Christian Faith Development for Students on Non-adventist College and University Campuses

Problem. Surveys show that between 70% and 80% of all Adventist college-age youth, approximately 100,000 are attending non-Adventist colleges (Dudley & Sahlin, 2010, sidebar of study in email message from researchers). Social science has long demonstrated the importance of faith-development in the period of college life. Other studies have demonstrated the importance of spiritual life and development among college students (Astin, Astin, & Lindholm, 2011, pp. 276-299). Non-Adventist college degree programs do not include Adventist faith-development as a part of their regular college curriculum. An Adventist faith-development process is needed for the spiritual life and faith-development of all students attending non-Adventist universities. Method. A twelve-week curriculum (Journey Bible Study) was developed introducing students to the mission and message of Jesus with primary reference to the Gospel of John, including the Synoptic gospels, and the rest of the Bible. Lesson guides include introductory ice- breaker questions (Journey Together), main passage of study (Road Map) and a small group reflection (My Journey) that meets on a separate occasion during the week. A leader’s guide (Back Story) was developed as part of the curriculum. Five basic spiritual disciplines (Five S’s) are suggested as a guide to enable participants to dig deeper into the study and develop spiritual habits. Interviews were conducted with random participants from four different groups who completed the twelve-week Journey study to determine their spiritual growth and faith development. Participant interviews included undergraduates, graduate students, and a retired professor/current Berkeley ACF faculty adviser. Participants were selected from universities across the North American Division including the University of California, Berkeley, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas, and 2012 ACF Campus Ministry Training Institute participants. Seven interviews were conducted from a sample of these four groups. Participants were asked to reflect on their growth in understanding on the mission and message of Jesus as well as how their spiritual life was deepened through the study of scripture and following the five spiritual disciplines. Results. Participants reported that the Journey study provided a look into the mission and message of Jesus that was fresh, challenging, and helped them integrate their life in Christ within their broader everyday life experience. Participants were challenged to discover that Jesus had a central message—“The Kingdom of God is at Hand” and already underway with Jesus accomplishments in the first Advent. Participants were also encouraged to see how open Jesus was to “check him out.” They saw how people spent time with Jesus before they made up their own minds about who he was. The spiritual disciplines employed in the Journey study along with the group interaction, enabled students go beyond Bible study and into a real encounter with God in the person of Jesus Christ. For many, Journey was the beginning of a whole new relationship with God—one that challenged their faith and helped them apply it on campus and on into their life following college. Conclusion. Participants in the Journey Christian faith development process were introduced to a Jesus that many had never met before. Journey demonstrates that Christian faith begins by learning about who God is and connect with his mission and message. Participants learned that there was a central message in Jesus mission. The gospel was Jesus’ message, but they learned that the gospel of Jesus was the “good news” of God’s kingdom breaking into our present existence. Experiencing the gospel as God’s sovereign rule in the here and now helped participants integrate their faith in God on campus, at work, in their relationships—in all of life. The five spiritual disciplines in Journey encouraged participants to have a daily encounter with the living Christ. Ultimately, Journey introduced or reintroduced participants to a God who is present in every way and in their everyday life. Journey introduced participants to a brand new journey with God relevant to their life as a student

Proclamation vs. Protection: Reshaping The Vision Of Adventist Youth Ministry

In this chapter, the author argues that youth ministry in the Adventist church has focused on protection and retention of the youth that have grown up in the denomination. To achieve this goal, the majority of the denomination’s resources have been invested into the educational system (I). Drawing attention to some of the short-comings of this approach, the author suggests a transition to a proclamation model of ministry and provides some basic principles (II). Furthermore, he draws attention to the increasing number of Adventist youth studying outside the denominational educational system and argues that it is both urgent and opportune to develop ministries that implement these principles (III)

Five Ideas for How Professors Can Deal with GPT-3 ... For Now

The most immediate question that needs to be addressed is pedagogical: how can we continue to teach in the GPT Age?...Beyond the questions of pedagogical best practices, GPT-3 raises deeper philosophical and pragmatic questions about the nature and purpose of higher education

Applicant perspectives during selection

We provide a comprehensive but critical review of research on applicant reactions to selection procedures published since 2000 (n = 145), when the last major review article on applicant reactions appeared in the Journal of Management. We start by addressing the main criticisms levied against the field to determine whether applicant reactions matter to individuals and employers (“So what?”). This is followed by a consideration of “What’s new?” by conducting a comprehensive and detailed review of applicant reaction research centered upon four areas of growth: expansion of the theoretical lens, incorporation of new technology in the selection arena, internationalization of applicant reactions research, and emerging boundary conditions. Our final section focuses on “Where to next?” and offers an updated and integrated conceptual model of applicant reactions, four key challenges, and eight specific future research questions. Our conclusion is that the field demonstrates stronger research designs, with studies incorporating greater control, broader constructs, and multiple time points. There is also solid evidence that applicant reactions have significant and meaningful effects on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. At the same time, we identify some remaining gaps in the literature and a number of critical questions that remain to be explored, particularly in light of technological and societal changes

Effect of Phosphorus Amendments on Present Day Plankton Communities in Pelagic Lake Erie

To address questions regarding the potential impact of elevated total phosphorus (TP) inputs (due to relaxed regulations of TP loading), a series of TP enrichment experiments were conducted at pelagic stations in the 3 hydrologically distinct basins of Lake Erie. Results of nutrient assimilation measurements and assays for nutrient bioavailability suggest that the chemical speciation, and not concentration, of nitrogenous compounds may influence phytoplankton community structure; this in turn may lead to the selective proliferation of cyanobacteria in the eastern basin of the lake. Assays with cyanobacterial bioluminescent reporter systems for P and N availability as well as N-tot:P-tot assimilation ratios from on-deck incubation experiments support this work. Considered in the context of a microbial food web relative to a grazing food web, the results imply that alterations in current TP loading controls may lead to alterations in the phytoplankton community structure in the different basins of the Lake Erie system