On Wednesday evening, the Lynwood Campus Ministry organized a speed volleyball game for the students of the River Campus. The game was held in the River Campus courtyard to engage the students and provide opportunities for interaction on campus.
Kevin Goebel, college pastor at Lynwood Ministries, said the organization purchased the volleyball net with an eye toward planning more events on the River Campus.
“We just feel like the River Campus is often left out of all the really cool things that happen on the main campus, and that’s a real shame because we want people to have fun and we want to have as much contact with them as possible,” Goebel said.
The students were split into two teams and rotated so everyone had a chance to participate. Goebel said the motivation behind organizing the game was to foster community among the students.
“We just want people to come out, socialize, have a really good time, make new friends and build relationships,” Goebel said.
Levi Dodg, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice, said he tries to attend most of the events Lynwood hosts on campus and looks forward to meeting new students.
“I’m looking forward to fellowshipping with the people and talking to the freshmen and helping them however I can,” Dodg said.
Lynwood Campus Ministries is a student organization and campus church that partners with SEMO to further their mission: engage, experience and equip. Goebel said they use these three tools to connect with students.
“We want to engage and connect with students. We want them to connect with each other, we want them to connect with our church and organization. We know that for many students, church has not always felt like a safe place, and that’s a shame. We want them to experience what we have to offer and give them the right tools to navigate life well and walk in faith with Christ,” Goebel said.
Benjamin Coffee, a sophomore majoring in sports management and business administration, said information about these events is disseminated across campus.
“A lot of it is word of mouth. For the last three days, we’ve been handing out snow cones on both campuses. We also have an Instagram, Lynwood College,” Coffee said.
The Lynwood Campus Ministry is hosting other events on both campuses, including the Ultimate Cabbage game on Friday, Aug. 23. Goebel said that overall, their main goal is to bring students together to have fun and to make sure students on both campuses know they are appreciated.
“We could just come here and do something really fun and tell the students, ‘Hey, you’re not forgotten, we still love you and want you to join in,'” Goebel said.
