Spring 2016 Newsletter
904 Sunset Avenue ● Manhattan, KS 66502 ● 785-539-4281 ● ecm@ksu.edu ● ksu.edu/ecm
The mission of the Ecumenical Campus Ministry at Kansas State University is to invite both religious
and non-religious young adults in the university community to engage the life-changing message of
Jesus Christ.
What draws students to ECM?
We asked one student, Hannah Minson, and she echoed what we
hear from many students:
 Welcoming environment. Whenever you walk in the door
you feel like people are happy to see you, and they want to
hear about how your life is going.
 Variety of programs. Anything from yoga to lunches to Bible
study to discussion groups — and we’re always welcoming
new ideas and efforts.
 Supportive community. You can always find help here with
concerns or if you need support with things going on in life.
And at a recent ECM Leadership Team meeting, students added:
 Diversity of people. At a recent Friday afternoon jam
session, there were four musicians with four native languages.
But one song. That’s the Beloved Community, in formation.
Spotlight on Leadership: Lukus Ebert
Lukus Ebert is a recent K-State grad, resident of ECM’s annex at 908
Sunset, and co-leader of the new ECM Bible study, focusing on the
narratives of faith. He was recently accepted into the Presbyterian
Church (USA)’s Young Adult Volunteer program to work with
immigrants and refugees in Austin, Texas. Lukus will be engaging in
this work while taking classes at Austin Presbyterian Theological
Seminary, and engaging in an ongoing exploration of faith and
discernment as a community.
Lukus has the heart of a servant leader and an amazing spiritual gift
for forgiveness. In his own words: “I am excited to answer the call
from God to help another community. I look forward to and trust in
God to call me even further in life.”
Meet Erik Graefe: ECM’s Newest Staff Person!
In January, Erik Graefe joined the ECM staff to direct ECM’s programs on the
exploration of vocation, funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment. Erik has
already organized a discussion group on the “Vocation of Non-Violent Resistance”
before spring break, led four sessions on contemplative prayer and
meditation after spring break, and is busy making plans for fall programming.
Eric spent young adulthood working as a plasterer in the Kansas City area, before
becoming an instructor in Speech Communication at KSU for the next decade.
Teaching at Kansas State coincided with the most significant event of his life,
starting a family with his wife Sheri. Following his time at K-State, they moved to
Abilene where Sheri began teaching and Erik accepted a call to pastor a rural
United Church of Christ church. This allowed him opportunity to spend a summer
in East Jerusalem at Tantur Ecumenical Institute. Erik is excited to work with
students on a journey to discover what it means to live authentically and faithfully.
Solar Panels Save Money and Protect the Earth
Last fall, ECM worked with the Flint Hills Renewable Energy and
Efficiency Cooperative (FHREEC) to install seven solar panels on
ECM’s new building at a net cost—thanks to some donations—of
$3,780. Our students love them, as a sign of their hope for a sustainable future! By investing in these solar panels, ECM is working towards three important goals: being good stewards of the natural environment, being good stewards of our limited financial resources
and investing in the health and well-being of future generations
Last month, these panels generated about a third of the total electricity used for ECM programming—and we have room to grow! Our
roof has the potential to host an additional twenty panels. So if you
would like to donate a panel, call the office!
ECM to Welcome Seminary Intern Next Year
Melissa Atchison and her husband, Robert, moved to Manhattan about
twenty years ago to raise their family. They soon became involved in the
Manhattan Mennonite Church, which used to meet at the old ECM building,
and a local Contra Dance group, which now dances in the new ECM building
on the second Saturday evenings of the month! Melissa has become a regular
at Real Food Lunch and the contemplative meditation and prayer group.
Next school year, she’ll put on another “ECM hat” as a seminary intern!
Melissa is a distance student at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and
will be working with ECM to gain experience in ministry. She is excited to
have the opportunity to learn more about emerging adulthood in this setting
for ministry, where she will focus her efforts on enriching the spiritual practices of young adults, mentoring those living in ECM’s covenantal households and providing leadership to our gardening ministry.
Fall Vocation Speakers to focus on Native American Issues
Save the Date: October 31 & November 1. We look
forward to spirited discussions: asking important questions of justice
while exploring how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life today.
Charmaine White Face is the coordinator of Defenders of
the Black Hills and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
George “Tink” Tinker is Professor of American Indian
Cultures and Religious Traditions at Iliff School of Theology
in Denver.
Kevin Hancock is the author of Not for Sale: Finding
Center in the Land of Crazy Horse, where he writes of what
he learned about life during his time at Pine Ridge.
Pine Ridge Reservation Service-Learning Trip
In a reprise of a 2011 mission trip, a group a five from ECM will
travel to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in midMay. Pine Ridge is located in the tenth poorest county in the nation.
There they will collaborate with about forty other volunteers from
around the country, under the auspices of Re-Member, a local
organization that works with volunteers from around the country to
improve the quality of reservation life.
By day, the volunteers will build bunk beds, construct entrance
ramps and install insulating apron skirting on trailer homes. In the
evenings, they will hear from a variety of Native American leaders
about the history, culture and spirituality of the people living on the
reservation, and about the challenges and opportunities facing them
today. This year’s participants include: Hannah Minson, Karli
McLean, Melissa Perez, Jeff Cook and David Jones.