6 The Offering


Choir leads worship at Tri-City Church


By Shelby Willis, Editor-in-Chief/Opinion Editor


23, they sang for a new audience: the Tri- City Church congregation. The choir sang to prepare hearts for worship, to serve the community, and most of all, for Christ’s glory. The school is a ministry of the church,


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and involvement, like having the school choir sing for the church congregation, allows members of the church to see the progress of that ministry. Members that are not directly involved in the school, either through their children or a job there, often do not get the opportunity to see what the school is actually doing in the lives of its students. This opportunity allowed them to get a glimpse of the students that the school ministers to, and whether or not they knew it, the students represented the entire student body to the congregation that morning. Bill March, Senior Pastor of Tri-City


Church, said, “We observed their lives as they glorified the Lord.” March had invited director Linda Wal-


ters to bring the choir to the church last year, but the girls were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts. This perfor- mance was their way of finally accepting the still-standing invitation. The choir sang a selection of songs that prepared the congregation for the pastor’s message. “Our worship is supposed to prepare


their hearts to hear the message and sort of open their hearts to hearing God’s word and what the pastor has to say,” said choir member Sarah Piesik (‘11). The choir members truly see their place


in the service as one for preparation of those about to hear God’s word. Not only do they prepare other’s hearts for worship, but they also prepare their own. “The pastor really appreciated it. It’s


nice when people really appreciate it be- cause not only are you honoring the Lord, but you are also blessing other people,” said choir member Natalie Mondle (‘11). They are worshipping with their actions and their willingness to serve. More than


hoir sings at chapel, at music festi- vals, at rehearsals, and on January


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-News-


The Eagle Flyer Liberty students on fire for God Light: By Julia Marstell, Sports Editor


n hopes of interesting future students to attend their school, Liberty Univer-


sity’s worship band, Light, flew out from Lynchburg, Virginia, and gave the students quite a performance at a combined chapel on January 5. Nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Liberty University is the na- tion’s largest Christian University, cover- ing roughly around 4,400 acres. In 1971, Dr. Jerry Falwell, senior pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, founded Lynchburg Baptist College. In 1985, the name was changed to Liberty University. Liberty is an evangelical institution that aims to em- power students through its Christ–centered academic programs. The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees, 15 graduate and doctoral degrees as well as distance learn- ing programs (abroad studies) in 60 differ- ent areas. New to the ministry department of Lib-


Singing “The Offering,” the choir set the mood, as deacons took the literal offering for the church. The choir’s songs corresponded to the message, bringing it to life. Photo by Shelby Willis


anything, God desires obedience and what better to draw their hearts close to His be- fore a performance than their obediently serving their community. Members also enjoy the various songs


they learn in choir that they would not oth- erwise be exposed to. Mondle said, “I like the song ‘The Of-


fering;’ not everyone knows it. I had never heard it before choir, but it’s nice to sing different songs.” Choir’s willingness to come to the cha-


pel allowed the congregation to sing new songs and have new lyrics touch their hearts. The choir prays over their set list before


every performance so that God’s will can be used fully in each song they sing. The choir chose to sing “My Savior My God” for the closing song. The song correspond- ed directly to the message about letting God use one’s life where He has called it to. The choir blessed the congregation, and the congregation blessed the choir.


Spotlight on the economy


By Hannah Brenzel, Copy Editor


the 1930s. With a 4.1 percent shrink in the economy, a 10.1 percent unemployment rate, and eight million jobs lost, the nation hit rock bottom. But, that was then; now, the economy is


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slowly improving. Last month, the unem- ployment rate dropped to 9.4 percent, the lowest it’s been in over eighteen months. This Christmas, Americans spent more than in the years before the recession; a 5.5 percent spike in spending exceeded the expectations of retail trackers. Even the av- erage hourly earnings of employees have been on the rise. Overall, America entered 2011 in bet-


ter shape than the last three years. With an expected 3.2 percent rise in GDP, many government officials have high hopes for the year. However, providing more jobs for Americans is a top priority. On January 11, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue outlined a specific four point plan to boost employ- ment rates.


ecember, 2007, marked the begin- ning of the worst U.S. recession since


“Over the next year, the Chamber’s


number one priority will be to turn this economic recovery into a job recovery so that we can start putting Americans back to work,” said Donohue. His plan begins with regulatory restraint


and reform, or work to reform the regula- tory process. Next, Donohue wishes to ex- pand American trade. Then come his final two points: rebuilding the nation’s eco- nomic platform and reducing deficits and debt. These points are part of an ultimate plan to increase America’s competitiveness in the global economy. The economy took a toll on the nation— California in particular. In November, the state’s unemployment rate hit 12.4 percent. This definitely affects families—especially families that have to pay for school tu- ition. With the school’s increase in tuition and transfer to uniforms, families may be pushed into even more financial trou- bles. But still, Americans hope the worst is over, as the economy shows signs of improvement.


many plans for California in the areas of improved education, job creation, and an ensured supply of drinking water. One of the earliest issues Brown ad-


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dressed was education. He took in hand the California Master Plan, a plan that works to provide college access and success for students. Originally created in 1960, it no longer has the ability to sustain the current financial model for the universities. What Brown proposes is that he convenes with a representative group to form a new Master Plan for California. In addition, Brown plans to overhaul the


State testing program. He hopes to cut costs and provide better help for parents and edu- cators with only a few basic changes. The most prominent of these changes switches semester final tests to short assessments throughout the year in order to transition focus from regurgitated facts to actual un- derstanding of the material. Brown also hopes to stimulate the job


market. Brown intends to create construc- tion projects, taking the lead to ensure in- vestment in roads, highways, bridges, ports, airports, and public transportation. He also plans to increase manufacturing jobs by accelerating depreciation and reducing or eliminating sales tax for manufacturing equipment. Although California has made great


strides in treating drinking water, there is still progress to be made. Brown wants to improve drinking water systems, further the protection of the deltas, more strictly en- force state and federal water quality laws, and upgrade water treatment facilities. Brown also says that he will strengthen pro-


erty, Light delivers a unique message of obedience and personal surrender to God. Light was asked to perform in hopes that students would be witnesses to their love for God. They also hoped to encourage stu- dents to attend Liberty and step outside of their comfort zones. “It’s really nice to go there and meet


people with similar values because it takes a leap of faith to get out of your comfort zone. But knowing you are surrounded by others who share your faith and can come along you in supporting fellowship, man,


there’s nothing like it,” said Jamie Joyce, a worship music major and senior at Liberty University. Many students had never heard of Lib-


erty University. This is understandable, as many have never considered traveling as far as Virginia for college, or even attend- ing a private Christian college. However, the chapel opened students’ minds, as they got to experience a little bit of the joy and atmosphere that Liberty has to offer by lis- tening to “Light’s” God given talent and passion. As part of the recruitment process, Light


gave away free T-shirts, bags, and informa- tion pamphlets. Immediately after this, stu- dents were interested in possibly applying. “This is such a great opportunity. The


spiritual growth and growth in numbers is awesome. It’s exciting to see God move,” said Liberty University Psychology Major Amanda Eldreth (‘11). There’s no doubt that some students


have questioned the financial aspect of attending Liberty, but Light’s members encouraged students to consider the col- lege, showing an encouraging promo vid- eo. Many weren’t sure if this was part of their future plan, but Joyce said, “Anybody who is even considering attending Liberty shouldn’t let their hopes diminish because God will shift your plans as he sees fit. Those who do come however, come ex- pecting God to work because he will!”


New Governor, New Laws, New California


By Reed Novak, Staff Reporter


irst elected governor in 1974, the new- ly reelected governor Jerry Brown has


Intent on the future, Jerry Brown plans a better California. With outlines in place, Brown is simply waiting to act.


grams that regulate discharge of wastewater into California’s rivers, lakes, and streams. As the governor changes, so will the


state and thus the laws the families of the school must follow. Laws passed on educa- tion will influence the colleges that students will attend. Laws passed to create jobs may give a job to a parent or open a door for a student. Finally, laws passed on drinking water will dictate how much water will cost in California. After being governor of Cali- fornia once, Brown thinks that he knows what is best for the state once again. Only time will tell whether or not his ideas are just and sound.


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