Mennonite Weekly Review

NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — The new home for Bethel College campus ministries, Agape Center in the Richert House, has already demonstrated that God’s spirit moves and acts in myriad ways.

From left, Naomi Graber, Bethel College student chaplain; Ruth Harder, associate pastor of Bethel College Mennonite Church; Patty Shelly, Bethel professor of Bible and religion; and Daniel Klaassen, Bethel student chaplain, share a laugh at the dedication for Bethel’s campus ministries facility, Agape Center in the Richert House. Student chaplain Maya Kehr is at right. — Photo by Melanie Zuercher

Remodeled in summer and opened this fall, the house recently provided the setting for a Sunday night get-together for campus ministry groups from Bethel and Hesston colleges.

“We finally pulled off something that we’d been planning for months,” said Dale Schrag, Bethel campus pastor, “a dinner meeting with our student chaplains and the Hesston ministry assistants in Agape Center.”

The group talked about having another such event.

“The encounter was all anyone could have hoped for,” Schrag said. “Our student chaplains were spectacular hosts, and the Hesston students returned the favor. There was a great deal of laughter and generally good feelings throughout the evening.”

Nine Hesston students and Todd Lehman, Hesston campus pastor, attended.

“We were able to connect over the experiences we’ve had [in campus ministry] and to learn from each other’s experiences,” Lehman said. “[Students] came away feeling very supported.”

Agape Center has been the place where Schrag meets weekly with campus ministries student assistant Sharayah Williams, senior from Kalona, Iowa, and the four Bethel student chaplains: Naomi Graber, sophomore from Elkhart, Ind.; Maya Kehr, senior from Goshen, Ind.; Daniel Klaassen, junior from Whitewater; and Will Peterson, senior from Bonner Springs.

In addition, Kehr leads a women’s spirituality group there one evening a week, and Klaassen spends several evening hours there with an open door to anyone who wants to stop by and play Dutch Blitz or talk about whatever is on his or her mind.

Chad Childs, Bethel vice president of Student Life, and his wife, Jody, lead a weekly Bible study that draws an average of 21 students. Ruth Harder and Nathan Koontz, associate pastors at Bethel College Mennonite Church and Faith Mennonite Church, respectively, have started an early-morning prayer time on Fridays.