Walla Walla University recently issued the following announcement on Feb. 14.
The Associated Students of Walla Walla University (ASWWU) team is working togetherwith the Chaplain’s Office and Student Health and Wellness to bring small groups back to the College Place campus.
Thirteen separate small groups have returned, providing students with additional opportunities for community and spiritual refreshment. Together the 13 groups have the capacity to host up to 205 students.
“The beauty of all the small groups is that they are innately spiritual. That being that they each bring together people in robust and meaningful ways,” said Mitchell Powers, junior theology student and ASWWU spiritual vice president. “That connection is often the place where people see Jesus, and thus why we see this kind of worship as valuable.”
Some small groups meet with the purpose of creating art, while others function as book clubs. One group meets weekly as a watch party for the Chosen, a television series based on the life of Christ. Worship credits continue to be offered to the small groups that meet the criteria.
Participants in each group are required to mask up and encouraged to report any symptoms of COVID-19.
The university’s goal is to help strengthen mental health through small groups, while continuing to guard students’ physical health. Statistics show that the rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness are increasing in the broader population. Walla Walla University recognizes this and wants to be intentional about helping its own students thrive. “We are confronting poor mental health with small groups, all while maintaining a safe Covid protocol” said Powers.
For more information about small groups email small group coordinator Emily.Martinez@wallawalla.edu.
Original source can be found here.
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