C.S. Lewis College Foundation Receives Book Donation

Posted on September 8, 2011 by cslewisfoundation

Books in Dolben Library, Northfield Campus. Copyright Holly Ordway

Now that we have the new college site and blog up and running, we wanted to take time to make a special announcement regarding a generous gift we received earlier this year from Dr. John Gustafson.

Dr. Gustafson donated a total of 2,632 books to the C.S. Lewis College Foundation. The books cover several subjects, primarily including art, history, literature, science, and theology.

This contribution from his personal library will be of very great value to establishing the library of C.S. Lewis College, which is being founded by the C.S. Lewis Foundation in Northfield, Massachusetts.

We give a warm and humble “thank you!” to Dr. Gustafson for his generosity.

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“When God Comes Near”

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Kevin Belmonte

Author and speaker Kevin Belmonte recently visited C.S. Lewis College, and while there was inspired to write this short reflection about his experience.  He has graciously allowed us to re-post it here for your edification.  Enjoy!

Few sights are finer than the view from the veranda of Moore Cottage. Vistas of the Pioneer Valley, and a ridge of mountains far in the distance.

“Thousands of mountains,” my five-year-old son likes to say, and we try to count them.

The gift that my wife and I promised we would give ourselves before leaving D.L. Moody’s Northfield, where Moore Cottage lies, was to sit in the wicker chairs of its veranda on a quiet Sunday morning with no one else there—to look out and let the peace of the place be ours.

And so we did during this visit in late August. It was hazy and warm, and we were grateful for a place in the shade, graced by the breeze that always seems to be there. Our five-year-old, Sam, though active in the ways that boys are for most of the morning, did as we did for a few moments. We sat and listened.

There is a music in the whisper of the wind—something that can be heard and felt. It is a lovely thing. Read more »

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Vacationing with a Purpose

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Holly Ordway
Holly Ordway

Holly Ordway

What should I do on my summer vacation? For this college professor, the answer this year was easy: combine service, fellowship, worship, and fun by spending two weeks in Northfield, Massachusetts, at the future C.S. Lewis College site, participating in the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s Vacation with a Purpose!

As I write this, it is the beginning of Week 2 of VWAP (as we call it), and I already have more memories and amazing experiences than seems possible for a whole summer, let alone just one week. But that’s the way things roll at the C.S. Lewis Foundation…

First of all, the campus is beyond beautiful. I kept expecting the shock of amazement to wear off, and for the campus to turn from Cinderella’s coach into, if not a pumpkin, at least a more ordinary plot of land with buildings on it. Hah! Instead, the magical atmosphere has thickened and deepened, so even the most ordinary tasks are touched by a kind of grace.

From grassy Roundtop, to the quiet halls of Dolben Library, to the stunning westward views of Hibbard Dining Hall (to say nothing of Sage Chapel), the sense of sacredness in this place is palpable.

And it’s the kind of sacredness that reaches out, grabs you by the collar, and draws you in! Everyone feels it, and there is a sense of joyful fellowship here that is unmistakeable and unique. Little acts of love abound, like having your neighbor at dinner clear away your tray for you. Everyone has an interesting story to tell – and a desire to listen as well as speak that is so rare in this modern world. Moments of grace and prayer abound. Read more »

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