This letter, written by Senior Vice President of Advancement Rev. Dr. Roy Peterson, first appeared in the fall 2018 issue of the Arbor Light, the official magazine of Concordia University Ann Arbor.
If you drove past the campus of Concordia University Ann Arbor this summer, you couldn’t help but notice the construction that has been taking place. In addition to a variety of smaller projects, large earthmoving machines were preparing the area across the street from the main campus for the new Thunder Sports Complex. This high-quality athletic facility will serve our CUAA students, as well as younger students from our neighboring St. Paul Lutheran School. Community access will also be available as we extend our reach into the surrounding area. This beautiful complex is an important part of fulfilling our mission as we help students develop in mind, body, and spirit, for service to Christ in the Church and the world.
As exciting as the sight of a new facility might be, it would not be possible without the generous support of so many of our alumni, friends, and community supporters. At Concordia, we like to use the expression that projects like this are examples of “Philanthropy in Action!” Those three words serve as an important reminder to all of us that this project, a vital project for our students, would not be possible without philanthropy.
The heart of philanthropy is love—love for others. Demonstrating philanthropy, we reflect in a small way the incredible love that God has first shown us through His Son. For many of our donors, it is this love of God that they have experienced that inspires them to love others, to be philanthropic and generous. When completed, this sports complex will serve many practical functions, but perhaps more importantly it will remind us of God’s love and our mission to serve our students so that they may serve many more.
Our heartfelt thanks to all who have already given so generously and demonstrated philanthropy to support this project. The complex is not fully completed yet, and additional funding is still needed. If your heart is filled with love for our students and the mission that God is setting before them, please give me a call at 262-243-4533. I would love to show you how Concordia continues to build on generosity.
The fall Arbor Light hits mailboxes the week of October 1, 2018. View a .pdf of the Arbor Light magazine here. If you are not on our mailing list, but are interested in receiving a free copy, call 734-995-7317.
—
If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving.