Walther Burgering, who has been working as a student pastor at the Rapenburg 2015 student chaplaincy since the beginning of 100, will be leaving Leiden on 1 July 2020. After the announcement recently that humanist counselor Jeannette Bakker was leaving, a second team member is now leaving Rapenburg 100. Walther has combined the (halftime) position at Rapenburg 100 from the start with another halftime job, in the parish federation St. Franciscus, between dunes and garden. A combination that would eventually take its toll.
FULL-TIME IN ONE PLACE
You yourself say about it: “Both workplaces have their own challenges, difficulties and possibilities. Because they do not overlap, they are separate work fields. This means with separate work meetings, meeting circuit and work contacts, a different approach and working methods. I am not the youngest anymore (61), and recovery from exercise is not as easy as it used to be. You cannot refuel energy that you lose at one workplace in another. I had to choose one appointment. In Leiden there was no possibility to grow from half-time to full-time, but in Westland there was. So the choice to work full time fell on the other workplace. ”
TEAMWORK
Much has changed and developed in the five and a half years that he has been part of the student ministry team. The name Rapenburg 100 has become more common, the PR policy and a new website have seen the light and the organization of the student ministry has been improved, partly due to the arrival of an Advisory Council. Results that can be attributed to an improvement of the teamwork at Rapenburg 100. Rob van Waarde, Jeannette Bakker and Walther Burgering have invested well in this over the past two years.
FROM LOS SAND TO POLICY PLAN
This allowed them to grow from 'loose sand' to a team that knew and knows what it stands for: working for and with all students, Dutch and international, at the study programs of Higher Education in Leiden from an availability with diversity. The range of Rapenburg 100 consists of training, courses and personal conversations about life and meaning issues. Their policy plan for the next 5 years was recently published under the title Resonans.
ACTIVITIES
For five and a half years, Walther has strengthened the Rapenburg 100 student chaplaincy team, in which he further shaped the Coping with Loss course, founded the meditation group and held many individual conversations with students. He was also active in guiding and designing monastery and reflection weekends, activities for international and in collaboration with his colleagues, providing training to boards and committees of more than 25 student associations.
CREATING A SAFE PLACE
“I have learned a lot from students who are recovering after a phase of mourning. Their resilience and persistence are majestic. I enjoyed how they provided each other - in the Dealing with Loss Group - with good advice, better than we could give. I am happy that I was able to contribute to this by creating a safe place where students were brought to speak. ”
NEW COLLEAGUE
Under the motto 'Multiform in personal development', the Rapenburg team guides 100 students individually and in different groups. The third and last team member Rob van Waarde has now welcomed a new colleague for: Claudia Saric. The succession of Walther Burgering is still under discussion at diocese level. After the summer there will be more clarity about this.
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