our state’s Wesley Foundations are found at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Go Green! . . . and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor . . . Go Blue!
Ministry Shares support the creation of inclusive environments at these universities that people of faith can call home. As the official campus ministry organization of The United Methodist Church, Wesley Foundations serve as a denominational presence, open to all for encouragement, engagement, service, and addressing issues of social justice.
In Michigan, Wesley Foundations reach out to or operate within state universities. Additionally, two United Methodist-affiliated colleges have historical connections: Albion College and Adrian College. What many consider this state’s biggest competitors, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, stand strong among our vibrant Wesleyan faith communities, fostering spiritual growth, missional engagement, and faith-based fellowship among young people from diverse backgrounds.
Dollars from local United Methodist churches, through conference Ministry Shares, support book clubs, Bible studies, worship gatherings, restorative retreats, and community-building activities. Most importantly, our Wesley Foundations are providing “spaces for young adults to discern their call and God’s purpose for their lives,” said Rev. Tim Kobler. Go Blue!
Rev. Kobler directs the University of Michigan’s Wesley Foundation and serves as the chaplain. Speaking to what many undergrads are facing, he states, “Students are exploring big questions and looking for a faith that they can call their own. They wonder: Is my parents’ faith, that they passed down, what works well for me? What can I make of these new beliefs I’m encountering?”
“They come in with one set of ideas and leave with another,” added Kobler. “Amid that, they are asking, ‘Who is God calling me to be?’ Part of our role is to encourage them in developing a greater sense of self, gain leadership skills, and become good citizens in the world.”
As emerging global citizens, students are also practicing their role, he states. An important aspect of maturity is doing one’s part, and that opportunity is provided through the Wesley Foundation. Students play a significant and valuable role in sustaining student ministry.
Their largest annual fundraiser is the popular Ann Arbor Art Fair held each July. Since it is based at First UMC in downtown Ann Arbor, the campus ministry utilizes the church’s parking lot and lawn to offer reasonably priced spaces for art enthusiasts to park their vehicles during the event. This student-led initiative showcases the group’s commitment to stewardship and provides an opportunity for their contributions to have a meaningful impact on the ministry’s ongoing success.
“Many students make friends for life. Some get married, and when alumni return, we celebrate Wesley Foundation babies!” noted Kobler. The University of Michigan’s Wesley Foundation consistently offers Sunday evening worship with dinner weekly, undergraduate and graduate student gatherings, as well as a series of service projects and restorative retreats. It was this type of student experience that helped Rev. Kobler recognize his call to ministry during his college studies.
Rev. Sonrisa Cortes, at Michigan State University’s Wesley Foundation, refers to those life-changing experiences as “pivots.” Go Green!
Rev. Sonrisa has dedicated this summer to cultivating interfaith partnerships and sharing the good news of what God is doing on her campus by embarking on a statewide summer preaching tour and visiting local United Methodist churches here in Michigan. She’s dubbed the sermon series Potholes and Pivots for good reasons: “MSU Wesley is at a pivotal point in ministry,” notes Rev. Cortes. “We are truly in a rebuild, which inspired the sermon.”
Much like the campus ministry at the University of Michigan, the Wesley Foundation in East Lansing meets the needs of students through purposeful inclusivity, emphasizing a commitment to openness and welcoming all students, regardless of their ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital or economic status, disability, or other human differences.
Rev. Sonrisa got creative with campus outreach by collaborating with a local coffeehouse. She explains, “Our primary outreach is our coffee ministry, Study Hall, every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters, where students can receive free or deeply discounted coffee. All they need is a valid student ID. I sit there week after week with my Care Corner as a pastoral presence for anyone who needs to talk.”
She started hoping and praying for about 20 to 30 people to come through. Within weeks, some 90 people responded to her invitation.
“It’s a way that is invitational for students to engage with me, or things I bring, to de-stress, to color, or not. But I’m there every week. It’s about building trust and safety,” said Cortes. “This isn’t about trying to get students into the Wesley door. It’s about establishing safe spaces in the community, where students already are. It’s about consistency, something that is lacking in the lives of many students.”
Among the unique approaches that this campus ministry, supported through Ministry Shares, provides is MSU’s Monday Meltdown, where students are fed a homemade meal, usually soup, because it’s comforting, and a game night that opens up to sharing about life, along with incorporating mental health practices with a Christian lens, such as mindfulness and prayer breathing. “It’s a time of community building, and any student is welcome. We recently had some students from Lansing Community College start attending our Monday Meltdowns,” explained Rev. Sonrisa.
Fresh back from a conference for university chaplains from throughout the nation, Rev. Sonrisa seems pumped: “I am learning new, innovative ways to connect and grow with college-aged folks.” Her artsy look, welcoming presence, and warm smile are hard to forget and easy to embrace. Through her leadership, MSU’s Wesley Foundation is following what college students care about, seeking to lead them to a closer walk with Christ and cultivating interfaith partnerships.
Rev. Sonrisa’s approach is making an enthusiastic statement, as are the other Wesley Foundations throughout our annual conference. Each one is charged with furthering our reach as United Methodists in Michigan. Collectively, our support strengthens their faith-filled witness, as it helps students navigate their academic journeys and grow their faith in God through Christ by connecting with others in a caring United Methodist community.
So, when it comes to the question, “Are you green or are you blue?” our distinct answer can open doors for sharing our personal faith and our Wesleyan values.
Perhaps little known to some, the University of Michigan’s deep blue was influenced by the depth of our Great Lakes, with maize representing corn, hence the state’s vast agricultural heritage. Deeper water tends to be blue, reflecting the presence of certain minerals in the water that influence its color. Yet, particles in the Great Lake’s water, like sediment or algae, can scatter light and affect the perceived color, sometimes making it appear greener, closer to Michigan State’s hue.
When it comes to the state and condition of water, bluer is not necessarily better; it’s merely different. According to the Audubon Society, at any given moment, across a myriad of changes in the seasons, water reflects light differently, as determined by the climate and properties at play. Yet, it’s all the same water! That reality also reflects our diverse and inclusive community, in a sense.
As Michigan United Methodists, we shine the light of Jesus in a distinctly Wesleyan way, illuminating the world, while calling believers to reflect the light of Christ. At times, that reflection may present itself in different hues, but there is only one light. That light, the light of Jesus Christ, has transformative power to overcome darkness and bring salvation.
Ministry Shares from generous local United Methodist churches help young believers on college campuses walk in the light, as well as share the gospel by reflecting the light. Many of our old hymns declare Jesus as the light of the world and describe him as the source of life and mercy.
While not churches in a traditional sense, these vital campus ministries carry out the work of the church and support our students throughout their academic journeys. They creatively provide opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual growth, ensuring effective spiritual care for our students, who never really have to choose between green and blue.
Perhaps much like Rev. Sonrisa’s Glitter Blessings, offered at Grand Rapids’ Pride Festival in June, our Wesley Foundations across the state serve as potent reminders that there are campus chaplains who love every student, no matter which college they choose.