OMA has chosen a different kind of fast each month to foster spiritual growth and intimacy within the organization.

April Napier, Director of OMA, said the purpose of the fast is to grow in faith together and create a community that uplifts and supports each other.

Napier also said the choice to fast is not for attention or the glorification of OMA, it is purely for their personal relationships with Christ.

“Sometimes we fast and think about things in OMA specifically, sometimes it’s about ACU as a whole, and sometimes it’s just about yourself and each other,” Napier said. “Being able to reflect on your own life and on each other’s lives to help us all be more connected.”

Napier said they pick different things each month to fast on in order to focus on different parts of spiritual practices.

“It has really challenged me as a person this semester, because now I know if I really want to do something not only do I need to be focused, but I also have to sacrifice to be able to see the benefit in that (spiritual growth),” said Shekinah Kahongo, OMA intern.

Kahongo described this process as helping him grow personally by showing him where to in his faith he needed to grow while giving him an environment and community of support.

Another aspect of what Napier explains as mindful spiritual practices OMA does is Wednesday Walks.

The interns take scriptures and go out to talk to people. Napier said they want to talk to people and genuinely ask about how they are doing while sharing scriptures.

“A lot of people don’t just stop and ask how you’re doing,” Napier said. “We want to be more intentional, you never know who will stop by and ask you how your day is going.”

OMA also goes into buildings and prays over the building and all the people that pass through them.

“We just want to show to ourselves how intentional we can be spiritually and how God can be even in the smallest things,” Napier said. “We’re trying to model Christ like behaviors so that others can see the goodness in Christ.”