Campus ministry explores adding ecumenical touches

Retreats, service, friendship and ecumenism are on the agenda for this school year at the campus ministry office at SUNY-Cobleskill.

As a student at Siena College in Loudonville in the early 1990s, Greg Rys became involved with campus ministry to "find students who have the same interests" and remain connected with his faith. Later, he continued the tradition during studies at Russell Sage College in Troy and Maria College in Albany, and said there were "just so many" wonderful memories of his experiences.

Now he directs campus ministry at SUNY-Cobleskill.

Advantages

Campus ministry "allowed me to feel like I was still a part of a Church community," he said of his college days. "I made life-long friends in campus ministry and met my wife. It got me involved with music ministry."

Now, he wants to "reach students with promoting their spiritual growth as well as their educational and physical growth while at college; examine different issues of their spirituality; and [deal with] interchurch issues going on now in society."

Ecumenism

Mr. Rys, pastoral council president at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Cobleskill, plans to expand the campus ministry program to involve other churches.

Among those committed to the cause are the Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist and Wesleyan congregations in the area.

Ministers at the various churches will take turns with evening "office hours" at the college, so that someone will always be available for students. Each church will also contribute to a series of speakers on religious issues, current events and college issues.

Working together

Pitching in is not a new thing for the Cobleskill churches, according to Mr. Rys, who said that the town has a "strong ecumenical community," with pastors meeting once a month to discuss issues and create partnerships.

"They'd been looking for a way to get involved in campus ministry," he said, "and this gave them that chance. Just having the presence on campus is key.

"I'm really excited about this year, and the other pastors are as excited as I am."

(Being a campus minister "really enriches" his faith life, said Mr. Rys, who is a family nurse practitioner. "I learn as much from the students as they get from campus ministry.")

(8/24/06) [[In-content Ad]]