Rewarding experiences, everlasting friendships, skill-developing opportunities, and even a chance at love—“after everything the Grebel community has given me, giving back in the way of leadership just makes sense,” said Grebel resident, Josh Rampersad.
History, identity, faith, and culture. The Bechtel Lectures in Anabaptist-Mennonite Studies provide the opportunity to explore topics related to these four key themes in relation to Mennonites. Conrad Grebel University College is pleased to continue the annual tradition of hosting these presentations in a new virtual format.
Pandemic. Isolation. Stressful politics. Long winter. “Pancakes seem to be the obvious answer,” joked Master of Theological Studies student Christa Van Daele.
Conrad Grebel University College thrives on community, and with all the COVID restrictions in place, staff and students are always looking for creative ways to stay connected.
Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo provides countless opportunities for students to get involved in the community and gain valuable experiences. Hannah Bernstein, a third year Nanotechnology Engineering student, has taken advantage of the many activities Grebel has to offer.
Along with the new Mennonite Hymnal Voices Together, members of the Mennonite Church have been working on another exciting project. Together in Worship is website with free worship resources for church leaders. While this is a binational project, the Conrad Grebel University College community was highly involved in the creation of this website.
Music plays an important role in the Conrad Grebel University College community, allowing audiences and musicians to share and experience stories told through song and the hearts of passionate artists. After a successful Noon Hour Concert Series@Home in the fall, Grebel’s concerts will continue in the same format this winter 2021 term. Grebel is very thankful to Staebler Insurance for sponsoring this series.
On Wednesdays at Conrad Grebel University College, before the student body sits down together for Community Supper, a group of students, faculty, and staff choose to gather in the Chapel for a worship service. Because of the pandemic, these services have changed quite a lot. Like everything else, they had to move online.
Faculty and students in the Master of Theological Studies (MTS) program at Conrad Grebel University College have found that conversations between those with different approaches to Christianity are a valuable learning experience. Class discussions about the Bible, Christian theology, ministry, and church history are all enriched due to diverse approaches to Christianity from both students and professors.
Community and hospitality are important values at Grebel, especially in the residence. During the work day, these value are fostered by the Student Services team, but during non-business hours, the Don team and Campus Hosts take over. The Campus Hosts support residents at Grebel by providing a safe space to talk, administering basic first aid, locking up the building, and letting students into their rooms when they lock themselves out.
Every Sunday night for an hour, students from the Conrad Grebel community come together for a hymn sing to create and learn music together. Because of the pandemic, students gather outside with masks, but they bring the same excitement and love of music. With the upcoming release of the new Mennonite Hymnal, Voices Together, there is little doubt that Grebel students will engage with the new music as they have with the old.