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Chapel of the Resurrection
1600 Chapel Drive
Valparaiso, Indiana 46383.

Residential Ministry

Residential Ministry is a service of the Chapel of the Resurrection designed to provide peer ministry to those living in the residence halls of Valparaiso University. Residential Ministers function as expressions of Christian care on behalf of the University Pastors and as ambassadors of the varied opportunities for worship and spiritual growth at the Chapel and across the Valpo campus.

Residential Ministers receive peer ministry training and participate in weekly study and review with the whole Res Min team under the guidance of one of the University Pastors. Peer ministry training involves work in the skill areas of confidentiality, listening, counseling vs. giving advice, attendance to those in mourning, dealing with feelings of guilt or failure, assertiveness and others.

Residential Ministers are familiar with the offerings of the Chapel and are able to help students connect with the Chapel's ministries.

Residential Ministers are trained to provide first response pastoral counsel and support and can be counted on to encourage students in need to seek additional help from one of the University Pastors or another pastor in the community.

In the freshmen halls, a team of three residential ministers works to create a college-level youth group-like experience for freshmen, featuring small group Bible studies, group-building social activities and service opportunities. In addition, these residential ministers make efforts at intentional contact with the freshmen as they see them on campus and they make themselves available for casual conversation in the residence halls.

In upper class halls, residential ministers either live in the hall itself or make a commitment to spend much of their unstructured time in the hall in order to make themselves available for students in need. Residential ministers will be initiating conversations throughout the hall in an effort to keep up with what's available in the hall in terms of Bible study and prayer groups and to make themselves visible as a trusted spiritual resource. As opportunities present themselves residential ministers will plan small group Bible study and prayer groups and arrange for other events in an effort to support the spiritual lives of the residents. Residential ministers will make themselves available in the residence hall for casual conversation on spiritual matters.

If you think God is calling you to residential ministry for the 2008-09 school year, please email Pr. Jim at james.wetzstein@valpo.edu

Res Min Devotion: Joyful Prayer

1 Thess 5:16-22 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

As Christians we are called to a unique and rather difficult life. We are to pray without ceasing, to be joyous in all circumstances, to give God praise even when the world is falling in around us. As we draw nearer to mid term stress levels begin to rise and more and more things demand our time and our energy, and we may not feel like praising God for three papers, four midterms and a nice dose of homesickness, but that is what we are called to. To pray and give thanks.

We cannot do this work on our own. As sinful finite fallen humans, we cannot help but despair at the dark times in our life, but it is through the grace of God in the person of Jesus Christ that we can find hope in all situations and give God praise in everything. As an exercise and habit to help facilitate this joyful prayerful spirit, try to think of ten things you are thankful for every night before you go to bed, and give thanks to God for them. Falling into a habit of daily thanksgiving, even if you do not feel like it, will help to bring about a spirit of thankfulness and contentment in all situations resting in the Grace of Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to the God who created us, redeemed us, and sustains us! Praised be the Holy Trinity now and forevermore! Amen

-- Ben Anderson, Residential Minister