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SouthDakota State

UniversityLutheranCenterApril 2009

Highlights

Whos Pew?

2009 Spring

Break Trip

Renovation

Meet the Staff

Go Anywhere from Here ...I want to extend a

warm welcome to thosenew to SDSU and theUniversity LutheranCenter. Most studentscome with three ques-tions they want answeredby graduation: one they

obsess about, one theywonder about and oneew realized they evenhave.

Most obsess aboutwhat they will do, or whatGod wants them to dowith their lives. I this isa concern o yours be as-sured you stand in a longtradition o doubt and

uncertainty, both at theuniversity and in scrip-ture. About 80%

change their major atleast once. On average,college students changemajors three times overtheir college career.

Most wonder whotheir lie partner will be.Some nd them and the

relationship grows whilein college, others surviveheartbreaks as they learnwho they are and whatthey seek in a lie partner.For most, discoveringwho they are precedesdiscovering their liemate- and or most this hap-pens ater college.

Few realize the aith

and values they choose

while at college will shapethe rest o their lives. Wechoose what we devoteourselves to and, in turn,our lives and relation-ships are shaped by thesechoices.

Te ULC is a place

where these questionshold sway. We wonttell you the answers toall the knotty problems,but youll nd riendswho will walk with youon your aith journey.Everyone needs to nda place o belonging andrenewal i they want tomake a successul transi-

tion rom high school tocollege. Many nd theULC to be that place.

Monthly Service Opportunities

Habitat or Humanity SD State Penitentiary Harvest able Food Drives

Events:

Bible Studies

Book Discussions

Worship

Wed. at 9:00 p.m. Sun. at 11:00 a.m. Sun. at 7:00 p.m.

Inside this Issue

Greetings 1

Events 1

Finding Faith 2

Future Pastor 2

2009 Spring 3

Break Trip

Renovation 4

Peer Ministers 4

Pastor Bob Cell1404 8th St.Brookings, SD 57006(605) 692-4880

ulc@sdsulutheran.orgwww.sdsulutheran.org

ServingSearchingSupporting

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Whos in the Pew?Te heart o the ULC is wor-

ship. Sunday mornings, MidweekPraise and Celebration, HoldenEvening Prayer, or ChristmasCandlelight, provide two and o-ten three worships each week.

We recently added another op-portunity with a Sunday eveningworship to accommodate workingstudents or those traveling.

In addition to Pastor Bob Chelland Katie vedt, the oce man-ager, the ULC staf includes sevenstudent peer minisers.

Collin Otteson, music peerminister, is a junior music educa-

tion major rom Volga, SD. He

plans and coordinates ULC worships and special music.

Amy Hansmeier is a sopho-more nursing major rom Bristol,SD. As peer minister o hospital-ity, she coordinates those helpingwith worship and the preparation.

Krissa LeLaCheur, outreachpeer minister, is a junior politicalscience major rom Rapid City,SD. She invites new individualsto gain a deeper involvment andarranges social gatherings.

Keely Lawton, a junior humandevelopment and amily studiesmajor rom Inwood, IA, ullls

the service peer minister position.

She plans and organizes monthlyservice projects or the ULC.

Cory Koster, a senior historymajor rom Windom, MN, is theweb development peer minister.His duties include updating andmaintaining ULCs technology.

Claire Harstand, a junior inearly childhood education romRevillo, SD is the develpmentpeer minister. She correspondswith all SD congregations.

Emily Kuecker, a senior inspeech communications romWebster, SD. She is the public-ity peer minister, and inorms the

community o the ULC events.

Finding Faith: Patricia MurrillPeople come to college to

learn new things, develop new

Ater borrowing a ew booksrom his library, she elt she wasno longer a number, but an ac-cepted loved one o the church.

All the questions that seemeddumb to even ask because Ishould have known them by

now, were taken to heart by thepeople here at the ULC. Tismakes the ULC a great place togrow, no matter where you arein your spiritual journey towardsGod.

invited to the ULC by a riend.She had been around church-

es beore, but elt out o place.I dont eel judged here.

Tere are many places thatthrow stigmas and judge peopletoo quickly, which is one reason

why I didnt go to church beore.For Murrill her pivotal point

in the church was when PastorBob took time to answer ques-tions that had been puzzling heror years.

Everyone is called to serveGod in some orm. Cory Koster,

senior interdisciplinary stud-ies major and religion empha-sis, heard Gods calling andwill pursue a web developmentdegree and work at the Instituteo Lutheran echnology beoreattending seminary.

As a pastor, I want to workwith youth. Not only ocusingon the youth, I also want to help

all people in their aith and theirrelationship with God.

o jump start his path to min-istery, Cory has devoted timeand efort at the ULC by becom-ing the peer minister o websitedevelopment. He eels the ULCis extremely welcoming and pro-

vides a great environment.He wants to provide the same

opportunity or others to be-come involved in the Christian

community and develop theirrelationship with God. Above all,Cory believes the ULC has helpedhim grown in aith and will assisthim in his uture.

Future Pastor: Cory Koster

relations

and fnd

them-

selves.

Patricia

Murrill,a junior,

did all

three

after be-

ing

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Fifteen SDSU students traveled to Tijuana -

Tecate, Mexico during their spring break for a

service learning project.

Tijuana - Tecate, Mexico

2009 Spring Break Trip

2010 Spring Break Trip is ...

Page 3

These trips are dangerous,

said Pastor Bob Chell.Reading this statement one

might fall under the wrong impres-

sion. However, Pastor Bob really

meant was people come back to

SDSU with a new vision for life

and faith.

The 2009 service trip was to

one of the poorest regions in North

America: Baja, Mexico. Fifteen

students traveled to Baja to do

service projects such as dry wall-

ing, helping at an orphanage, and

working and learning from those

who live at the Tijuana dump.

To consider the trip a suc-

cess, Pastor Bob and Bill told meI would have more questions than

answers upon returning, said

Journalism Grad Tara Buehner.

The trip was not about convert-

ing people in Baja. Instead, the

conversion was in how students

thought about their faith and place

in the world.

Matt Tollefson, a junior ag edu-

cation major summed up, overall

the trip changed me from the in-

side out. The boys love exhibited

for each other and the Lord was

truly touching.

The ULC has a strong 16 year

history of making spring breaktrips possible for students. In

the past years, the ULC traveled

across the United States, Mexico,

and to Jamaica lending their hands,

listening ears and compassionate

heart.

The students have had the

opportunity to encounter differ-

ent cultures, make a connection

amongst themselves and above

everything strengthen their faith.

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Over the summer, ULCupdated the building tomake it more accessibleand useable. Te projectincluded an island or the

kitchen, wireless Internet,more study room andstorage space and handi-cap-accessible bathrooms.

It is a lot warmer andmore hospitable, PastorBob Chell said.

Te remodeling waspaid or by a ew sources.Te Evangelical Luther-

an Church in America(ELCA) supported theremodeling project byproviding $9,000. Alumniand riends donated ap-proximately $13,000.

Congregational gitspaid the remaining$13,000. Te student

ULC Receives Face LiftULC staf reported

more than 100 people at-tended the regular Sundayservice and 94 peoplestayed or the meal and

presentation.It was packed, said

Peer Minister o ServiceKeely Lawton, a junioramily and consumer sci-ence major rom Inwood,Iowa.

Te building is otenused as a meeting, class,study, and visiting space.

It is a good place tocome and hang out, saidLawton.

Te center is open oruse rom 8 a.m. until 10p.m., Monday throughTursday and 8 a.m. to 5p.m. on Fridays.

oferings o the rst Sunday o each month aregoing towards the debt.

During the Sunday worship service, Chellblessed the updated center.

Guests enjoy a delicious meal from Back-

yard BBQ during the ULC dedication.

Charee and Jim Housiaux were honoredwith gits, as well. Tey oversaw the projectand dedicate hours and efort to the updates.

Te University Lutheran Center (ULC) at South Dakota State University installed seven peerministers to serve during the 2008-2009 academic year.

A common goal unites the peer ministers to proide a community o aith, service, support andeducation to the college campus and community.

Te ULC is a ministry o the Evangelcal Lutheran Church in America and welomes all students.Sunday worship is held at 11:00 a.m. during the acadmeic year.

Peer Ministers

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Claire Harstad

Development

Collin Otteson

Worship & MusicKeely Lawton

ServiceKrissa LeLaCheur

Outreach

Cory Koster

Website

Amy Hansmeier

HospitalityEmily Kuecker

Publicity