Abortion was the topic of discussion when around 20 students gathered one Tuesday morning in Wilden Hall for Beneath the Surface: Reproductive Stewardship, a Discipleship Spring Workshops event hosted by the Office of Service and Discipleship (OSD). The event, which took place on February 10, was not designed to hand students a neat conclusion. Instead, it was designed to help them practice discernment.
Julie Ploehn, a staff member of Azusa Pacific University’s Office of Service and Discipleship, opened the event by stating, “Our hope for this time is not necessarily for you guys to walk away being like, ‘here’s OSD’s stance, here’s what my stance should be,’” she said.
Instead, Ploehn invited students to engage with the question of what it looks like to use “the discernment I’ve been given as a Christian to figure out what is true,” especially on issues that feel nuanced and emotionally charged.
Ploehn also challenged the room to approach disagreements differently than the wider culture often does. She noted how quickly society, and sometimes the church, can shift toward division when people don’t see eye to eye.
“Scripture talks about how the greatest thing that we can do is love God and love people,” Ploehn stated, urging students to prioritize love and respect over the pressure to “just be right.”
Beneath the Surface grew out of a desire to create space for conversations that are not explored in chapel settings. OSD designed the workshop series to equip and empower students for authentic discipleship by being a place where students can go deeper into complex topics, ask tough questions, and take ownership of what they believe rather than just “checking a box.”
While the University affirms in its essence statements the sanctity of life at all levels of life, OSD emphasized that holding a theological framework does not eliminate the need for conversation. Part of the workshop’s aim was to untangle theological conviction from political ideology, creating space for students to recognize that many disagreements arise politically rather than theologically, and to engage those differences with humility and discernment.
The first event out of seven this semester featured two student speakers, Canaan King ‘26 and David Nasry ‘26, who presented different ways Christians engage with reproductive stewardship. Both shared their personal backgrounds, explained how they processed the issue, and cited scriptural evidence to explain how they reached their conclusions. Both speakers spoke with honesty, conviction, and most importantly, respect.
After the event, Nasry stated that he was grateful the conversation stayed grounded in love. “I think it is totally correct and totally biblical to try and battle ideas as long as there is love within that and love for the other person,” Nasry said. “And I feel that we could, we were able to do that today, even though we disagreed.”
For many students in the audience, the value came from hearing both formal preparation and personal conviction in a discussion about a societally controversial topic. Martin Soliman ’26 said the event felt balanced and informative. “I was very impressed,” Soliman said. “They had their beliefs… they had passion… sharing opinions and facts… combining the two… I feel pretty educated.”
The event’s format reinforced its purpose. Students were encouraged to listen during the presentations, write questions on note cards, and participate in a structured open dialogue and Q&A session with the presenters.
Ploehn ended by reminding students that discernment takes time and often evolves as life changes. The point of the event was not to try to “win” a debate. The point was to practice listening, ask better questions, and learn how to remain respectful with people we disagree with.
More Beneath the Surface workshops are coming soon. All events will be held in Wilden 119:
Real Talk About: Sexual Stewardship in the Digital Age — Feb. 11, 4 p.m.
Real Talk About: AI & Tech — Mar. 11, 4 p.m.
Real Talk About: Social Media — Mar. 17, 11 a.m. (Karen Rougley)
Real Talk About: Church Unity — Mar. 25, 4 p.m. (Father Vega from St. Francis of Rome)
Real Talk About: Imago Dei — Apr. 8, 4 p.m. (CRD takeover)
Real Talk About: Responsible Service — Apr. 14, 11 a.m. (Julie Ploehn)
All workshops will have a Q&A portion with some presentations.
For students who missed Reproductive Stewardship, the invitation remains the same: show up ready to listen, think, and discern. Together, we can learn better ways to fulfill the commandment to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.