KANSAS CITY (MBTS) – Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College welcomed hundreds of new students to campus and kicked off the 2024–25 academic year with expanded Welcome Week activities, Aug. 15–23.
The week of festivities began with Move-In Day for college students on August 15 and featured numerous events including Meet on the Lawn, cohort kickoffs, and the newly established Spurgeon College Weekender.
“Welcoming new and returning students to campus every fall is one of the highlights of my year,” said President Jason Allen. “There is a sense of excitement and anticipation that is almost palpable. With these events, students have unique opportunities to meet their classmates as well as their professors. And kicking off the year right really does provide momentum for the rest of the semester. This year’s Welcome Week events went phenomenally, and I am looking forward to all that remains the rest of this semester.”
Held at the start of each fall and spring semester, Welcome Week offers an array of events aimed at building relationships between new students and the campus community.
Central in this effort during fall Welcome Week is Meet on the Lawn. At this year’s event, more than 1,300 campus guests including students, faculty, and local pastors, along with their families, enjoyed live music and food on the evening of August 16.
With the sun setting in the background, this year’s Meet on the Lawn featured an outdoor concert by the Seattle-based band, Kings Kaleidoscope. A kids’ zone offered inflatables and face painting for children, and guests enjoyed frozen desserts from local vendors Lilo’s Shaved Ice, Melt Box Ice Cream, and KC Whip.
Tim Adams, director of Student Life and Events at Midwestern Seminary, shared, “Our goal in Welcome Week is to facilitate as many opportunities as we can to help students foster relationships with one another and the school. Creating opportunities for students to meet one another over a meal or a sweet treat is a key way for our team to help facilitate community.”
He noted his encouragement at the joy expressed by guests at Meet on the Lawn, adding, “Watching the hill fill with people and seeing the smiles, laughter, and fellowship—it fills my cup.”
At Meet on the Lawn, students could also be seen enjoying a new Welcome Week initiative: custom Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College hats from the Student Life and Events team. Adams shared, “On Move-In Day, students could select from five different hat colors and pair that with a patch representing their Spurgeon College Cohort or the Midwestern Seminary seal. The Student Life and Events team then made their custom hats that day.”
Reflecting on the aim of the initiative, which resulted in more than 250 hats given away, Adams said, “From their first day on campus, we wanted to make sure new students felt seen and a part of our community.”
Another new feature of Welcome Week focused on equipping Spurgeon College students for fruitful spiritual growth. At the Spurgeon College Weekender on August 16–17, residential Spurgeon College students heard practical teaching from faculty on biblical spiritual disciplines and created personalized plans for growth in devotional Bible reading to follow throughout the semester.
As a key feature of Spurgeon College’s Christian Life and Worldview program, the Weekender represents the college’s aim to develop students who connect their knowledge of God’s Word to their everyday spiritual growth.
Taylor DiRoberto, assistant dean of Spurgeon College and assistant professor of Christian studies, shared, “The discipleship, experiences, and skills students will gain from the Christian Life and Worldview program will serve them no matter where God calls them to serve Him and His Kingdom—in stateside vocational ministry, on the mission field, or in the marketplace.”
Spurgeon College also hosted a Cohort Kickoff event during Welcome Week to connect new residential students to their cohorts and launch the college’s annual Cohort Cup competition. Residential master’s students in For the Church Cohorts participated in a similar kickoff on Friday, August 16.
The start of classes the following week brought additional opportunities for students to build relationships with faculty and staff. On August 20, students joined President Jason Allen and his wife, Karen, for appetizers in the Library Courtyard.
Reflecting on the Welcome Week initiatives, Adams said, “The impact we are praying for is that students feel comfortable quickly, that they feel like they belong here, and that they are cared for. If we can do that by providing some new swag or creating space for fun with food and music, we believe it sets a tone of joy and hope for the semester.”
Speaking of the expanded discipleship opportunities launched during Welcome Week for Spurgeon College students, DiRoberto added, “We’re excited for how this strengthened emphasis on discipleship and the development of practical skills in the spiritual disciplines will influence our students’ walks with Christ for the rest of their lives.”
To see photos from Meet on the Lawn, click here.
To learn more about the Christian Life and Worldview Program at Spurgeon College, click here.