Concordia men enjoy fellowship and study with Rev. Dr. Kristopher Morris at Rooted Men event
Rev. Dr. Kristopher Morris opens his Thursday evening presentation.
Photo credit: Josiah Ceyanes
By Josiah Ceyanes
Former faculty member Rev. Dr. Kristopher Morris encouraged young men on Thursday night for the first Rooted Men men’s fellowship gathering of the semester. He reflected on the foundational confession of St. Peter and the call for men and all Christians to confess Christ in both word and deed.
Morris spoke for over an hour, examining the Matthew 16 passage and reflecting on his own life experiences to encourage young men of various majors and backgrounds to stand firmly on the foundation of their faith.
“Confessing that truth, walking in that truth, fighting that good fight and doing together as brothers in this place, it’s the highest calling you’ve got while you’re here,” Morris said. “So yeah, the confession of St. Peter matters to every man.”
Morris, who accepted a call to serve a congregation in Missouri and will begin later this fall, is admired by young men on campus. Sophomore Levi LaPlant enjoys his down-to-earth teaching style.
“I like that he kept it real and that we learned about real things, and that he didn’t shy away from the truth at all,” said LaPlant, “it was really, really fun.”
Rooted Men was founded in the fall of 2025 by Cole Yunker, who was inspired by junior Anna Pennekamp who founded Rooted Women. Its goal is to unite young men on campus in God’s word and in fellowship with each other.
“The guys need to be in God’s word, too,” said Yunker, “and I think it’s a great opportunity to build fellowship and help us to come together as Christian men around God’s Word.”
Rooted Men is only just beginning, and young men on campus can expect more events to follow.
“My hope and prayer for this year is just to keep expanding it and to branch out and do some more activities of maybe engagement with the community,” Yunker said. “But also, just times for guys to have fun outside of structured Bible studies, which we hope to keep doing as well.”
