Higher education One large extended family
Montana couple connects college students to church By Katie Scarvey
I
f you were to walk through the doors of Hope Lutheran Church in Bozeman, Mont., looking like a
college student, chances are that Don and Diane Heyden would be the first people to greet you. For the past seven years they’ve played an impor- tant role in connecting the students with their congregation. Every month the Heydens host a
dinner for Montana State University students at their Bozeman home. As many as 20 get together to unwind and share a hearty meal of chili, casseroles or burgers. The Heydens didn’t set out to host
regular gatherings when they invited several students to their home seven years ago. Andrew Byl and Patrick Bender, who were spending the sum- mer in Bozeman between their soph-
‘It’s nice to be around a different generation. [They’re] our Bozeman grandparents.’
omore and junior years, volunteered to help with church landscaping. To show their gratitude, the Heydens began inviting them over for barbe- cues. After school started, the din- ners continued. Roommates tagged along. Then roommates invited other friends and, well, everything sort of snowballed. And that was just fine with the
Heydens, who relish their role as sur- rogate parents or grandparents. “We have one large extended family that is absolutely wonderful,” Don said. Stephen Schmidt, pastor of
Hope, said that on Sundays he often notices the couple sitting with at least a handful of students during worship—always in the second row, although sometimes they spill over into another pew. “They embody hospitality,” he said. “It’s a natural spiritual gift they have.” The Heydens’ monthly gatherings
provide not only a home-cooked meal but laughter, camaraderie and stress relief for the students. Their home is a place where students can eat, connect and have fun—and leave refreshed to do homework, said Amanda Olsen, who began attend- ing the dinners as a freshman. Although many of the par-
The Heydens’ gatherings provide not only a home-cooked meal but laughter, camaraderie and stress relief for the students who attend.
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www.thelutheran.org
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