‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ —1 Thessalonians 5:18
As a posture of worship, gratitude transforms lives. God calls us to be thankful and give praise in every circumstance. As a Lutheran university in 2025, it’s worth pausing to reflect on what that means for us today.
Our lives are so busy, and we spend our days distracted by technology, that we often forget to slow down and give thanks. Here are a few ideas for showing gratitude in person this season.
Food Drive
CUAA is collecting donations for the Hope Clinic through Nov. 15. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to serve Christ and their community through the generous act of donating. You can also find other local drop-off sites—such as food pantries, homeless shelters, supermarkets, schools, churches, and community centers.
There are 47 million people in the United States facing food insecurity. Food donations help.
“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” —Proverbs 22:9
Blood Drive
On Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., everyone is welcome to stop by the nursing skills lab on the first floor of the North Building to donate blood. CUAA hopes to collect 30 units and would greatly appreciate your help. This is just one way in which you can serve and save lives.
Jesus gave His precious blood—the symbol of life—for us. Why not do the same for our neighbors?
The blood drive is organized by Alison Doerr, a junior in the nursing program at CUAA. She had the opportunity to travel to the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington D.C., two summers ago to participate in the Collegiate Leadership Program. There she learned how to run blood drives and their importance.
“Donating blood is extremely important—every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets—and one donation can save up to three lives,” Doerr said. “It only takes an hour to give the gift of life—since joining this program, I have donated three times.”
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” —1 Peter 1:18-19
Gratitude Mural
The end of the semester can be stressful for students, faculty and staff, but November is the time of Thanksgiving. So, it’s appropriate to give thanks to the people who support you as you reflect on meaningful moments.
To do this, the CUAA community will create a gratitude mural on Nov. 20 in the lobby that will transform personal reflections of gratitude into a shared community statement.
“My hope is that the mural helps the CUAA community give thanks and, in turn, promotes the community’s well-being during a very busy and stressful time of year,” said Erin Laverick, associate vice president of campus operations and student success.
Random Acts of Kindness
Simple acts of kindness—often overlooked yet memorable—can be done throughout your day. Holding doors open, helping a friend study, bringing coffee for someone, cleaning up a shared space, giving a compliment—the list is endless. One of the easiest, yet most disregarded forms of kindness is a simple smile.
Challenge: Try counting how many times throughout the day you walk past someone without smiling. It’s probably more than you think.
Our savior Jesus Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, welcomed the outcast, and washed His disciples’ feet as visible acts of His kindness. How can you show someone kindness this season?
Here are several practical and meaningful ways you can show kindness and gratitude:
- Pause to thank God through prayer and reflection.
- Keep a gratitude journal by your side.
- Hand out thank-you notes with Scripture.
- Say thank you to a professor, faculty member, staff person or student.
- Volunteer or join a service project.
- Donate your time, food, blood, gently-used clothes, or books.
- Simply smile at someone or give them a compliment.
“The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” —2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Gratitude grows when it’s shared—and through acts of service, prayer and kindness, we reflect the love of Christ to those around us.
Want in?
CUAA will continue to offer degrees in 2025-26 and beyond. Pursue a degree in healthcare at our North Building with its newly remodeled features and state-of-the-art simulation equipment, or earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education through one of our well-established online programs. The CUAA campus continues to offer a route to a Lutheran Teacher Diploma to help equip Lutheran K-12 schools nationwide with qualified workers. In the near future, Concordia will look to reintroduce additional church work training opportunities in Ann Arbor by building a new vision and model for the undergraduate degree programs here.
Click here to view a full list of the programs Concordia will retain in Ann Arbor. Click below to schedule a visit with an Admissions team member.