by Sydney Scheller, Contributing Writer
As 3 p.m. approaches on any given Thursday, the Asbury Campus Chaplains make their way to the long, late-afternoon line at the Hiccup, waiting to order coffee and talking with students. This time is intentionally carved out for the chaplains to be available to the student body for an hour each week.
During this hour, students have the opportunity to sit down over coffee or tea and gain wisdom from the Spiritual Life Team on campus. “It helps get insight into things going on around campus and in chapel, including the chapel speakers,” sophomore Ian Tan said. “They let you discuss whatever you want. Greg and Jeanie are great.”
Conversations that would not normally be held on campus are given space in this casual environment. “Last fall the group began reflecting on a chapel that had addressed the crisis of marriage in our culture,” Associate Dean for Campus Ministries and Campus Chaplain Greg Hasseloff said. “Suddenly, three different people in the circle were sharing how divorce was impacting their family and impacting them personally.”
Glide-Crawford Resident Director Kaylyn Moran enjoys the time with students and thinks it has made a huge impact on the community. “I think it is an easy, nonthreatening way to engage with staff,” she said. “The format is very informal and often centers around the chapels that week. It helps to communicate to students that we want to interact with their questions and ideas.”
Occasionally chapel speakers will join the chaplains on Thursdays. On Jan. 26, Pastor Matt LeRoy joined the chaplains to discuss his sermons during Holiness Emphasis Week. There was a major rise in attendance as students gathered to talk to LeRoy about the life changes they experienced during the week.
Hasseloff makes Coffee with the Chaplains a priority every week, and encourages students to do the same. “This space and time every Thursday in the Student Center hopes to open conversations that might not occur in other settings through the day,” he said. “The Spiritual Life team loves hearing how students are being stirred by chapel messages and how they are being spiritually challenged through other campus encounters.”
Coffee with the Chaplains is every Thursday at 3 p.m. on the map side of the Student Center.
