The Center for Civic Engagement is hosting several service projects on Saturday, January 14th as part of OSU’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Weeklong Celebration. This is part of the 25th Annual MLK Day of Service. On Saturday, January 14th we will come together to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy and help further his dream by serving our neighbors and communities. MLK Day is a perfect opportunity for Americans to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of strong communities.

Students, staff, and faculty are invited to take part in service projects throughout the morning at various nonprofits in Corvallis as well as in the large food collection project taking place in the afternoon from 1:00pm – 3:30pm. All transportation will be provided and all projects will meet at McAlexander Fieldhouse.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”

REGISTER FOR PROJECTS HERE: https://surveys.bus.oregonstate.edu/main.aspx?SurveyID=4727.

Blessings to all of you who survived HvZ and Halloween celebrations – and extra blessings to those of you who are not sure that you have survived and are waiting for feedback about your status (consider yourself blessed). With Halloween over, morning frost on the windshield, and colorful palette of autumn leaves, winter seems to be near. If a hot cup of tea or cocoa and a cozy couch seem inviting, then consider yourself invited to find them at WestM. And let me know how I may be of support as this term picks up speed on the downhill side. Here is what’s up around WestM this week:

Wednesday and Thursday, 11/2&3, OSU Diversity Summit II: [c.a.r.e] harmonize our voices; transform the world
Check out this 2-day Conference on campus (see url below). I extend a special invitation for a workshop Wednesday morning, 10:30 – 11:45 AM in the Willamette B room of the CH2M-Hill OSU Alumni Center (across from the football stadium and next to LaSells-Stewart Center). A World of Faith will feature a panel of students representing a variety of faith traditions sharing what their faith community teaches about the practice of caring, compassion, and social justice. Our own Nate Broussard will be a member of the panel.
http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/care/programs/

Looking ahead to next week:

Monday, 11/7, 7 PM, MU Journey Room Translating Paul’s Letters Again As If for the First Time
WestM is sponsoring this presentation featuring the Rev. Dr. Lane McGaughy, a New Testament scholar and expert on biblical Greek language. Lane is co-author and co-translator of a new book featuring the authentic letters of the Apostle Paul in new translation. If you have ever wondered about the challenges and questions faced by folks who translate the Bible from its original Greek and Hebrew, this will be an interesting session. Lane is a great guy whom I got to know when he was active in a church I served in Salem. He was a professor of Religious Studies at Willamette Univ. and he volunteered as coach of our high school boy’s city league basketball team.

Tuesday, 11/8, 3 PM to 7 PM Stone Soup Kitchen
Share in this ministry of feeding the hungry of our community. Tim Stover will offer supervision as we (student volunteers) prepare and serve a meal to our guests. You may volunteer for either or both of our two work shifts: 3-5 PM for food prep and dining room set ups; 5-7 PM for serving the meal and cleaning up afterward. Email Tim to volunteer.

Welcome back to campus or, if you are new, welcome to OSU and the beginning of the new school year.  We look forward to seeing you and welcoming you in person.  As you are settling in over these next few weeks, we invite you to share in any or all of the following:

Monday through Friday each week, 9 AM to 6 PM:  You are welcome to WestM (the building) to find a quiet spot close to campus and suitable for a nap, studying between classes, meeting study partners, enjoying some tea of cocoa, space for prayer and meditation, or a conversation with Tim Stover, our campus minister.

Sundays each week:  Our ministry partners, the local churches listed on the bar to the left of this posting, offer a warm welcome for you to join them in worship, for special meals, and/or to find a place to share your own gifts in ministry.  Click on each church to check their web site for particular information about event times and descriptions.

Tuesday evenings:  We share an active role in the Stone Soup Kitchen Ministry of the Corvallis community – a ministry to provide a meal each day for the hungry of the community.  Specifically, we are responsible for the evening meal on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month through 1st Christian Church, one of our ministry partners.  We look to students as volunteers to help prepare and serve this meal under the supervision of Tim Stover, campus minister.  No particular skills are required – only a spirit willing to serve and to connect with the folks we serve.  Contact Tim (tim.stover@gmail.com) for details or to volunteer.

Wednesday evening Student Gathering:  Each Wednesday evening we gather for a free home-cooked meal beginning at 5:30 PM which is followed by a time of Bible study and fellowship between 6:30 and 7:30 PM.  All OSU and LBCC students are welcome.  We will get started for the new term with a Welcome Back BBQ on 9/28/11.

Saturday, 10/1/11, Cider Pressing Party:  Join us for an old-fashioned cider pressing party which is a great way to meet some new folks or to celebrate with old friends as we crank up the vintage apple grinder and cider press at the Juntenen family farm.  Meet at WestM at 2 PM and we will carpool to the farm.  No charge.  You may want to bring a clean container to take some cider home.  We will also have extra jugs to share.

We look forward to sharing the journey with you this new school year.  Please let us know how we may be of support to you.

Shalom,

Timothy Stover

Welcome to week #2 of our La Nina Winter Term.  While I write this, it is trying to snow outside and even more is promised as we progress through these next couple of days.  Take care as you travel about.  This week also marks the beginning of the OSU celebration of the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..  You can follow the opportunities through The Barometer which gets some of the details right – or check numerous posters around campus including here at WestM.  See word below about two events that we are helping to sponsor as a part of the celebration on campus.  Remember that we have a warm, dry refuge from the cold storms of winter and are fully equipped with couches, wi-fi, and hot tea or cocoa – all just waiting for you.  Here is what’s up this week at or through WestM:

Wednesday, January 12th:
3-5 PM WestM helps to host the screening of the film Little Town of Bethlehem which provides another real-life look at Dr. King’s non-violent witness as it looks at the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict through the eyes of three men whose lives have been marked by the violence:  a Palestinian Muslim; a Palestinian Christian; and an Israeli Jew who dare to dream that a just peace is possible for their communities.  MU 208 (repeat screening on Thursday, January 20, MU 213)

5:30 – 7:30 PM Student Gathering at WestM.  Join us for dinner beginning at 5:30 with a meal prepared by Nicholas, our guest chef for the night.  Following at 6:30 is our second week of considering the spiritual gift of forgiveness and what the Bible teaches us about it.

Thursday, January 13th:
2-3 PM  MLK Interfaith Prayer Service in MU 208. This will be a time for celebrating Dr. King’s vision for a peaceful, global community as shared through prayer and reflection by members of the OSU community speaking from their own varied spiritual / religious backgrounds.  Tim is in charge of this one and would be glad to see some WestM folks join in.

Shalom,
Timothy

I hope that you are getting used to writing “2011″ and enjoying the cold, crisp weather (which is now returning to cold and wet ). I also hope that you had a restful break and some good time to celebrate with family and friends. Welcome back to campus and to winter term. I look forward to seeing you and hearing about your adventures over the past three weeks. Here is what is up this week at WestM. I will send a separate notice about events related to the MLK observance on campus which will unfold beginning this next week. Remember that WestM offers a warm place to study, rest up between classes, or to enjoy a hot cup of tea or cocoa with study partners.

Wednesday, January 5th, 5:30 – 7:30 PM Student Gathering at WestM

Join us for our first meal of the new term beginning at 5:30 PM. Beginning at 6:30 our study for the term will focus on the spiritual gift of forgiveness, the focus of some of Jesus’ most challenging and radical teachings. Check out what he had to say and what it means for us in our walk of faith. All students are welcome.

WestM isn’t really a place of excess – our limited staff and budget means we wear many hats, juggle many responsibilities, and sometimes, face many challenges.  At the beginning of this year, we faced a major challenge in terms of our funding situation.  We were told that our denominational support would be dropping drastically, and we weren’t sure what the future would bring for us.

WestM is, however, a place of gratitude; and today, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude for all of you who have stepped up to help us through this challenge.  Our budget remains tight, but donations are up.  We’ve already received more than we expected this year, and at our recent Make a Joyful Noise choral fundraiser, we brought in nearly twice as much as at last year’s event.  We are truly grateful for your generosity and support – you bring us hope and warmth in what could have been a grim time, and we say “thank you.”

May all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving, with much around you for which to be grateful.

Welcome to week #2 – a time in which I hope things are settling in as the rhythms of new classes and schedules become more familiar. It was good to see a number of you for Cider Pressing on Sunday – look for pictures soon on our  facebook page. Below is what’s up this week at WestM plus a reminder that you are welcome to take a break from the pace of campus for a quiet place to study, nap, or take advantage of our wi-fi access (check with me for the password access). Hot water is always on and cocoa and tea are free.

Tuesday, October 5, 7:00 PM, 1st Presbyterian Church Christian and American: Then and Now with Marcus Borg

This opportunity is provided by one of our sponsoring churches in the community and this is a great opportunity to hear OSU Professor Emeritus, Dr. Marcus Borg who is one of the leading Jesus scholars in the world. Dr. Borg has friendly and accessible style and is always stimulating. This presentation marks the first official use of the churches new ministry building on the corner of NW 9th and Monroe Streets (just east of lower campus). Go early if you can. Borg is very popular and this presentation should have a full house.

Wednesday, October 6, 5:30 – 7:30 PM, WestM Student Gathering: Dinner and Bible Fellowship

Join us for a free dinner beginning at 5:30. Dinner is being prepared for us this week as Bill and Lena Proebsting provide us another delectable treat. Bible study will get the term started beginning at 6:30 as we take a new look at the Beatitudes (“Blessed are….”) from the Gospel According to Matthew. The Beatitudes are considered to be at the heart of Jesus’ teaching and we will explore how they challenge us to live as followers of Jesus in the 21st century.

Have a good and blessed week and please let me know how I may help support you in your student life.

Shalom,
Timothy

A special welcome to some of you on this list who are new students and on campus for Connect Week events.  We are offering one last round of the summer season dinners tonight, Wednesday, here at WestM (Westminster House on the corner of 23rd and Monroe Streets on the north side of campus) beginning at 5:30 PM.  All students are welcome and dinner is free.  Friends are welcome – let us know if you will join us!

Wednesday Student Gathering

We will be meeting for dinner every other Wednesday over the summer – next dinner is tomorrow, July 14! Nicholas (one of our students) will be our chef du jour – please feel free to join us!  If you’re interested in cooking one night over the summer, you are more than welcome – talk to Tim for details.

Whitewater Rafting

Our annual ‘river dance’ whitewater rafting trip will  be Saturday, August 7th on the McKenzie River.  We’ll leave by 8:30 AM and be back by 6PM that evening.  Cost is $20 to help with equipment rental and gas expenses.  There are a limited number of spaces available, so let us know if you’re interested!

Blessings to all of you as you journey through this week (Dead Week? Zombie Week?) finishing papers and projects, cramming in one last mid-term exam, and preparing for final exams. Below is what’s up this week at WestM as we finish out the term and the academic year. Remember that you are welcome to use WestM space for studying, a nap, a cup of tea or cocoa – a quiet place for what you need. Please let us know how we can support you in the journey.

Wednesday, June 2nd, 5:30 – 7:30 PM Student Gathering

This will be our last regular Student Gathering for the year. Join us for a traditional burger bbq (with vegetarian options) – beginning at 5:30. Following will be our wrap-up session on Images of God and Justice in the Bible as we explore how some of the ideas of justice we have explored this term might take form in relation to the issue of the new immigration laws in Arizona. Bring your ideas, your questions, your energy. Please let us know if you plan to be here for dinner so we can make sure we have enough food.

Friday, June 4th, 7:00 PM Reel to Real: Men Who Stare at Goats

We will call this one R2R Lite with this cast of stars spoofing on a supposed military program to train psychic superstars (or ninja warriors of the non-combative type). Is this one bound for cult status? Or just an evening of laughter which will allow you to breath deeply in the midst of the final exam grind? Check it out and see.

Monday, June 7th 8:00 – 11:00 PM Finals Week Pancake Feed

Gather in for this final exam week tradition – a free pancake dinner for students serving through the above period of three hours – so you can come and go as your schedule requires. All students are welcome and this is a great time to get fed, enjoy a break from studies (or carbo-load for studying), and share some time with friends. The table games will be out. Study groups are welcome.