Emma is a dedicated, disciplined student- perhaps not surprising as someone who grew up in a military family. As an accounting major, Emma also finds time to write books and large volumes of fan fiction.Emma is meticulous with her time as a commuter student at OSU in the honors college, usually focused on the practicalities of her academic education.
Most of her days are either spent at school in classes and doing homework, or at home with family. Emma is active in her home congregation, serving on her church council. But Emma still felt disconnected from her congregation. “I missed having other religious people around my age.” She had bursts of interest in faith, but it wasn’t a constant in her life. “I took [my faith] out on Sundays but didn’t think about it otherwise.”Emma’s parents encouraged her to check out the Lutheran-Episcopal campus ministry.
One rainy day during finals, she wandered into Luther House where she discovered a cozy home, welcoming staff, and hot chocolate. At pub theology nights, Emma found connection with other students. “I can express my faith and what is important to me.” She remembers the conversations about faith backgrounds and faith journeys “eased me in, emotionally.”Pub theology continues to be a place Emma feels comfortable sharing her journey of faith, including frustrations about church, the importance of her family in her faith, and the joy of an inclusive and affirming faith community of young adults.Emma feels a connection with her faith and her whole life. “My faith is not quarantined from the rest of my life.”
Emma seeks out podcasts from progressive Christian content creators online who share affirming values. She reads more, listens more, and is confident to share more openly and more often about her faith with her peers.
Thank you for supporting the important work of campus ministry that allows students like Emma to dive into interesting conversations about faith, and form immediate connections and relationships with other young adults.
Nate likes clothing, and he is proud to be from Corvallis (“the best Pac 12 town in the country”). As a student at Oregon State University, Nate found home in the apparel design department.
Nate grew up at Grace Lutheran in Corvallis, and to him, Luther House always felt like another possible home. Growing up, Nate found himself solo in the church’s youth ministry cohort and one of the few young adults in his home congregation. “As much as my own faith was molded and shaped in times before Luther House, I still was incredibly isolated; I knew a [faith community] was out there.”
“I came to Luther House looking for the God that loves His community as they come.” As one of a handful of students in a fallow period of Luther House, Nate has been a part of building a community where students know they are loved and they belong. “I heard the yearning for the table, and felt it in myself and grew into that with a community of young adults.” There has been a lot of growth and change happening at Luther House-, not only for the student community, but for Nate as well.
At Luther House, Nate does church things he always wanted to do, like preach, teach, and set the table for communion. Luther House has deep roots for Nate in his story of faith; he is connected to the people who have come before him in faith around the table. The campus ministry offers Nate many opportunities to lead and learn, particularly organizing with his community around climate resilience in the practice of loving his neighbors, preaching at local congregations, and writing liturgy.
Nate continues to grow into a life engaged in faith and justice because of the Eucharistic table. Thanks to Luther House, Nate is confident in the integrity of his life of faith to meet Christ in everyone along the journey.
Thank you for supporting our pastoral accompaniment of students like Nate in their baptismal vocations to live as children of God, proud OSU students, and future fashion designers.
Hopeful expectations. You don’t hear that much these days. There is so much fear and division dominating the stories and narratives shared in our news outlets that any sense of hope and burgeoning growth is hard to come by. It can be hard to feel rooted into any real sense of purpose or vision.
But not for Eric. “We are going to show up, because we know our why. Our why is to do acts of compassion. Our why is a binding together instead of loosening.” This was how former board chair and champion Luther House supporter described the mission and direction of the student ministry here at Oregon State.
Eric went on to say that churches and ministries cannot stay the same. Already so much has changed, but that change can actually be a catalyst for dreams and reimagining! Eric understands the transformative power of embracing and living into change, “We are ready for change. The great victory of realizing that we can change! Demonstrate a pathway forward, with new measurements for success….actually a moment of great hope.”
We know Eric is always up for an adventure and challenge of change- he has been a pilot since 15 and even hiked to the basecamp of Everest!
We are so thankful that Eric continues to show up and support Luther House as a foundation where students and the community can ask questions, live and experiment with the changing political and religious landscape, and be bound closer together.
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