Brent House

Highlights of the Past Year 2008–2009:

Note that photos, text and audio of several of these events and activities can be found on the Reflections page of our site.

At Brent House:

• Renewed Mission and Vision statements (near-final drafts, which echo the Diocesan vision, “Form the faithful, grow the church, change the world.”):

Brent House’s Mission is to be a sanctuary for students, a hallowed place for discernment, learning, and spiritual growth, and a facilitator of communities—the academy, the church, and the world.

Brent House’s vision is

• Individuals [who are] mature in their faith
• A richer Academy
• A stronger Church
• A better world

• Two positions were added to the board for members chosen by the students and Brent House residents, providing a direct voice from the students to our governing body.
• The Canterbury Club, our student-led recognized student organization, co-sponsored several of our major and ongoing events.

On Campus:

• The Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne, physicist and Anglican priest, spoke to an audience of more than 200 people on “The Friendship of Science and Religion,” preceded by a dinner at Brent House.
• Brent House students and the chaplain were involved in the counter-activities in response to the visit of Westboro Baptist (a hate group) to campus in March.
• Brent House and Interfaith Dialogue co-hosted a joyous interfaith Advent/Christmas party, complete with Advent wreath, Christmas pageant (with home-made costumes, of course), a potluck of holiday favorites, tree decorating and caroling!  See pictures here.

With the Diocese and Province:

• Brent House students had leadership roles at both the 2008 and 2009 Diocesan Conventions.
• Two students were confirmed and one received at the Cathedral’s Easter Vigil.  More than 20 people from Hyde Park attended with us.
• Through the energy and leadership of Lee Behnke (member of the board, U of C faculty and St. Chrysostom’s), we knit hats and scarves for refugee families and the homeless.

In the Nation and the World:

• Students from Brent House and Canterbury Northwestern planned and led the provincial student gathering in February.  It was a rousing success, including significant time with Bishop Lee and a jazz mass from the folks at University of Michigan’s Canterbury House.
• Brent House, in cooperation with St. Paul and the Redeemer, was awarded a one-year grant of $12,000 from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship for a special project of Bible study, reflection and worship that seeks to explore and blur the boundaries between sacred and secular.
• Three Brent House students attended Gather, the bi-annual gathering of college students at Estes Park, Colorado.
• Sarah Staudt, a former peer minister, was chosen to be a member of the Committee for Young Adult Ministry, which provides resources for, advocates on behalf of, and promotes ministry relationships to young adults.
• Laura Eberly, now a fourth-year in the College and first-year at SSA, and a former peer minister, was a member of the Anglican delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in March.

And these are only the highlights!

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