FEBRUARY 2012 • SPECIAL SECTION – HIGHER EDUCATION • GOOD NEWS, ETC. • 9
Fuller Seminary California Coast By Jon Huckins
I can remember
sitting in one of my MBA courses think- ing, “Why in the world am I giving this much time and money to a program in which I have so little interest?” A master’s degree in business is in no way a bad thing, but I realized that I was pur- suing something I was “supposed” to do based on cultural expectations rather than calling and gifting. A year later I was sitting in my fi rst
course at Fuller Theological Seminary and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Not only was I studying something about which I was passionate, but I was surrounded by peers and faculty who were equally compelled to step deeper into the story of God through rigorous study. The course provided a context for wres-
tling with earlier parts of the biblical story and allowing the Spirit to empower us to participate in the advancement of God’s Kingdom – in our homes, our neighbor- hoods, our congregations, and even in the marketplace. Fuller California Coast has not only become my academic home, it has become a place of deep relationships and shared life. Having endured painful loss, there
were times I found myself staying after class in tears receiving the pastoral care I so desperately needed. Other times, I have received counsel and feedback as I pursue my work as a missionary and author. Not only has Fuller ministered to me,
it has equipped me to minister to others in ways I otherwise would have never thought possible.
❏ Fuller Seminary California Coast is at 2061
Business Center Drive, Suite 102, Irvine, CA 92612. Website:
www.fuller.edu/calcoast. Phone: (800) 541-6570.
Bethel Seminary
San Diego By Hanson Lee What has been
most rewarding is my ongoing under- standing and devel- opment as a deeply loved child of God. This is made pos- sible by attending a school in which its loving, supportive and nurturing com- munity provides the fertile soil that God uses to develop me. The emphasis of Bethel Seminary in developing whole and holy leaders have greatly transformed my perspective in what it means to be a follower of Christ, and about the role of a seminary education. Previously, I had naively believed that a
seminary education should be pursued with the goals of gaining more biblical or academic knowledge or the acquisition of specifi c ministry skills. While those ele- ments are helpful and perhaps necessary in certain ministry contexts, what is more important, however, is the development of the whole person. Extending beyond the standard peda-
gogical method of biblical text to applica- tion, this development is about the integra- tion of the heart, mind, soul, and strength of a person to become fully devoted to God. It is about becoming, and it is a process.
InterVarsity . . . Continued from previous page
students. “God truly changed my heart,” she
said. True decided not to transfer to a private university. She didn’t just stay at CSUSM, but she moved from off-campus into the dorms to serve as a resident advisor, an experience that provided her with oppor- tunities to share her faith.
True began meeting the needs of students
who, just like her, were entering into a new phase of life. She served as a mentor and sometimes as just an open door for students with questions about life and faith. Countless college students look for a
place to belong and fi nd purpose. Inter- Varsity’s goal, specifi cally at CSUSM, is to “create a community where there is no community,” according to Marchena.
“As we establish a community of be-
lievers on the campus, students who are Christian and arrive at a secular campus have a community of believers where they can not just survive in their faith but thrive,” he said. “The community is not so that a bunch of Christians can hang, but it is for the sake of witnessing who Jesus is to the campus. The witnessing community becomes a place where believers grow and fl ourish and where non-believers have an opportunity to explore who Jesus is.” It was by exploring that Melissa found In-
terVarsity. Her freshman year in the dorms, she got involved in numerous activities including InterVarsity. She just wanted to get connected on campus. With not much of a back-story in Christianity (she came from a predominantly Muslim family), she began attending weekly Bible studies.
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My seminary education at Bethel plays a signifi cant role in this process. More impor- tantly, it is also learning and truly realizing that, amid all of life’s challenges, struggles, trials, and tribulations that can devastate and immobilize a person, there is a God who loves us extravagantly, a God of grace and life, and a God who simply wants us
to grow in Him and walk with Him. ❏
Bethel Seminary San Diego is at 6116 Arosa
St., San Diego, CA 92115. Website: www.
seminary.bethel.edu/sandiego. Phone: (619) 582-8188.
Desperate World Innovativ A
i e Answers
Bethel Seminary San Diego trains adventurous Christ-followers to communicate and demonstrate the life-changing truth of the gospel through exemplary Christian leadership.
Degree choices include: Master of Divinity M.A. (Theological Studies) M.A. in Applied Ministry M.A. in Marital and Family Therapy M.A. in Children’s and Family Ministry Doctor of Ministry – Organic Leadership Development
Convenience. Community. Life-transformation.
Want to know more? Call today at 619.582.8188 or toll-free 800.238.4352.
A New Kind of Leader Inspired by a New Kind of Education.
6116 o, CA 92115-3902
bssd-admit@bethel.edu
seminary.bethel.edu/sandiego
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