Campus Ministry

In my role as Director of Campus and Outreach Ministries for Andover Newton Program students at Yale Divinity School, I endeavored to support students in the following key areas:

  • Pastoral care and spiritual guidance

  • Ministerial leadership formation

  • Community-building and fellowship growth

My work in these areas was accomplished through small group ministry, retreat/travel seminar work, pastoral care and more. Due to COVID, we had to reinvent a lot of our ways of being in community together, as many have. While that was a challenge, it provided opportunities for connection and sharing.

An example of one of our Upper Zoom meetings (participants shown may not be actual program participants). Photo credit: @UnvirtuousAbbey

An example of one of our Upper Zoom meetings (participants shown may not be actual program participants). Photo credit: @UnvirtuousAbbey

Small Group Ministry

One of the greatest joys of my work with students was leading small group ministry programming. When the pandemic began and we were all forced to work and study from home, I began a small group ministry program called The Upper Zoom. This program became a cornerstone of spiritual expression, connection and solace for our students. Groups met weekly, led by a student leader for prayer, ritual, sharing and some text study. I also met with the group leaders each week for our own time together of sharing and support. Though this work, I provided pastoral care to our student leaders, and help support and train them in doing the same for their student groups. It became my favorite outcome of pandemic living, to be sure!

Travel Seminars

During my time as Campus Minister, I also accompanied two groups of students on “border crossing” programs designated to provide students with cross-cultural, social justice learning opportunities. For these trips, I served as chaplain and co-leader to faculty leadership (Kenya) and student leadership (AZ/Mexico).

At the border of Kenya and Tanzania with ANS students, January 2020.

At the border of Kenya and Tanzania with ANS students, January 2020.

Kenya

In January 2020, I accompanied a group of twelve ANS program students and two faculty members to Kenya, on a ten-day trip designed to encounter the sacrality of that country’s religions, its lands and its culture. It was an illuminating, challenging and moving experience for all as we confronted the history and implications of colonialism, the current day struggles of Kenya’s society and the legacy of African culture for our students

There were many hard moments for all of us on the trip, and my chaplain role provided space for processing and conversation, while also challenging me to grow and learn in the environment around me. It was a deep honor and privilege to be able to accompany our students on this trip.

Viewing the most recent (and incomplete) addition to the border wall by the Trump administration, March 2020.

Viewing the most recent (and incomplete) addition to the border wall by the Trump administration, March 2020.

Arizona / Mexico

In March 2021, as our nation was on the cusp of the pandemic, I accompanied a group of students on a trip to the Arizona/Mexico border. We explored the political and cultural landscape of the US/Mexico border, visiting shelters, talking with families forced into migration, and interviewing the legal and humanitarian activists who labor to help those fleeing violence in their home country to safety in the US. We shared our experiences with the Andover Newton community in the form of a weekly Advent Devotional in December 2020. 

On the Appalachian Trail in Western MA, October 2019.

On the Appalachian Trail in Western MA, October 2019.

Retreats & More

At Andover Newton, we prioritized the teaching opportunities of all of our endeavors. Therefore, my role as Campus Minister was often one of supporting and co-leading retreats and other activities that give our students the opportunity to learn leadership skills.

In that vein, I co-led the trip to the Arizona/Mexico border with a student. I also co-led a daylong hiking retreat on the Appalachian trail in October 2019. The student I worked with was a trained First Responder and extreme hiking enthusiast. While I am neither of those things, I am an extreme spiritual retreat enthusiast! So she handled the map and tended to our physical needs, while I planned a day of rituals, journal reflection opportunities and a final closing worship service around a campfire. Sadly, COVID prevented us from offering this retreat again in subsequent semesters, but it was a joy to plan and execute.

Before the pandemic, I explored different ways to connect with students like a weekly “Tuesday Tea” drop in event, weekly emails to the community and many on-the-spot pastoral care moments: in the hallways, over lunch, etc. Throughout the pandemic, I endeavored to find more creative ways to connect - through care packages, social media, in the chatbox during Zoom worship, and more. It was a strange time with unexpected moments of grace that helped me gained a much deeper reverence for belonging in community.