THE ROCK ON CAMPUS

The Organization

The Rock on Campus is a registered charity governed by a Board of Directors that seeks to accomplish three primary objectives. 

The primary goal is to provide chaplain services to students and staff on community college campuses.   Chaplains seek to 'be there' for students and staff, offer friendship in confidence, listen to, pray for, provide spiritual care as requested.  The Rock on Campus also provides a venue for campus ministry, allowing students the opportunity to be involved in and grow in their faith while in attendance at college.  Chaplains engage students in dialogue and find ways that give students and staff permission to explore how faith makes a difference each and every day.

The Rock on Campus also engages churches in the local community by linking students to a place that they can call their spiritual home while in school.  In addition, The Rock on Campus assists local faith communities in establishing and developing young adult ministry.  Seminars for parents on how to prepare for the post secondary years are available for booking.

Finally, The Rock on Campus is engaged in establishing and developing campus ministry models and planting qualified chaplains on community college campuses across Ontario and Canada by involving local churches into the world of young adults and by presenting a vision for caring for young adults during their post secondary years, and providing a rationale for staying in church when they graduate.

The People

Francois Kruger is a licensed minister and currently serves as the Executive Director of The Rock on Campus based out of London, Ontario where he is the Lead Chaplain at Fanshawe College.

Francois began as a campus chaplain appointed to Fanshawe in the Fall of 1995 by Ridgeview Community Church after serving in youth ministry for seven years. Since that time, campus ministry and chaplaincy have become a vital component in the lives of hundreds of students and a 'who-to-go-to' resource to the college for its spiritual needs. Chaplaincy also offers spiritual care in a variety of situations where the professional services of clergy is required.

Francois is happily married to Sandra and has 3 daughters who are the joy of his life. He attends Forest City Bible Church in northwest London, loves to read about what's going on in contemporary culture, and is an avid Montreal Canadiens fan.

Francois can be reached at: fkruger@therockoncampus.org

Nancy Gatten is our Administrative Associate. 

Nancy joined 'the Rock' in the fall of 2008 and brings a wealth of customer service experience.  Currently employed full-time at Creation Bookstore in London, Ontario, Nancy will be assisting in the office of The Rock on Campus and, with a professional approach to our office activities, demonstrate exceptional care for the details of 'the Rock.'

Nancy is married to Don and has twin adult sons.  Don and Nancy attend Summerside Community Church in south London.

To contact Nancy regarding any administrative matters you can reach Nancy atoffice@therockoncampus.org

Rielly McLaren joined The Rock on Campus in July of 2009.  Rielly serves as the Chaplain to St Clair College in Windsor, where he is also a chaplain at St Leonard's House, and serves as the Outreach Pastor at New Song Church.  He is presently working with St Clair students to create a venue for ministry as he awaits official status from college administrators. 

Rielly brings to chaplaincy and campus ministry a passion for people to connect with God and is  a talented musician to boot!  Rielly's loves to chat and you can connect with Rielly by email atrielly@therockoncampus.org

Dan Helps: Dan joined our team September 1st 2010.  Dan brings to The Rock a wealth of experience and a passion for young adults.  Students at Lambton College in Sarnia will get to see Dan taking time over coffee to listen and to encourage growth in faith and providing pastoral care where needed.

Dan starts walking the halls in early September, and he can be reached by email at dan@therockoncampus.org

Conestoga College: we're talking...

Fleming College: a formal invitation has been made!!

Sheridan College: rumours of interest abound!!

To contact the organization for further information by mail, our mailing address is:

     Francois Kruger, The Rock on Campus, Box 848, Granton, Ontario, N0M 1V0

Helping students journey along the road of life...

(reprinted from http://www.therockoncampus.org/5.html )

ST. LEONARD'S HOUSE

From 2003 to 2008, I worked as chaplain at St. Leonard's House, Windsor.  It was the first halfway house in Canada and was founded by an Anglican priest Neil Libby.  Here is their story.

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“Unless our society can redeem those who go astray, we can hardly call ourselves civilized; and, anyone doing the work being undertaken in St. Leonard’s halfway houses deserves the support of all who believe in human dignity.”  Stanley Knowles, M.P.

Little is known for certain of St. Leonard’s history, as his early “life,” written in the eleventh century, has no historical value whatsoever. So let’s begin with the legend that recounts a sixth century French monk named Leonard who saved the lives of both the Queen and her newborn daughter, Bertoara. 

A grateful King Clovis granted Leonard a huge tract of land where he built a monastery christened Noblac. The King permitted Leonard to take prisoners under his care at Noblac, and then release them when they had proved themselves ready. St. Leonard became the patron saint of prisoners; his icon is generally represented holding broken chains in his hands.

In 1962, the first St. Leonard’s half-way home in Canada opened its doors right here in Windsor, to welcome men who had spent time behind bars and needed a safe haven to make a clean start. 

A practical and determined Anglican priest named Thomas Neil Libby and his supporters shared a vision to help offenders rehabilitate in a social climate where ex-offenders were regarded as unfit and undeserving of any support.

Neil Libby (left) pioneered the halfway house movement in Canada; today there are sixteen Society homes and affiliates across the country. Yet, when the first St. Leonard’s House was proposed in Windsor, it was greeted with extraordinary resistance. Neighborhoods and local politicians rallied against the idea of housing “ex-cons.” 

They waved fists in town meetings, screamed telephone threats to Board members and wrote angry letters to newspaper editors describing the dangers and risks to their wives and children, property values and business income.

All this, however, only strengthened the resolve of the founding members and convinced them of the importance of their mission.

Over 40 years later, St. Leonard’s has earned this community’s support. Situated in a modest, split-level building on Victoria Avenue in downtown Windsor, St. Leonard’s Society has intentionally kept a low profile to prevent residents from being singled out as they quietly re-build their lives.

And yet, St. Leonard’s is much more than the bricks and mortar of a building. A United Way supported agency since 1968, the society’s services are designed to give back to the community that supports its work with ex-offenders.

St. Leonard’s provides a place to live for those who have been in trouble with the law, and an opportunity to remove the stigma of being an ex-con through guidance, counseling, and understanding. St. Leonard’s also advocates reforms to the social justice system, to ensure that those who leave prison do not return to the community less able to live crime-free than when they left it.

The Society has steadily grown and responded to the changing needs of subgroups such as probationers, young men and women in conflict with the law, and those dependent on alcohol and drugs. Programs have been expanded to include life skills and job placement training, intermittent

 programs, and Lifeline, which helps those who have received long-term sentences to readjust to “life on the outside.”

St. Leonard’s Society continues to be active in Correctional Services and frequently makes presentations to parliament and other provincial government groups on issues that concern the incarcerated and released offender. They also organize seminars for the public, and develop position papers on the judicial system.

The strength and heart of the society’s work rests on building genuine one-on-one friendships with the people they serve in a setting of support – a place where they are challenged to value themselves and to actively find meaning in their lives through education, employment and relationships within the community.

The St. Leonard’s Society of Canada continues its work in response to the changing social justice environment in Canada.

(reprinted from http://stleonardswindsor.com/St-Leonards/History.html )

THE COST OF 'TOUGH ON CRIME'

The Conservative government's 'Tough On Crime' has a pricetag attached to it.  While this article talks about prison expansion in Canada, I wonder what the real cost is to our national soul when we warehouse people instead of creating new solutions for rehabilitation?

Read about prison expansion here:

http://www.vancouversun.com/Federal+prison+expansions+underway+meet+expected+flood+inmates/3475185/story.html

CHAPLAIN KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN

We do not often think of chaplains risking their lives, but here's a story about a U.S. chaplain who was killed in the line of duty.  Read about Dale Goetz's death here:

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/02/chaplain-killed-in-action/