Nebraska Synod ELCA

by Lisa Kramme

In their 2020 publication, Belonging: Reconnecting America’s Loneliest Generation, Springtide Research Institute shared that one in three young people age 13-25 feel alone much of the time, and nearly 40% feel left out and have no one with whom they can talk. Helping young people feel noticed, named and known are key steps in deepening a young person’s overall sense of belonging, and a sense of belonging is what we strive to enhance through the office of Campus Ministry and Spiritual Wellness at Midland University.

Working with Midland students Brendan Westlake and Keaton Mackin, we plan a variety of activities each month. The first Tuesday we host Reflections, a time of guided meditation in Midland’s Lueninghoener Planetarium and a calm spot in the midst of the hectic pace that college life can be. The second Tuesday of the month we gather around tables at the Community Meal, passing food family style and sharing stories of life and faith. A guest pastor is invited to each meal to share how meals have always been important parts of the Christian story, and then the pastor shares Holy Communion with those gathered. On the third Tuesday we volunteer to serve our neighbors in a variety of ways, and on the fourth Tuesday we gather for Community Chapel where we sing and pray, and a student, faculty or staff member shares their vocation story.

When asked how these gatherings help cultivate love through community on Midland’s campus, Brendan shared, “People feel comfortable coming (to what is offered). They feel accepted and welcome. It feels like coming home, in a way.”

Keaton agreed. “Yes! It feels like home. We engage people in the experiences. (At the Community Meal) we ask open-ended questions and allow people to answer. We allow their voices to be heard. We’re learning together.”

Brendan added, “We’re a diverse group, and I think people appreciate Campus Ministry and Spiritual Wellness programs because we feel like a community–homey, diverse, accepting, open.”

There are new learnings and adjustments we’re making all the time, and there are new people to meet and to invite into leadership. Cultivating love through community on campus looks a lot like listening for the stories of what people need, listening for the movement of the Spirit and then taking the next faithful step toward creating something that helps people feel noticed, named and known and that each belongs.

Lisa Kramme lives in Fremont and serves as the Director for Campus Ministry & Spiritual Wellness at Midland University and as a spiritual director. Lisa and her husband Keith raised two children and now enjoy watching them start their own households.