Newsletters

November 2002

Success vs. Significance

“Are you living for success or are you living for significance? Are you striving to achieve success in the world’s eyes or are you joining in God’s significant work?”

These were a couple of the questions posed to our students at our annual fall retreat. The speaker was the pastor from our church, Jack Glupker. The larger question he answered during the weekend was “Why bother with Jesus?” One of the main answers that he expounded from the Bible is that a life with Christ may not bring success but it does bring significance.

I can not think of a better concept to relate to our students! They are bombarded constantly by the university, by their peers, and often by their parents with a pressure to succeed. After all, these are students from the prestigious University of Michigan—the “leaders and best”. So, most Michigan students sell out in their drive to succeed at the expense of everything else. Most Michigan students, if asked, “Why bother with Jesus?”, would answer “There is no reason to bother with Jesus because he is not worth it and he is irrelevant to my life.” While all Christian students would verbally commit themselves to Jesus, many of them then would go on to show, through their actions, that success in the world’s eyes is more important than the significance that a life lived radically for Jesus can bring.

What does this mean on a practical level for our students? What is greater (read more significant), an entry level engineering job with a starting salary of $80,000 or the opportunity to lead four students to Christ through ministry in a dorm? What is greater, to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or to be one who has a life-changing influence on countless individuals? If  students believe that the former things are greater, then during their time at Michigan they will put their whole being into achieving goals like those, to the expense of having an influence for Christ. If they recognize the latter as being more significant, then they will not allow their proper desire to do well in school prevent them from also being a sold-out disciples of Christ who have an eternal impact in other student’s lives.

This is one of the biggest reasons that we work with college students. They are on the verge of leaping into a life of success. Before they do that we want to have a role in directing them to lead a life of significance.

U-M students at Fall Retreat talk about how they are going to apply what they are learning back on campus

Students enjoy the bonfire and some smores

Students from Eastern Michigan try out the disc golf course at the retreat

Kids’ Corner

I had so much fun at the fall retreat! There were a lot of students there and that made me a little shy. But it was so much fun to get to throw the Frisbee around and have Mom to myself while Lauren was napping. There weren’t many leaves on the ground for our leaf fight this year, but it sure was cold. I got to play at 2 different McDonalds’ playlands that weekend—life just doesn’t get any better than that!

I don’t like that it gets so dark so early now. I don’t get to play outside as much after dinner as I used to. I tried some hot chocolate the other day—the best part was the little marshmallows that I put on top! We went to an orchard to pick apples and Mommy learned that we need to go early in October next year when we can pick the apples off of the trees instead of late in October when they are just on the ground.

-Andrew

There were so many new friends just waiting to be made at fall retreat! In fact, my afternoon nap interfered with meeting people, so I decided to skip it. (Why didn’t Mommy seem too happy?!) We had some good food that weekend and I found that meals were the best time to meet people because everyone came to the same room and I didn’t have to go very far at all. They were all impressed with the art work that I displayed on my face!

I like to play “Boo” and to wear my brother’s fireman’s hat. I put it on and walk all around the house. But sometimes those walls run right into me because they can’t see me with that hat over my eyes.

Everybody comments on my curls and I just smile at them. Papa and Grammy Ardle say that my hair looks just like Daddy’s hair looked when he was my age. 

-Lauren

www.ardle.org

Staff Account #0484633