A long-standing Asbury tradition is to have two members of the senior class sponsor the newest class on campus. The class sponsors spend the prior spring semester and much of the summer preparing for the freshmen class to join Asbury student life.
“What we do as class sponsors is we choose the class name, the class verse, the class colors and the class design. And then we do all of the welcome weekend stuff, so we plan the welcome weekend bash, and we plan the first class event, and we help out with INSO, and we hang out with the freshmen. We hand out T-shirts, do the President’s Welcome and we speak at worship on the green,” Sarah Grimes shares, explaining her and Caleb Rushing’s job as Renewed class sponsors.
The class sponsors are busy during the year as well. Grimes says, “We help with freshman class events like Freshmen Formal and little class events on campus like their class cabinet. Me and Caleb say often that we’re like the big brother and sister of the new class. We just help them and welcome them into Asbury friendly and show them around as mentors. It’s a huge blessing and super fun.”
Rushing shares a deeper side to the role of being a class sponsor. “We do the best of our ability to help freshmen adjust to this new season of life. I love the idea of being relational and helping those who are transitioning into this new season of life. Sarah and I were both freshmen at one time. We just remember people helping us, and we just wanted to be that for the whole freshmen class.”
Grimes shared about the origin of the class verse and all that was prayed over and decided for the class.
“Me and Caleb started praying for this opportunity to be class sponsors in November 2023. We started praying for the freshman class and also for the opportunity to be class sponsors and, if not, for the Lord to place whoever He wanted in that role and for them. We applied, we interviewed and got it. I remember freaking out. So then, we immediately started praying for the class. I remember like maybe a week before classes ended asking Caleb, ‘What are your thoughts on Isaiah 43?’ and he was like ‘No way, Sarah, I have been thinking to pray about that too.’ So, we decided on Isaiah 43:18-19, and then we went home. We have a verse; what is the name going to be? We started praying about that, and I think I was on a walk, and I asked Caleb, ‘What are your thoughts on renewed?’ He was like, ‘Literally no way that’s crazy because I think it should be renewed too.’”
Grimes and Rushing have grown closer through this experience. They have worked together in the past, including the World Gospel Mission leadership team and as Drinklings baristas.
“I was like every single thing, asking and applying to be class sponsors, the class verse and then the class name unified Caleb and me on it so much. There wasn’t even a doubt. It’s just like this is what the Lord said for the class. It was evidently from the Lord, it wasn’t me and Caleb deciding on things we really like. But in reality, it truly was words from the Lord of what he wanted this class to be called and what he wanted their verse to be.”
Grimes shared her hope and prayer for the freshmen class.
“My prayer for this class is mostly for them to know that they are loved by the Father and by Jesus and that is super cliché, but that is the foundation of all: to receive the Father’s love for you and to know that He loves you. He is doing a new thing, He has a plan and He’s with you in the middle of all. One of the things that I pray is that the freshman class would know that they are truly deeply loved by the Father. Not that they would know in their head, but they would know it deeply and truly in their heart and their soul.”
Rushing’s prayer is that they live into their class name.
“Our prayer with Renewed is that ultimately this freshman class would see that the Lord is constantly wanting to renew their heart, to renew their mind and souls, and that also the Lord wants to renew their relationships. But also as He’s renewing, that means that He desires deep and intimate relationships with all of these freshmen and us as well.”
Grime’s final encouragement for the freshmen is to simply soak it all in.
“Super cliché again, but you are in the place to figure out who the Lord has called you to be and who He created you to be. You will go through seasons of finding and seasons of mountains, hills and valleys. But just soak it all in. Sit in the presence of Jesus. Be present in the community that is given to them and for them to know Jesus. Also just have a blast, and do all the crazy things.”
