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August 29, 2019Villa Angela-St. Joseph is a school rooted in the Catholic faith and with Christian values at the heart of every decision made. In addition to the school’s religion classes, VASJ’s Campus Ministry program is a critical component to helping the students grow in their faith. This year, the Campus Ministry program promises to be better than ever.
VASJ Principal David Csank has appointed Brianna Wilson and Christin VanAtta to lead the school’s Campus Ministry program.
“Brianna and Christin bring an amazing amount of passion and energy to the program,” Csank says. “They have completely embraced the mission of the school and the greater Viking community. I know they will share their passion for service with our students and make the Campus Ministry experience a truly memorable and positive one for all.”
Having Campus Ministry led by two people will not only split the workload but also double the impact and effectiveness of this important program.
“Having two people to tackle such a big responsibility is a blessing,” Wilson says. “We have two heads and two hearts working for the same mission.”
Although new to this role, Wilson and VanAtta are not new faces to VASJ, both having taught at the school for several years (Wilson in her fourth year and VanAtta in her third). With their experience at VASJ, they both understand the importance of assisting students with their spiritual growth.
“There is a strong need for students to be reconnected with their faith in our current day and age,” says VanAtta. “I’m honored and excited to be a part of it.”
One of the first changes the leadership team brought to the program was moving the Campus Ministry Room, which they are calling “The LOFT” (Living Our Faith Together), to a space that is conducive to fostering a sense of community among the students. This room will serve as a workroom for the Campus Ministry leaders as well as a meeting space for all of the school’s faith-based clubs which will all be working more closely together this year.
Campus Ministry’s first official project of the year was to assist with the New Student Orientation this summer. Their goal was to make the event more interactive and give the new incoming students a sense of what it means to be a student at VASJ.
"We created activities to engage students in prayer and service while forming new friendships since that's what being a student at VASJ is all about," Wilson says.
Other upcoming Campus Ministry events are the first whole-school Mass taking place on September 3, as well as a Welcome Back Night for all VASJ students to come enjoy outdoor activities and build a sense of community with their classmates.
Wilson and VanAtta are excited to see how God will work through them to help grow VASJ’s Campus Ministry program this year and have formed a new vision statement to guide them in their decisions and planning.
The Vision is that all members of the Viking Family are part of Campus Ministry at VASJ. We help each other come to know and freely choose God through life-giving experiences of liturgies, retreats, service, and community engagement.
