A UNC Lutheran Campus Ministry Senior Reflection

Senior Reflection by Caroline King

Shared at Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) worship April 2, 2025

You all know I have so much love for LCM and talk about what it means to me

incessantly, so I'm not sure how much I'll tell you tonight that you haven't already

heard, but I'm very excited to share with you.

When I first came to LCM, and UNC Chapel Hill, in the fall of 2021, I'm not confident that I believed in God. After COVID, I stopped going to church and even with my mom being a pastor, I really didn't feel that pull to my faith and that connection with God or the Holy Spirit. Because she was a pastor I didn't feel like she was someone I could talk to about my doubts either.

I came to LCM for the first time the same night that Jake talked about, and I know that I

only came because I felt like I was supposed to. My mom even called like 10 times that

day asking, “you’re going right?”. Yes mom, I’m going.

I remember our LCM worships that fall in the same space where we're all seated now, and I remember looking around and thinking to myself, especially during prayers, “wow you all really believe this crap”. Little did I know that I would believe all of that crap too. And really believe it, not just pretend to believe it on Sundays. My attendance at LCM that first year was less than stellar. I fell into the Freshman depression and had a really hard time making it to church on Wednesday nights.

But I remember that even from a distance I felt so loved by LCM.

Various LCMers texted and offered rides to worship or home from worship or even just texted to check in on me and let me know they were thinking about me.

This expression of God's love is so evident throughout all of the experiences I have had with LCM over the years.

As a sophomore, I decided I was going to be more present at LCM, and I am so

lucky to have come on the Wednesday where the Germany spring break trip was

announced, with the stipulation that you were involved in LCM leading up to the trip.

While the Germany trip was wonderful and so incredibly impactful, this Wednesday was maybe the most meaningful Wednesday of my life. I built a lot of friendships in the time

leading up to the Germany trip, yet even with the blossoming of all of these new

relationships, on the day we were flying to Germany, I still felt like I shouldn't have

come on the trip. I still wasn't sure I believed in God, and I still wasn't sure that LCM

was somewhere I belonged. This all changed for me the first night in Germany as we had our first devotion. We all know I'm not shy to shed a few tears, but I cried through this entire devotion. I remember hugging everyone as we shared peace, and sharing that I was finally confident that God was real because how else could I be so lucky to have met all of the friends that I was with.

It wasn't by luck that I was where I was, it was by God and I am so incredibly blessed to have met them and to have met all of you.

I have so much love for LCM and I have so many stories to continue sharing and

experiencing with you all for the rest of our lives, but I want you to know that you all

have helped me learn how to just “be” and also how to be a better friend, a better

listener, and how to open my heart up more to others.

LCM makes a big world feel so much safer and you all remind me every single day that love is all around. LCM is such a blessing.