Panel discusses the fruit of the spirit at year’s first women’s fellowship event
Anna Pennekamp (left) asks questions to panelists (left to right) Professor Jerrita Staehr, Professor Erica Bobby, Dr. Raegan Skelton, and Deb Jurchen.
Photo Credit: Natalie Guske
By: Natalie Guske
A panel of four female Concordia faculty members pulled examples from both scripture and from their personal lives as they answered questions to help illustrate how they see God’s hand at work and walk in him in their own lives, particularly in relation to the fruit of the spirit, at an event hosted in by the Rooted Women women’s fellowship group in Cattle Conference Room on Thursday night.
Students were encouraged to submit any questions they had regarding the fruits of the spirit, Rooted Women’s theme for the year, in the weeks before the event, which brought Concordia women from a variety of backgrounds and majors together.
“It felt like the Avengers assembled, like the Avengers of women on campus,” said junior Faith Offerman. “It was really beautiful to see their faithfulness, and it’s just hard at 20 to feel that. But when listening to them, it’s like, wow, I want to be like them.”
Professor Erica Bobby, an assistant professor of communications who served on the panel, said it was really encouraging to see the number of attendees.
“I just think we’re blessed that so many people came, and it shows that desire to want to grow together,” Bobby said.
Dr. Jerrita Staehr, an assistant professor of education and director of field experience, and Dr. Raegan Skelton, an assistant professor of biology, served on the panel with Professor Bobby and Deb Jurchen, Concordia’s director of university institutes. They were chosen by the leaders of Rooted Women through a process of prayer and reflection.
“Some of the leaders have had these people as professors, and we already feel like they had already given us so much wisdom in the classroom that we were excited to see what that looked like in their daily lives,” said junior Anna Pennekamp, the founder of Rooted Women. “Through prayer, consideration and recommendations, they were the people that we picked. God has provided (us with) such amazing women to have as our leaders and as people that we can go to.”
Rooted Women is striving to create a community that is centered on faith which is what the panelists demonstrated in their discussion of the fruits of the spirit.
“Last semester, the group of leaders wanted to come up with a theme or a Bible verse that we thought encapsulated what our goal (for Rooted Women) was, which is community,” said Pennekamp. “(We want to focus on) learning how to live in the community with these fruits of the spirit (answering questions like) how do we love each other well? How do we have peace in our communities?”
Junior Allie Hassler said that she thought the panelists were very relatable and did a good job of opening the attendees’ minds.
“I felt heard and it was very comforting as well,” said Hassler.
