BRITTANY YEAROUT
News Assistant
The Spiritual Discernment Retreat, a two-day experience for students to think about God’s calling, was held last weekend for the last time. The retreat, which was funded by the Lilly Endowment Foundation through the Pepperdine Voyage, will be cut because of the end of the four-year $2 million grant.
The Lilly Endowment Foundation renewed the grant for $500,000, but the decrease in the grant forces the Pepperdine Voyage program to cut the retreat and graduate internship programs for ministry. Also, less money will be distributed to programs, which means fewer seminars for faculty, less stipend for ministry coordinators and less development for courses, specifically on the topic of vocation.
However, the university will try to support these events and programs with other funds, according to Chris Soper, the director for the Center of Faith and Learning.
Soper said the change in money awarded is the nature of grants.
“It doesn’t mean we don’t think it’s a valuable program and it’s nothing negative about the Lilly Foundation. We are very appreciative of their support for Pepperdine University. They did an excellent job,” Soper said.
The Pepperdine Voyage program started in August 2002 to help the students think theologically about vocation. The retreat, now in its fourth year, had about 70 students in attendance, and included nine group leaders of faculty and staff and took place at the West Lake Hyatt hotel.
The retreat focused on the question: Why do we work and how can we be a part of God’s plan to heal the broken world?
According to D’Esta Love, university chaplain and director of the Lilly grant, the retreat had a huge impact on the students.
“It was an opportunity for students to get away from campus and spend several hours together, thinking and talking about the call of God to their lives and to think about their futures and how they can be a part of God’s work in the world,” Love said.
Freshmen Jessica Rotter changed her major recently and said the retreat helped her figure out the importance of work and how to stay focused on God.
“The retreat allowed me to reflect on the spiritual side of work and how my life can bring about God’s kingdom,” Rotter said. “It really motivated me to have a purposeful and meaningful life rather than focusing on how to make money. It was really cool and I was really glad I went to it.”
Philip Kenneson, a professor of theology at Milligan College, was the speaker and said he hoped the students left with questions that they need to answer in their own lives when it comes to work and serving God.
Kenneson spoke about the contrast between the everyday economy and God’s economy. He said he wanted participants to think about work in a different light.
“The main difference is that the world’s economy is rooted in earning and owning and God’s economy is gifts, stewardship and giving,” Kenneson said.
Group leader and communication professor Dr. Gary Selby said the retreat was an opportunity for students to stop and think about bigger issues.
“Typically, students tend to jump into a career track and don’t even think about what is more important than prestige or how much money you make,” Selby said.
The groups talked about being able to find meaning in every job.
“I think what I was able to do is share my experiences in a way that helps students think about these things before it is too late,” Selby said.
Selby said that to have 70 students come together to talk about God and the meaning of work is crucial to the Pepperdine mission.
04-06-2006