Rooted Men bonfire facilitates fellowship with smores and study
Attendees converse at the Rooted Men’s bonfire.
Photo credit: Josiah Ceyanes
By Josiah Ceyanes
Laughter and fellowship bookended a study of Galatians five at the Rooted Men’s bonfire on Friday night.
Attendees were invited to make s’mores and get to know each other before junior Cole Yunker facilitated a discussion on the text of Galatians five, breaking it into three major points of discussion. Attendees spoke openly and encouraged each other about themes such as sin, forgiveness, and the victory of Christ.
Sophomore Matthew Hoops appreciated the opportunity to have a serious discussion with other men on campus.
“It’s really awesome to have a group of guys that we can talk about serious things with, just hitting the hammer on the nail and saying ‘hey, this is a serious issue, let’s dig into it,’” Hoops said. “Having this open environment where you can trust everyone, it’s a testament to the people and also the community.”
Junior David Eatherton enjoyed ending his week with the bonfire and forming new connections.
“It was relaxing, a nice end to my week,” Eatherton said. “It’s a great thing to be with other guys and talk about serious things with a planned place to do it, and just kind of hang out and form more connection with people.”
Yunker, who hosts and plans Rooted Men’s events, appreciated the ability to host a casual event where men on campus could speak as equals in a less structured environment than previous events, which involved speakers from campus faculty.
“It’s important for us Christian brothers to be letting the word of Christ dwell in one another,” Yunker said. “A campfire is the perfect place to do it. We were able to enjoy the warmth of the light of the fire, but more importantly, the light of the word which was revealed to us in the scriptures tonight.”
Yunker hopes to continue building the community with similar events and bible studies on a regular basis.
“I would love to do maybe three events every two months, two with bible studies and one that’s just time together,” Yunker said. “Just trying to build this community and let guys get to know each other and always be pointing one another to Christ as we lead and teach each other. We’re not walking alone.”
