Reach Out on Campus at OU: April Update

Things are winding down around the ROC community and Ohio University for the academic year. April tends to be a busy time in the life of the ROC staff and students as we work to finish out another year and prepare everything for the fall. Last week our current and incoming student leaders put together the fall activities calendar. As we reflect on an amazing year of ministry, I can wholeheartedly tell you that based upon what they have planned, God has big things in store for the community this fall.

Speaking of reflecting, last Saturday evening at the ROC appreciation dinner we had a wonderful opportunity to hear and see some of the many ways God has blessed the community over the past year. The appreciation dinner has become one of my favorite events of the year because it allows us to share with the people who support ROC what the ministry in doing in the lives of students. We are so thankful for the generosity of the folks at Athens Church of Christ who allow us to use the church for the dinner. I also want to mention how much our Administrative Assistant Jean DiFilippo does for this event. She really is the unsung hero of the dinner as she does all the shopping, cooking, and prep work to make it happen.

Although we have just a few short weeks left, we have a lot going on. This weekend many of the ROC crew will be joining me in Columbus for the Ohio Teens for Christ convention. ROC students will be serving at the convention in a variety of ways including providing high school students with information about campus ministry. I’m looking forward to collaborating on a youth leader workshop with my good friend Seth Aldridge (Campus Minister at OSU) to talk to youth workers about helping their students transition to college.

This Wednesday Tim Anderson, Associate Director of Crossroads Missions will be joining us all the way from Louisville, KY. Tim will be sharing about what Crossroads is doing on a variety of mission fields and also to share about opportunities for student internships on those fields. ROC loves the partnership that we have formed over the past several years with Crossroads. This organization has been an incredible blessing to our ministry as I hope we have been to theirs as well.

The following weekend is ROC’s Year End Bash. This is the final event of our year and is a great opportunity to fellowship before finals, say good-bye to friends before the semester, reconnect with alumni, and say farewell to our graduating seniors. Gary and Joann McKibben from Athens Church of Christ have blessed the ROC community by hosting us the past several years at their pond just outside of Athens. Once again, we are so appreciative of their hospitality.

Once finals week hits the ROC House is transformed into a Finals Survival Station. We will have snacks, caffeinated beverages, quiet spaces to study, and comfy couches to nap on to help our students make it through a stressful week. The past couple years this has been a big hit, and many of our students are very thankful to have the space and small gestures of love and support to get them through the week.