Recent research shows young adults are especially susceptible to depression leading to suicide, making it the second most common cause of death among college students. The University Lutheran Chapel sits on the very edge of the University of Nebraska campus in the heart of downtown Lincoln. It is the hope of the Nebraska District to use this building and its location as a hub of hope and healing for the students and young adults in the downtown community who are suffering with hopelessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide. It is the prayer that the students and community members who use this Hope and Healing Hub might be drawn into a relationship with the Body of Christ and Jesus as its head, leading to faithful participation in the Word and Sacrament ministry offered there.
Dedicated conversation partners, both UNL students and members from local LCMS congregations, meet regularly with international students to help them learn English and build meaningful, Christ-centered relationships with them. The Chapel building provides the space to gather, and creating a more open and welcoming space for these and other gatherings will increase the use of the Chapel and its ministry impact.
The ministry of the University Lutheran Chapel in Lincoln, Nebraska, serves students and the surrounding community through worship, Bible study, and service opportunities. The students involved at the Chapel are a great connection point for others to enter the Chapel community. A renovated space will encourage fellowship and new relationships to form and grow, while offering Christian counseling services to those who need to hear of God's love for them. The Hope and Healing Hub will be a place where anyone can come to be loved, to be healed through the work of Christian counselors, and to receive hope through the body and blood of our Savior. 
The space at the University Lutheran Chapel must be renovated to make the building more accessible as a place of hope and healing. This drawing shows the plan, including dedicated space for Christian counseling services through GracePoint Institute for Relational Health, as well as a larger "student union" space for gathering and building relationships. Construction began on June 1, 2018, with an estimated completion date of August 2019, allowing the Hope and Healing Hub to be open and ready to welcome students when the school year begins.
God has used the people and the ministries of the University Lutheran Chapel to reach students with the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the past ten years, the Holy Spirit has worked in the hearts of 43 international students and seven American students to bring them to the waters of Holy Baptism through the efforts of the Chapel staff and students. The connection between the Chapel community and the international students is an important one, and this connection to the Chapel will give international students Christian counseling services in an easily accessible space that is already comfortable for them.
The University Lutheran Chapel provides the space for gatherings, such as fellowship meals, holiday celebrations, and cultural events. A larger and more accessible fellowship space will serve the students and the community members better, giving them open space for meetings and celebrations that can include more people in a more comfortable setting. Making this space available for use by community members will connect them to the Chapel and introduce them to the people, services and fellowship there.
The staff and volunteers of the University Lutheran Chapel offer free moving services to students, often international students, which provides a wonderful way to meet and connect with them. Coming from thousands of miles away with little knowledge of the English language or American culture, many also don't know about Jesus Christ. The moving ministry of the Chapel connects these international students to the love of Jesus and the caring community at the Chapel. The addition of the Hope and Healing Hub will be a great blessing to these students who often struggle with the transition to American culture.
