Interfaith gives support, safety
By Will Holbert
Of lh« Emerald
The people who work there
call it a place of refuge, of
safety, and of fellowship. Peo
ple can go there for many dif
ferent reasons: to have fun. to
find help, to make friends, or
to worship Clod.
The Campus lnterfaith
Ministry prides itself on being
many things to a lot of dif
ferent people. Housed in the
Koinonia Center across from
PL.C. the lnterfaith Ministry is
an ecumenical organization
representing 10 local
denominations, including
Catholic, baptist. Jewish, and
Quaker organizations.
"Campus lnterfaith
Ministry itself as an
ecumenical program is Chris
tianity plus — it encompasses
Christianity, but it also en
compasses the Jewish com
munity. So our thrust isn’t
primarily Christian, it's
broader than Christian. It's
more of a spiritual focus."
said Susan Fjerkenstad, Inter
faith program coordinator.
The Interfaith Ministry in
its present form started in the
late 1970s. Hack then it was
known as Campus Christian
Ministries. Members decided
the organization was too nar
row, and when the |ewish
community joined it became
Campus Interfaith. The Inter
faith now incorporates the
staffs of the 10 "faith com
munities,” as Campus Inter
faith Pastor Tom Heger
prefers to call them.
“It makes a whole lot more
sense for us to do something
in common than in competi
tion or isolation,” Heger said.
Heger. 43, has worked with
Interfaith since 19H2 as a
Presbyterian pastor. He also
serves as the representative
pastor for three other local
denominations.
iieger sees Interfaith's pur
pose as providing a safe place
for students, a place where
they can ask tough questions,
and "be both vulnerable and
supported" at the same time
Today's society contains an
abundance of materialism and
selfishness, according to
Heger. The church as a whole,
and his campus ministry in
particular, should provide an
alternative to such a society in
Hager's view.
Interfaith can put students
in touch with the religious
organizations of their choice
The selection ranges from the
conservative to the more
broad and open religious
groups. They also hold devo
tion services and discussion
groups. Moslem students
gather to worship at the
center, and Jewish members
celebrate High Holy Days
there But religion plays only
Turn to Interfaith, Page 18A
QJniRfi 'MJcan
342-6375
87 7 E. 13th Ave.
|next to Uof 0 bookstore)
Child_
Continued from Page 8A
Reynolds' long-term goal is to
have a resource referral service
on campus, but currently sug
gests parents contact Victoria
Koch at the American Red
Cross. The Red Cross keeps up
dated lists on who has spaces.
Beginning this fall.
Westmoreland will offer 22
spaces for a combined pre
school and kindergarten pro
gram for ages three to six. The
six EMU programs have
separate activities for different
age groups.
Westmoreland has never had
a child care site for its 400 plus
family units, but students ap
proved funding for staff, which
led to the Westmoreland
addition.
"I'm real glad students were
given a chance to say what they
felt in the University's Spring
election They voted to increase
spending for child care by a
3-to-l margin,"said Reynolds.
Increased child care was also
strongly supported by student
government, "who don't even
have kids."said Reynolds.
The Amazon housing com
munity has a child care co-op
offered first to its own residents
It operates from 7:45 a.m until
5:30 p m. Monday through Fri
day. and offers 24 spaces for
two-and-a-half to six-year-olds.
The tuition ranges from
S58-S180 per month, and
because it is a co-op. parents
must help out a few hours a
month. Registration can be for a
quarter or for the full school
year. Applicants can contact
Suzy Blanchard. Amazon
Teacher/Director at 485-6554
Blanchard suggests parents
go to Amazon community
tenants' meetings and let
members know there is greater
need for child care. She and
Reynolds each want to set up a
parent network tor infant tod
dler babysitting.
The Amazon situation ex
emplifies the crisis for quality
daycare. There are over 100
school-age kids among
Amazon's 246 houses, and the
daycare's 24 spaces hardly meet
that need.
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