A Hawkeye Welcome!
An invasion of backpacks and flip flops have appeared seemingly overnight in Iowa City. Each August, the summertime quiet of campus dissolves into a hubbub of activity and noise, as over 20,000 undergraduate students with 40,000 parents in tow head into town.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel is right in the midst of all the excitement. Welcome Week at St. Paul’s kicked off with a celebration of the Divine Service. On Opening Sunday, it’s all-hands-on-deck, as older students and congregation members greet newcomers. The fun architecture of St. Paul’s becomes a great conversation starter, as groups navigate the half-staircases and twisty hallways in search of the sanctuary. That evening the welcome continued with the annual picnic on the chapel’s front lawn. Frisbees and footballs sailed across the crowd as upperclassmen, new freshmen, and permanent congregation members feasted and began new friendships.
Campus ministry is never stagnant: the schedule always changes to accommodate new ideas, new plans, and new outreach. This year, the students asked for more mid-week worship opportunities. Each Wednesday morning the chapel now offers a 7:30 A.M. Holy Communion service which lasts only half of an hour. Evening Prayer has also been added at 7:30 P.M. on Wednesday night. Many students attend one or the other or both, in addition to Sunday mornings.
At St. Paul’s there’s also plenty of time for fun. “Softball and Slop,” the annual softball game got underway on the Friday of the first full week of class. Talent is completely optional for this event. After a few hours of athletic endeavor, everyone heads to Pastor Mons’ house to hang out and eat Sloppy Joes.
International Student Ministry continues to be a vital outreach at St. Paul’s. Newly commissioned Deaconess Angie Carriker serves as program director. Pontoon outings, Bible studies, cooking classes, and English conversation have all begun in earnest as the chapel welcomes newcomers from Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
