• About
  • Advertising
  • History
  • Staff
  • Contact

The Andersonian

The Anderson University Student Newspaper

Anderson University’s Student Newspaper

  • Campus News
  • Audio
  • Features
  • Arts & Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
  • COVID-19
You are here: Home / Campus News / Spiritual Emphasis week events to conclude with first-ever prayer retreat


Spiritual Emphasis week events to conclude with first-ever prayer retreat

October 18, 2017 by Allison Armstrong

In the midst of tragedy on AU’s campus and the country, the faculty and staff looked ahead to plan a meaningful Spiritual Emphasis week. To cap off Spiritual Emphasis week this year, AU faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in a spiritual retreat centered on prayer.

“Because there is so much heartache going on, it is so important to make intentional space for God,” said Director of Spiritual Formation Becca Palmer.

“We all need to quiet ourselves and listen for His voice that speaks truth and life,” she said. “He brings peace and comfort like no other. Having a retreat like this helps all of us continue to practice ways to better connect with Jesus. It’s like training for a race or a sport; we all have to continually keep at it, regardless of our place in life.”

Spiritual Emphasis week is a long-standing tradition at AU that focuses on inward transformation and renewal.

The retreat is being led by campus pastor Tamara Shelton and the Spiritual Life team. The goal is to give members of the AU community the opportunity to step outside of the stress and tragedy going on in their lives and soley focus on growing in their relationship with Christ.

“I believe that prayer is the most beautiful tool that we have in terms of developing intimacy with God,” said Shelton.

“Our hope is that students will discover prayer in a way that goes beyond the clichéd ways that we normally talk about prayer,” she said. “We want to shift the prayer paradigm a bit where we really experience prayer as a way to speak things into existence—to pray bold prayers. Finally, we want to talk about the listening aspect of prayer, because that easily gets lost.”

The guest speaker for spiritual Emphasis week is author Nathan Foster, who wrote “The Making of an Ordinary Saint.” The book talks about Foster’s journey with the spiritual disciplines.

These spiritual disciplines are tools used to develop intimacy with God and one of the goals of this retreat is to look specifically at the tool of prayer.

This retreat was planned with Foster’s themes in mind and looks to build upon what students and staff take away from his talks throughout the week.

This is an opportunity for staff and students to explore some new ways to experience prayer and have fellowship with one another while taking a step away from the “AU bubble.”

A couple of the activities will work on intercessory prayers using the Lord’s Prayer as a guide and making a spiritual life map which will be a hands-on way to reflect on how your relationship with God has developed.

“I am most looking forward to a time to just find rest, both physically and spiritually,” said Michaela McCurdy, the student coordinator of AU’s prayer ministry.

“Way too often I find myself getting caught up in the business of everyday life, trying to pack it full of things,” she said. “What I always come back to is that life truly lived to its fullest potential is found in Christ alone—simply being in the presence of God as I go about my doing.”

One concern of putting on a retreat can be “retreat high.”

This often comes immediately following a spiritual retreat where one feels they have reached their peak spiritually.

The downside is that instead of continuing to grow, most tend to fall back into a rut.

“What I am really interested in is the long-term, steady faithfulness of continuing to seek the Lord in our daily lives,” said Shelton.

“We aren’t trying to force a lot of hype at the retreat,” she said. “What is going to bring the energy are the people there and their passion for the Lord. I don’t feel like we need to overcompensate. I think that by keeping things simple and focused, we can help transfer what we experience into our everyday lives.”

The retreat will take place Oct. 20-22 and is being held at Yellow Creek Lake Camp.

The cost of the retreat is $10 for those attending because of a grant provided by the Network of Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE). These funds also allowed the spiritual life team to offer a retreat scholarship if students were interested but would be unable to afford the $10.

If AU community members are interested in being involved throughout Spiritual Emphasis Week but are unable to go to the retreat, there are plenty of other opportunities to grow in your spiritual journey.

From last night at 7 p.m. until tonight at 7 p.m., students are taking turns praying for the campus and community in the prayer room in the basement of the Morrison House. Students signed up for hour-long intervals to pray.

This is the second time this semester that a 24-hours of prayer event has occurred on campus. On Aug. 28 and into Aug. 29, students  gathered together to pray over AU’s students by name, eventually writing every name on a banner that was later displayed at chapel.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Campus News, Top Stories

Watch

Jacey Crawford discusses the breaking news that classes will be virtual for the remainder of the semester, beginning Nov. 16.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Jacey Crawford discusses the recent esports win and talks with Dr. Sarah Neal, Lead of AU’s COVID-19 Task Force.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

More Video

Listen

Raven Watch 2020-12-07

On this episode of the Raven Watch Podcast, Jordan is joined by former Big Ten Player of the Year and Indiana Pacer Clark Kellogg as they discuss displaying your faith in sports, Clark’s career as a player and broadcaster and his game of “H.O.R.S.E.” with President Obama.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Raven Watch 2020-12-03

On this episode, Jordan Yaney sits down with senior soccer player Drew Sonnefeldt to discuss his soccer career, trips to Europe, hobbies, and dreams of playing professional soccer

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Raven Watch 2020-09-24

In the third Raven Watch Podcast, Jordan Yaney talks with Hannah Hawkins, a senior basketball player, about starting her freshman year 0-25, becoming more of a leader on the team and facing their one-on-one battle on the court freshman year. Thanks to our sponsor, the Folgate Agency. Please contact Steve Folgate for Allstate insurance and […]

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Raven Watch 2020-09-18

In the second-ever Raven Watch Podcast, Jordan Yaney talks with Kennedy Parker, a senior baseball player, about finding out last season was canceled while the team was in Florida, why he decided to come back for a fifth year and play and what he expects out of this year’s team.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

More Audio

Follow

andersonianAndersonian@andersonian·
16 Jan

Check out these pictures from the Men's Basketball game on Thursday: https://andersonian.smugmug.com/AUMBB-01142021/

Reply on Twitter 1350570022108860423Retweet on Twitter 13505700221088604232Like on Twitter 13505700221088604236Twitter 1350570022108860423
andersonianAndersonian@andersonian·
8 Dec

After several weeks of searching for a new esports head coach, AU has filled the position. Learn more about Head Coach Matthew Burnstedt: https://andersonian.com/2020/12/08/au-hires-new-esports-head-coach/

Reply on Twitter 1336445599244292096Retweet on Twitter 13364455992442920961Like on Twitter 13364455992442920963Twitter 1336445599244292096
Retweet on TwitterAndersonian Retweeted
AURavenWatchRaven Watch@AURavenWatch·
7 Dec

Check out the new Raven Watch Podcast with former @Pacers forward Clark Kellogg (@ClarkKelloggCBS). Tune in as Clark and @jordanyaney discuss faith in sports, his career as a player and broadcaster, and his game of H.O.R.S.E against President Obama.

LINK https://andersonian.com/2020/12/07/raven-watch-2020-12-07/

Reply on Twitter 1336095317591265291Retweet on Twitter 13360953175912652918Like on Twitter 133609531759126529114Twitter 1336095317591265291
Load More...

The Andersonian, the student newspaper of Anderson University, Anderson, Ind., publishes a print edition and maintains this website. As a matter of institutional policy, the University administration does not review or edit Andersonian content prior to publication. The student editors are responsible for both print and online content. While the administration recognizes the role of the student press on a college campus and in journalism education, the views expressed in the Andersonian are not necessarily those of Anderson University.

© Andersonian 2017, All rights reserved · Site by Mere
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.