Terry Fox Humanitarian Award Pesented to Bethany Student

The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award recognizes those who reflect the ideals of courage, humanitarianism, service and compassion. Lisa Braun sat down for a visit with Saskatchewan’s 2010 winner, Erin Bader, a 1st year student, from Saskatoon.

Erin, how did you decide to attend Bethany College?
The question of “should I go to Bible College?” was in my mind, and I had thought of Bethany because of friends. I had applied for nursing already, but one evening checked out the Bethany website, decided that I wanted to go, and applied the next week. I have a number of friends who attended here including Joeline Magill (BA, 2009), Jaylin Braun (2009-2010), Katie Pauls (2009-2010) and Steph Neufeld (Diploma, 2008).

How did you first hear about the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award Program?
I was checking out scholarships through my high school’s student services website, found the Terry Fox award, and applied. The application covered three parts of an individual’s life: athletic involvement, community participation, and overcoming obstacles.

Why do you think your application stood out among all the applicants from across Canada?
My experience in high school could be described as a lot of everything, a wide variety of involvements. After the initial application, the process was narrowed down through an interview. I talked about my experiences in going to Nicaragua on my own, paid for myself, even when my family didn’t want me to go initially. I had been to the country before on Project Serve 2009 with Youth for Christ Saskatoon, and I wanted to go back. I needed to get out of my comfort zone completely, and do something that would be a clean break from high school, something different, something to challenge me. So I went back as an intern with Open Hearts, an organization that I found on the internet. My parents were concerned about safety and were reluctant about me going on my own as a 17-year old. But they knew I had my mind made up when I said, “I’m going.”

So Erin, what is the value of this award?
The award is up to $7000 per year for 4 years. I qualified for the maximum.

Wow! How many were awarded this year?
I received the only one for Saskatchewan, and there were 19 given out across Canada.

Erin, what are you enjoying most about your education at Bethany?
The community here. Being surrounded by a larger group of Christians is a new experience for me. I am glad to be taking classes and learning things that I really want to learn.



Erica Ray, Associate Dean of Women, describes Erin as “intelligent, caring, loyal…there is more of her yet to discover and grow. She’s going somewhere, and she has the courage to make things happen.” We are very excited to have Erin as part of the Bethany College community. If you would like more information on Bethany College visit our website at: www.bethany.sk.ca.

To find out more about this awards program, check out the website at: http://www.terryfoxawards.ca/.

~Lisa Braun, Dean of Student Development

Falling Asleep On Life

I was in the middle of the Ad, on one of those black couches by the “fireplace”, earnestly trying to stay awake and focus on the book of Ephesians in front of me. It was Day of Prayer and we had all been given an hour and a half to be silent and spend time with God in the middle of a busy week in the middle of our busy lives. I had been looking forward to this set aside time in which I planned to read Scripture and reflect on life together with God without distractions. However, while I was free of a pressing need to check emails and didn’t have people coming to me with requests or good conversations, I still couldn’t focus on what I was reading, or Who I was trying to hear. Lethargy and apathy are sneaky and ugly enemies! I ended up falling asleep for something like half an hour and awoke to the embarrassing realization of a wet cheek. Frustrated, I decided I needed to be moving in order to stay awake and went for a walk. Along the short journey from the Ad to the dorm to get a coat I passed three girls wrapped up in blankets, lying on the grass with their Bibles, in various stages of consciousness. This triggered in me an intense frustration with our constant state of tiredness, bordering on exhaustion, here at Bethany. Just a quick clarification: I am not saying it’s always a bad thing that we fall asleep while trying to spend time with God. I am sure He is happy to sometimes give us the gift of rest in those situations. But I am also sure that He sometimes hates that we fall asleep on Him, as well as the fact that we don’t take care of ourselves well enough to live life as fully as He intended. I will be the first to admit that I am not a regular advocate for going to bed at a reasonable hour, or giving up a good time for the sometimes wiser choice of sleep. I get so frustrated when an adult, upon hearing about a fun late night adventure advises me of the benefits of regular sleeping hours or implies the foolishness of “young people”. It’s just the way it is in college, right? But honestly, I wonder how much is too much. Admittedly, the good talks and most fun/crazy times happen after midnight. But at what cost? I can attest to the fact that stress is not handled well when tired. This only multiplies when reading textbooks lulls us into much needed sleep and homework doesn’t get done until an impending deadline gives as enough adrenaline to accomplish it. Misunderstanding and annoyances in relationships also seem a lot larger when sleep deprived, which makes for a fun time when living in dorm. I’m not saying lack of sleep is the only thing to blame for our lack of energy. Our culture as a whole doesn’t know what it means to truly rest, and Christians don’t seem to have a great handle on it either. I don’t mean to paint a terribly negative picture, but am asking the question, (while trying to figure out for myself), whether we should accept this tiredness as a part of life and learn to live with it, or whether a bit more sleep isn’t an unreasonable (or elderly) thing to aim for.
~Elya Penner

A Hunger for Something Deeper

I am bored and uncertain of what to fill my time with. How can I spend my time today to meet my own needs and desires? These are common questions I ask myself each day. But what if I viewed time as a gift like grace is a gift. Time is something that is not owed to me. Time is a part of almost every conversation...Hey what are you up to tonight...What time is the game...When is the due date for the next major paper. Time is everywhere and it is not going to disappear anytime soon.

Lately I have been asking myself, largely in part to a recent book I read called “Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller, how can I use my time for God’s purpose. Or rather how can I use God’s time He has given me to invest in life. I do so many things out of habit. I play video games or watch movies because that is the first thing that comes to mind when I am bored. Almost every time I ask myself the question of what to do next, I have no regard for other people or God...it becomes all about me. How can I make my story a happier one? I was challenged by my father many years ago to “not simply spend time, but to invest in it”. Just like one should spend time investing in a spiritual gift that they have been given; one should also use their time investing in things that matter such as relationships, reading of Scripture, prayer, solitude etc. One of Satan’s tricks is to make us waste our time. All he wants from us is to have our focus on something other than God because he knows that when our focus is on God we are going to like what we see.

As I have thought and wrestled with this idea of investment, I have been challenged to spend a good chunk of my time in the Bible and in prayer. Simple hey? It is what I have been taught since a little child. Read, pray and everything will be ok. HEY EVERYONE THAT SAYING IS BASICALLY TRUE! Spending time in the Bible and prayer are fulfilling! I have found a new love for these things because they do what time wasting events do not do. I have feelings of satisfaction and meaning. But the craziest part is that the more I read the Bible the more the things I just read about come into play that day. Recently I read in Mathew...

“For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you”

The day after I read this verse, I was tempted to make a joke about someone; a joke that would have obviously been selfish because I would have said it for my enjoyment without any regard for the other person’s feelings. But I was reminded through the simple discipline/oppertunity of reading the Word that I needed to hold my tongue and rather speak words that direct one’s gaze to the Lord and away from me.

Basically I want to encourage all of us to invest more of our time in things that matter and less time in things that draw our focus away from our BEAUTIFUL LORD. Only He will satisfy! God wants to share time with us. How incredible is that?

Michael Brandt

Daddy, What’s a Christian?

Life with small children is pretty much a constant education. I’ve been doing this parenting thing for about seven years now and I never cease to be amazed at how different things can look when you see them through the eyes of a child or how words and phrases that we use every day (often without thinking) can sound in the mouth of a child.

That’s not to say it’s always an easy process. One of the delicate skills that you have to learn as a parent is how much or how little you can say in the presence of inquisitive little ears and brains that soak up every word you say like a sponge. We learned this again last night over supper as Shelley and I talked about a couple that we know that had made the decision to pull their kids out of the public school system and enrol them in a private Christian school.

We were talking back and forth about how difficult a decision like this must be and all of the different implications that it would have. As we were solving the world’s problems, Julie (who until this point hadn’t appeared to be interested in the conversation) piped up, “Daddy, what’s a Christian school?”

“Well,” I said, “in your school you don’t take any classes on Jesus or the Bible and not all of your teachers are Christians. In a Christian school there would be some classes like that and all of your teachers would be Christians.”

She paused for a moment, looking a little dissatisfied with her dad’s answer.

“Daddy,” she continued quizzically, “What’s a Christian? And am I one?”

I’ve been teaching Bible and theology for just over seven years but I’ve never had a question bring me up short like this one did. After taking a moment to recover from the wonderful reality that Julie really didn’t yet have the world divided into the categories that I did, that the word “Christian” actually didn’t mean anything to her, I said, “Well a Christian is someone who loves and wants to follow Jesus.”

Without missing a beat Julie casually responded, “Well then of course I’m a Christian.”
And the longer I’ve thought about it, the more I agree. In some ways it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

~Gil Dueck

              

                   At the start of July, while most staff departed for their summer holidays, I hit the busiest part of my summer: sports camps.  Having never been involved in sports camps at Bethany before, I relied on the expertise of Jaylin, a seasoned pro and conveniently also a summer worker helping out specifically with the camps.  The weeks leading up to the camps were spent planning, scheduling, re-scheduling, re-scheduling, staffing, re-staffing etc.  So when the first day of camp arrived, I was nervous and excited, nervous because I didn’t know what to expect and excited because all the work done in preparation was finally going to go into effect.

                  The main way that I was in front of the campers was during Courtside (similar to our Selah time).  I had prepared a four part series coming out of Romans 8 and although slightly apprehensive as to how the campers would take it, I was mostly looking forward to being able to share.  At Bethany sports camps we attempt to bridge the gap between faith and athletics, trying to explain the connection that naturally exists, not create one.  I went into the first Courtside with optimism that what I had prepared would make huge waves.  Perhaps this was too idealistic or simply proud, but when I spoke it seemed like the campers simply didn’t care, that they weren’t interested in what I had to say.  Insert extreme disappointment and discouragement.  Here was my major opportunity both to connect with the campers and share about what Jesus has already done for all of us, and indeed what God is doing in and through our transformed lives, and it seemed like it was missing the mark. 

                  So I gave it up.  Not “gave up” but I gave it up.  I gave up my expectations of how I expected God to work (this was far more out of necessity than some super-spirituality complex).  I wanted to see the fruit immediately.  Oddly enough, one of the great encouragements of Romans 8 is that God is indeed at work; we sometimes don’t see it, we sometimes wonder if it actually is happening, but He is.  Christ’s sacrifice is evidence that God is at work, that He loves His world, and desires to restore it.  He desires to restore us.  I think that maybe this experience was restoration for me.  It restored me to a proper place in my relationship with God and my expectations of how He would use what I offered.

                  Of course God did use it, to what extent I’m unsure of, but He was generous enough to give me a glimpse.  A camper approached me during basketball camp (the second week of camps), after the first Courtside of the week (an interesting restoration of the first day of the first week).  He explained that he had never before heard of Jesus’ sacrifice, of God’s love in the way he had heard it that night.  I give more credit to God than to whatever I may have done differently that second time through but knowing that I could be a part of what He was doing, of what He wanted others to hear was an encouragement that was even sweeter after having my experiences of the first week.

                  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depths, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39)

Nick Boschman 

Athletics Director

Word of the Week - Summer Edition

Unbeknownst to most, the Word of the Week club has not been inactive over the summer months. Here are several words that are being nominated by Randy Klassen as particularly evocative of select portions of his aestival peregrinations (a.k.a. “summer travels”):

myriad (ME-ree-ad, adj, from the Greek murias, muriados “ten thousand,” as in Rev 5.11: “I heard the voice of many angels, numbering…ten thousand times ten thousand”):

1.     any large, almost incomprehensible number, “gazillion.”

2.     the number of kilometres the Klassen family drove in a three week span, visiting both Dallas, Texas, and Abbotsford, BC.

Titan (TIGHT-un, noun):

1.     member of (ancient Greek) race of giants or gods (such as Prometheus).

2.     Something of superhuman size or strength.

3.     Tallest, fastest, longest roller coaster in Texas (250 feet tall, reaching speeds of 135 km/h), located at Six Flags Dallas, upon which Randy rode, to placate his son. (Once was enough.)

conference (KONF-runts, noun, from the Latin conferentia, from verb confero [co-, con ‘together, with’ + fero ‘bear, bring, carry’ =] to bring together, contribute, unite, connect, engage, interchange, discuss, join oneself to):

1.     a consultation

2.     (esp. annual) meeting of any organization

3.     the inspiring gathering of Mennonite Brethren held in the Fraser Valley in July, representing some 430 MB congregations (= 72,000 members) in Canada and the US, plus a number of delegates from some of the other 19 countries with MB churches, to mark the sesquicentennial (150^th) anniversary of this small but lively branch of God’s global family. Combine the following in liberal amounts, and you’ve got Conference at its best: reunions with friends far and near, sessions that offer food for thought, food for the body, food for the soul, all served up with spectacular surroundings and a cooperative climate. Some surprising glimpses of God at work: in reconciliation (did you know that 15 years ago, a dance at an MB youth event at Banff set off a wave of concern across the country? we heard words of reconciliation!; but another, and more significant, moment of peace-making was noted with the Lutheran World Federation making a formal apology to Anabaptist/Mennonite churches for their persecutions in the Reformation), in mission (it’s no longer just N. Americans going out to the “other countries”—for example, the Congolese have a mission among the Pygmy peoples of the African rainforests), in service (prison ministry among the African-American MB churches in N. Carolina), in proclamation (evangelist Samir Youssef, based in BC, is widely known as the Billy Graham of the Arab world because of his media ministry). Gil, Howie, Rob and myself attended the Conference to represent Bethany among the several hundred delegates (click here for a glimpse of Gil’s workshop session). The week spent at the Conference was exciting, and it reassured me to see that Bethany is part of this large and well-supported network of Jesus-scented service and scholarship.

—Randy Klassen

The Blue Jays lost to the Red Sox, Spain’s playing the Netherlands in World Cup soccer, Carl and Charlie are napping and in respite from the constant rain, it’s sunny and hot outside.  This, the third day of warmth in a row, and I finally have to water my flowering plants outside. Coughing up phlegm, I come inside to write this Blog post that is already four days late.  Having allergies, something that inhibited my late teens and early twenties, hardly concerns me now except for the blooming canola that gets me every year.  It started two weeks ago, full sinuses and a tickly cough, that’s when I knew that despite the horridly wet and cold weather, God had intervened and the canola crop, that did not look like it would make it was growing. The perseverance of nature to grow and emerge in its time, reminds me of God’s perseverance in his love for us and his desire for us to be mentored to his will.  Even in the rain and the cold cloudy weather, God was at work in the seed to push it to germination and sprout to flower.  What shall the Lord do in us through this summer depends on our willingness to endure the wet and cloudy seemingly unhelpful days of our summer, to discover that through it all we really have learned to flower in his presence.

I have been pondering the process of education lately.  Surely stimulated by my recent studies at the U of S.  But, what keeps us learning?  Why do I forget things I once knew, promises, truths, ways of doing things?  I was told that, while in voice training, I shouldn’t take any time off but continue to train, listen to music and learn repertoire until the degree is finished or I will be behind as the knowledge compounds and accelerates to culminate in what I will need to know at the close of the degree.  Biblical training is the same.  Why can’t we get all the knowledge that Bethany classes offer in our own churches and Sunday school teaching?  Perhaps because nowhere else is the persistent and concentrated study of the Word so encouraged, admired, pushed and deemed the ‘cool’ thing to do.  It is the daily work in the Word to understand, and pursue truth that ingrains it in our hearts and changes how we act.  We can’t leave important learning for six days (or in my case years) to sit and slowly degrade unused and un-stimulated.  Like the perseverance of nature we must persevere in our study of God and scripture memorization past the school session and into summer and beyond so that all we would grow to be all that God has for us in this life.  It has to continue on, even if the intensity is lessened or we will forget.  (cough! cough! COUOUGH!!) Just scared Carl and Charlie so bad I jumped too. No one has scored in the soccer game though the orange guys, no the navy guys have the ball.  Anyway, even in our wet and dry seasons of life let’s not let up in our perseverance for God. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” PS. 119:11.  And see you all in September.  Oh! I have some incredible costumes-sets-props to show you, but that’s another story.

Bye for now,

Susan J Schmidt Goerz

Instructor

Introducing the Assistant Food Services Director....

By Lisa Braun

We are pleased to announce that Kayleigh (Willms) Klassen is joining the Bethany team in fall 2010 as Assistant Food Services Director.


Highlights from Kayleigh's Journey:

• Went to Nicaragua with Youth for Christ on a missions trip - 2006.
• Decorated cakes at Cakes G'lore, Saskatoon - 2005-2010.
• Graduated from Hepburn High School - 2007.
• Volunteering at Hepburn MB Church as a Junior Youth Sponsor - 2010-present.
• Recently married to Brendan Klassen - July 17, 2009.
• Building a house in Hepburn - 2010.

Interesting Facts about Kayleigh:

• Loves to go camping.
• Has a passion to work with kids.
• Is excited to work at Bethany in a God-filled atmosphere.
• Loves to go out for dessert!

If you have any questions for Kayleigh about her interests, cake decorating, recipes, ministry experiences, or life in Hepburn, drop me a line (lbraun@bethany.sk.ca), and we'll get her email address up when she is fully on campus for fall. She is working a few shifts during sports camps if you want to stop by and meet her. Glad to have you here Kayleigh!

Textbook Lists

Greetings from the Bethany Bookstore! We invite you to access the Fall 2010 course and textbook listings on the Nuskule website. Books will be available at fall registration.

• The URL for Nuskule is as follows: http://www.textnet.ca/.
• There you will see a listing of schools on the left side of your browser screen under "Categories."
• Click on "Bethany College-Fall 2010" which will lead you to our course listings.
• Click on the individual courses to see the text listings/prices (as of today) for that particular course. These listings may not all be complete & things will be added as we receive more info from faculty.

Knowing God

By Colin Willms

I don’t often find myself drifting towards the book of Judges in my devotions. However, this sometimes depressing, yet surprisingly encouraging book has left me to ponder a nugget of truth that has reaffirmed my time spent at Bethany and has given an even clearer meaning to the work I do here.


If we think back to Gil’s Intro to the Bible class, we can all correctly answer the keyword for Judges...anybody...anybody? Yes, it is indeed cycles. Most of us are familiar with the cycle of sin that the Israelites encounter repeatedly. But there was something unfamiliar that struck me when I read Judges 2. It says in verse 10 that “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel”. Now I know that this was the next generation (and I’m not talking Star Trek), but I find it hard to believe that the Israelites did not know the Lord as I’ve often read it. That is, that they would have never heard Him being spoken of. The passing on of stories was in fact the custom of the early Israelite culture. So to the concordance I went (thank you Intro to Biblical Interpretation).

This word "knew" is Yada’ in Hebrew and is used throughout much of the Old Testament. It is in fact the same word that Pharaoh uses when talking to Moses and Aaron when he fails to acknowledge the God of Israel. You can be sure that Pharaoh has indeed heard of this God; many of his slaves were worshipping this God in his land. In the same way, in Judges 2, these Israelites were fully aware of who God was. The Hebrew Yada’ means to be acquainted with, to be revealed, to have the knowledge of, to know by experience. This new generation in verse 10 was fully aware of God via the oral stories passed on by their fathers. What they lacked was the experiential relationship with the living God. Unfortunately, the verses following verse 10 (which I encourage you to read) describe what happened when the Israelites failed to cultivate that relationship.

As I read this chapter in my devotions, it occurred to me that this was not a situation unique to the Israelites. I think all of us at some point have that decision to make whether we are going to acknowledge the God that we’ve heard about in church, or from our parents, or at camp. As we face challenges in our life, we realize that simply believing what our parents believed doesn’t quite work. We need that experience, that revealing, that acquaintance with God that can only come from a personal relationship with Him.

The Bethany community encouraged this opportunity for me. I didn’t always understand why I needed to invest all this time and money into four years at a school, but I am indeed grateful for it. No longer being surrounded 24/7 by Christian friends and facing new challenges outside the Bethany walls has forced me to not only rely on what I learned during my time but on the person of Jesus and my relationship with Him.

I’m not sure where you are at, but Judges 2 is a great reminder of what can happen when we become complacent and allow our hearts to harden towards God. Sometimes it isn’t even a conscious choice and is extremely hard to recognize while we’re in it. But let’s not take our relationship with God lightly. Find that place where you feel alive in Him, where you are growing, and where you can truly know Him.

Looking for Work?

By Lisa Braun

Are you still looking for work? Or know someone who is? Me too.

This topic had almost become a hobby for me each spring - helping match up students and employers. So this year in April, I set up a facebook page called Lisa's Job Posting Page as an "event" that is ongoing. My objective has been to more effectively share information that people keep telling or asking me: "Lisa, do you know someone who would want to work at....(fill in the blank about the position)?"or "Lisa, have you heard of any good jobs in.....(fill in the blank about the type of work)?"

I post things that I see in the local papers, in magazines I read, from things that get emailed to me at the College, and from any stuff that friends pass along, etc.

Special thanks to any and all who share job openings via any means with me! Three of my latest posts come courtesy of the lovely Dana (Barrand) Krushel, thanks Dana!

Here is the link to the facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112573288768999

Returning to Student Development....

By Lisa Braun

We are pleased to announce the return of Randi Rempel to the Student Development Department. Randi comes with two years of quality experience with our team, one as an intern in the residence, and one as a staff member in residence leadership along with department administration.


Highlights from Randi's Journey:

• Thinking about coming back to Saskatchewan.
• Fastball coach, Manitoba, 2010.
• Spending time with her family in Manitoba, the States, etc, 2010.
• Tax office administrative support, 2010.
• Travel to England, Ireland, etc, 2009.
• Daycare Worker, 2009.
• Student Development Assistant, Staff, Bethany College, 2008-2009.
• Student Development Intern, Bethany College, 2007-2008.
• BA, Bethany College, 2008.
  

Interesting Facts about Randi:

• She knows more about Bethany life and culture than most people you'd meet.
• She loves children and the joy and surprises they bring. She will be a well-loved caregiver to the Braun and Carey children part-time for the coming year as well.
• She is a fabulous Greek student (ask Randy Klassen).
• Her favorite stops in Saskatoon include: Las Palapas, Chianti's, and Tim Horton's.
• If you want to make her happy, take her to a bookstore (Indigo, McNally, Parables, etc.).
• She is a fine fastball player.

If you have any questions, comments, or words of welcome for Randi, drop me a line at lbraun@bethany.sk.ca. Randi starts works on August 9 and we'll post her email address once she is on campus.

The President has arrived....

By Lisa Braun

Howie Wall, our new President, is on deck! He has been officially settling into his office since Friday, July 2. He has selected a peaceful time to begin reading, listening, and preparing for the new year and his new role.

Highlights from Howie's Journey:

• Director, Operations and Maintenance, University of Saskatchewan, 2004-2010.


• Financial and Operational Analyst, University of Saskatchewan, 2003-2004.


• Operational Auditor, University of Saskatchewan, 1993-2003.


• MBA, University of Saskatchewan, 1991.


• Assistant Residence Manager, University of Saskatchewan, 1981-1993.


• BA, University of Saskatchewan, 1981.


• Diploma, Columbia Bible Institute (now College), 1978.

Interesting Facts about Howie:

Howie enjoys golf, reading, and gardening. His favorite restaurants include: The Spaghetti Factory, Sardinia's, and Kelsey's on 8th. He likes serving on boards and committees, and has many years of experience in church, conference, and college settings. He is married to Judy.

If you would like to connect with Howie, contact him via Ruth at the main Bethany office number, or email hwall@bethany.sk.ca with your comments, questions, or words of welcome. Feel free to stop by the campus and say "Hello" to him (or any other Bethany team members, who are happily working away during the quieter month of July). P.S. Slurpees always welcome, says LB.

Introducing Luke....

By Lisa Braun

We are pleased to announce that Luke Heidebrecht is joining the Bethany team in fall 2010 as Associate Missions Director (half-time).

Highlights from Luke's Journey:

• Recently married to Myriam Ullah on July 2, 2010.


• Co-faciliated Films for Change, MCC initiative at Bethany with STUCO, 2009-2010.


• Worked with Ian Eaton and bees, Summer 2010 (and many summers previous).


• In process on studies for MTh in Contextual Missiology, International Baptist Theological Seminary, Prague.


• MBMSI MIT Institute, Abbotsford, and ACTS studies, 2008-2009.


• MBMSI GAP Internship (India), 2007-2008.


• BA in Intercultural Studies, Bethany College, 2007.


• Bethany College Epsilon Chi award winner, 2007.

Interesting Facts about Luke:

He enjoys Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, strategy board games, engaging conversation about theological topics, building relationships, and learning.

If you have any questions for Luke about his interests, background, topics in missiology, or the Intercultural Studies program at Bethany, drop me a line for now (lbraun@bethany.sk.ca), and we'll get his email address up when he is officially on campus. Watch for more updates on new Bethany Team members coming soon.....

Summer Worker Adventures

By Becky Friesen and Jaylin Braun

Greetings from J & Beck! As most of you know, we are spending the summer working here at Bethany College. Despite the lack of noise and chaos, there are still many exciting moments to be had during a Bethany summer. Some key elements: Gil Dueck’s obsessive fascination with the World Cup (word is he watches every single game, even those at 5:00am), working with our very strict and serious supervisors (Nick & Colin), traipsing across a muddy parking lot as a result of heavy construction and non-stop rain, fun carpools (including the time an unnamed person slept in and made 8 people wait in Randy Klassen’s Astro), being led astray by the TomTom while in Edmonton for YC 2010, and many other adventures caused by the combination of Jaylin and Becky’s youngest child syndrome.
On a more serious note, it’s been great hanging out at the school and getting to know the staff better. We are seeing how hard the staff work to make this college an awesome place, and we really appreciate it! It’s great to be on the inside track with everything that’s happening at Bethany. Our 2010 first year count is up to 61 so far. This is very exciting, as first year enrollment is the highest it has been since 2006!

Jaylin has been busy preparing for Sports Camps, which begin on July 5th. We have lots of registrations and are looking forward to having the school alive with activity again. The staff coming out make up a great team and we’re pumped to have some Bethany Alumni involved. Becky has been doing lots of administrative work and has arranged camp visits to Redberry, Ranger Lake, and Dallas Valley. She is looking forward to building relationships with potential students and reconnecting with some of you! Our summer at Bethany has been full of laughs, learning and, of course, work. We hope you are all having a terrific summer as well!

POI Tour Update

By Katie Pauls

So off we went, fifteen team members, two vans, instruments and a ton of pillows and bags. I don't think that any of us realized how much we would learn in the upcoming two weeks. We had many team bonding times and some of the highlights were going to Bath and Body Works in the St. Vidal mall, trying to find an owl in every billet's house, beat boxing battles, and making friends with each other.

Personally, I came ready for the trip with a stomach housing both excitement and butterflies. I felt ready to sing on stage and show each church how much God loves them and how incredibly awesome his grace is. My goal was to be a servant wherever we went and to pour out Jesus into other people's lives. I realized, however, that my vault of strength, joy and energy was running on empty sooner then I thought.

It was around the time of our second deputation that all of the lyrics of the songs, the words of scripture, and the Spirit of God impacted me the strongest. I was short on sleep, I was beginning to wonder how I would handle living in a van for two weeks, and I knew that my relationship with God was not where it could have been. During that service, God reminded me that though my intentions for the trip were good, they were impossible to accomplish without his help. How we would look on stage, whether the congregation would accept what we had to say, and whether we would see God working in the church were all the wrong things to be wondering about. God gently told me that he was working in each of these churches; He had invited us to be a part of that work and no matter how we looked or sounded, He was the one who deserved the glory and the honour. In him, all things held together on that trip. Fortunately, they are still being held together and will continue to be in his hands for eternity. What a God we serve!

A Day In The Life...

A Day In The Life of a Bethany Player on Tour

By Chris Frostad

Bon jour Pals! I hope that you are all doing well. I have been asked to talk about spring tour from a Player’s point of view, so I shall try to cover a span of 2 weeks in approximately 300 words, (unlikely), to inform you of our brilliantly powerful Bethany Players tour. The first week we toured with 3 brave people from M.C.C.; James Loewen who works for the Restorative Justice department of Canada, Willma Derksen, who works for Victims Voice in Manitoba, and Stephen Siemens, who is the director of Restorative Justice for M.C.C. Saskatchewan.

With them, we boldly performed a brilliant play called Re-Connections, written by Willma Derksen. After the baffling performance, James and Stephen facilitated a converzation that got the audience thinking about true justice. I think I can say on behalf of the team that it was really eye opening. We were acting a story that none of us had lived, and learning new things every day about what it was like to be an offender and/or a victim of a serious offence. There were a few places along our journey where we met with people whose story was similar to the story we were beautifully portraying; victims and offenders alike would often share their stories, and after seeing the beloved play, express a desire to reconcile with the other party.

This play was a lens into another world that none of us had ever seen or could imagine. Another way for us to see into this world was through the eyes of the brave people we were touring with from M.C.C. James informed us of the low self worth attitudes the prisoners world get in the sometimes brutal prisons. We also heard Wilma’s powerful story of how her life changed after her daughter Candace was murdered. It is hard to explain the lessons we learned and the things we experienced in writing or even in conversation… it’s something you have to boldly participate in yourself.

After the Saskatchewan portion and the M.C.C. people left us, we went to Alberta to blissfully perform Fish Eyes. It was good to do something more on the lighter side for a change. Even though we had been doing Fish Eyes all winter semester, we still saw new ways to see the story of the gospel. I think Re-Connections gave us a new lens to see the gospel and our eyes were opened to new things in the story of Peter and Andrew.

Tour in general was a great experience. As a group we grew closer together and bonded pleasantly as a team. In Clark’s Bethany Players write up for the yearbook, he said that it’s behind the curtain where a lot of the magic happens on Players. In front of the curtain, we act and blissfully perform a play or a series of skits to entertain and hopefully to blatantly portray a biblically prominent message, but behind the curtain is where we build each other up. Behind the curtain is where we laugh together, cry together, and bond powerfully together. If I were asked to be stuck in a van for 2 more weeks with the same group of people doing another tour, I sure would do it again.

As a final message for my fellow Players reading this it was fun (hair flip) acting with you and I send you a C.T. if you know what I mean. Thanks for the good times, it was an honor getting to know you better over the course of the year; it was delicious like chocolate everything.

Welcome to the Bethany Sun Blog!

This is a blog set up for Bethany students (past, present and future). It is a place where you can find updates, announcements and from time to time hear thoughts from a variety of Bethany’s Faculty and Staff. Be sure to check out the tabs at the top of the page as we will be regularly posting important announcements and calendar dates for the upcoming year. Check in regularly for important information that you should know. Coming soon; Thoughts from Lisa Braun; Players and POI Tour Updates and lots of pictures.

Your SD3 (Lisa Braun, Erica Ray and Dave Carey)

Transcript Requests

The Registrar will be away from June 25 to July 20. All transcript requests made during this time will be processed after her return.

The Registrar section of the website can be found at - http://bethany.sk.ca/?page_id=118

New directions for campus breaks....

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your cooperation and input on campus breaks over the past two years. As you know, the College went to modified services in the library, cafeteria, and ad building. Campus residences have remained open, and Student Development staff on supervision duty have responded to student need depending on numbers on campus and specific requests. These adjustments have been done to improve our stewardship of resources in people and finances.

For your awareness, here is the new section of the Student Handbook 2010-2011:

Facility Use and Services:
Campus facilities are centralized in the main Administration Building (Ad). General hours will be posted on campus in relation to the various departments and services. Any changes to hours will be posted in advance when a change is required.

During long weekends, facility use and services for students are modified. The breaks are as follows: Thanksgiving (October), Term (November), Winter (February), and Easter (when applicable). Room and board fees do not include food services fees for these breaks. The residences remain open and available, as does the mall area of the ad building for washroom, satellite television, common lounge, and internet usage. Student Development Staff on supervision for these breaks reserves the right to limit access to the Ad Building dependent on student numbers. See any updated posted information related to each break.

During extended breaks, facility use and services are closed for students, except by request. The extended breaks are as follows: Christmas (Dec/Jan), Mission Trips Module (Jan), and Summer Break (May-Aug). The residences are closed. The Ad Building will be open during office hours of 8:00 am – 4:30pm, and students may request access to services through the receptionist or by appointment with appropriate personnel. Depending on the date, there would be varying levels of available access, services, and staffing. See any updated posted information related to each break.

Hours for Administration Building:
Weekdays (Mon-Thurs): 7:00am-11:30pm
Weekends (Fri-Sun): 8:00am-11:30pm

Hours for Bethany Place Gym & Weight Room:
Weekdays (Mon-Thurs): 7:00am-11:00pm
Weekends (Fri-Sun): 8:00am-11:00pm

Hours for Library:
The Library is normally open Monday through Saturday. Specific hours are posted on the door. Modified hours will be posted.

Hours for Cafeteria:
The Cafeteria is open Sunday through Saturday. Specific hours are posted on the door. Modified hours will be posted.

Hours for College Offices:
Weekdays from 8:00am-4:30pm. Specific hours for Bethany employees may be posted on or beside office doors. While all personnel are ready to respond to student needs and take time to spend with you, please be aware that times may vary when they are available on a walk-in basis or by appointment.
Contact Lisa at lbraun@bethany.sk.ca with questions or comments about this procedure.

Blessings,
LB

Important Dates for 2010-2011

First Semester:
Returning Student Arrival – Friday, September 3, 2010 by evening
Returning Student Orientation and Registration – Saturday, September 4
New Student Arrival – Sunday, September 5, beginning at 2pm
First Year Orientation – Monday, September 6
First Year Registration – Monday, September 6
First Day of Classes – Tuesday, September 7
Photo Day - Tuesday, September 7
Residence Orientation - Tuesday, September 7, 8.45pm
Drop/Add Deadline - Monday, September 13
Modular Week – September 27-October 1
Thanksgiving Break – October 8 (noon) – 11 (evening)
Day of Prayer – October 20
Fall Theatre Production - November 4-6
Term Break – November 10 (noon) – 14 (evening)
Christmas Banquet - December 10
Last Selah (Chapel) – December 10
Last Day of Classes - December 13
Last Day for Assignments - December 13
Winter Registration Session - December 14
Exams December 15-17 (noon) **
Christmas Break – December 17 (noon) – January 2 (evening)

**Please keep this in mind while making travel arrangements for Christmas break. The exam rescheduling fee is $50/exam.


Second Semester:
All Student Arrival - January 2, 2011 by evening
Service and Learning Trips Orientation – January 3-5
Service and Learning Trips – January 6-14
First Day of Classes – January 17
Drop/Add Deadline-Friday, January 21
Youth Advance—February 4-6
Youth Advance Rest Day – Monday, February 7 – see campus postings for lessons; evening classes meet as regularly scheduled
Winter Break – February 18 (noon) – 22 (evening)
Day of Prayer – March 9
Continuance of Study Session - March 29, 2011 at 11.15 am (Chapel) - NEW
Student Government Elections – March 30
Last Day of Classes - April 8
Last Selah (Chapel) – April 8
Last Day for Assignments - April 9
Exams - April 11-13**
All Student Brunch, Survey, Grad Rehearsal, and Campus Clean-up Day - April 14
Year-End Party - April 15
Spring Concert - April 16
Grad Banquet - April 16
Commencement - April 17
Spring Tours – April 19-May 3
Summer Break – April 17 (evening) – September 2

Birds & Bs...

Given where we live we get to see lots of interesting birds. It was american coots one year, grebes another, a pair of northern pintails in the dugout, and one year more snow geese than a guy could count. We have a great horned owl that returns to our pine trees to nest every year, a pair of merlins and a number of mallards which do the same. One Sunday morning as I got up to have breakfast with my children I looked out the window and spotted the strangest sight yet.

A pigeon.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t seen a pigeon before – although this one was quite pretty. It was that this one sat pecking in the middle of the driveway. Launching into the air to let us drive by, it flew in a large circle returned to the same spot once we had passed by. It turned out to be a racing pigeon (I won’t bore you with the details of my investigative process). By the time we discovered it perched and pecking among the pebbles of our pathway the race had long been won. If I recall correctly it had been at least a week since the other racers had returned to the comfort of their coops.

Now, I’m no pigeon expert but I understand that sometimes outside forces can cause a pigeon’s internal GPS navigational system to go bonkers. Lost, confused and exhausted our friend had paused to do what (so I’m told) pigeons do in these circumstances. They find a gravel road or driveway and peck small pebbles which somehow aid in their recovery. Once they are strong enough and regain their sense of direction they head for home.

Early in the morning, about five days later, I watched our new friend take off and head in the direction of home…

…that afternoon he returned.

…a day or so later he headed off again and as far as I know, this time, he made it safely home.

(In case you’re wondering how I know it was a “he”… if it had been a “she” it wouldn’t have gotten lost in the first place… according to my wife…)

Have you ever felt like that pigeon? One minute you’re in with the pack (or flock) the next you’re flying solo. One minute you’re on track, the next you’re lost. You had a real shot of winning… yesterday… a week ago… You’ve given up trying to reach the finish line… now you’re just looking for home.

I’ve been there. In fact, this past year was a lot like that for me in many ways.

What do you do when you find yourself there? What do you “peck” at?

For me I turn to the Word.

Now I know what you’re thinking but it ain’t like that… I don’t pile up the commentaries and dig into the “deep” truths of scripture. I don’t do word studies and mull over Greek grammar. I don’t parse or pick apart phrases while ploughing for principles. I simply read the stories.

I peck.

Honestly, sometimes I don’t even read the stories – I just lie back in a comfortable chair, or in my hammock, and think about the stories.

You were perhaps expecting more from the guy who pastored a dozen years and now teaches Spiritual Formation? You were hoping for a method perhaps? A spiritual discipline which would get you through the disorientation? Ten-steps to get on track… Five steps to win… Seven steps to Christ-likeness. Well… I could give you a list but they don’t work for me. I peck.

Do you know what I’ve discovered. I almost hesitate to say this because some of you are going to turn this into some sort of method. You’re going to go back over the article looking for the fine print, reducing a story to a 12-step program. DON’T DO IT!

I memorize Word and sit with it as story. What I’ve found is that when I sit with the stories I discover anew why I’m on this spiritual journey. I rediscover the One I so desperately want to be like and the One I’m trying to reach. …and I discover that I do not have to reach Him… He is with me still.

I discover I am not like that pigeon, lost and alone (though I still feel like it).

When I called the owner of my pigeon-friend he was completely unconcerned. I thought he was going to thank me effusively, rush out and rescue his bird and maybe give me a cash reward or something. But when I called him his response was something like

“…ah yeah… that bird… well, if it’s still there in a couple of weeks give me a call I might come out with some other birds to help coax it into a cage…”

A couple of weeks??? Might???

The stories of scripture affirm that no one needs to call the One I am pursuing and tell Him, “I think I’ve found something that belongs to you.” No one needs to provide Him with directions or offer to call again in a couple of weeks. No, not my Master. My Master sits in the gravel with me… and tells me stories.

Somehow that’s enough for now.

HIDE AND SEEK

I stop

trying to find

what’s not mine

I give up

the chase or race

I fall from the sky

not grace

where

is He?

He is not lost

but then

neither am I

How can I be lost

when the One I seek

has promised never to leave me?

By Paul Woodburn, Director of Ministry Arts

(From June '09 Bethany Sun)