Erika Wilhite
Published: December 7, 2005
Last November the Wesley Foundation established a club at PJC, a youth ministry sponsored by Cokesbury United Methodist Church. Initially there were only a few students involved, said Sheila Feltner, the club’s director, but “God has blessed our efforts as we have grown to nearly 25 students.”
The club’s goal is “to encourage the social, spiritual and emotional growth of college students. We extend support for leadership and servanthood on and off campus,” Feltner said.
Feltner, who also directs the University of West Florida chapter, believes that students’ need for guidance is no less on a junior college campus, as opposed to a traditional campus.
“It’s to provide a social and academic support system,” Feltner said. “We offer study groups as well as attending to their spiritual life. We want to be a safe place for students to go.”
She emphasizes that the club accepts all students, not just Methodists. The club’s primary on-campus goal is to provide “healthy activities” for its students, because “with all of the temptations the world puts before college students we want to offer every opportunity for them to find a way out.”
“In Wesley, everyone is cared for and respected,” said club member Jerry Song. “In Wesley, we encourage and support each other to realize [our] goals and dreams for life, and above all, God’s purpose for our lives.”
On Mondays the club has lunch at the Student Center, located in Building 5 on the Pensacola campus. Monday nights the club meets at Cokesbury United Methodist, where they enjoy a variety of activities.
“We have bands, singers, ministers once a month,” Feltner said. “Also, it’s a place for students to display their talents.”
On Wednesday nights they meet at St. Luke United Methodist for supper and a Bible study.
“It’s all Christian-based,” Feltner said, “So our focus is on God’s values. [There is] more interaction with activities than actual Bible study.”
Beyond entertainment and Bible study, the club’s students are also active in community service.
“We visit nursing homes,” Feltner said. “And we helped with the Katrina relief – I took a group over to New Orleans after the hurricane. They helped repair five of the member’s houses from a local church there.”
Students interested in participating should contact Sheila Feltner at Cokesbury United Methodist, or one of the faculty advisors, Dr Sandra Davis or Charlotte Sweeney.