What's in the Works? - Fall 2011
Pastor Joe will be attending the Missio Conference this semester, which will explore themes and opportunities for building a faith community among young adults of ages 18-30 that integrates campus, congregation, and local community into sustainable, mutual relationships. We will examine a specific paradigm from Agapé Campus Community. We will utilize a model of the spiritual entrepreneur as a basis of creative and innovative development. This will be a time of mutual conversation as we all face the challenge of mutual spiritual relevance and sustainability in a post-postmodern world. In addition, Pastor Joe will have regular office hours every Tuesday in the new Multi-Faith Center in the student center at CSU, giving students a place to drop in. With many new dormitories opening at CSU as well, Pastor Joe will serve as an affiliate on campus by working with RAs as a spiritual resource.
Ove the summer, a new worship service was established at St. Alban Episcopal Church near Case Western, which features Neo-Monastic Prayer and a free meal to follow. St. Alban offers students a "home base" with the vision being a combined campus chapel and community center, serving not only students, but "students of life." Thursday evening "Emergence Worship" continues at CSU.
In early August, Agapé partnered with HeART of the Street, which is an organization that gives homeless people a chance to express themselves throught art, and HeART of teh Street will be umbrellaed by Agapé as a program in the future.
In October, Agapé will be hosting a day retreat at St. Alban called the Human Experience Diversity Experience. Several other projects are in the works, or will be soon:
- Garden of Faith Project
- Eco-justice movie night
- Shane Claiborne coming in April 2012 to talk about intentional community
- Ice cream socials during midterms/finals
- Poetry readings during a Friday night "coffeehouse"
- Brunch after Sunday worship at St. Alban
- Young adult retreat in January at St. Alban with the Diocese of Ohio
What a lot of exciting stuff to look forward to!
Agapé is a community of faith celebrating a foundation rooted in the Episcopal and Lutheran Christian expressions and at the same time reflecting radical inclusivity to all who seek hope, love, belonging, a place to doubt, an opportunity to serve others, healing, challenge, communal relationships, a group of humans who desire to make a difference in this world, faith, dialogue, diversity, and a feast of friends.
All are welcome - All are needed
