The Center for Vocational Reflection was established at Threehouse: A Wesley Foundation in Cedar Falls through a generous grant from the Lilly Family Foundation. The primary rationale for it's creation is to promote opportunities for the students to reflect on 3 topics - 1) What gives life meaning, 2) Questions/experiences of vocational reflection and 3) Meaningful service to the community. The CVR's mission is to help UNI students live lives of greater purpose and authenticity through listening, discovering and serving.
Relevant Parker Palmer quotes:
Listening - "Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am."
Discovering - "Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess."
Serving - "Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks-we will also find our path of authentic service in the world."
Relevant Parker Palmer quotes:
Listening - "Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am."
Discovering - "Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess."
Serving - "Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks-we will also find our path of authentic service in the world."
I started attending worship on Wednesday nights at the Wesley Center on campus towards the beginning of this year. I grew up in a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church which, being gay, was not the healthiest of experiences. I never considered myself very close to God and when I came out my freshman year of college, I questioned many things about my faith. My family was not supportive of my lifestyle because of their faith, which made it even more difficult to sort out my relationship with God. Throughout college I did not attend a church regularly until I started coming to the Wesley Center my junior year. The Threehouse quickly became a comfortable place for me and with continued encouragement from my boyfriend, who also attended the Threehouse regularly, I grew in my faith substantially over the year.
I believe that God puts everyone on this earth for a purpose and a big road block I had in my faith was why God would create me as a gay man if it was considered a sin. I did not choose to be gay, so what was my purpose? One Wednesday night service at the Wesley Center I had what I could only describe as an epiphany. I had never before in my life heard God speak to me so clearly. I realized that God did not make me gay to make me happier or for any other self-fulfilling reason. God made me gay to help my family and other families who struggle with this same issue. He put me here to show his love and acceptance of all people through what I say and do. God blessed me with an inner peace of who I am and I want to help others find that same peace within them.
Church groups should welcome people in when they are having troubles with their faith, not reject them. The Wesley Center was that welcoming group of people that nurtured me as I grew in my faith. I will forever be grateful for the people at the Threehouse who accepted me for who I was. It is through their acceptance that I can share my story with others and continue to spread that same message of acceptance.
I believe that God puts everyone on this earth for a purpose and a big road block I had in my faith was why God would create me as a gay man if it was considered a sin. I did not choose to be gay, so what was my purpose? One Wednesday night service at the Wesley Center I had what I could only describe as an epiphany. I had never before in my life heard God speak to me so clearly. I realized that God did not make me gay to make me happier or for any other self-fulfilling reason. God made me gay to help my family and other families who struggle with this same issue. He put me here to show his love and acceptance of all people through what I say and do. God blessed me with an inner peace of who I am and I want to help others find that same peace within them.
Church groups should welcome people in when they are having troubles with their faith, not reject them. The Wesley Center was that welcoming group of people that nurtured me as I grew in my faith. I will forever be grateful for the people at the Threehouse who accepted me for who I was. It is through their acceptance that I can share my story with others and continue to spread that same message of acceptance.
Greetings,
This is the beginning of one of the busiest times for college students. With the pressure of project deadlines, exams, dead week and finals, it is easy for students to feel overwhelmed. In the midst of all of the stress, Wesley Foundations provide a safe place for students to center themselves spiritually with worship and fellowship. Here are some of the ways that Wesley Foundations are enriching the lives of students in Iowa this month.
One of the many ways we are engaged in ministry with the UNI Community is through providing space for the Culture and Intensive English Program (CIEP) Conversation Partner program with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). In this video we see an example of the hospitality we are able to provide this important experience because we have a well maintained, attractive building close to campus. It is also worth noting that several of the volunteers shown are active members of neighboring/partner UM Congregations in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area.
This is the beginning of one of the busiest times for college students. With the pressure of project deadlines, exams, dead week and finals, it is easy for students to feel overwhelmed. In the midst of all of the stress, Wesley Foundations provide a safe place for students to center themselves spiritually with worship and fellowship. Here are some of the ways that Wesley Foundations are enriching the lives of students in Iowa this month.
One of the many ways we are engaged in ministry with the UNI Community is through providing space for the Culture and Intensive English Program (CIEP) Conversation Partner program with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). In this video we see an example of the hospitality we are able to provide this important experience because we have a well maintained, attractive building close to campus. It is also worth noting that several of the volunteers shown are active members of neighboring/partner UM Congregations in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area.
Thank you for your support of the campus ministry facilities and experiences which we are able to provide to the UNI community.
Dave Glenn-Burns
Threehouse: A Wesley Foundation
Dave Glenn-Burns
Threehouse: A Wesley Foundation
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From Threehouse Music Director, Ben Owen, after the, March 8th, Threehouse Hymn Festival "Singing Together ". 30+ UNI students in the choir, a brass quintet, soloists and an organ performed together at Cedar Falls 1st UMC. The free will offering will be split between Imagine No Malaria and covering expenses.
Singers, I'm sitting cross-legged, barefoot, in a suit, on my apartment floor and eating the remnant of a calzone my mom bought me. There's a couple of days worth of textbooks layered around me. My recital rehearsal went well. I accidentally left my car at the Threehouse. I refuse to do my homework. |
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This is not how I pictured transcension, but here we are.
I hope you are all still basking in the after-glow of glory from today's festival. I hesitate to call it a performance. Sure, we sang the notes, rhythms, and dynamics in front of a group of people that hadn't seen our rehearsals - but "performance" has a certain inauthentic undertone that doesn't match with what we did this afternoon. "Presentation" sounds pragmatic. "Concert" sounds stilted. I felt as if we entered into some sort of musical-emotional exchange with both each other and with those who attended. It reminded me of the all-together natural and pre-nostalgic event of sharing a meal with those that I love. Maybe we can call it a "Communion".
Consider this - we are a group of wide spectrums:
Freshman-MA Graduate, Little musical experience-lots of experience, logical-emotional, gay-straight, conservative-liberal, stoic-dramatic, faithless-faithful.
Despite these differences, in a half-semester's time we came together and created a musically excellent, community enriching, and beautifully spiritual....communion. Do realize that this is against all odds.
Similarly, consider our attending counterparts. Some came to enjoy, some came to simply experience, and some came to heal (whether they knew it or not). We took part in all of these functions, today. People experienced joy. People experienced healing. You could see it, right? This, too, was against all odds.
This is a formative musical experience for me. I'm glad that you are all indispensable portions of it. Thank you for your volunteered time. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your willingness to invest yourselves.
Create your own opportunities. Sing when you're happy. Sing when you're sad.
Above all, sing together.
-Ben
I hope you are all still basking in the after-glow of glory from today's festival. I hesitate to call it a performance. Sure, we sang the notes, rhythms, and dynamics in front of a group of people that hadn't seen our rehearsals - but "performance" has a certain inauthentic undertone that doesn't match with what we did this afternoon. "Presentation" sounds pragmatic. "Concert" sounds stilted. I felt as if we entered into some sort of musical-emotional exchange with both each other and with those who attended. It reminded me of the all-together natural and pre-nostalgic event of sharing a meal with those that I love. Maybe we can call it a "Communion".
Consider this - we are a group of wide spectrums:
Freshman-MA Graduate, Little musical experience-lots of experience, logical-emotional, gay-straight, conservative-liberal, stoic-dramatic, faithless-faithful.
Despite these differences, in a half-semester's time we came together and created a musically excellent, community enriching, and beautifully spiritual....communion. Do realize that this is against all odds.
Similarly, consider our attending counterparts. Some came to enjoy, some came to simply experience, and some came to heal (whether they knew it or not). We took part in all of these functions, today. People experienced joy. People experienced healing. You could see it, right? This, too, was against all odds.
This is a formative musical experience for me. I'm glad that you are all indispensable portions of it. Thank you for your volunteered time. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your willingness to invest yourselves.
Create your own opportunities. Sing when you're happy. Sing when you're sad.
Above all, sing together.
-Ben
Students are wrapping up their mid-terms and beginning to look ahead to their summer and fall plans. Some students will be registering for their summer or fall courses, while others are searching for jobs upon graduation.
On April 13th and 14th, Wesley will be traveling to Pictured Rocks for our spring retreat! During this trip we will be taking part in rock climbing, helping with service project by building an outdoor labyrinth, and taking part in many other exciting adventures (though I think the students are most excited about the great food that will be available during this process). There are many students signed up to attend this trip so far!
We are working hard to make preparations to announce our name change at the beginning of the Fall 2013 semester. Our ministry and marketing consultant is working hard at preparing content for the new website that will correspond with the name change. We hope the change will bring in new groups of UNI students to expand our campus ministry. We are targeting UNI students who are seeking a safe place to explore their faith, conventional thinkers who are used to playing it "safe" but are interested in "breaking out of the mold," those who want a place of their own to feel accepted, and artists looking for a place to explore the intersection of art and faith. As always we will maintain the message that all are welcome in our place of worship. The core of the Wesley Foundation will be unchanged but the new name may inspire changes in the way we are presented. Thus, the new name will be Threehouse: A Wesley Foundation. With much debate (as expected), this exciting new change is being fully embraced and welcome by students and faculty who are currently associated with the Wesley Foundation.
We have history of working with various consultants every few years to better our ministry in different ways. These consultants often build on one another to create fresh new ideas. The idea of Wesley being a "Third Place" actually came from a consultant a few years back, and we built on that concept to develop the name Threehouse. Threehouse derives from the combination of the terms "tree house" and "third place." Third places are neutral locations and often a home away from home. A tree house, a similar representation of a third place, is a playful space in the environment in which children (and playful adults) often go for fun and comfort. The number three is also a divine number with many biblical references. Overall we want students of this campus ministry to feel like they are, "rooted in faith, free to branch out."
On April 13th and 14th, Wesley will be traveling to Pictured Rocks for our spring retreat! During this trip we will be taking part in rock climbing, helping with service project by building an outdoor labyrinth, and taking part in many other exciting adventures (though I think the students are most excited about the great food that will be available during this process). There are many students signed up to attend this trip so far!
We are working hard to make preparations to announce our name change at the beginning of the Fall 2013 semester. Our ministry and marketing consultant is working hard at preparing content for the new website that will correspond with the name change. We hope the change will bring in new groups of UNI students to expand our campus ministry. We are targeting UNI students who are seeking a safe place to explore their faith, conventional thinkers who are used to playing it "safe" but are interested in "breaking out of the mold," those who want a place of their own to feel accepted, and artists looking for a place to explore the intersection of art and faith. As always we will maintain the message that all are welcome in our place of worship. The core of the Wesley Foundation will be unchanged but the new name may inspire changes in the way we are presented. Thus, the new name will be Threehouse: A Wesley Foundation. With much debate (as expected), this exciting new change is being fully embraced and welcome by students and faculty who are currently associated with the Wesley Foundation.
We have history of working with various consultants every few years to better our ministry in different ways. These consultants often build on one another to create fresh new ideas. The idea of Wesley being a "Third Place" actually came from a consultant a few years back, and we built on that concept to develop the name Threehouse. Threehouse derives from the combination of the terms "tree house" and "third place." Third places are neutral locations and often a home away from home. A tree house, a similar representation of a third place, is a playful space in the environment in which children (and playful adults) often go for fun and comfort. The number three is also a divine number with many biblical references. Overall we want students of this campus ministry to feel like they are, "rooted in faith, free to branch out."
It's hard to believe that the spring semester of 2013 is half over! Students are working hard to study for their exams and complete their mid-term projects. Wesley has also been working hard at concluding our Rebuild and Renovate capital campaign to bring in the funds we need. One important part of this was being selected as the recipient of the fall '12 Bishop's Builder's Call. All of the donations and funds received will be about $33,000. This puts us in position to pay off our loan within the original three-year goal of the capital campaign.
Some more exciting news: Since the remodel, 86 new groups have used Wesley facilities, with 10 to 15 of those being regular users. There were 171 new people who donated to our capital campaign.
This month we have continued our weekly trips to help with the Reinbeck youth group. We invited them to take part in the Living Last Supper worship with the Independence United Methodist Church. A few men from the Independence UMC came to Wesley and performed the last supper for us.
As discussed in our last article, we have had many new events come about this semester. Our music director, Joseph Carey, has organized some outstanding concerts in his "Intersections" series this semester. The first concert, Music+Dance, had a great turnout and took place on February 23rd. Participating choreographers and composers at this concert presented five-minute pieces that had been put together for the first time at the performance, with no prior communication beforehand. The second concert, Music+Word, took place on March 10th. For this concert, composers were each given the same poem and then performed them side-by-side to explore each individual style. This concert had an even better turnout than the first! The last concert, Music+Film, takes place on May 5th and will be showing two films from local filmmakers with music from local performers. The first two concerts have been a success and we are looking forward to the third!
Mike Redington's two new series called "This Sucks" and "Taste of Silent Prayer" have taken off as well. "This Sucks" allows people who are dealing with the loss of a loved one come in and discuss their feelings or listen to others in a relaxed environment. Mike has also worked hard with Mary Martin Lane, an actively retired educator, to provide a silent prayer experience for individuals in the community. Centering prayer, welcoming prayer, and body prayer were combined with a food item to create a peaceful experience for all on these three Thursday evenings. One participant said, "I haven't really had a time to relax and clear my mind since the semester started in January, so it was really great to have this moment to wind down and just breathe a little bit!"
For future plans we are looking forward to a weekend spring retreat at Pictured Rocks, and are excited to see what new worship ideas and projects we can come up with! We have had a great semester, and are looking forward to many new and exciting experiences to come!"
Some more exciting news: Since the remodel, 86 new groups have used Wesley facilities, with 10 to 15 of those being regular users. There were 171 new people who donated to our capital campaign.
This month we have continued our weekly trips to help with the Reinbeck youth group. We invited them to take part in the Living Last Supper worship with the Independence United Methodist Church. A few men from the Independence UMC came to Wesley and performed the last supper for us.
As discussed in our last article, we have had many new events come about this semester. Our music director, Joseph Carey, has organized some outstanding concerts in his "Intersections" series this semester. The first concert, Music+Dance, had a great turnout and took place on February 23rd. Participating choreographers and composers at this concert presented five-minute pieces that had been put together for the first time at the performance, with no prior communication beforehand. The second concert, Music+Word, took place on March 10th. For this concert, composers were each given the same poem and then performed them side-by-side to explore each individual style. This concert had an even better turnout than the first! The last concert, Music+Film, takes place on May 5th and will be showing two films from local filmmakers with music from local performers. The first two concerts have been a success and we are looking forward to the third!
Mike Redington's two new series called "This Sucks" and "Taste of Silent Prayer" have taken off as well. "This Sucks" allows people who are dealing with the loss of a loved one come in and discuss their feelings or listen to others in a relaxed environment. Mike has also worked hard with Mary Martin Lane, an actively retired educator, to provide a silent prayer experience for individuals in the community. Centering prayer, welcoming prayer, and body prayer were combined with a food item to create a peaceful experience for all on these three Thursday evenings. One participant said, "I haven't really had a time to relax and clear my mind since the semester started in January, so it was really great to have this moment to wind down and just breathe a little bit!"
For future plans we are looking forward to a weekend spring retreat at Pictured Rocks, and are excited to see what new worship ideas and projects we can come up with! We have had a great semester, and are looking forward to many new and exciting experiences to come!"
University of Northern Iowa
A lot is happening around the UNI Wesley Foundation this semester! There are many events unfolding as the semester pushes forward. Whether it's through the Third Friday Food Tour or the weekly community council lunch, students are getting involved at Wesley. We kicked off the semester with some outstanding worship on Wednesday nights, and even got to hear some jazz music in between the message during a service!
There are a few exciting new additions to the Wesley staff! Mike Redington comes from a background of spiritual leadership and has come to Wesley to encourage life direction and listen to students who may need someone to help guide them in their spiritual journey. We do not yet have an official title for his position at Wesley, but his positive attitude and many contributions to Wesley are greatly valued! Mike's current project takes place over three Thursdays beginning February 28th called "A Taste of Silent Prayer." In this project, there will be sampling of food that relates to the type of prayer that day, followed by an hour of prayer. The first will be centering prayer or meditation, followed by welcoming prayer, followed by body prayer.
We also have a new Communications Assistant, a position added just this semester, who works on our weekly newsletter, website, publicity, other social media, and any other communication items that need to be carried out. Macie Anderson, a senior at UNI majoring in Psychology with a minor in Gerontology, does this and also interns at Western Home Retirement Communities in Cedar Falls to find ways to create ties between Wesley and the Western Home. She is excited to be helping with projects and assisting with several different events for her internship. This month she is also working to bring Wesley students to the Western Home Valentine's Day dance and other events.
Joseph Carey, a music composition graduate student at UNI, is our new music director and has brought in many new talents to worship on Wednesday nights! Jazz musicians and other musical talents have filled up our worship with some glorious sounds! Right now Joe is planning and recruiting for his concert series called "Intersections." For the first concert, music+dance, participating choreographers and composers will present five-minute pieces that have been put together for the first time at the performance itself, with no prior communication or sharing. For the second concert, music+word, composers will all set the same short poems. These short settings will then be performed side-by-side, to explore the different ways of approaching the poems and each composer's individual style. The third concert, music+film, will feature a showing of two short films from local filmmakers, with new music by local composers, performed and recorded by local performers.
We are embracing the exciting new changes happening at the Wesley Foundation. Throughout this semester we have emphasized that the people, leadership, and relationships built through the Wesley Foundation are even more important than the many events that take place. The semester has gotten off to a great start and we are looking forward to many new events and changes to come!
There are a few exciting new additions to the Wesley staff! Mike Redington comes from a background of spiritual leadership and has come to Wesley to encourage life direction and listen to students who may need someone to help guide them in their spiritual journey. We do not yet have an official title for his position at Wesley, but his positive attitude and many contributions to Wesley are greatly valued! Mike's current project takes place over three Thursdays beginning February 28th called "A Taste of Silent Prayer." In this project, there will be sampling of food that relates to the type of prayer that day, followed by an hour of prayer. The first will be centering prayer or meditation, followed by welcoming prayer, followed by body prayer.
We also have a new Communications Assistant, a position added just this semester, who works on our weekly newsletter, website, publicity, other social media, and any other communication items that need to be carried out. Macie Anderson, a senior at UNI majoring in Psychology with a minor in Gerontology, does this and also interns at Western Home Retirement Communities in Cedar Falls to find ways to create ties between Wesley and the Western Home. She is excited to be helping with projects and assisting with several different events for her internship. This month she is also working to bring Wesley students to the Western Home Valentine's Day dance and other events.
Joseph Carey, a music composition graduate student at UNI, is our new music director and has brought in many new talents to worship on Wednesday nights! Jazz musicians and other musical talents have filled up our worship with some glorious sounds! Right now Joe is planning and recruiting for his concert series called "Intersections." For the first concert, music+dance, participating choreographers and composers will present five-minute pieces that have been put together for the first time at the performance itself, with no prior communication or sharing. For the second concert, music+word, composers will all set the same short poems. These short settings will then be performed side-by-side, to explore the different ways of approaching the poems and each composer's individual style. The third concert, music+film, will feature a showing of two short films from local filmmakers, with new music by local composers, performed and recorded by local performers.
We are embracing the exciting new changes happening at the Wesley Foundation. Throughout this semester we have emphasized that the people, leadership, and relationships built through the Wesley Foundation are even more important than the many events that take place. The semester has gotten off to a great start and we are looking forward to many new events and changes to come!