“Seek first the Kingdom of God”: Discussions between Faculty and Students
In the midst of exams, administrative commitments, and scholarly pressures, a group of Christian faculty members gathered together to engage students in conversation. The lunch event held at Carnegie Mellon University focused on the topic “Seek First the Kingdom: Being a Faithful Student While Keeping Your Priorities Straight.” The organizers and InterVarsity faculty staff workers at Carnegie Mellon, Robin Capcara and Michael Gehrling, envisioned a time when Christian Faculty and Christian students could meet one another to connect over difficult questions, encourage one another, and strengthen each other’s resolve to live out their faith within their current and future vocations.
Connecting students and faculty in this way opens many fruitful doors. Christian students now know of Christian faculty or, more precisely, faculty who engage in an academically rigorous life and yet still believe in God. Additionally, the many questions and experiences students face during their college years often bring about confusion and mental and spiritual transitions into new thoughts and ways of being. It is during these times when meeting with and engaging experienced academics prove most helpful. Robin and Michael hope to continue these lunch discussions and ask for prayer as the Carnegie Mellon University community seeks to strengthen and encourage one another.
Lunch discussions like the one at Carnegie Mellon university is a replicable model you can try on your campus. For more stories like this one, read about other events staff are hosting for faculty at Bradley University and Vanderbilt University.
Image courtesy of Andy Schultz on flickr.
