Creative ending to a delightful semester 

As a way to encourage our students to get creative with their connection groups, we host a yearly Salt Company Film Festival that involves a competition between music videos by any willing groups within our ministry. We deeply enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the year through the lens of this festival—for it is a time to reflect on the joy of community and the uniting nature of the gospel. 

While this eventful night officially wrapped up our spring semester, our excitement for the summer has just begun. Many students are heading back to their home states while others are coming home to Iowa City. Amidst these rapid transitions, we have been in awe of the kindness and generosity of God! He has gifted us with a truly delightful year, and we are eagerly anticipating the work of His hands through the coming months. 

Summer Salt plans 

Beginning the first week of June, we will be transitioning back into our regular rhythms of the Salt Company. Our discipleship groups are transitioning into their summer schedules, incorporating new activities such as breakfast clubs, reading plans, and summer theology school. 

While we will be carefully practicing appropriate social distancing, we are going to begin meeting in-person, outside of our church building. By encouraging students to drive out to the building and settle into the grass with their lawn chairs and blankets, we are hoping to establish a sense of normalcy in community while thoughtfully adhering to the government guidelines. We are very excited for the opportunity to gather with our students again—in whatever capacity that entails. 

As we conduct our own Salt Company throughout the summer months, marked by outdoor worship, sermons, and small groups, we will simultaneously be participating in a weekly network-wide sermon series. This series will be exploring the topic of “wisdom” by bringing in various teachers from across the Salt Network. By doing this series in tandem with our own outdoor meetings, we are hoping to make Summer Salt entirely accessible to those seeking to attend—whether that is in-person, or online. 

Directing our gaze at an unwavering God

This pandemic has been an interesting and uniquely difficult time for both our ministry and our city. Yet, we have been truly astounded by the faithfulness of our God! How kind He has been to draw us into a deeper state of worship and obedience. While we are looking forward to safely reopening, we are very thankful for this past season and how it has further directed our gaze upon an unwavering God. All glory be to Christ!