Spiritual Life Week is a dedication to student spiritual life and walk of faith. This year’s theme is “Your Story Matters” and will be the main focus that takes place in the events from Nov. 7 to 12. Risa Fukaya, senior social work major, and Riley Garmatter, sophomore communication major, are two of many who make up the committee dedicated to the week-long celebration.
“We wanted to focus on the individuals that are interested in the events we offer during the week and express to the individuals that everyone matters to us because they matter to God,” said Fukaya. “That is where the idea of the theme “Your Story Matters” came from.”
Risa Fukaya posing in front of Riley Creek. Photo taken by Courtney Weekley.
Throughout the week, events will take place on campus that have an emphasis on students’ stories.
“I hope that we portray love, joy and the fact that we all have validation in our own stories,” said Garmatter. “Everybody’s story is different, and God is working differently in everybody’s life.
Starting off the week, Spiritual Life Week Festival took place in Founders Gym where they participated in yard games and threw a pie in Tyson Goings, student counselor and director of diversity, face because the faith-based groups on campus raised enough money to donate to the West Ohio Food Bank.
Dan Metzger, the guest speaker for Spiritual Life Week, also took part in Monday’s event where cash prizes were given and then matched to donate to the West Ohio Food Bank.
On Tuesday, Delight Ministries and Sustainability Club hosted Story Seeds at Bassett Plaza where scripture was incorporated about the parable about the sower. The focus of this event is rooting yourself in Jesus and you too will grow. Students were able to take a pot and plant a seed in it as well.
Wednesday, Spiritual Life Week is hosting the Pre-Dam Jam Party in Sommer Center at 9 p.m. before the Dam Jam. Glow sticks will be handed out and there will be a photo booth set up to spread joyful light as people walk in.
At chapel on Thursday, Metzger will present chapel that is based around Mark 4. Fireside Stories will also take place on Thursday, allowing students to share their testimony about their faith while sitting around the fire.
Then on Friday, Fellowship of Christian Athletes will help host Glow Dodgeball for students to come together to fellowship.
Fukaya and Garmatter both have high hopes within the events led by Spiritual Life Week. With the dedication to the celebration in Christ, they hope that all students can come together to share their own stories and be able to find something they were looking for, that they haven’t yet been able to find on campus.
“Campus can come together to recognize that sense of belonging in a Christ-center community,” said Garmatter. “Just to see everyone’s different stories come together and how God is working in all of us, it will be very beneficial for the campus.”
