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September 2013

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A New Year, a New Opportunity

By Claudia Aguilar, MDIV '11 Associate Director of Recruitment and Student Services
and Monica Wedlock, MDIV '07, THM '13, Director of Admissions and Recruitment


A new year, how exciting! The smell of new books, purchasing highlighters and cool notebooks, and planning all the student groups and activities I would join was so exciting. Starting seminary is not always necessarily that exciting. For some, it is more nerve-wrecking: making tough financial decisions, leaving a home, friends, and family, making new friends and after a couple months or years or decades of being out of college, readjusting to life as a student. It is a heavy load and sometimes, one can feel that it is more than one can take. But this year we tried something new with our Fall Student Orientation and ultimately we were made to look at things through a different perspective.

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them,” (Matthew 18:20). Clearly, Jesus knew that our journey with God is not supposed to be a lonely walk, it is a communal one. And the journey of the class of 2013 started as it should have: walking together. Our orientation was held in two sites: on campus and at the Calvin Center, a conference center located 40 miles away from Decatur. Beginning with a scavenger hunt, we walked together in our attempt to find different places on campus; we prayed and worshipped God together; we shared a meal together while exploring the meaning of resilience and imagination in ministry; we laughed together while riding together to the Calvin Center; we created strong bonds with one another during team building challenges; we gathered among the stars and rejoiced together in God’s creation at the campfire; and we learned together what it will take to be healthy during this journey. And in the middle of all of these activities, we discerned God’s call for us... in community.

Community. If you ask anyone what's at the heart of Columbia Seminary, this one common theme would emerge. Sometimes thought of as a bit clich� and perhaps obvious in a place where formation for ministry is its reason for existence, but the concept of community is often taken for granted. Most of us think we know what it is, but it's not until we actually experience it that we begin to have just a small glimpse of what community is really about. At Columbia, we've been doing a lot of reflecting lately about who we are and who we desire to be. The faces of Columbia have changed dramatically over the last few years. We are more multi-racial and multi-ethnic. We are more international. We are more ecumenical. We are broader in our concept of vocational ministry. We are more imaginative and resilient as it relates to the changes happening in the church and the global community. We represent over 15 Christian traditions, people from all regions of the U.S., and international students from 6 countries. And yet, at the same time, we maintain our foundation of being rooted and grounded in the Reformed tradition. Everyone talks about the church changing; we are the church changing.

Ultimately, it’s not so much about what we do around here. Like so many other seminaries, we prepare people for ministry. But the difference at Columbia is we are constantly seeking who God wants us to be. Come experience this new year at Columbia! Consider being a part of a new opportunity!

CONNECT WITH US
Monica Wedlock
Director of Admissions and Recruitment
404.687.4516
WedlockM@CTSnet.edu
Claudia Aguilar
Associate Director of Recruitment
404.687.4664
AguilarC@CTSnet.edu
Matt Rich
Staff Associate Admissions
404.687.4517
RichM@CTSnet.edu