University of Kentucky Wesley Foundation
The University of Kentucky Wesley Foundation is a United Methodist campus ministry that doubles as a Christian living community for students. It's located on the University of Kentucky's campus in Lexington, Kentucky.
History
The Wesley Foundation was established in 1945 in a small building on the corner of Maxwell and Limestone Streets. The Foundation used this building as its primary ministry space until 1986 when the Kentucky United Methodist Conference obtained a residential dorm from a leaving sorority at 508 Columbia Ave. This purchase allowed the Foundation the opportunity to house 48 students in a Christian community. The dorm is believed to be the largest residential community of its kind in the United States.
Living Community
The WF has two residential floors, one holding 24 women and one holding 24 men. Two members of the student leadership team serve as men's and women's RA, and share the responsibility of overseeing day-to-day aspects of the residential ministry. [1] This living community is a vital part of the WF's ministry, as it serves to deepen relationships among students, provide accountability and support, and emphasize the idea of allowing your faith to inform all areas of your life.
Students share custodial responsibilities with rotating assignments of "kitchen duty" and "building duty" by room number. [2]
Ministry and Missions
In addition to housing university students, the UK Wesley Foundation is also a campus ministry that provides a weekly worship service, free dinners, events, small groups, and co-ed Bible studies. The UKWF's mission is to "connect, develop, and send a new generation of Christian leaders who will make disciples of Jesus Christ and transform the world."[3] The WF is living out this mission by not only creating opportunities for service on campus and in the city of Lexington, but also by presenting, through the living community, constant opportunities for service and discipleship among residents.
The ministry is led by a director, an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church; an assistant director, usually a seminary student or recent graduate of the ministry; [4] and a student leadership team, composed of 6-8 current residents who serve in various positions.[5]
The dorm hosts a weekly service, Renew, offering free dinner, a message, and student led worship. Dinner is typically a home-cooked meal provided by a local church group or ministry, or the family of a current resident.[6] Other weekly events include life groups, small groups that meet after Renew to discuss the message and engage in intentional conversation; Saturday Homeless Ministry, an opportunity for students to make sandwiches for and eat lunch with some of Lexington's homeless population; and co-ed Bible study on Thursday nights.
The WF also hosts many events that happen every year or every semester, including Fall Retreat, Hoedown, Pumpkapocalypse, Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party, Love Campaign, the Crazy Cat 5k, Coffee House, and most recently a campus-wide Worship Night held at UK's Singletary Center for the Arts.[7]
Additionally, the WF hosts a service event called The 12 Days of Christmas, where students have 12 different service opportunities throughout the city in the 12 days leading up to Christmas break. Historically, opportunities have included decorating at nursing homes, caroling at UK Children's Hospital, handing out cookies on campus, participating in a clothing drive for local homeless shelters, helping with Step by Step Ministries, serving hot chocolate to the homeless population downtown, and volunteering with ministries like the Ronald McDonald House, Nathaniel Mission, Love Your Melon, Hospice of the Bluegrass, Lighthouse Ministries, and others.