Unite brings in outside pastors
Group hopes to generate interest in local churches
Betsy Woodruff
Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: News
This semester, Hillsdale Christian Fellowship is bringing in local pastors to speak at most of its monthly Unite meetings.
Junior Shannon McCleary, one of Unite's coordinators, said she hopes the initiative will generate more interest in local churches.
"Hopefully students that attend those churches will get really excited about their pastor coming and tell their friends," she said.
Pastor Keith Porter from Hillsdale Free Methodist Church will speak at the next meeting on March 26, and Pastor Glyn Knight from Cascades Baptist Church in Jackson will speak at the April meeting.
Gillary said she and McCleary are looking for pastors who will appeal particularly to Hillsdale College's student body.
"We wanted to see how people responded to people they're familiar with and if that would increase the number of people that came," she said. "We're still experimenting with what will appeal to the students and what's best for Hillsdale College, because Hillsdale is such a unique place."
Though Gillary is satisfied with the turnout for Unite meetings, which is usually between 100 and 150 students, she hopes more students will come.
"In terms of how big HCF is, Unite is not that large," she said. "We'd love for more people to come out, considering HCF has 300 students involved just in Bible studies alone."
Gillary welcomes recommendations on speakers for Unite.
"We chose pastor [John] Lillie from Countryside because that's a church that a lot of college students attend, and the same thing with Cascades. We're willing to bring in other pastors from around here, but they need to be ones that students like," she said.
Lillie said he enjoyed speaking to Unite two months ago.
"It was awesome. I love this age group. Clearly the students at Hillsdale are there because they want to learn," he said. "Who could ask for a better audience than a group of people who are really eager to learn about God's word?"
Students head to Detroit for mission trip
About 20 Hillsdale students will spend April 3 and 4 at the Nazareth Lutheran Church in Detroit on a mission trip, spending time with students from the inner city. HCF sends students to this same destination every year.
The trip should offer students unique ministry opportunities, said junior Kevin Boyle, one of its coordinators.
"The main reason for the trip is to spread the Gospel, but it's also to have one night to try to love on kids, because they come from broken families, and so it's good to be a friend for a night and be there for them and talk to them," he said.
The Hillsdale students organize a night full of games, conversations and food for the inner-city kids who come. One Hillsdale student usually delivers a short message on the Gospel. The next day, they do a service project for the church.
"It's cool to see the kids coming from different backgrounds and to hear their stories," Boyle said.
Last semester, about 15 Hillsdale students and 82 Detroit residents, ranging from five year olds to high school seniors, attended the event.
"It's a little crazy," Boyle said.
Senior Kevin Meyers, who spoke at the event last semester, remembers some interesting conversations afterwards.
"One of the students had a conversation with these kids just asking them whether they believed in heaven or hell, and a girl said that she thought she lived in hell right now and couldn't imagine anything worse," he said.
The church is in a poor, crime-ridden part of Detroit.
"Last year, [senior] Jack Shannon's car got stolen while we were there at the church and two years ago, there was a Burger King across the street that got robbed the night of the lock-in," Meyers said. "It's not the greatest part of town."
He said nothing quite that dramatic happened last semester.
"Some cops patrolled the area to look out for ours cars and stuff," he said.
He said he hardly slept last semester, but two or three students may have stayed up all night.
Students interested in going to Detroit should e-mail Kevin Boyle at kboyle@hillsdale.edu.
Junior Shannon McCleary, one of Unite's coordinators, said she hopes the initiative will generate more interest in local churches.
"Hopefully students that attend those churches will get really excited about their pastor coming and tell their friends," she said.
Pastor Keith Porter from Hillsdale Free Methodist Church will speak at the next meeting on March 26, and Pastor Glyn Knight from Cascades Baptist Church in Jackson will speak at the April meeting.
Gillary said she and McCleary are looking for pastors who will appeal particularly to Hillsdale College's student body.
"We wanted to see how people responded to people they're familiar with and if that would increase the number of people that came," she said. "We're still experimenting with what will appeal to the students and what's best for Hillsdale College, because Hillsdale is such a unique place."
Though Gillary is satisfied with the turnout for Unite meetings, which is usually between 100 and 150 students, she hopes more students will come.
"In terms of how big HCF is, Unite is not that large," she said. "We'd love for more people to come out, considering HCF has 300 students involved just in Bible studies alone."
Gillary welcomes recommendations on speakers for Unite.
"We chose pastor [John] Lillie from Countryside because that's a church that a lot of college students attend, and the same thing with Cascades. We're willing to bring in other pastors from around here, but they need to be ones that students like," she said.
Lillie said he enjoyed speaking to Unite two months ago.
"It was awesome. I love this age group. Clearly the students at Hillsdale are there because they want to learn," he said. "Who could ask for a better audience than a group of people who are really eager to learn about God's word?"
Students head to Detroit for mission trip
About 20 Hillsdale students will spend April 3 and 4 at the Nazareth Lutheran Church in Detroit on a mission trip, spending time with students from the inner city. HCF sends students to this same destination every year.
The trip should offer students unique ministry opportunities, said junior Kevin Boyle, one of its coordinators.
"The main reason for the trip is to spread the Gospel, but it's also to have one night to try to love on kids, because they come from broken families, and so it's good to be a friend for a night and be there for them and talk to them," he said.
The Hillsdale students organize a night full of games, conversations and food for the inner-city kids who come. One Hillsdale student usually delivers a short message on the Gospel. The next day, they do a service project for the church.
"It's cool to see the kids coming from different backgrounds and to hear their stories," Boyle said.
Last semester, about 15 Hillsdale students and 82 Detroit residents, ranging from five year olds to high school seniors, attended the event.
"It's a little crazy," Boyle said.
Senior Kevin Meyers, who spoke at the event last semester, remembers some interesting conversations afterwards.
"One of the students had a conversation with these kids just asking them whether they believed in heaven or hell, and a girl said that she thought she lived in hell right now and couldn't imagine anything worse," he said.
The church is in a poor, crime-ridden part of Detroit.
"Last year, [senior] Jack Shannon's car got stolen while we were there at the church and two years ago, there was a Burger King across the street that got robbed the night of the lock-in," Meyers said. "It's not the greatest part of town."
He said nothing quite that dramatic happened last semester.
"Some cops patrolled the area to look out for ours cars and stuff," he said.
He said he hardly slept last semester, but two or three students may have stayed up all night.
Students interested in going to Detroit should e-mail Kevin Boyle at kboyle@hillsdale.edu.
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