Campus Ministry ‘home away from home’

By Gus Bode

Leaving home for school does not always mean leaving a church home.

The Campus Ministries Association, led by Pastor Robert Gray, is a grouping of 11 religious organizations in Carbondale. The association reaches out to students and keeps them religiously involved. Over the last month CMA, and its individual organizations, has been trying to put its name in front of returning students at SIUC and John A. Logan College.

Since Carbondale is a diverse community, some of the religious groups are attempting to bring in more minorities.

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“We try to be open to everybody,” said Sherry Smedshammer, director of the Wesley Foundation.

Smedshammer said the Wesley Foundation is open to young adults, but specifically targets its publicity toward students at SIUC and John A. Logan. The foundation sets up a table in the Student Center and publishes advertisements in the newspaper to reach students.

“The majority of students we end up attracting are United Methodist in background… and they bring their friends. That’s where our diversity comes in,” Smedshammer said.

Other congregations appeal to minorities in a more direct approach. Pastor Eric Wood at Our Savior Lutheran Church conducts an all Chinese-spoken worship service and Bible study on Sundays.

“They are so open and curious to Christianity. That’s why our own ministry has developed,” Gray said.

Gray, who is also head pastor for Our Savior Lutheran, said his congregation began reaching out to the Chinese demographic after an apartment complex fire in 1992, which was home for several Asian tenants. Gray said he began to see victims of the fire asking questions about why such an event could occur.

Walnut Street Baptist Church offers Korean services on Sundays and Wednesdays. Pastor Wes Henson denied comment.

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Joe Brown is director of the Hillel Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, which is the only non-Christian group with CMA. Wednesday night had special services for the 15 students who regularly attend Hillel’s services to celebrate Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year. Over the next week, Hillel will be having various activities to celebrate one of the holiest holidays in Judaism.

When it is not holy week, Hillel regularly offers dinners before Shabbat – or Friday night – services as well as a variety of recreational activities. Such activities have included: a John Madden football video game and Texas Hold ’em Tournament, Middle-Eastern food nights and Kosher Hot Dog Thursdays.

One activity Brown said he is excited about is an attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records amount of Dreidel’s spinning. The hope is to have 500 students of any denomination gathered in a circle spinning the cube-shaped toy.

At this point, only Judaism and Christianity are involved with CMA. However, there are also Islamic, Church of Scientology and non-denominational centers in Carbondale.

Daily Egyptian writer Barton Lorimor can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 274 or [email protected]

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