Sheri Stauffer and Jeremy Swartzentruber fry up bannock (fry bread) for the meal their discipleship group is preparing for the student body.

ROSEDALE,Ohio -- Community spirit came in different flavors this year at Rosedale Bible College, as student discipleship groups took turns preparing an evening meal for the whole campus.

Given the opportunity to serve their fellow students, they opted for some exotic fare, including hot chili spiked with homegrown habanero powder (“with lots and lots of meat!”), savory red lentil soup from Turkey, and bannock, also known as fry bread.

Although these small groups are not new on campus, having their members fix a meal is. Dean of students Chris Jones said the idea came from his time as a student at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia in the late 90s. “We were placed into small groups and we had to prepare and serve a campus meal of soup and bread.”

Jones said he hopes to see the discipleship groups form “a little bit of community” on campus. He’s also arranged to have each group travel into Columbus once during the year to help

Linette Shetler and Nathanael Fath figure out the ingredients for red lentil stew.

The Vineyard Church of Columbus distribute supplies to homeless camps in the city. “Serving in mission together brings people closer together,” he said.

Visiting the homeless camps
This proved to be the case for freshman Diana Geiser’s group, which visited the homeless camps last fall. “We didn’t know each other then,” she said. While riding back to campus in the van, they talked about what it was like to see what people in the camps were going through. “I think it made us be more grateful,” she said. “After that we were a little closer.”

Richard Stein, in his first year at RBC, said visiting the camps was “definitely an eye-opener.” It was amazing, he said, “to see how close we are to that many homeless camps.”

His group helped load up a truck with blankets and other supplies. The camps are made up of temporary shelters – tarps and tents – along railroad tracks and in wooded areas, he said. When they arrived at the camps, they gave people bowls of hot chili, bags of food and other supplies.

Sheri Stauffer and Joel Roby eye each other suspiciously while mixing dough for bannock in the RBC kitchen.

The part he liked best was getting to talk with people. “They all had different stories, too,” he said. “Don’t assume they’re homeless because of drugs or alcohol.” One person he spoke with had a job but had lost his apartment to a fire.

“People have rough lives,” said Richard. “Never question anybody’s motives because you don’t know what people have been through.”

Growing together
Members of RBC’s faculty and staff provide regular leadership to the discipleship groups. “Faculty and staff are mature believers who can offer spiritual guidance and wisdom to the students,” said Jones. Having faculty-led discipleship groups creates one opportunity for students to connect with faculty and tap into that wisdom, he said.

He hopes faculty and staff share their own struggles and concerns with their groups as they gather for prayer each week. “It’s a great benefit for students to witness older believers journeying with God.”

Linette calculates how many tablespoons she’ll need for the lentil stew while Nathanael boldly measures out spices.

Academic dean Phil Weber said his groups have had some really significant times of discussion and prayer together. “One year was often characterized by prayer for family members and things happening off campus that were important to the students.” Another year, he said, tended toward discussion of fundamental issues about faith and what it means to know and love God.

Weber said one of the ways his group gets to know each other “is by taking turns sharing something of our life journey, with an emphasis on the beginnings and development of our relationship with God.” Praying together every week, he said, “just naturally reveals what is on the minds of the students.”

Involvement with a discipleship group has given freshman Doug Root a way to develop new friendships. “It’s been a really good thing,” he said. “It connected me with other people that I wouldn’t normally hang out with.”

Cordell Miller, in his first year at RBC, said he likes knowing what’s going on in other people’s lives, because he can pray for them every day, not just in the meeting. He also appreciates the trust that the group has built up. “If I need something I know that I always have someone to count on for prayer,” he said. “That makes it easier to open up about it.”

Sheri smiles about the doughy ‘pat on the back’ she received from another student in her discipleship group. Jeremy tends the bannock.

Toby Maust, also in his first year at Rosedale, said being in a group that prays together has helped him grow. “Praying out loud around people was something that was hard for me to do,” he said. “Now, it’s not that big of a deal.”

Diana Geiser likes the discipline of meeting every week, although she admits she doesn’t always feel like going. “You can tell a difference afterward,” she said. “It’s such a positive thing just to get together with the group and pray.” She also appreciates that it’s okay to pray “even about the tiny stuff that you think God doesn’t maybe care about. Yet every week we meet together and pray, even if it’s just about little stuff.”

Business manager Alfred Yoder likes trying different approaches to prayer with his group. Once, he brought in a list of the student body and asked his group to pair off and pray for 20 students each. Then they wrote short notes of encouragement, telling each student, “We prayed for you today.”

The next week he asked if they’d gotten any feedback. Students were surprised, he said, by how many people approached them and thanked them.

Richard Stein has found it helpful to be able to open up, admit his shortcomings, and ask for prayer. Knowing that others have been through some of the same things he has makes it easier for him to do that, he said.

He smiled as he described most of his classmates’ “down-home, country upbringing.” He grew up in Baltimore. “It’s really fun being able to communicate with different people, even though we’re on different sides of the spectrum,” he said.

Praying together has helped him in other ways. “I used to be the kind of person that wouldn’t pray out loud,” he said. “Now, being in the prayer group and being around people I’m comfortable with has opened up that part of my prayer life. Prayers don’t have to be filled with heavy-handed words. Short and sweet ones get right to the point.”

Editor’s note: a shorter version of this article appeared in the April 13, 2009 issue of The Mennonite Weekly Review.

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For more information about these articles or other news at Rosedale Bible College,
Contact: Kenneth D. Miller
Director of Public Relations
Rosedale Bible College
2270 Rosedale Road
Irwin, OH 43029
740-857-1311
kmiller@rosedale.edu