For Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) in Clemson, this semester has been a refreshing one. Throughout the pandemic, the relationships in this community have been essential for students who have been trying to navigate their way through difficult days. LCM is a place where students can feel safe as themselves and supported as they grow into the people that God is calling them to be. Sometimes that looks like hiking to one of the many waterfalls in the Upstate. Sometimes it looks like relaxing at Lutheridge for a weekend retreat. And sometimes it looks like singing hymns and drinking root beer with the local congregation.
This is also a semester in which we’ve done some visioning. We’ve been asking the questions, “What do we want/need from LCM? What do we want/need from the greater church? What will the church look like in the days ahead?” One of the more recent events that we were excited about was a joint meal and Reformation Day program with the Episcopalian Canterbury group on campus. We worshipped together, and during the Prayers of the People we nailed our challenges, our hopes and dreams, and our convictions for our communities of faith to a large, wooden door (a sight Martin Luther would have been proud to see). It was cathartic. And it was empowering. These young people have an important vision for the church. And we are blessed to have them as leaders in this synod!
