By MacKenzie Hall, News Editor
February 2, 2022
In a season of busyness, Christian Focus Week (CFW) provides students a time to rest and be with God. Hosted by Campus Ministries, this year’s event will be Feb. 7 to 11. The mission of CFW is to provide and engage students, faculty and staff with opportunities to learn about the Lord and grow spiritually.
Planning the week’s events are Campus Ministries leaders Hannah Walker, Merrilee Greer and James Taylor, senior Tom Tran, junior Ashlyn Ham and a group of six additional student team members.
Each year, the CFW team gives much time and thought to choosing a theme for the week. This year the theme is “With Me,” drawn from Psalm 23.
“When we began meeting with our team last semester, we all thought of different themes individually and then came together to share our ideas based on what we each believed were the campus’ needs,” Ham said. “Many of us chose themes that related to God’s plan for us, his presence with us and the necessity of rest. We concluded that Psalm 23 best summarized these ideas.”
Throughout the week, CFW will offer breakout sessions, a hike in God’s creation and a time of art and worship. New to the lineup of events will be a coffee and dessert session led by alumna Hayden Walker called “God’s Presence with Us through Suffering.” The CFW team prays the campus will know that God goes before them and is always with them through these events.
“One of my prayers for CFW is that it will serve as a reminder that our God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. He is always with us no matter what we go through, and we can fully trust in the truth that He will take care of us,” Tran said.
In a time where commitments, deadlines and social events seem to reign, CFW is a reminder that the Lord is near.
“I hope that students will be able to truly understand what it means for God to be with them through every circumstance. We tend to keep ourselves very busy here at OBU, and I think we become guilty of putting God in the background of our minds. In reality, He is present through every major and minor situation in our lives and He is orchestrating it all for his glory,” Ham said.
For more information on Christian Focus Week, visit obu.edu/campusministries/christian-focus-week.php or follow Campus Ministries on Instagram @obucm.
Full Schedule:
Monday, Feb. 7
9 a.m.- Worship- JPAC- Speaker: Terry Carter
Noonday- Berry Chapel
5 p.m.- Breakout: Life After College- Commons Alumni Room- Holly Shipp Woolbright & Ansley McDonald
8 p.m.- Night of Worship- JPAC- Aaron Williams & The Worship Initiative
Tuesday, Feb. 8
10 a.m.- Chapel Worship- JPAC- Speaker: Hayden Walker
6 p.m.- God’s Presence with Us through Suffering- Coffee & Dessert- Walker– Speaker: Hayden Walker
9 p.m.- Art &Worship- Tiger Den
Wednesday, Feb. 9
10 a.m.- Worship- JPAC- Speaker: Eric Moffett
Noonday- Berry Chapel
3:30 p.m.- God With Me in Creation: a Hike with RecLife- Village Circle
8 p.m.- Worship- Berry Chapel- Leader: KaNeil Purifoy
Thursday, Feb. 10
10 a.m.- Worship- JPAC- Speaker: Bailey Buettner
4 p.m. – Breakout: God With Me Overseas- Berry Chapel- Barbara Pemberton
9:30 p.m.- Refuge- JPAC- Speaker: Johnathon Valdez
Friday, Feb. 11
11 a.m.- Worship- JPAC- Speaker: Johnathon Valdez
Link to Full Schedule: https://obu.edu/campusministries/cfwschedule.php
