Northwestern College is ranked one of the best colleges for spiritual enrichment, according to Christianity Today, and Campus Ministry helps make the statistic possible.
To kick off the year, Campus Ministry held a retreat in the Black Hills, partnering with Student Activities Council (SAC), from Aug. 31 – Sep. 2.
“I enjoyed our worship services, small group discussions, stargazing, hiking, swimming in a lake, visiting Mount Rushmore and the intentional Christ-centered relationships I had with friends,” Apartment Discipleship Coordinator Rachel Henriksen said. “I got to talk with freshmen and other upperclassmen that I otherwise might not have connected with.”
Justice and Service Coordinator Norah Beekhuizen also went on the Black Hills Retreat. Similar to Henriksen, she enjoyed getting to know first-year and upper-class students that she would not have been able to meet otherwise.
“A fun thing I did was go on an ‘off-roading’ hike with some people to a hidden swimming spot. We only got to swim for about five minutes, but it was still so fun,” she said.
Spring Service Partnership (SSP) Leadership Applications opened recently, and applications to participate in an SSP will be available towards the end of the semester. Students can serve domestically and internationally.
“My SSP experience was amazing,” Beekhuizen said. “It is a great time to get connected with missions/organizations across the country – and even the world – and just to give back to the community. Also, you meet so many amazing people that will be lifelong friends.”
Discipleship Groups (D-Groups) are kicking off across campus. Henriksen enjoys the “fruitfulness” D-Groups offer. “When considering if it is worth the time commitment, remember that there will be no other time in your life when you are surrounded by so many opportunities to strengthen your faith, especially with people your age,” Henriksen said. “These are the four years to really dive in, ask some tough faith questions, and be uplifted by an encouraging group of people. I encourage everyone to advantage of the D-Group opportunities to lean more into God.”
D-Groups are a once-a-week commitment, but students do not need to attend every week. “Your leaders…would be happy to see you every other week,” Henriksen said.
Beekhuizen enjoys the connections created during D-Groups.“It is so unique that you get to do a weekly devotion with the people you live with and spend so much time with,” Beekhuizen said. “I loved being able to know the girls around me on a deeper level and just having a group of people I could ask hard faith questions.”
Praise and Worship began their regular season on Sunday, Sep. 8. Henriksen loved how full the pews were on Sunday night. “I enjoy how welcoming the environment always feels, and it’s sweet to hear about other students’ faith journeys during P&W nights,” Henriksen said. “I continually feel ‘filled up’ after worship services at NW.”
A plethora of worship opportunities are available at NW. “I appreciate that Northwestern has so many ways to worship,” Beekhuizen said. “Whether it be P&W, service projects, chapel, or other creative opportunities, students of all types can find ways to worship that they love and are comfortable with.”
