September Newsletter
Dear friends,
Last week I had the opportunity to sit in on a webinar with Cornell West. I remember him fondly from my days at Princeton Seminary but had not heard him speak in years. For almost 90 minutes he reminded us of what it means to follow Jesus. His deep conviction asserted that if we call ourselves followers of Christ, then we must move through this world with a lens of love. A lens which shows compassion for the sick, the hurting, the vulnerable, the widow and the orphan. A lens that sees the refugee, the imprisoned and the housing insecure. A lens that shows grace when we are wronged, and even shows mercy toward our enemy. He invited us to think of those in power and refer to them as brother or sister. Because in doing so, we remember that we are all human, we all have cracks, and we all need God’s mercy and grace.
West also prompted us to reflect on the songs of our hearts. Am I singing anger, pain, defensiveness and fear? Or am I singing the song of Jesus? A song full of light and love. It gave me pause and a moment to wonder within my own spirit, to ask God to sing through me on days I cannot find the words. I wonder, what is the song your heart is singing these days?
On my best days I am singing aloud the good work of the OCE. We are grateful to walk with you (and even sing perhaps) in whatever season you find yourself.
“What is the song your heart is singing these days?”
Take a look at all the cool things happening this fall:
A Few Updates
Save the date for next year’s Whitworth Ministry Summit, June 23-26, 2026. This year’s gathering was so life giving, and we can’t wait to welcome you all back to campus.
Kristin Kobes Du Mez will be on campus Oct. 22 for a lecture titled "Live, Laugh, Love: White Christian Women & the World They Made." Du Mez is a professor of history at Calvin University and the author of Jesus and John Wayne. Save the date, and note the updated time/location: 4 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium.
On Oct. 2, Whitworth is hosting renowned geneticist Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health, as the featured speaker for the President's Leadership Forum. Collins is one of the best-known scientists of the current era and a champion for the harmony of science and faith. This is a ticketed event. Find more info here >>>
A film screening of the Henrietta Mears documentary will be held Sept. 29. The film will be followed by a panel discussion from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.
Shane Claiborne at Whitworth Oct. 8-9
Shane Claiborne will join us on campus next month for a series of exciting events. As we continue to dig into what it means to be peacemakers as Christians, we feel that Shane is an important and prophetic voice for the church. Our discussion will center on the question "What does following Christ require of us now?" In the midst of stacking catastrophes in our world (Gaza, immigration, public policy, natural disasters), what does it mean for us as Christians to be the hopeful alternative in this current moment?
You have a few opportunities to hear him speak:
- Oct. 8, 4-5 p.m. | All are welcome to join this lecture in Whitworth's Seeley G. Mudd Chapel.
- Oct. 9, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Clergy are invited to a lunch at First Presbyterian Church of Spokane for conversation and Q&A.
- Oct. 9, 6-8 p.m. | Shane will deliver another public lecture at Eastern Washington University (in PUB 317) focused on Christian Nationalism.
Summer Fellowship Program Site Applications Are OPEN!
The Summer Fellowship Program partners faithful Whitworth students with ministries around the country for a summer of service and faith formation. Your ministry receives the energy, insight and gifts of a young adult, and the student is given hands-on ministry and leadership opportunities, mentorship, and community. If you’d like to invite a young adult into the work of your ministry this summer, please consider applying!
New sites can contact Program Director Allison Maus (amaus@whitworth.edu) for more information about how to design a fellowship, and further details about the program are available on our website.
The program application is open NOW and due Nov. 1.
More Information for Ministry Sites
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We are so grateful for your partnership and hope to connect with you soon through one of our programs or events. If there are ways we can serve your ministry, please let me know!
Mindy Smith & the OCE Team
oce@whitworth.edu