Your LuMin friends are wishing you a happy fall!

A collection of ten LuMin students and Bethesda Lutheran Church young adults smile and wave at the camera. They are at a long, plastic table set up outside for a potluck after a Sunday morning worship service.

As the temperature slowly but surely approaches that glorious time in fall known as "sweater weather", we send our greetings and thoughts to you all! The fall semester is underway here at Yale and we have been joyfully welcoming both new and returning students back to campus!

LuMin strives to create a sort of "home away from home" for all those in our community - a safe space for worship, conversation, and prayer, as well as fellowship, laughter and joy! We wanted to share some of the ways we've been doing that so far this year. Enjoy the photos and know that our community includes you all as well - whether you are nearby or far away, LuMin is always a home for you.

~ Henri Santelman - LuMin Administrator and Writer for this E-news

Welcome back and Fall tabling events!

Pastor Kari, Riley Erlandson YDS '24, and Vicar Gabrielle smile beside LuMin's bazaar table. Riley is a short white woman with dirty-blonde hair and glasses. Vicar Gabrielle is an older white woman with short, curly grey hair and glasses.

LuMin's table at the undergraduate extracurricular bazaar is shown. It contains snacks, candy, pens, ads for Taize and an ice cream social, and pictures of LuMin's recent events.

Patrick Chappel YC '23 is on one knee petting Handsome Dan, Yale's bulldog mascot. Patrick is masked and wearing a white polo shirt and tan pants. Handsome Dan is wearing a flannel handkerchief and looking into the distance.

Three young, white adults smile at a table. There is a goody bag on the table as well as multiple plates that at one point contained pizza but are now empty.

Pastor Kari takes a selfie of her, Vicar Gabrielle, and a young man with a blonde beard, a baseball hat, and a shirt that reads "Yale Divinity School."

As new Yale students, both undergrad and graduate, have joined us on campus this fall we have been tabling at extracurricular bazaars and fairs, visiting orientations, and even hanging out with Handsome Dan to share a smile, a conversation, and a welcoming invitation to join us for Taizé prayer, ice cream socials, and all of the fun things we do together at LuMin!

Taizé, ice cream, and new friends!

14 people, all wearing face masks, give waves and thumbs up to the camera. They are seated in a semicircle pointing towards a cross and candles, each sitting on carpet squares as part of LuMin's Taize Prayer worship.

Three Taize attendees laugh in conversation following the prayer service. They are sharing in refreshments and fellowship.

Seven young adults are gathered around a table, which contains two cups of ice cream and a watermelon rind. Many of the people wear black shirts that read "Bethesda Lutheran Church." In the background, children play giant Jenga with some young adults

Thirteen Taize attendees are shown from above. They are socializing over refreshments following the service.

Two Yale College students smile in Battell Chapel after attending Taize Prayer. The person on the left has short, reddish-blonde curly hair and is wearing a green shirt. The person on the right has facial piercings and wears a colorful headband.

We have begun our weekly Taizé prayer services, returning to our beautiful Battell Chapel this fall! Both our times of prayer, and of fellowship afterwards have been wonderful highlights of each week. If you'd like to come share in song, readings, and prayer with us virtually, you can join our lovely Zoom livestreams, and follow along with our beautiful liturgy via slideshow! We also have been enjoying worship at Bethesda Lutheran here in New Haven, as well as their annual ice cream social and Fall Fantastic Feast potluck! It is a blessing to partner with them in ministry!

Welcoming Our New Student Leaders

Brook Smith

My name is Brook, and I’m a sophomore in Jonathan Edwards College majoring in Political Science and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. I grew up Lutheran in Southwest Virginia and joined LuMin during my first semester at Yale, and I’m so glad I did. LuMin has been a wonderful community in which to grow into my faith as an adult, and there is truly no better remedy for Yale stress than the peace and calm of Wednesday night Taizé Prayer. LuMin has served as a comforting, home-y presence throughout my time at Yale, and I'm so excited to help pass that welcome on to other students!

Riley Erlandson

Hello! My name is Riley Erlandson and I'm a second-year M.Div. student at Yale Divinity School. I entered YDS last year directly after graduating from Concordia College in Minnesota with degrees in Biology and Neuroscience and a Religion minor. I entered YDS planning to pursue an M.A.R. in Religion and Ecology, but over the two semesters (largely due to involvement with LuMin at Yale, as well as work at Luther Crest Bible Camp!) I have felt a call to ministry, sparking my degree change. Beyond ministry and academics, I love reading and writing for fun, spending time outdoors, cooking, and any artistic or crafty pursuit. I'm so excited to be working more closely with LuMin this year!

LuMin's 6 leaders—Vicar Gabrielle (top left), Patrick Chappel YC '23.5, Pastor Kari, Riley Erlandson YDS '24, Brook Smith YC '25, and Henri Santelman YDS '25 (bottom right)—smile and wave for a screenshot as they meet on Zoom.

Riley and Brook join our team of current leaders this semester including Vicar Gabrielle Brown, Pr. Kari, Divinity School student Henri Santelman and Yale Senior Patrick Chappel!

Thank you for all your support!

We have been and continue to be blessed by the support we receive from the LuMin community - including you! Whether it's through engagement, donations, or prayers, we are grateful for the role that you play to support this essential ministry.

If you'd like to make a donation, consider using the options below. We appreciate any form of support you can provide as it enables us to continue to do meaningful ministry with and for Yale students.

A quick way for you to support LuMin is to click on the "Donate" button on the top right-hand corner of your screen to donate with credit card or via PayPal.

If you would prefer to make your financial contribution by check, you can mail it to:

LuMin at Yale

305 St. Ronan Street

New Haven, CT 06511

A Prayer for you

God of love, you created us to live joyfully together. We thank you for this LuMin community.

As the leaves begin to blaze brightly the beautiful colors of fall, give us rest and peace that we might fall in love once again with your creation around us.

Be with each of us as we walk through our lives. Let your presence be known to us in the struggles and Joys.

Amen

Fall 2022