Ministry Director Exhorts Seniors
By Catherine Elvy
As the class of 2017 prepared for commencement, Christian Union’s undergraduate ministry director at Harvard emphasized the significance of seeking God above personal advancement. 
“I hope that you have encountered – and enjoyed – the Living God,” Don Weiss told students during the ministry’s leadership lecture series on April 28. “Do not give up in pursuing God.”
Weiss said his own personal joys and thrills have come as a direct result of fellowshipping with God, especially “seeing Him at work, seeing His grace, and watching Him move.” He encouraged the soon-to-be Crimson graduates to dedicate themselves to prayer and Bible study as they embark upon careers, travel, or advanced degrees.
“There is such an enormous amount of pressure to make your mark,” he said. “Don’t let that be your god, your No. 1. Don’t let that be what you would wish for.”
Tyler Parker, a government concentrator from Florida, paused to describe his involvement with Christian Union as “utterly transformative.”
Rather, in approaching the next decade and beyond, Weiss said he hopes students will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”
In addition to celebrating seniors during its weekly leadership lecture series, Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard also hosted a conference for members of the class of 2017. More than 30 seniors attended the event, which was held May 14 to 16 at picturesque Ottauquechee Farm in Vermont.
Ministry Fellow Christine Shin described the final getaway together as sentimental and joyful, a beloved activity for faculty. “It’s great for reflection,” she said.
Topics at the conference included: post-graduate life, selecting churches, plugging into Christian service, navigating romantic relationships, and practicing faithfulness away from college life.
“One of my favorite aspects of this job is to walk through this season of life with seniors,” said Shin. “There is so much excitement around graduating and entering ‘the real world.’ It’s a time to be honest, to wrestle with disappointments and hopes.”
Shin said she hopes the seniors will relish the transformative, everlasting work of Christ in their individual lives as part of their most precious Harvard experiences. “I’m reminded that college years are, at best, like a time-capsule of memories and experiences that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives,” she said.
