The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being

• List of Religious & Belief Student Organizations
• Prayer, Meditation, and Reflection Spaces
• UMBC Holiday Schedule

Interfaith Involvement Opportunities

Gathering Space Student Advisory Board

Created in the Summer of 2022, the Gathering Space Student Advisory Board was formed to provide a forum for students from religious and belief organizations on campus to get to know each other, discuss issues impacting the Gathering Space, and create programs centering connection and dialogue. The hope of this Student Advisory Board is also to create spaces for connection and relationship, while providing a forum for religion and belief student organizations to discuss difficult issues as a community. This group will partner with Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, & Belonging (i3b) staff and work parallel with the Religious Council to help uphold the vision of the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being. Bi-weekly meetings are planned for the Fall 2022 Semester.

If you are interested in learning more or joining in the conversation, please reach out to Matt Hoffman, Assistant Director with Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging and based in the Gathering Space. He can be reached at matt.hoffman@umbc.edu or in the Center for Well-Being, Room 105.

Religious Council

Recognizing the value of religion and spirituality as part of holistic well-being, UMBC is committed to welcoming students, staff, faculty, and community members from diverse religious, spiritual, and worldview backgrounds. As such, the UMBC Religious Council was created to partner with local religious and spiritual leaders (both ordained and lay, some volunteer and others supported by outside organizations) to help provide support, organization, and a forum to better serve students and the campus community at large. Representing various backgrounds and experiences, Religious Council members often provide secondary support to religion and belief student organizations, pastoral care and counseling, and spiritual guidance and model the value of relationships in promoting pluralism and cooperation. Collectively, the Religious Council strives to create and support a safe and inviting environment, where spiritual exploration is encouraged and spaces for dialogue and relationships are fostered.

For more information, please contact Matt Hoffman, Assistant Director with i3b at matt.hoffman@umbc.edu.

Finding a Spiritual Advisor

Searching for answers or a place to just be? Seeking somewhere to tap into your spiritual side? Looking for spiritual counseling or someone to talk to about some of life’s big questions? Come stop by the Gathering Space!

You are welcome to drop by the Spiritual Advising Office in the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being (CWB 109) or to reach out to Matt Hoffman, Assistant Director with i3b for the Gathering Space (matt.hoffman@umbc.edu), or to one of the members of the UMBC Religious Council listen below:

Names/Bio/Photos/Contact Email (To Be Added soon)

• Nate & Lien Briggs, Agape Campus Christian Fellowship
• Father Matthew Himes, Catholic Retrievers
• Ellen Payne, Catholic Retrievers
• Rabbi Dovid & Chani Reyder, Chabad
• Charlie Klepadlo, Cru
• Danielle Baron, Hillel
• Aliza Silverman, Hillel
• Lisa Huberman, Hillel
• Nancy Parlette, International Students, Inc (Christian)
• Valerie Gladu, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
• Mia Morrison, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
• Pastor Kelsey Green, Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry (The Table)
• Imam Yaseen Shaikh, Muslim Chaplain Affiliate
• Kiran Sankhla, Hindu Chaplain Affiliate
• Trip & Joy Beans, Reformed University Fellowship
• Pr. Alicia Hudnall, Kingdom Christian Fellowship

UMBC Families and Community Members

Looking for ways to connect with Spiritual and Religious life for your Retriever? Please encourage them to connect with a Religious and Belief Student Organization of their choosing by logging on to myUMBC and searching under the “Religious and Belief” Student Organization tab to learn more information.

Still have questions, please reach out to Matt Hoffman, Assistant Director with i3b for the Gathering Space (matt.hoffman@umbc.edu).

Yes, this space is for you, and we want you to feel welcome! The Gathering Space is designed for students and UMBC community members of all religious, spiritual, and non-religious worldviews to find a place for community. In addition to providing space for students who identify with specific religious traditions, the Gathering Space is committed to providing programming that allows an opportunity for everyone to connect to spirituality and mindfulness (check out our Mindfulness Monday and Gathering with Gratitude programs). Also, your voice would be most welcome on the Gathering Space Student Advisory Board. Radical love and belonging is a central tenet of The Gathering Space.

Yes, we know that space can be tight on campus, so stop by the front desk to see who uses the various spaces within the Center for Well-Being. If everything is full, check out our other prayer and meditation spaces located across campus! Our Linktree will always house our most up-to-date map.