Posted: Thursday, February 23, 2017 1:42 pm

Students have encounter with their faith and spirituality Connor Cahill Editor-in-Chief Creightonian.com |

The weekend of Feb. 10 saw more than 80 students, faculty and staff depart on an integral part of their faith journey, known as Encounter.

Encounter is a retreat hosted by Creightons Campus Ministry and started in the mid-90s and the event celebrated its 34th retreat this month, according to a Campus Ministry retreat coordinator, Craig Zimmer.

The retreat is held at the Creighton University Retreat Center in Griswold, Iowa.

Out of the 85 to 90 participants of the retreat, 65 of them were students, 10 were student leaders, who were accompanied by a faculty or staff member, and three to four of them were student support team leaders.

For the student support team leaders the preparation happens weeks in advance.

Support team leaders meet six weeks before the retreat, while the two student coordinators meet eight weeks before to prepare and plan the retreat.

The large number of participants and length of planning is not the only thing that sets Encounter apart from the other retreats.

The focus is special, said student coordinator Hank Elbert. You really look inward to who you are and how you relate with God, Jesus and your community. Its very holistic in its spiritual focus; all these different aspects of who you are and what your faith is can be explored.

Zimmer explained that Encounter asks different questions than the other retreats to challenge the students to think about their faith and spiritual life and what it challenges them to do.

Encounter is people reflecting on their own experiences, said Zimmer. Were not teaching them anything. We are asking for them to reflect on their own lives.

Brittany Hall, a Campus Ministry retreat coordinator, said the retreats are a step along the way for someones faith journey.

This retreat is open to anyone in anyplace on the faith spectrum, said Hall. Whether they are experiencing a very deep relationship with God that comes out of the Catholic tradition, if they are just putting their toes in the water or if they come from a different faith background, they are all welcome.

While there is no long-term connection provided by Campus Ministry for the students who have gone on the trip, Hall and Zimmer are certain it makes a positive difference in the students spiritual and faith lives.

Definitely one of the challenges is that we dont know what people do with it, moving forward, said Zimmer. But one of the things the retreat does, it invites people to think about their relationship with God as something much bigger, something beyond going to church for one hour on a Sunday. They think about God being active in their lives in ways they didnt think about before. Hopefully there is an impact, but we wouldnt know.

For many students, the experience they share during the Encounter retreat is one they will carry with them throughout their life as they navigate college and beyond.

Some of the insights Ive had through my reflection on this retreat about faith, about life, about me are timeless and will stick with me, said Elbert. Additionally, I think Ill carry an appreciation for peacefulness in my life [...] this peace will always have value, and Encounter will help me know how to find it in my post-Creighton life.

Posted in News on Thursday, February 23, 2017 1:42 pm. | Tags: Encounter Retreat, Faith, Campus Ministry, Spirituality

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Students have encounter with their faith and spirituality - The Creightonian