School of Ministry Retreat

Every year, the School of Ministry has its annual fall retreat at the end of September where we stay at a retreat center for two days and one night. Ministry students get the opportunity to meet and get to know one another. During this time, the professors also share words of encouragement to refuel us for the rest of the semester.

Last year was the first time back since the pandemic and it was also my first time going to the retreat. At first, I was a little reluctant because I had just transferred into the ICS program over the spring and only knew a few people, but I decided to go because it was an opportunity to get a short break away from schoolwork even though it was just a weekend. We had a speaker come last year, Sarah Bessy, where she was talking about Rest, and I found it really valuable and refreshing.

During that retreat, I was also able to meet more peers from other Theology programs but specifically, in ICS. Because we got to know one another a little bit through the retreat, campus had a lot more familiar faces and it became easier to continue and cultivate those friendships in school and in between classes. Some of my friends that I met in the retreat are one of the closest friends I now have at Ambrose. Although I have friends in other programs that are on campus, it is comforting to know that there are a few people I can talk to that share the same passions I do when it comes to conversations about theology and issues such as social justice.

Overall, I think one of my favourite things about being in the School of Ministry is the tight knit community we have with both our peers and the faculty. It makes learning a lot more engaging and it helps us make connections throughout our time in Ambrose.