Christmas in the Chaplaincy

Yesterday was the day we handed out campus care parcels at the university. For a month my admin assistant has been distributing grocery bags to south Alberta churches. The university has had a bunch made for us but this year the budget didn't allow that so Safeway generously donated a lot of their bags. Last week Beth started gathering up a lot of bags and some of the churches started dropping theirs off to Immanuel Lutheran who graciously offer their hall for our depot. I brought in the bags Ascension donated and some that were dropped off at my house from one of our rural congregations. Then Saturday a bunch of us sorted the bags. Yesterday was the day we distributed them! IVCF staff and students came and helped Maintenance load them all up and drive them down to the University where they unloaded them and then the fun began.

Students began lining up a half hour before we began the hand out and we managed to hand out 442!!! bags in 20 mins. An hour later when I checked my email there were two lovely messages from students thanking us for the food and the encouragement. I love my job!

Pictures are here on my personal blog.

A New Academic Year

Lots of great things happening this year with ECM. We've started the term with a bang - a kick off BBQ and a service to pray for our campuses. We are also in a new office at the university - you can find us in AH 173. It is a beautiful office and it has a window!

We meet in the office on Thursdays at 12:15 for worship (except tomorrow when we have an event in Counseling Services). We have also hired a student chaplain this year and she's full of energy. Sarah is organizing some social events for students on campus - details will be posted as things are firmed up. Our theology reading group is meeting as well to discuss Diogenes Allen's book, Theology for Troubled Believers.

Next Friday the university also installs our new president Mike Mahon and I hope folks come out to hear his vision for the university!

Over at the college we are planning a host of projects to support students. We have a new person working in on office on student retention and it has really lit a fire under us as we look for ways to help students succeed.

If anyone is interested in participating in our activities please feel free to email us!

Laptops in Education

This has been a different kind of term. I've been dealing with some health issues so haven't been on top of the blogging like usual. But here is an interesting piece on why laptops should be banned in the classroom.