Christian Student Center @ Purdue University

Spring Break 2012 :: Chicago

2012-01-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

This spring students from the CSC will travel to Chicago for their spring break mission trip. This will be our fourth year working with Center for Student Missions (CSM). Previous trips have taken us to Nashville, and Washington D.C. This year we will be heading north to the well known city of Chicago, Illinois.

We will leave Lafayette on Sunday March 11th after 2nd service and return Thursday March 15th in the early evening. If you are a college aged student please consider joining us! Contact Phil for more details!

We also wanted to leave you with some facts about Chicago. Please consider praying for those who will go on the trip and the people we will meet while there.

Chicago Facts and Figures

Chicago houses nearly 3,000,000 residents over its 228.5 square miles (that’s approximately 25 miles long by 15 miles wide). The greater Chicagoland area contains nearly 10,000,000 residents. Chicago’s population is 27% Hispanic, 36% African-American, 33% Anglo-American, 4% Asian, and 1% other races.
The Chicagoland area is home to some of America’s largest corporations, including Boeing, Motarola, United Airlines, Aon, Allstate, Kraft Foods, Walgreens, and McDonald’s (including the Golden Arches’ famous Hamburger University).
Chicago contains 16,500 public housing units for seniors and families across the city. Chicago public housing is currently undergoing “the plan for transformation,” the largest and most ambitious redevelopment effort of public housing in the history of the United States.
Chicago’s Wrigley Field is home for baseball’s most beloved losers – the Cubs (or “Da Cubbies”, as locals call them). The team draws capacity crowds year after year, despite its decades–long record of futility.

Did You Know That…

Chicago has 28 sister cities including Warsaw, Poland. Osaka, Japan. Casablanca, Morocco. Bogotá, Columbia. Delhi, India.
Chicago loves its food. It is known for deep dish pizza, Italian Beef, and the Chicago style hot dog. Chicago’s love for food reaches its pinnacle every June with, “The Taste of Chicago”. Over 3.5 million people will attend this 10 day event. This is the largest free food festival in the world.
Chicago is known as “The Neighborhood City”. The metropolis is divided into 77 distinct neighborhoods, each with its own name and identity.
The Cubs haven’t won a World Series title since 1908, the longest such run of frustration in major sports history.

People, Problems, Issues

The Chicago public school system is one of the nation’s poorest. There are over 400,000 students in the public school system and 84% of them live at or below the poverty line. 12,000 students attending school in Chicago are classified as homeless. For the students that start high school about 50% will graduate.
The number one cause of homelessness in Chicago is lack of affordable housing. Chicago is tearing down over 22,000 public housing units and replacing them with only 7,500 units. The average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $1,736 a month. A person would need to work over 52 hours per week at a minimum wage job in order to only pay the rent of an apartment at that cost.
Women with children comprise 34% of Chicago’s homeless population. Most often, they’re fleeing domestic violence they suffered in their former residences.

Chicago :: Spring Break :: 2012

Welcome Back!

2012-01-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to Purdue, Classes, and the CSC!
The new semester and the new year offers an opportunity to make fresh decisions, trends and habits in your life. The choices you make in the next two weeks will shape the rest of your semester, so I hope you will allow me to offer a few suggestions:

Make time for Personal, quiet time with God everyday (start with 5 minutes)
Choose carefully what you say "yes" to
Think about planning on getting your homework done before Sunday night so you can try out LIFE groups... that is a really special opportunity!
Know the story you want to write with your life. Make decisions accordingly!
Don't forget to have some (wholesome :) ) fun!

We will have Encounter on Wednesday at 7.30pm Come on out, bring a friend, and enjoy cake and ice cream for December birthdays afterward!

Fall Bible Studies

2011-09-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Bible Studies for the Fall begin tonight at 8pm. We have both a Men's Bible Study and a Women's Bible Study meeting concurrently at the CSC. We will meet every week (with few exceptions) on Tuesday at 8 for the remainder of the semester. Hope to see you there!

August is Here!

2011-08-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first day of August. Campus is coming alive again, with more and more students and staff arriving back on campus each day. The construction projects are wrapping up and the buses are making more rounds.

Here are a few things to make on your calendar for the CSC!

August 16th :: Booth at Boiler Gold Rush from 11am-1pm in the Armory on campus

August 20th :: CSC Clean Up Day from 9am-11am at the CSC. Come help us clean and organize the CSC for a new school year.

August 21st :: CSC Prayer Night at Elmwood at 6pm

August 22 :: Welcome week kickoff cookout at the CSC at 6pm

We are looking forward to your arrival!

Mission Trip :: Washington D.C

2011-03-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we will depart for our spring break mission trip to Washington D.C. We will travel 12 hours via church van to our final destination in the north part of the city. We will stay at a church in the evenings and spend our days immersed in the urban culture of D.C. We will work with various organizations and ministries that are already established in the community. We are excited for God to use us in big ways this week. We ask that you lift us up in prayer as we travel and spend time sharing the Good news with the people of D.C. Please also pray for God to be working in the hearts of those that we meet. Pray that their hearts will be softened and that they will be blessed by our presence in their lives and ultimately that they will see the light of Jesus shining through us and our actions. Please pray for our students, Alyssa, Alex, Foo and Nick as they venture out of their comfort zones and prepare to love on the people of D.C. We are excited to grow together with them and we look forward to sharing our experiences with all of you when we return.

Here are some facts from the Center for Student Missions website about Washington D.C.

Washington, DC is home to 530,000 people, 66% of whom are African-American and an additional 16% are persons of color. The homeless population in
Washington, DC is a southern city. Culturally, D.C. is “southern” in its atmosphere, politics, interests and relationships.
Washington, DC has struggled with the issue of homelessness since the 1880’s. Between 1860 and 1880, D.C.’s population soared from 40,000 to 120,000. Completely overwhelming the city’s infrastructure, these new arrivals, mostly freed slaves from the former Confederacy, subsisted in severely overcrowded, disease-ridden, and impoverished conditions. D.C.’s first building and health codes were written in 1880 to cope with this crisis.
D.C. is currently estimated between 15,000 and 40,000.
Since 1989, nearly 100,000 people have moved out of the District. Left behind are the most impoverished segment of the population--with the exception of the high-income residents of the trendy Georgetown neighborhood.
D.C. has a small tax base for its size, due to the fact that the federal government owns much of the land in the district—all of it tax-exempt. This shrunken tax base, combined with the flight of more affluent people to the suburbs, poor management by many district agencies, and other factors, has resulted in D.C. being on the verge of economic meltdown.
Washington, DC spends more money per student than most school districts in the U.S., yet has one of the poorest rates of return on its investment. In the 8th Ward (Anacostia), of every 100 students that start high school, only 13 will graduate on time. They’ll depart with a diploma and an average 4th to 5th-grade reading level.

Heroes of Faith

2011-03-02T09:39:00.001-08:00

Hey all,
This week we will begin a new study looking at the "Heroes of Faith" from Hebrews chapter 11.
We begin this week with the story of Abel.

Winter Welcome Back Luau

2011-01-18T10:11:00.000-08:00

On Friday evening several students joined us at the CSC for a Welcome Back Winter Luau. Elizabeth and Rebecca did a great job planning this Hawaiian themed evening. The CSC was decorated with island decor and the guests were able to enjoy some delicious island themed treats. We even played games - coconut stomp and the limbo. Stay tuned for videos of your campus minister participating in the Limbo!

Thanks to all who came out and joined in the fun!

Exam Week Schedule

2010-12-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Join us Friday December 10th for a fun and relaxing evening with friends before you hit the books to study for exam week. Our annual Chrisgiving Dinner will feature a turkey and a ham this year as well as some of your favorite holiday side dishes. Participate in games and a white elephant ($5 limit) gift exchange. Email Phil if you would like to help prepare side dishes or dessert! The party will start at 6:30pm.

Monday night (Dec. 13th) at 10pm is the 3rd annual Mid-Night Breakfast, there is a TON of good food in store so come on out and bring a friend or two. The theme this year is "Movie Night" so come dressed up as your favorite movie character or just come in your PJ's.

Tuesday Night (Dec. 14th) at 8pm the ladies Bible study will meet to spend time in reflection and prayer. We will also be making a craft. The men's Bible study will also be meeting at 8pm.

Wednesday Night (Dec 15th) There will be no Encounter during finals week, instead I would like to encourage you all to participate in a night of caroling. The Boyd's are organizing a caroling night for Elmwood members who are shut-ins. The Boyds have also invited all of the college students to their house post-caroling for cookies and cocoa.

We would like to get numbers for this, so we can arrange rides properly. Please send an email to Phil if you plan to join us!

Purdue Winterization

2010-11-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

Early Saturday morning students from the CSC joined hundreds of Purdue students at St. Thomas of Aquinas to kick of this years Purdue Winterization.

Winterization is a community service project in which students from Purdue University assist in preparing the yards and homes of the elderly and disabled in Tippecanoe County for winter.

Volunteers spent time raking leaves, cleaning gutters, washing windows, trimming shrubs, and many other winterizing tasks for the residents. This year Purdue students were able to help 133 residents winterize their homes. Overall it was a wonderful time of fellowship and service!

Mark your calendars for the 2011 Winterization :: Saturday November 5th!

God of this City

2010-11-18T12:05:00.001-08:00

The song “God of this City” which you have probably heard at least once proclaims the Lordship of God over all places and times.

This Sunday we will be looking at a character in the Bible who could have certainly benefitted from the lyrics of this song.

In the book of Jonah, we are told the story of God’s surpassing love for all people and the unwillingness of Jonah to go to his enemies and offer the Grace and goodness which God is known for.

Come this Sunday to explore what God’s call is, and what that reveals about him. We will discuss what things hinder us (like Jonah) to answer God’s call and to be a part of God’s mission in this world.

Class starts at 9:30

Need a ride? You can find the van schedule posted on this page!

Halloween Party 2010

2010-11-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at the Halloween party this year! Events included pumpkin painting, a Haunted House, and the highlight of the evening: A Pumpkin piñata!!
Here are some pictures of the event!

Here's Phil cracking open the pumpkin that we used for the piñata

Here's Ben scooping out the pumpkin so we could fill it with CANDY!

This is the winning painted pumpkin, designed by Alyssa and Chelsea

Derek came as a sick ghost… poor guy!

Brian takes a shot at the pumpkin

Alake takes a swing at the pumpkin

Brendan delivers the final blow!

Fall Retreat :: 2010

2010-10-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we spent the weekend with 17 college students at Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana. The weather was beautiful, cold in the mornings and evenings and warm during the day! The perfect fall weather! We spent time getting to know one another better, reading the bible and learning about spiritual practices that we can apply to our daily lives. We put some of these practices to use during our meal times as we answered questions about our past, present and future. A retreat wouldn't be complete with out some fun, so we spent a few hours in the afternoon doing various activities as a group. Here are some pictures from the weekend!

The majority of our group :)

The lunch Hopper group made our table fancy with fun napkins.

Rebecca, Alyssa and Chris try and take a drink from the
Crazy Out of Control Drinking Fountain!

The whole gang after our hike up to Ghost Cabin
Minus Phil and Ben who were lost in the woods
trying to scare us!

More Fun Activities included: rifelry, chess, team building challenges,
carpet ball, archery, a giant slide and frisbee golf!

If you weren't able to join us this fall mark your calendars for our
spring break mission trip on March 13th - March 20th!

2010-10-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

Tonight we were blessed to have the Deacon of Outreach Ministries at Elmwood and Associate Professor of Communication at Purdue University, Josh Boyd, with us at Encounter to talk about Let's Start Talking. Josh is encouraging all of you to consider taking some time this summer to go on a faith adventure and share the love of Jesus with people all over the world.

For twenty-five years, Let’s Start Talking has been sending people from English-speaking countries throughout the world to offer English conversation classes in exchange for cross-cultural experiences and the opportunity to meet new friends. Today, LST is offered on five continents and in almost thirty countries. Many thousands of people have improved their English using this very effective method.

Elmwood has sent several members to locations all across the world (including our own CSC students, Amy Stiner, Elizabeth Kline and Rebecca Kady) with Let's Start Talking. We would love to help send our students on a faith adventure!

Pack your bags and get ready... There are invitations from all over the world. Where do you want to go?

Fall Retreat :: Details

2010-10-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you going on the retreat this weekend, we will be meeting at the CSC at 6pm on Friday in order to leave on time. We will be returning on Sunday. We will head straight to church at Elmwood from camp.

Please eat dinner before you come to the CSC on Friday. All other meals for the weekend are taken care of. You will need to bring your own bedding and any other things you need for "camp".

For those of you not attending the retreat this weekend, the van will not be running and the college class is canceled. Feel free to join the 20's/30's class upstairs in Josh Boyd's classroom. Please contact Phil if you need help arranging a ride to church on Sunday.

Van update

2010-09-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
So here’s the deal, Mindy Hart has invited all you college students over to her house for breakfast before the great communion. We took a vote at Encounter last night, and the outcome was to run the van at the normal time and go to Mindy’s for breakfast before the Great Communion.
If you want the extra sleep, or just don’t like breakfast and still need a ride, contact Jeremy Miller (you can look up his contact info in the latest CSC member directory) and he will work out a ride for you.

Van Schedule for 10/3/10

2010-09-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Because of the Great Communion, we will not be having class this upcoming Sunday. I encourage you all to join us at the Great Communion at Harrison High School at 10.30 AM. Because of this change the van will run exactly fifty-five minutes LATER than usual. Essentially this means that if you take the current schedule, and add one hour, that is the time the van will be LEAVING that stop. So, the van schedule for next Sunday is:

9:50am Cary Quad

9:55am Wily Hall on Intramural Drive
(entrance closest to the CoRec)

10:00am Earhart on McArthur Drive near the bus stop

10:05am Christian Student Center (115 Waldron St.)

This will allow enough time for the van to get to Harrison High before the Great Communion begins. If you have any questions, let me know!

LIFE Groups @ Elmwood

2010-09-19T19:01:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the start of LIFE groups. L.I.F.E Groups are what we call our small group ministry here at Elmwood Church of Christ. Each group is made up of 6-12 people who meet each Sunday evening in someone's home for a time of fellowship over a meal and Bible study.

Each letter in L.I.F.E. has meaning and purpose.

Love

Involvement

Fellowship

Evangelism

Ideally, you should have all been contacted by your adopted parents by this point in time, and invited to their LIFE group for Sunday evenings. I would like to take a minute to strongly encourage you to participate in a LIFE group this year, please take some time to chat with students that participated in the LIFE group program last year to see what their impressions of it were. It is an excellent way for you to connect with other Christians and encourage one another.

In addition to the option of attending LIFE group with your adopted parent, there is also a LIFE group that meets at the CSC in the basement. This is also a good alternative if you didn’t plan your weekend well and need a little more time to study than what traveling off campus allows.

If you have any questions about LIFE groups email Phil or Katy or stop by Phil's office at the CSC!

Sunday Morning

2010-09-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we will be talking about the cost of the Mission God has called us to.
You can prepare by reading John 12:23-33.
In previous weeks we have talked about God's mission in the world (to make God's salvation and God's own self known). We have also discussed that we have a choice to be a part of that mission, or to not be a part of that mission. We can answer the call, or we can ignore it.
This week we will be talking about the fact that carrying out God's mission requires a willingness to sacrifice self-interests.

Come join us, remember the van leaves the CSC at 9:10. You can see the full van schedule on the right-hand side of this website.

Bible Study

2010-09-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all, Don't forget, tonight September 14th, we begin our weekly Bible Studies for both men and women.

Guys will be using The Lord of the Rings to discuss moral choices we all have to make.
Women will be discussing how to have a real, and active faith in the midst of a busy life.

Come on out at 8pm. Word on the street is that there will be snacks this week!

Encounter

2010-09-01T10:29:00.001-07:00

Hey all,
Don’t forget, tonight at Encounter we will begin our study of the book of Romans. We won’t let Elizabeth use up all our time this week!

See you at 7.30 at 115 Waldron St.

Progressive Dinner

2010-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last Friday students were invited to participate in a long running Purdue Christian Student Center tradition, the progressive dinner. The dinner provides Elmwood Church members an opportunity to meet new students and catch up with returning students in their own homes. We invite families from the church who are involved in the Campus Community in some fashion to be a part of this evening. This year we had four really great families preparing delicious food for the students to enjoy.

The turn out was excellent! We had 14 students come out to fellowship with our Elmwood Church Family. Below you will find a picture from each course.

Appetizers @ the Boyds :: Gina, Josh, Kinley and Knox wowed us with Veggies with Ranch Pesto Dip, Salami with Cream Cheese and Olives, Mini BLT's and Pita Chips with Hummus.
Salad @ the Matthews :: Joyce and Joe pulled out all the ingredients you could ever imagine putting on a salad! It was great!
Main Course @ the Waltz' :: Nan and Bob made everyone happy by continueing the tradition of Nan's homemade Lasagna, green bean casserole and garlic bread.
Desserts @ the Walters :: Marilyn and Kevin out did themselves with several dessert options from fruity to chocolate!
Overall the evening was a lot of fun. We encourage you to mark your calendars for next years progressive dinner on the Friday of the first week of school!

The Great Commission

2010-08-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Join us this weekend for our continuing look at the mission of God in this world.

This week our main text will be Matthew 28:16–20 (NIV)

16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

We pray that you will consider taking time out of your day to study God's word with us at the Elmwood Church of Christ. Class begins at 9:30am with service following at 10:45am. his Sunday our sermon title is A Recipe for Disaster. We will be spending our time in Proverbs this Sunday. Our worship leader has prayerfully put together a great worship order that will fit the theme of the sermon.

If you are needing a ride the van schedule is posted on the right side of this website.

Elmwood Food Pantry Needs Volunteers

2010-08-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Food Pantry at Elmwood Church of Christ offers the opportunity for families in the Greater Lafayette Area who are struggling to make ends meet to be able to get basic grocery essentials every four weeks with no strings attached. We are on of the largest food pantries in Tippecanoe County and we service over 50 families each month.

At our Food Pantry, families are able to get several essential grocery items including: meat, soup, canned vegetables, cereal, milk, bread, juice, and toiletry items.

Elmwood's Food Pantry is located on the north side of our church building at 2501 Elmwood Avenue, Lafayette. Families have the opportunity to come once a month (with four weeks between visits) to receive grocery items at no cost. Our Food Pantry is stocked by donation and in cooperation with Food Finders in Lafayette.

The pantry is open on Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 - 3:00 PM and Wednesday 5:30 - 7:00 PM.

The Food Pantry at Elmwood Church of Christ is an opportunity for us to live out our commitment to know Christ and to make Christ known.

Please prayerfully consider taking time of your schedule once a month to volunteer. We are currently scheduling for the month of September.

Contact Katy Travis at katy.travis@gmail.com if you wish to volunteer on Wednseday evening.

Contact John Stafford at jdstafford426@msn.com if you wish to volunteer on Tuesday or Thursday during the day.

Welcome Baskets

2010-08-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

This week a group of wonderful ladies got together and made welcome baskets for our new and returning Purdue college students.

We are continually amazed and blessed by the love that the Elmwood members show towards the students here at Purdue. We want to thank Lyn Freeman, Joyce Flynn, Sharon Porter, Lynia Coates and all the women who put time and money in to make these welcome baskets. They were truly a success.

If you see one of the ladies that helped out with this ministry please be sure and thank them. It is so important for Elmwood to be a place that these students can call home while they are here at Purdue!

If you didn't receive a basket last week be sure and join us at Elmwood this Sunday at 8am or 10:45am.

Sunday Morning Curriculum

2010-08-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Join us this weekend for the first lesson in our new Sunday Morning Curriculum. We will be studying the mission of God in this world.

The study is called Reverb. This study educates students about God’s overarching plan as well as His individual plan for each person to impact the world around him.

This week we will focus on the message of Psalm 67: 1-7 (NASB)

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us
and cause his face shine upon us,
Selah

² that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

³ Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

⁴ Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you will judge the peoples uprightness
and guide the nations of the earth.
Selah

⁵ Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

⁶ The earth has yielded its produce,
and God, our God, blesses us.

⁷ God blesses us,
that all the ends of the earth may fear him.

We pray that you will consider taking time out of your day to study God's word with us at the Elmwood Church of Christ. Class begins at 9:30am with service following at 10:45am. This week Phil will be preaching. His sermon is titled, "Facing Failure".

See the right side of this page for the bus schedule.

First Week of Classes

2010-08-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

The first week of classes is upon us and that means lots of events at the CSC. We hope that you take time this week to join us this week. This is the perfect opportunity to reach out to a friend or neighbor that you just met and invite them to get to know you and your friends better. These events are designed to be low-key and fun!

Monday :: 6pm :: BBQ on the porch! We will have free food, corn hole and music!

Tuesday :: 6pm :: Meet at the CSC and we will head over to the fields for an intense game of Kickball!

Wednesday :: 7:30pm :: The 1st Encounter of the new school year

Thursday :: 7pm :: Movie Night

Friday :: meet at the CSC at 6pm :: Progressive Dinner :: We will travel around Lafayette visiting with Elmwood members. We will enjoy appetizers at the Boyd's home, salad with the Matthews, a main course with the Waltz' and dessert with the Walters! We plan to have you back to the CSC by 10:30pm. Please RSVP to Phil by Wednesday at Encounter.

Root Beer Kegger

2010-04-08T07:55:00.001-07:00

Hey all!
The 13th annual "Original Root Beer Kegger" is coming up on April 24th. The goal of this event is to encourage students to make good choices when it comes to celebrating, and enjoying themselves. Start inviting your friends now, and make sure you come out for the root beer, popcorn, moon bounce, games, and NEW this year: Cotton Candy!

Mission Trip Videos

2010-03-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

Below is the Nashville Mission Trip intro Video, be sure to check it out! The Interview video will be posted in the near future.

Here is the video of the students who were unable to make it to Elmwood on the day we had our presentation:

The Final Stretch

2010-03-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

It is crazy to think that we are only 6 weeks away from finals week! My how time flies when you are having fun....I mean....studying!?

Stay tuned for guest blogs from our students about our Mission Trip to Nashville this past week as well as an awesome video we put together for our mission report to the entire congregation.

We wanted to let you know about some events that will be happening in the last few weeks of classes here at the CSC. So mark your calendars, invite your friends and prepare to have a great time this spring!

Every Tuesday Evening::Men and Women Bible Study::8pm::The CSC

Every Wednesday Evening::Encounter::7:30pm::The CSC

Every Sunday Morning::Bible Class::9:30am::Elmwood CofC Media Room

Every Sunday Evening::LIFE Group::Various Times:: Various Locations
Contact Phil or Katy for more information on when groups are meeting

Saturday April 24th::The Original Rootbeer Kegger::7pm::The CSC

Sunday April 25th::Women's Ministry Meeting::9:30am::Elmwood CofC

Friday April 30th::Senior Banquet::7pm::Holiday Inn City Centre, Lafayette

For those of you sticking around for the summer ---->

Sunday May 23rd::Elmwood Block Party::Time to Be Determined

June 7th-12th::Vacation Bible School:: 6-8:30pm::Elmwood CofC

Mocktail Party 2010

2010-02-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

This years Mocktail party was a big hit. The event coincided with the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies. Rebecca and Elizabeth did a great job planning and preparing for the party! Special thanks to those who helped set up and clean up!

Spring Break Mission Trip

2010-01-28T08:16:00.001-08:00

We will be working with CSM in Nashville over spring break to reach out to the homeless population as well as other groups of people who just need some love and attention. There are still a few spots left, so please join us if you are interested!

Winter Semester Events

2010-01-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning class resumes this Sunday mornings at 9.30am. We will be continuing our study of Mark.

Encounter - Wednesdays @ 7:30pm - We will be studying World Religions

Monday - January 18 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Classes are canceled.
We will be watching the original Star Wars Trilogy on Monday starting at 10 AM
Popcorn and pop will be provided throughout.
Lunch will be provided (served after Star Wars IV: A New Hope- approx. 12:15 ish)

Don't forget that this Sunday the 20's Somethings Ministry will be handing out grocery lists for their grocery drop at Cumberland Estates. Grab a few friends and commit to buying $25 of groceries for a family in need!

Life Groups for the Winter Semester 2010

2010-01-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

I would like to let you know about a slight alteration to our LIFE group plan for this semester.

During the course of this semester, there will be a LIFE group meeting at the CSC on Sunday nights. If you are already a part of a LIFE group, I would like to encourage you to continue going to that group, but for those of you who found it difficult to go to a group last semester for one reason or another, you now have the option to join the group that meets at the CSC on Sunday nights at 5pm.

Midnight Breakfast

2009-12-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

On Monday December 14th we had our second annual Midnight Breakfast. This year everybody was encouraged to dress up in their pajamas and come out to enjoy a late night breakfast in preparation for exams.

We had bacon, eggs, muffins, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, fruit, doughnuts, and more!
Here are some pictures!

Chrisgiving Dinner

2009-12-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

On December 5th we had our annual Chrisgiving Dinner. We had a sampling of everybody's favorite holiday foods - from Ham (basted in Dr. Pepper) to Pumpkin Pie. WE then had some time for singing Christmas Carols and our White Elephant gift exchange. Finally Katy's University of Michigan flag came back into her possession!!

Halloween Weekend

2009-11-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
Well we had a good time this past weekend celebrating the Halloween Spirit. We had a Party on Friday night complete with pumpkin painting and gross-out scavenger hunt!

On Saturday we went to Elmwood and participated in the Trunk or Treat event. It was GREAT there were a TON of people there that had no other connection to Elmwood. It was great to serve and be a part of the community!

Below are some pictures of the weekend. You may or may not have to click the "Slideshow" button. Enjoy!

What's Going on this week?

2009-10-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Here are some of the things that are going on this week (also note, the calendar is on the bottom of this page)

Wednesday: Encounter 7.30PM @ CSC Be sure to stay afterward to celebrate October birthdays!
Thursday: Men's and Women's Bible Study 8.00 PM @ CSC
Friday: Halloween Party 7.00PM @ CSC Come dressed up and enjoy food and fun!
Saturday: Trunk or Treat 1.30 PM @ Elmwood
Sunday: Church 9.30 AM @ Elmwood
Sunday: LIFE groups: Talk to your adopted parents about when and where!!

Habitat

2009-10-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we have an opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity. We will be working on a house not far from Elmwood. The part of the project that we will be working on is Landscaping.

E-mail Phil if you are interested in helping!!

2009 Fall Retreat

2009-10-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend a dozen students joined us at Camp Tecumseh for our annual weekend Fall Retreat. We spent Friday through Sunday getting to know one another better, enjoying the cool October air, and studying the Bible.

We took some time to discover the transformative power that Christ has when he is brought into a situation. The catchphrase for the week was “When you insert Jesus into a situation, something changes”. We saw this change when Jesus visited the temple as a child, when he called his disciples, and when he drastically changed Saul’s life.

We finished the weekend discussing how we can allow Christ to change us- if even in very small ways- in order to become more like him.

The weekend was also full of games, and other activities. We built spaghetti-and-gumdrop towers as teams- the catch was that we weren’t allowed to talk. This reminded us of the rewards and difficulties of working together in groups for a common goal. We also tried to determine all of the ingredients in two different steak sauces Heinz 57 and A1. It’s harder than you might thing- for some reason there is apple and raisin in there!! We then compared our lists to a list made by a professional cook. We talked about how we need to “train our palates” through practice, slowing down, etc. in order to “taste” Jesus better.

In all it was a great weekend to learn about Christ and to get to know each other better!

Movie Night

2009-09-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all!
Come on out for movie night tomorrow at 7.30PM Snacks, chips, and pop provided!
We will be showing "The Count of Monte Cristo"

This week's activities

2009-09-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hey all, here are some things going on this week!

Wed 7.30 PM Encounter
Thurs. 8 PM Men's and Women's Bible Studies
Frid 7.30 PM Movie Night (Count of Monte Cristo)

At movie night we will provide snacks and drinks!

Bible Studies

2009-09-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Guys meet tonight for Bible Study at the CSC at 8PM
I'm going to stick around for The Office!
Girls Bible Study starts up next week!
Guys are studying great men of the Bible, and girls are studying "Jesus, the One and Only" by Beth Moore.
Come on out for an excellent opportunity for Bible study and getting to know one another!

Also, don't forget, the CSC calendar can be found under the section "CSC Links"

Retreat

2009-09-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
The Fall retreat is coming up and we need to know who is going soon!
We will be spending the weekend of October 2nd at Camp Tecumseh
The cost is $50 but don't forget, if you can't afford all (or any) of this cost, let me know and we will take care of it.
We will spend time in worship, Bible study, and just hanging out!

Sign up by e-mail Phil today!

New Feature

2009-09-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hey all, just to let you know the CSC calendar is now able to be accessed online by following this link: Calendar

The link is also on the sidebar (about half-way down this page!)

Men's and Women's Bible Study

2009-09-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Bible Studies are about to begin on a regular basis!
They will take place on Thursday nights at 8PM (sorry Office fans... we'll have to watch it on Hulu!)

Girls will meet at the CSC
Guys meeting place and topic TBD

First Week Activities!

2009-08-31T10:52:00.001-07:00

Well, the first week of classes is over!

I hope you all have survived your first week with your new schedule!

We had a blast this past week, here are some of the things we did:

Monday: Cook-out
There was lots of food (including Ginormus 1/4 pound hot dogs). I witnessed, lots of conversations, a Guitar Hero battle or two, ping pong, and afterwords, some people went out to play Ultimate Frisbee!

Tuesday: Wiffle Ball Game
It was a game to end all wiffle ball games! The mighty Phil's team took on the domination Katy's team in a winner-takes-all bout for the CSC Wiffle Ball Championship! (totally made-up). Katy's team took an early lead on the Purdue Black Softball fields, but Phil's team struck back with a vengence.
Final score: Phil's Team: 10 Katy's Team: 6

Wednesday: Encounter
Lots of announcements at the first week of Encounter this year. Students are going to be a part of LIFE groups this semester, sharing wisdom (and food) with the rest of the members at Elmwood.
We also talked about This semester's topic for Encounter: "Church and Society". We will be talking about Theological and Church and society issues this semester. These discussions are close to some people's hearts, let us remember as we enter into this semester that we are called to unity, not to uniformity. We are able and allowed to disagree with one another, but we are not given the freedom to use that disagreement to supercede our unity in Christ.

Thursday:Game night.
Imaginiff, Farkle, and ping-pong all got thier fair share of playing time on Thursday. It was a fun night to hang out with one another and enjoy some healthy competition!

Friday: Progressive Dinner
Delicious food abounds! We all had a great time traveling from house to house, discussion and meeting with different families and enjoying great food!
First we went to the travis' where we had a selection of appetizers!
For our second course, we drove to Joe and Joyce Matthews', where we had a TON of salad options.
For dinner we went to Bob and Nan Waltz's house where we had some pretty awesome lasagna, garlic bread, and green bean cassarole.
Finally, we finished the night at Kevin and Marilyn Walter's house where we had great dessert, carrot cake, a selection of cheesecakes, and some apple thing (what can I say, I am alergic to apples, so I lost interest in that dessert... it looked really good though!!!)

Saturday: Worship at the Fountain
Tis a fountain free there for you and me! We sang for about an hour at the Beering fountain! It was a great time of worship in great weather!

This week we are back to our normal schedule for the year.
Remember Encounter is on Wednesday night at 7:30

Welcome Students

2009-08-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here are the CSC we are getting ready for the arrival of students for the 2009-2010 school year! This past weekend we spent time cleaning and organizing things at the house and anticipate the arrival of our new tenant, Jeremy Miller, this evening.

Phil has worked hard to plan activities for every evening during the first week of school. Please feel free to stop by and hang out at the Christian Student Center during the week of August 24-28th.

Here is a schedule of events:

Monday - Anual CSC Cookout - 6:30pm - Join us for Burgers and Dogs on the porch!

Tuesday - Wiffleball Game - Meet at the CSC at 6:45 or the Co-Rec fields at 7pm

Wednesday - Encounter - Join us at 7:30pm for the first Encounter of the semester!

Thursday - Game Night - Bring your favorite Game - 7pm - Snacks Provided

Friday - Progressive Dinner - Meet at the CSC at 6pm - We will return around 10pm

Each of these activities are open to all who are interested in meeting new people and having fun! We encourage you to invite your friends, your roomates or the new person you haven't met yet across the hall!

Mocktail Party Recap - January 23rd

2009-02-02T10:20:00.001-08:00

Our wonderful Events Coordinator planned yet another successful party! We had our own version of a cocktail where the girls mixed up several non alcoholic drinks. We had Pink Shampagne (with sparkling apple cider and pink lemonade), Virgin Strawberry Daquiries, "Slip N Slides" (chocolate and coffee), Jello Shots with Sprite and Chocolate Martini's.

Amanda made this yummy cheese ball!

Chocolate Martini with Sprinkles :)

Pink Shampagne (it is spelled with an S for the mocktail version)

Jello Shots :)

It was an fabulous excuse to dress up and head out on "the town" for a fun night of food, friends, fellowship and Guitar Hero.

Thanks to everyone who helped Amanda and Amy make this event a success. We had over 30 people there and everyone enjoyed themselves! Here are some pictures:

Beth and Amanda hiding under their umbrellas!

The CSC Ladies looking pretty!

Abigayle and Alex toasting :)

Jared enjoying his "Slip N' Slide"

New Semester .... New Year

2009-01-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

Last night we had our first Encounter of the Spring Semester. It was awesome! There were 22 students in attendance and it was so great to see everyone again! Phil is leading a study for the first part of the semester on the book of Isaiah. We will continue to have Encounter every Wednesday at the CSC at 7:30pm.

Also continued this semester are Men and Women's Bible Study on Monday evenings at 8pm. Men meet at the CSC at 7:45 if you need a ride to the Travis' House! Sunday Night Suppers will continue on Sundays throughout the semester. This is the perfect opportunity to invite friends and roomates. You can entice them with a free meal. This is also a great way to meet some of the members from Elmwood! This Sunday we will welcome the Simmerman Family back for a night of food, fellowship and singing!

The student leadership committee had a very productive meeting last night after Encounter. We got a lot accomplished in a short amount of time and have a few tentative dates for the calender. Make sure you write these down and plan to be there. We wouldn't want you to miss out on the fun!

Monday February 9th - Instead of Men and Women's bible study we will have a singing night at the CSC. Same time (8pm). There will be Cocoa and Treats!

Saturday February 14th - 1:30pm - Heritage Healthcare's Valentine's Day Party! Come be a servant to the elderly living at Heritage. We will play games, share stories and create crafts with fun people!

February 27-28th - Women's Retreat @ Elmwood Church of Christ - Totally Free! Lisa Crowe will be speaking. Topics to be announced at a later date! Let Katy know if you are interested in attending!

March 17-21 - Spring Break Mission Trip - Nashville Tennessee. $125 - $50 due to Phil by February 9th.

Saturday April 11 - Leadership Training for Christ in Indianapolis

Saturday April 25th - Rootbeer Kegger (4pm - 8pm??)

Monday May 4th - Midnight Breakfast

Wednesday May 6th - Ice Cream Social and Encounter Singing!

Chrisgiving Dinner

2008-12-19T11:11:00.000-08:00

Each year the CSC hosts a Chrisgiving Dinner. It is a time between Thanksgiving and Christmas where we can spend time together, enjoy a meal and play some games. Each of the students has the option to bring a dish to pass or come to the CSC early and help prepare. This year we had Ham, mashed potatoes, squash and peppers, green bean casserole and lots of desserts! Including a delicious peanut butter pie!

After the meal we participated in a rowdy White Elephant exchange. These are always fun and never fail to get everyone laughing. We had some interesting gifts this year, including: Cootie Killer, Chia Pets, A Single Penny wrapped in several pieces of paper and a lovely wool sweater.

The night ended with some game playing! All around we had a fabulous time and it was a great way to kick off the start of a stressful month for the students at Purdue with papers, projects and exams.

Service Project

2008-12-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

Winterization 2008
November 14^th
All over Tippecanoe County

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

Let’s face it, in general the students at Purdue (not the CSC students!) have a pretty poor reputation in the surrounding community. While many people are glad to have Purdue nearby as a source of income, or as a source of employment, often the students at Purdue are seen as an unfortunate, but necessary population that are more interested in drinking than anything else. Unfortunately there are some students who tend to bolster that image.

However, it is important to not be disheartened. It is important to remember that does not characterize all students at Purdue. This past Saturday the students at the CSC were involved in what has become an annual joint ministry to the people that live in the same community as Purdue. It’s called Purdue Winterization.

The mission was to go into Tippecanoe county to help people that were unable to winterize their homes. Some of the tasks involved raking, cleaning out gutters, washing windows, etc. Approximately 96 homes were worked on by 33 groups of students. 308 students woke up for the 8:00 meeting time on Saturday- some of our CSC students among them!

Be sure to thank a student for their contributions to the community in this and other ways!

Halloween Party - October

2008-12-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

This year the CSC has a student leadership team in place to handle various tasks and organize activities and outreach. Amanda Wise is our Event Planner in the group and she does an excellent job! She is always full of enthusiasm about the activities she plans making them fun for everyone. This fall she planned a Halloween Costume Party. Everyone came dressed up and we enjoyed an evening of treats, games and pumpkin carving! Here are some pictures of the evening!

The Whole Gang

Most Creative and Imaginative Costume!

The Party Planner/TinkerBell

Fall Retreat

2008-12-16T13:15:00.001-08:00

Fall Retreat 2008 - September 10-11^th
Camp Tecumseh – Brookston, Indiana

Topic: Missional People

Thirteen college students joined us for the kickoff to the 2008 school year at Camp Tecumseh in Brookston Indiana. The fall retreat was a big hit. We spent 2 days at this resortesque camp. We invited Spiritual Formation Minister, Eric Magnusson, from Lake Orion Church of Christ in Michigan down to led our spiritual adventure. We spent time in 2 Corinthians, Luke and Hebrews. Reading each passage 3 times we listened for what captured our attention, what we heard about God and what he is doing in this world, and what we as an individual or the CSC need to be doing for this to happen here and now. This type of bible study was new for many of the attendees and was a great way to connect with and learn more about our Lord and Savior.

The rain let up on Saturday afternoon allowing everyone the opportunity to participate in the traditional camp activities. Students visited the farm, played Robin Hood in the Archery field and competed in a vigorous game of ultimate soccer/Frisbee. Saturday evening concluded with a campfire and singing complete with smores.

Sunday we woke early for breakfast and decided that instead of heading back to the cabins to leave so quickly we would enjoy singing and praising together one last time. The rain kept us on the porch away from where people would be able to hear us but we still had a wonderful experience praising God for his beautiful creation before heading back to Elmwood for church.

If you get a moment ask the students about the retreat.
We will be talking more during second semester about the concept of being a Missional People at Purdue University and Lafayette

A Place To Learn More about The CSC

2008-12-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

Phil and I will take turns updating this website with different activities and events going on at the CSC and Elmwood! Please check back often!