New Purpose - Ryan
Ryan was a somewhat typical high school graduate who loved riding his longboard and playing guitar. As a fast-food employee who was assigned to work a catered event at Westwood House; he wasn’t sure what he was getting into. This event was the now traditional welcoming event at the beginning of the fall semester at Westwood House - the Ice Cream Social, and Ryan was serving Freddy’s Frozen Custard.
And that evening Ryan met LCM-KU Campus Pastor Dan Baldwin (PD). The two seemed to click. As the evening wore on and their conversation continued, PD felt he had found a good candidate for LCM-KU's part-time administration needs, and Ryan was curious about what this campus ministry was all about. While he was serving frozen custard and chatting with everyone, he was impressed to find students open and engaging in conversation; this place was refreshing and welcoming, and it had a food pantry to serve the needs of food insecure students. At the end of the evening, Ryan took a job application home with him and later applied for the job of Minister of Administration - and he got the job!
Ryan embraced the job of welcoming folks as they entered Westwood House. He enjoyed meeting all the unique personalities of students involved in the ministry and was surprised how passionate they were. He admits he learned a lot - not just gaining administrative skills and increasing confidence in his written communication skills, but he also gained knowledge of how a not-for-profit groups works - its challenges and surprising successes. At a time in his life when he was looking for focus and a more significant direction, Ryan found that having something more purposeful and mindful was just what he needed, and he found it in Westwood House.
Westwood House offers connections through evening meals, time for worship, and fellowship activities, as well as spontaneous gatherings and events. It is an amazing place to explore faith and self. These opportunities are a direct result of your gracious generosity. We give thanks, always, for your vital part of our ministry. Thanks be to God!
