Newsletter 2005 Outer Pages.Pub
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CONNECTIONS A PUBLICATION OF THE CROSSING June 2005 Volume 3, no. 1 STUDENT INITIATIVE DRIVES THE CROSSING by Doug Pierce Editor: e have just finished our great Christmas gift by Wisconsin fourth year at UW– Trails magazine.) Madison in our new loca- Katja Marquart, our art coor- tion. Each year, we have dinator, will be leaving us, but we Wsustained growth. This coming sum- are pleased she has accepted a mer, we will offer summer program- teaching position at UW–Stevens ming for the first time, due to interest Point. Katja’s passion for laby- and student demand. rinths will continue to bear fruit. There is so much that takes place at This summer, students will be working The Crossing over the course of an aca- with her to design a labyrinth that can be demic year that goes underreported. used in future programming. Pastoral care, encouragement, vocational Finally, we are optimistic about an- discernment, significant relationships other “new initiative”: a coffee house, (including romantic), and faith growth— which we hope will complement and ex- INSIDE how does one do justice to it all? tend the programming, outreach, hospi- Of course our “marquee” pro- tality, and social justice ministry of The Church relations 2 grams continue to be our Quest mis- Crossing. Our coffee house picks up on I was hungry and 2 sion and service learning trips and our the idea of a “Three Squares” program “informal” Vespers worship services of The Wesley Foundation past. Al- Sunday evening vespers 3 and no-cost dinners prepared by local though current plans are to begin small, churches (which draw between 50 and serving “fair trade” coffee and bakery Graduation 3 65 students). Since January, we have goods prepared with locally grown or- Peer ministers reflect 4 sponsored trips to Florida for a Habitat ganic fare, we envision that in a couple for Humanity Blitz Build, to Honduras, of years we might be ready to expand. Busy semester for 5 and to Costa Rica (Questa Rica II). All of the above happens because of Relay for life 5 Next year, we are planning a third strong student initiative. We have Questa Rica trip, a Northern Ireland learned that the maxim, “If we build it, Replacing fear with 6 trip, and a North Dakota trip, led by they will come,” is not quite true. A truer The crossing is alive 8 our students. We are also hoping to maxim seems to be, “If they build it, they return to Israel, Honduras, and Florida. will come.” Of course, we are always try- Asbury Award goes 8 Last year, one of our exciting “new ing to strike that delicate balance of co- to Jim hook ventures” was the Crossing Choir, led creating and shared partnership. Celebrate what’s right 9 by Nancy Seabold. Fourteen students Opportunities for ministry and out- Elaine Pagels discusses 9 became part of this outreach venture. reach continue to present themselves to We hope to enhance our music pro- us. However, they are never without reverse mission trip to 10 gramming in the year ahead and are challenges. I am grateful for the leader- grateful that Nancy plans to continue ship and courage of students, staff, It is simple to be 11 with us in her role as choir director. board members, pastors, area congrega- We are delighted that Clare Norelle tions, and statewide judicatories for their Habitat trip teaches 12 will continue to lead our Vespers mu- courage, commitment, and vision, which sic. Clare’s commitment to justice, together add up to the ministry and gift Make friends, increase 13 peace, and global expressions of music that is The Crossing. Thank you for Students gain global 14 are a perfect fit for us. (Clare’s CD, your support! Because of you we are produced last year, was featured as a making a difference. Thank you! 16 Connecting with The Church of experimentation, CHURCH RELATIONS BY REV. WINTON BOYD wonder, and joy. Doug and Karla, their staff, y association with the role of faith in the and their student leaders The Crossing began world, and their own gifts continue to think outside in the summer of as people of God. the box. At the same 2002 when I joined As a local church pas- time, we as a local Ma trip to Israel it was sponsoring to tor, I felt then, and con- church have provided learn from Palestinian Christians tinue to feel, that we as a students with a glimpse about peacemaking, interfaith rela- congregation have a great deal to of what an active, socially conscious tionships, and living in the midst of learn from the people and ministry of church can look like. Their energy violence. Over the next several The Crossing. We have invited stu- and creativity and passion are a gift months, I met with the emerging dents and leaders to our church to to us. Our sense of community, vi- group as we planned the trip. lead worship services and discussions. brant worship, and efforts to be I found the small group of men We have sent folks to The Crossing radically hospitable have impressed that traveled to Ibillin in Galilee to to feed the hungry and receptive stu- students. It is a partnership that be deeply faithful, sensitive, and excit- dents after the weekly Vespers pro- benefits both of us. ing. They handled the many situa- gram. We have jointly sponsored We support their work with joy tions in Israel with grace, sensitivity, events addressing how the church and only wish we could give more. compassion, and humor. Their shar- deals with the Middle East and envi- We look forward to continuing to ing in our group reflection sessions ronmental issues before us today. We develop this partnership and learn overwhelmed me. It became clear have had adults participate with stu- from the faithful, creative, and gutsy very quickly that the ministry at The dents on Habitat for Humanity work work of The Crossing. Crossing was supporting and nurtur- trips. ing these young people as they were Through all of these encounters, Rev. Boyd is senior pastor at Orchard thinking about careers, world issues, I sense that The Crossing is a place Ridge UCC in Madison. I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU FED ME BY KARLA SCHMIDT ach Sunday evening, wonderful Church people arrive at The Crossing Windsor UCC with food to feed an army of We thank each of these congregations and the members who prepared and students! These people come served meals. We also thank one of our parents who provided two meals, Efrom many local churches and we are so Jane Considine, mother of Ana and Suzie Considine. You all have given the grateful to all of them. Our students love not only the food but the obvious care for them that is expressed in these meals. These churches provided The ABOUT THE CROSSING Crossing with meals this past year: The Crossing seeks to provide a Christian community for the University of Wisconsin–Madison where indi- viduals can explore, understand, and affirm their Covenant Presbyterian Church relationship with God, each other, and the world. Divine Savior UMC Our community is grounded in worship, fed by the First Baptist Church study of the scriptures, informed by the disciplines of First UMC the university and Christian traditions, maintained by fellowship, and seriously engaged with the problems Janesville First Congregational UCC and possibilities of the world. Middleton Community UCC Where Faith Meets Life Rev. Doug Pierce, Director Monona UMC Rev. Karla Schmidt, Campus Minister Rev. Cecil Findley, Campus Minister Emeritus Monroe St. John’s UCC The Crossing 1127 University Ave. Katie Scanlan, Administrator Monticello Zwingli UCC Madison, WI 53715 Ellen Fast, Communications Coordinator Orchard Ridge UCC Phone: 608-257-1039 Are you a past alum of MCM, Wesley, or Wayland? If so, we’d love Fax: 608-256-3980 to hear from you! Please send us a card or an email. If you know Salem Verona UCC [email protected] other alumni, please invite them to contact us. If your address University UMC www.crossingministries.org changes, please contact us with your new address. Waunakee Crossroads UMC The Crossing—a partnership of Madison Campus Ministry, the Westminster Presbyterian Page 2 CONNECTIONS Connecting with The students SUNDAY EVENING VESPERS DRAWS STUDENTS BY KARLA SCHMIDT our years ago, we were so The highlight of our spring Ves- with a group of students to talk happy when 8–10 students pers programming was a visit by more deeply about discerning life gathered regularly for our Madison-based author Parker Palmer choices. It was an incredible eve- Sunday evening Vespers ser- on February 27. ning, and we Fvice followed by a shared meal. We He spoke on the thank him for giv- all sat around one table in those days. story of Barti- ing to The Cross- Since then, our service and meal have maeus in Mark ing in such a per- evolved into something new, involv- 10:46–52, re- sonal and pro- ing more students, many of whom are minding us of found way. After involved in planning and leading the the courage it his visit, students worship service. took Bartimaeus held a book study Since many of the students are to throw off his on his book, Let already active in the church of their cloak (his iden- Your Life Speak. choice, Vespers is not intended to be tity as a beggar Other high- a formal worship service. Instead, it for so long) and lights of this se- is an evening service filled with music, come to Jesus mester’s Vespers a message (sometimes given by a stu- (empty of his old include leadership dent or group of students), and identity and Madison-based author Parker by two student prayer.