Well I realize that it has been a while, and I apologize for how long it took me to write another newsletter. I am excited, however, to fill you in with all that the Lord has been doing in Antioch. It’s the start of Spring term, and the weather is getting nice. There always seems to be a burst of energy when the sun starts to come out, and the house seems to have new life this spring as well.
This I Week was a real turning point in the year for the house. For those of you who are not familiar with I Week, it is the first week of every Spring term. This is a week that we as a house set aside to follow passionately after the Lord and to grow closer together in fellowship. Many guys in the house were very refreshed and encouraged by this week, even though it can be physically and emotionally exhausting. New leadership has also started to take over, and with that comes a new set of ideas and a fresh resolve for improving the house. I am really excited about our leaders this coming year, and I think we will see a lot of fruit come from their service to the house and to the Lord.
Any of you that have been down to see the houses know, they are both still a work in progress. One of the great parts about Antioch is that the students get to take control and really be a part of the house that they live in. A lot of the work that needs to still be done on the house has been taken up by the students. Guys have been tearing out the old deck at the 14th St. house and putting in a new, smaller one. The basement at the 14th St. house is also being repainted, and a lot of things in the house are being tidied up. I know it is personally exciting for me to see guys get really passionate about the house and donate their time and skills to improving the house.
For all of you Moms out there, we have Mom’s weekend coming up! If you havent been to a Mom’s weekend, I highly encourage you to come. They can be a lot of fun, and I know the students really enjoy their moms coming down and seeing what the house is like. We will have a brunch on Saturday morning, and various other events going on. Its a university wide event, so there will also be events on campus so you moms are able to check out the campus. The dates of Mom’s weekend for those who dont know will be April 29th-May 1st. Also, back by popular demand will be the Mom’s Auction, which will happen right after the brunch on Saturday morning. Any mom who would like to bring items to be auctioned off, they are certainly welcome to! All profits will go to the house, and will help purchase items needed for the house. Another upcoming house event will be the Spring Banquet, and that will be more towards the end of this term. We will be having a little different format this year for the banquet, but all family and alumni are welcome to come as this will be a great opportunity to meet guys in the house and learn about Antioch. We will have some guys who are currently living in the house talk about how the house has helped them and what the Lord is doing through our ministry. More information and specific date and time will come later.
I have one more plug I would like to make. This year Antioch is hosting a Relay for Life team. For those of you unfamiliar with Relay for Life, it is an event put on every year by the American Cancer Society to help raise money for cancer research. We thought this would be a great opportunity for the house to get involved and have a presence in the community. If any alumni or friends of Antioch would like to sponsor our team, you are most certainly welcome to! If you have any questions you can email me at rathjenjohn@gmail.com, or you can email our community service chair Brian Holmes at blenderaddict@gmail.com.
Also much appreciated is your continuous and faithful prayer for our house. We are a houseful of college guys trying to figure out what it means to be a man who loves and follows after Jesus Christ whole heartedly, and any prayer or support you our fellow believers could offer would be much appreciated. My favorite Psalm is the 27th, and the last two verses say this: “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD”. As Christians, we have no need to despair because we have the goodness of the LORD. Pray for our house as we try to show others on the campus of Oregon State what the goodness of the LORD is like. Also pray that we would learn what it means to wait on the LORD and let our hearts take courage.
Blessings,
John Rathjen
Raising up Men for Christ