Athletic News

By Wes Enns

The gym eerily echoes every footstep, each ball bounce, the overhead fans turning slowly - it's empty, cold, dark. The arena too is dead, damp, cool and quiet. It's the off-season, the Eagles have gone and have not yet returned. All is in the waiting...

Soon, very soon, they will come back - the athletes, the fans, the coaches - and with them will come exuberance, excitement, slapshots, kicks, hoops and hops. Now it is anticipation, but it will soon be action. Now it is preparation, but it will soon be perspiration. The time is near...

Are you in? Are you ready? This year's Eagles Athletics seasons are about to begin, and we want to hear from you! Some things are changing - league play, Sunday games, home games and away games - but some things will remain the same - competition, character, development, the love of the game. Let us know if you want to be part of it all this year!

We're looking to put together Men's and Women's Volleyball, Indoor Soccer, and Basketball teams this year, as well as Men's Hockey. But we can't do it without you! Right now, we're finding and confirming the right coaches, but we also need to know how many of you are interested in playing for Bethany this year.

Volleyball is staying in the PAC League; Basketball, Soccer, and Hockey will participate in Saskatoon Rec Leagues, ensuring good competition and regular games. Due to this change, however, some tough decisions will need to be made for those athletes wanting to play more than one or two sports, and so we need your help.

If you want to play, send me an email - I would love to hear from you!

See ya soon!
Wes Enns
Athletics Director
wenns@bethany.sk.ca

It's Announcement Season....

By Lisa Braun

You will be seeing several announcements a week on the blog from now until the year begins. I will be linking to facebook groups, and sending emails as well. Please spread the word to your friends, and make sure everyone gets in the loop in one or more of these ways.

First up?

Student Loans

By Dan Guggenheimer

If you are planning to apply for student loans for the coming year, please do so now. Application requires input and information from your parents, so it is much easier to accomplish at home with your parents close by.

You can apply online at http://www.canlearn.ca/ Please initiate this process prior to August 19, 2011 to beat the rush. For further information, please contact me at 306-947-2175 or dguggenheimer@bethany.sk.ca.

All the best and see you soon,

Dan

Director of Finance

Introducing.....Michael Morson

Name: Michael Morson

Years of Study: 2004-2008

Involvements: Missions Committee, YA music; also YA music as alum with "Ryan Brickard Band"

Married: Chelsea Jantzen, 2007. (Current students, this is Joel Jantzen's sister).

Church Involvements: Forest Grove Community Church, Saskatoon, SK - attended since 2002; did B.A. internship at Forest Grove in 2008; served on Council 2008-2011.

"I desire to work full-time in Christian ministry for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This desire is something that I've had for a number of years. However, like many desires that are left unfulfilled for a time, it has grown into something quite unrecognizable from what it was when it was first conceived. To show you what I mean, let me give you a brief sketch of my thought and attitude as a first year Bethany student in 2004.

I didn't want to go to seminary. I made fun of seminaries. In fact, I made fun of theology. I thought theology and seminaries were for people who wanted to sit around and debate useless minutia that had no bearing on the lives of everyday people. My thinking was that the basics of the Christian faith were glaringly obvious, and we needed to get busy "being the hands and feet" instead of trying to gain understanding in areas of thought that were unknowable. I had no desire to go to a graduate school or seminary when I ought to be busy living it out instead of thinking it out.

Fast-forward a few years to the end of my time at Bethany. In 2008, as a fourth year student, I could not possibly picture entering full-time ministry without furthering my education and deepening my knowledge of God's word and world.

In order to do that, I will begin studies at Regent College this fall. Let me be clear that I do understand that this path is not for everybody entering ministry. At the same time, I continually grow in astonishment at our lax attitude toward biblical and theological illiteracy among Christians. The world doesn't work like I thought it did as a first year.

You don't decide between living it out and thinking it out. Bible and God-soaked thinking drive Bible and God-soaked living. I think so that I can live; and I live so that whatever I do, I do all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10.31)."

Submitted by Mike Morson, via Gil Dueck, July 2011.

Closing Notes from LB:

-To find out more about Regent College, check out www.regent-college.edu

-Do you know Bethany alumni who have gone on to study at seminary, and might want to write a feature?

-And a trivia question....can you name any Bethany staff members who have studied at Regent College?

News from MCI

By Lisa Braun

Did you hear Elya's news? She recently accepted a position as Residence Life Co-ordinator at Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) in Gretna, MB.

LB: Elya, why are you heading off to Gretna?

EP: I feel like it's a natural next step after my internship at Bethany. I loved being the RD last year, and found it amazing that, essentially, spending time with people can be a job. I learned through things that went well and things that could have gone better more of what it means to be a caregiver and follower of Jesus. I am pumped for this opportunity to put what I've learned into practice at MCI!

LB: What are you expecting in your new role?

EP: I'm not totally sure what to expect. I'm mostly excited, but a decent amount of nervous as well. I'm expecting it to be a challenging year, but a good one. I am excited about the hanging out part, the possibility of helping with drama staff, and being able to spend time with an age group other than peers.

LB: What does a Residence Life Co-ordinator do?

EP: The job involves planning events, which is SO fun for me, and I get to do that and help the RA's do that. I also do a lot of supervision (homework time, extra-curricular activities, regular routines, snack, etc), working with RA's in general, taking care of student needs, being there to listen. Some other things, but those are the basics.

LB: When do you move?

EP: I'm moving at the end of August, and start the 31st. The first thing that happens is a weekend retreat, a professional development event. Students arrive about a week later, so then it's pretty much straight into it!

LB: What kind of team will you be a part of?

EP: There are 4 other residence life staff, two female and two male. The other female besides me is the supervisor, and the two guys have the same position as me.

LB: Anything else?

EP: An interesting tidbit! Bethany Players were there on tour in my first year (2008), and I remember meeting one of the female deans and totally admiring her and the job she was doing. I never thought about this or doing the job there until second semester this year (2011) ....so that's kind of neat.

LB: All the best, Elya! We are very proud of you. Many blessings and much love from all of us at Bethany and in Student Development!

News from Young Life Saskatoon

By Lisa Moran (with Calvin Rempel, Bethany 4th year BA student)

Greetings friends. I am just over 24 hours away from pulling out of Saskatoon for the inaugural trip to Rockridge Canyon with campers from Saskatoon (and excited to be making history!) I am being joined by another leader, Calvin Rempel, to travel with five kids from Confederation Park School to help them have the best week of their lives!

It's been a journey getting these five kids to camp, as B.C. is a long way from Saskatoon. We are excited about the kids we are bringing and anticipate a life-changing week.

Calvin and I are both asking people to pray for us while we are away. It is so crucial knowing there are people not only lifting us and kids up to God while we're away, but also cheering us on as we have both fantastic and challenging adventures this next week. I am driving my van to Calgary tomorrow, then join the group from Calgary on a bus on Thursday morning, and return back to Saskatoon on Thursday, July 21.

Please pray:

- for energy as I (Moran) have to drive part of the way, and as I am not as young as I used to be when taking kids to camp

- for my physical condition: I don't do well in the heart and I have also recently been nursing a repetitive stress injury in my foot and leg (which I'm getting aggressive chiropractic treatment for). I know that it will hinder me some but I really don't want it to draw unneeded attention to me while there

- for the hearts of each kid we're bringing

- for guidance as we walk alongside campers in our cabins, campers who may consider making a decision for Christ for the first time

- for a few financial loose ends - we have raised nearly all the money needed for the kids, but would still like to raise another $1000 - Please let me know if you feel led to help

- for Calvin who is spending a longer stretch of time at camp, serving in the cabins and with tech duties

Thanks to all the Bethany community for your ongoing friendship and support. Watch for an update after we've returned from camp, with some stories from us and some of the campers hopefully.

Lisa Moran

Area Director, Young Life Saskatoon

lmoran@younglife.ca

http://www.younglife.ca/