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)