When senior Stephen Rouner was approached his freshman year by his Residence Hall Ministry Coordinator, who told Rouner that he should apply to be a Student Ministry Coordinator, Rouner said that he was kind of a messed-up person.

"The beginning of my faith was rocky," Rouner said. "I used to be ashamed of my brokenness."

Rouner said that he did not grow up in a Christian home, and when he made the decision to come to SPU, things blew up in his family. Faced with anger issues and suicidal thoughts, Rouner said that God sent a friend to save him from suicide.

In his testimony Monday night at "Gathering: Jesus' spirit lives here and now. So what? Let's talk about it," Rouner explained how God worked and is working in his life.

"Christ is redeeming," Rouner said.

Thirty students gathered for the event which opened and closed with a worship song and presented the testimonies of three students. Charlie Beck, Vice President of Campus Ministries, said that Gathering was to discuss difficult questions and really go deeper into what it means that "He is risen."

"I hope that SPU students realize that the resurrection is for today and not just 2,000 years ago," said Bobby Jacky, minister of worship and production assistant.

Starting on Monday and continuing to Friday, Resurrection Week seeks to bring awareness of the resurrection and how it applies to our own lives, Beck said.

Previously Celebration Week, the name was changed to "Resurrection Week" to focus the awareness about what Christians are truly celebrating, Beck said.

"Following Jesus is not about following principles that an old dead guy left behind," Beck said in his introduction.

Lindsey Beach, Urban Involvement coordinator, said in her testimony that she thought that she was a Christian but realized when she got to SPU that she was just a moral person.

"My moral person becomes more nuanced and clever in the way that it disguises itself and often gives expectations I cannot meet," Beach said.

Beach said that the best thing about God is that he does not expect humans to come with good things they have done or clean hands.

Last night, the film "Dead Man Walking" was shown in Demaray 150 at 6 p.m. with ten people attending.

Senior Abigail Stahl, intercultural director for ASSP, said that the film's themes are centered on hope and redemption. Stahl said that Todd Rendleman, associate professor of communications, recommended the film out of the three options she sent him, "Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and "Dead Man Walking." She sent the films to him because of his extensive background in film and because Rendleman did his dissertation on "Dead Man Walking."

"I hope that students will be able to watch the film and see the connections to the resurrection," Stahl said.

Jessica Soule said planning for Resurrection Week began in the middle of last quarter with a group of students who thought of events that would draw students in.

To promote the event, at the end of last quarter, planners placed Easter eggs around campus with a slip saying that "Resurrection Week is coming," sophomore Karin Bretz said.

Soule helped plan the prayer labyrinth that is taking place today from 10 a.m through 4 p.m. in Upper Gwinn.

The labyrinth, with only one correct path, is a form of meditation, Soule said.

The idea of the labyrinth is based off a mythology story about the slaying of a minotaur in a labyrinth, but instead of having a heroic act be the center of the labyrinth, Christ is the center, Soule said.

"I just hope that we would reflect and go a little deeper in the resurrection," Beck said about this week.

Music is being played today and Friday in Martin Square and Tiffany Loop from 9:20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with artists such as a funk ensemble, SPU student Taylor Neal, and a bluegrass ensemble.

Friday night at 9 p.m. is a resurrection dance party, "Resurrecting the Dead through the 70's and 80's," in the Student Union Building Gazebo room.