Adam Aldridge - Chapel Reflection

On an unseasonably warm October 25th, the Kuyper College community gathered in the Vos Chapel – as they do twice weekly – to hear God’s word taught, to sing together of His faithfulness, and to pray together. Adam Aldridge, a 2017 Kuyper graduate and director of Campus Life at Fruitport High School, led the gathering this Tuesday. 

Adam spoke about the importance of reaching outside our comfort zones to share the love of Christ. He pointed out how easy it can be to let ourselves become enveloped in a kind of “bubble”, where we largely interact with people who are already like us. 

Recalling a time when he and his wife realized they had begun to do this, Adam said, “Jesus calls us to go to the ends of the earth to make disciples and yet, for some reason, we weren’t even going to the end of our street.” They began taking baby steps to break out of this pattern, volunteering in campus ministry, starting a beer-brewing group with their neighbors, and even opting to sit at the bar at their favorite brewery to strike up conversations with strangers.

Each of these steps led Adam to where he is today, doing full-time campus ministry with Campus Life. He works with kids who use drugs, are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and are known as troublemakers, welcoming them into his life and loving them without conditions. 

He challenged his listeners to consider ways they might reach outside their own bubbles to spread God’s love. “Put yourself around people who aren’t like you, who aren’t church people. All it takes is one interaction with someone who doesn’t know Jesus, being a part of their life for as long as God calls you to be and, hopefully, God will help you to keep expanding your bubble.”