DBU Report Summer 2021 - Page 7

SUMMER 2021 7 ________________________ David Reyes Dean of Spiritual Life This past year has been the most challenging year for me, however many good things came. There were many stressful moments, but walking through this season allowed me to cling to the Lord more than I ever have and see His faithfulness. We had to learn to lead in crisis. There may have been many small things, but each day brought unexpected twists. Through planning more events to keep students engaged, to contact tracing students, and to planning strategically for future growth and sustainability, it was a balancing act. I have seen an increase in students wanting to pursue leadership development as they have seen various leaders handle the pandemic differently but also see a need for more strong leaders. Our Patriot Leadership Institute— which consists of the Emerging Leader Program, Advanced Leader Program, and Ministry Leadership Program—saw a growth of students wanting more leadership development. All of these programs had great success as these students desired to improve their leadership. My goal is that we can continue to grow and develop those programs and get more students involved. I am excited to expand our Spiritual Life programming this fall as we relaunch our Men’s and Women’s ministry to provide more outlets for discipleship for our students. The fall is a great time to reengage students who may have felt disconnected in the past, and our hope is that more student organizations and more events will allow them to connect. ________________________