College and Young Adult Ministry @ Good Sam
It is a new year and a new semester! Students and young adults are looking towards the spring. Some will be taking classes from home while others are preparing to move back onto campus. Those not taking classes are still navigating different work dynamics as state policies around COVD-19 shift and are revised. It may be a new year, but we are riding the same wave from 2020 until we reach shore.
Katie Staronka and I remain committed to facilitating safe, in-person ways for students and young adults to connect with others. The Commons will continue to be the location that enables us to do so. However, in compliance with the diocesan Phase 1 protocols, all of our gatherings for the month of January will be virtual. Monday hangouts will be from 6:30-7:30 on Zoom. Our Wednesday Night Vespers were previously bi-weekly but will now be weekly and serve as a time of prayer and contemplation. Our first vesper service will be January 13, 6:30-7:30pm on Instagram Live. To stay up to date with any changes in the world of college ministry at Good Sam, I invite you to follow us on Instagram (@goodsamaritancollegeministry).
There is one element I am particularly excited about as we move into 2021. It should come as no surprise that the CCO’s Jubilee Conference, which typically gathers thousands of college students on the convention floors of Pittsburgh, will be virtual this spring. Here is the exciting part: Church of the Good Samaritan will be a Jubilee 2021 site! This means that on February 27, 2021, you are invited to join us in the sanctuary to watch Jubilee together. Not only that, if you are a college student, young adult, or high school senior, you can use the code goodsam at check out to register for free! If you are unable to make it on February 27, or you do not feel comfortable gathering with others, that is more than okay. You can still register with the code goodsam and view the Jubilee content at home and at your convenience any time after it goes live! We are committed to making this event safe and accessible for everyone who is interested, whether you join us in person or from the comfort of your home. You can register at https://www.jubileeconference.com. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at dan.edwards@good-samaritan.org.
Last spring, I asked a graduating senior who was engaged about how her wedding plans were progressing. She responded “Dan, you’ll find this hard to believe, but there are no Pinterest boards for a pandemic wedding.” Likewise, 10 months ago there were few to no points of reference for pandemic ministry. Yet we have kept trying and improvising, putting our heart into each attempt but holding all things loosely. In all things, we set our eyes to Christ, and in doing so pray that we see the world through Christ’s eyes.
On behalf of the College and Young Adults Ministry, I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and encouragement over the past semester and during this pandemic as a whole. Church of the Good Samaritan has always been a beacon and refuge for college students and young adults as they navigate the transitions of early adulthood. That is in no small part because of you, the broader community of Good Sam. Katie and I are privileged to do the work we do because you believe in that mission. Once more, thank you.