Launching the New Academic Year
Dear friends,
After a quiet summer, the Michigan Christian Study Center once again hummed with activity on Monday as a host of returning students and several new students descended on the Center. The new table and chairs added over the summer immediately justified the investment. As I witnessed the energy of a bustling Center and students who were excited to be “back home” in this beautiful building, I marveled again that just three years ago, this vibrant Christian learning community on the doorstep of campus did not even exist. As the 2025-26 academic year begins, we’re excited to welcome more students and faculty to a community committed to loving God with both heart and mind and living faithfully on campus and beyond.
Nothing says “welcome home” like freshly-baked cookies
A new academic year begins
This morning, we began the opening session of our History of Christianity course, module #3 of the Center’s four-semester Program in Christian Studies. Thanks to our new partnership with nearby Spring Arbor University, many of these students are taking the course for two hours of credit that will count toward their U of M general education requirements.
In addition to the Program in Christian Studies, several other initiatives begin in the coming days and weeks:
Our Fall 2025 Friday lunch series begins this week with the theme of “Thinking Christianly, Living Faithfully.” Upcoming Friday lunches include prominent Christian apologist (and UM Law alum) Abdu Murray as well as an outstanding lineup of Michigan professors, alums, and administrators.
Our fall book discussion is led by local pastor Bob Lynn and features British missiologist and theologian Lesslie Newbigin's classic work, Truth to Tell: The Gospel as Public Truth. In a culture that is increasingly skeptical about the possibility of knowing truth, Newbigin’s book is an important reminder that Christianity is true for all people in every space, even a public university campus.
Faculty activities resume next week as the Center welcomes back current professors and introduces new professors to the Christian scholarly community with a reception on the patio.
Our first public event on September 15, “The University and the Pursuit of Truth,” features UM Law professor Dan Crane and staff member Valerie Johnson. Also, we’re excited to welcome Provost Laurie McCauley to the Center, who will offer introductory remarks for the event. You can RSVP for the event here.
On September 18, the Center will partner with the UM School of Medicine’s Program on Health, Spirituality, and Religion to host Catholic writer Leah Libresco Sargeant, speaking on “The Dignity of Dependence."
Cultivating Christian community amid a culture of invisibility
Last week, the Center’s staff met to prepare for the new year. Among other things, we discussed David Brooks’ essay, “The Essential Skills for Being Human.” Brooks laments what he calls the “epidemic of invisibility” in modern culture and offers practical tips for engaging with others and making them feel known. In an age in which students’ eyes seem glued to their smartphones and they inhabit a portable bubble of technology, we wondered, what can the Center do to foster a countercultural Christian community of authentic human interaction?
Our best ideas often come from our students, and Diego suggested that we make the first floor a “headphone-free zone.” In addition, we’re providing a basket by the front desk as an option for visitors who want a break from their iPhones. The response thus far has been positive from students, many of whom seem to crave a respite from the ubiquity of modern technology.
With God’s continued blessing, we look forward to another year of cultivating a thoughtful Christian presence at the University of Michigan, and we are grateful for your partnership in our work.
Sincerely,
Rick
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Dr. Rick Ostrander
Executive Director, Michigan Christian Study Center
Our student hospitality coordinators are the foundation our Christian community