It may have seemed that winter would never end, but with rising temperatures and the seasonal end of snowfall, spring has finally come. What a beautiful time it is! As the flowers bloom and the grass turns green, new life seems to surround us everywhere we look.
This same sensation is something that we have been experiencing at Concordia University Ann Arbor, Mich. (CUAA) in recent years. Since we began working closely with Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon (CUW), it has been a new day for our campus. Not only did CUW bring fresh ideas and best practices in areas such as admissions and financial aid, they also demonstrated a willingness to invest in our campus to help bring hope for the future. Along with other ministry partners including the Michigan District, LCMS, this investment in CUAA has resulted in a newness that is evident everywhere you look.
Among the most obvious transformations to the campus are the physical. From replacing sidewalks and parking lots to fresh landscaping and flowers, you can see the difference the moment you drive onto the campus. Step inside some of our buildings, and the changes become even more obvious. Last summer, the science building underwent a complete renovation that made it a state of art teaching facility. Our students now have access to resources that will help prepare them like never before for the vocations that they are led to pursue.
It would be disappointing to many of us if the newness on campus were defined only by buildings and classrooms. Thankfully, it is not. With the addition of a full time campus pastor along with other young, vibrant leaders, CUAA is seeing a resurgence in spiritual life that is marked by service to Christ in the Church and the world. During Spring Break this semester, 80 students from CUAA and CUW traveled together to serve the poor in New Orleans and Appalachia.
The relationship between CUAA and CUW has been a great blessing to our students and the Church since we merged into one university with two residential campuses last summer. Together, we are able to do much more to serve Christ and His Church than ever before.
There is new life at CUAA thanks to so many within the Church who have supported this vital ministry of education, mission, and service. But most of all, CUAA enjoys new life thanks to God’s goodness and blessings for which we give thanks each and every day.
[Tweet “Praise God for both the physical and spiritual transformations happening at @CUAA.”]
