The Lutheran-Anglican Mountaintop Ministry (LAMM) at SFU was born when Rebecca Goyan, a lecturer in Chemistry, found there was no Anglican or Lutheran campus ministry when she moved to SFU in May 2006.
Following discussions with Bishop Michael and the Lutheran Synod Office, she was referred to Rev. Stephanie Shepard at St. Timothy’s, Burnaby, and Rev. Greg Mohr, the suffragan Lutheran bishop. They have proved to be willing partners in ministry.
Gordon Arthur, with a Ph. D in theology, arrived in Burnaby in July 2006, and was present when LAMM was conceived. The group decided to meet every Tuesday at 11:30, and to alternate Eucharists. Rebecca and Stephanie enlisted priests, and Gordon led Bible Studies.
In 2007-08, Jason Derr was our first chaplaincy assistant, and our activities and numbers began to grow. We held weekly Communions followed by lunch, first in the Maggie Benson Centre, and then in the Interfaith Centre. We began meeting on Thursday evenings for faith studies, movies, and fondue parties, and in the Highland Pub on campus on the third Wednesday of each month.
The shape of our ministry has changed in our second academic year. Our Tuesday Eucharists are now focusing more on building community than we did in our first year. We meet on the first Thursday of the month for a chocolate fondue party, and on the second Saturday some of us join in the sandwich making ministry of St. George’s Church, Maple Ridge. Pub nights continue on the third Wednesday.
We are grateful to the Synod, the Diocese, and several other donors for their gifts of money, equipment and food. We now have a small freezer, linens, and two chalices and patens. We have had several donations of soup for our Tuesday lunches, and are always happy to receive more (but please check with us about dietary requirements first).
In the coming year, we would like to work with Anglican and Lutheran churches in raising visibility and support for LAMM. We would also like to stabilise our financial position, so that we can offer a chaplaincy assistant a stipend, or at least reasonable expenses in future.