Youtube Contest

There is a popular thing called “Vines” circling around right now which is a video about ten seconds long. Typically, these videos are funny and completely random. Now, Central is going to have their try at this trend. The students are being encouraged to make their own videos that will be submitted for prizes. If a student wants to make their own individual video then it has to be ten seconds or less. The other option is to make the video with their dorm wing and that video can be up to thirty seconds in length. The videos have to remain appropriate and are encouraged to be funny. The theme for the video is supposed to be “Tigers are _____”. For example, “Tigers are exciting” then do a video about an exciting central student. The first prize for the individual video will be a $50 gift card and the second place video will get a $25 gift card. The winning wing video will get a pizza party for their wing. The videos have to be sent to the central administration email by December 5^th. All the videos will be posted online and the students get to vote on the video they want to win. The Central students better start working on those videos if they want to win the prizes.

A link of your video must be sent to Admissions@centralchristian.edu , please put in the subject line: Facebook Fall Contest- 2013. In the E-mail please make sure to include your name, phone number and E-mail, RA’s please include your dorm and wing name.

 After you send your video footage in, please go and check the clip board in the admissions office to make sure your entry was received.  We will be posting them all together where voting will take place.

Click here to watch our demo video!

 

Central Christian Receives Largest Ever Gift From 1937 Alum

McPherson, KS – November 18, 2013 – Today, Central Christian College received its largest-ever estate gift. Mrs. Lela (Hudson) Honkonen, a graduate of the Central College class of 1937 and resident of Batesville, Arkansas, passed away in April, three months after her 100^th birthday, and Central Christian College received an estate gift of over $1,000,000.

 This gift illustrates the love that Mrs. Honkonen had for her experience at her alma mater and her desire to help future Central Christian students. In 2009, Lela’s sister, Altha Hudson, left an estate gift of over $800,000 to Central Christian College.

 The sisters’ Central experience began in 1935, during the throes of the Great Depression. They came to Central from Texas, at the urging of their brother, Ursi, who had attended a year earlier after learning about Central while on a harvest crew. The sisters put in many hours of hard work, primarily in the kitchen, to pay their school bill. Both graduated in 1937.

 The sisters returned to Central's campus for their 50^th class reunion in 1987 where they learned of the opportunities available to create endowed scholarships to help students attend Central. Later that year, Lela and Altha established the Hudson Scholarship together and, after Lela married, they each established their own scholarships. Now, current students benefit from both the Lela Honkenen Scholarship and the Altha Hudson Scholarship.

 Lela and her husband, Hugo, were both retired employees of the federal government, with Lela working 43 years in Washington D.C. as a transportation specialist. She noted that she desired the estate processed to be used for tuition and books for deserving and financially challenged young students of her alma mater. 

 The estate gift will help fund the President’s Opportunity Grant Program, which was founded this summer and is designed to assist needy students who desire to work to help fund their education. Central Christian's President Hal Hoxie noted, “Lela valued her Central education and desired to help young people have the same opportunity. Connecting her gift to the President’s Opportunity Grant Program is a perfect fit, as Lela and her sister, Altha, worked their way through graduation at Central in the 1930s. Her gift will help support the endowment of the Program, enabling it to benefit students for many years.”

 Eight students are currently in the Presidential Opportunity Grant Program and Central Christian is planning to expand it to forty students in the fall of 2014. Central is actively seeking other donors to help fund the Program’s endowment and, eventually, the Program is designed to become a self-sustaining program. President Hoxie desires to help students graduate from college debt-free and the President’s Opportunity Grant is one of the ways to accomplish that mission.

 “We praise God for Lela’s life and for the blessing that has been realized as a result of her stewardship and this generous gift to her alma mater and future generations of Central students!"

 

Justice Week: Free2Walk

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. - Psalm 33:5

Last chance to get involved!

Free2Walk 5K walk/run will start at 9:30am. The trail begins at CCC’s plaza, heads north toward Ave A, East at Ave A toward Wall Park, then finally circle back around to CCC. All the proceeds will go to the Set Free Movement.

Registration ends November 16th (tomorrow) and donations end on the 18th!

For more information, FAQ’s, or to register, go to this website: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/9075205183

Thanks to everyone who is doing their part to further the Kingdom of God!

BY: Ariana Matty

Justice Week: Compassion International

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. - Isaiah 1:17

Samuel Orlando from Manasseh Ministries in Kansas City is coming to speak in chapel tomorrow. He’ll be sharing about what his ministry does to help victims of human trafficking and his personal journey through the Compassion International system and how he was kept out of child slavery because of his sponsored family.


No, for real. This guy was one of those scruffy kids from the Compassion International pictures you browse through and think, Too bad I don’t have enough money do anything about this.

Read a little bit of his story here:


Samuel Orlando was born in a very poor province of the Dominican Republic called Luperon, Puerto Plata. He had slim possibilities of gaining a decent education due to extreme poverty within the community. His parents were missionaries in Luperon where most children didn’t have the possibility of regular meals much less the resources to obtain an education. At 25, his father first heard of Compassion International, and he immediately started the process to launch this program in Luperon. He saw it as a blessing that would help his son and other children in the community to obtain an education; his father knew that education was one of the keys to overcoming poverty. Unfortunately Samuels’ father passed away, but the vision was planted and five years later his mother married another pastor and returned to Luperon to continue the work that was already begun there.

Thanks to Compassion, Samuel was one of the first children sponsored in that area. A humble family from North America planted a seed and provided him the opportunity to graduate from high school, receive a healthy breakfast, a clean uniform and school supplies, thus changing the course of his life forever. He was able to obtain an education, become a recording engineer, a musician, and a Christian singer. According to Samuel, “One of the greatest things is that now I am able to give to others a similar opportunity that was provided for me!”

Compassion International proves that you don't have to give hundreds of dollars to help someone, but their educational, physical, mental, social, and spiritual growth is worth every penny.

Check it out. I dare you: http://www.compassion.com/

BY: Ariana Matty

Justice Week: Operation Christmas Child

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!  - Isaiah 30:18

Operation Christmas Child!!

If you’ve never heard of it, one of the main things Operation Christmas Child is known for is that it works worldwide to provide Christmas presents to children who can’t afford it. These presents aren’t just stupid toys and games though. Included are school supplies, hygiene items, small pieces of clothing and accessories, and even personal notes from the people packing the shoebox.


You can still pick up a shoebox from the Student Development Office until tomorrow. Donate items and money there too, before tomorrow.

Operation Christmas Child box-packing will commence at 7pm in the Tiger Den tomorrow!

BY: Ariana Matty

Atheists jump on board with Megachurch Movement?

The megachurch movement has become so appealing that apparently Atheist have decided to get on board and begin creating their own.  You heard me right, a group of people opposed to organized religion are in a way creating their own organized religion.  The idea was the brainchild of British comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans.  Jones grew up a Roman Catholic, but left the church later in life.  It was his return for a Christmas carol concert that sparked his passion.  Jones shared his thoughts in an interview with Gillian Flaccus entitled “Atheist ‘Meganchurches’ Crop UpAround The World.” Jones stated:

"There was so much about it that I loved, but it's a shame because at the heart of it, it's something I don't believe in," Jones said. "If you think about church, there's very little that's bad. It's singing awesome songs, hearing interesting talks, thinking about improving yourself and helping other people — and doing that in a community with wonderful relationships. What part of that is not to like?"

Jones in essence missed the camaraderie that he felt at church, the relationships, the positive messages, the singing, and the bonds.  He just did not miss God.  Jones and Evans began prepping to try to create this same church concept just minus God.  The “church” for lack of a better name is called Sunday Assembly.  They even have a motto- Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More.  They gather on Sunday mornings, they have meet and greets, they play get to know each other games, they sing positive songs (Lean on Me and Here Comes the Sun), there is a message, they share about community service projects, pass a collection, and retire for some refreshments.  It sounds like a normal morning at your local church really, but God is not invited.

These churches started in England and spread to Australia and America meeting in San Diego, Nashville, New York, and other larger cities.  They claim they are not trying to come down on believers or mock them in any way they just want a place to meet and express their common ideas and beliefs.

Flaccus article really was an interesting one and I suggest you follow the link above and read it for yourself, but I wanted to focus on another aspect.  It was the fact that many of the members seem to be disenfranchised Christians, who have left their faith and been stumbling around blind looking for something.  I feel like the message I am hearing is that the idea of the modern Christian church is wonderful, but that much like communism doesn’t work well except in theory.  People like the idea and want to belong, but just aren’t feeling the vibes.  So, they have begun to look for a better model or a different type of place where they can gather and feel love.  The funny thing to me is they are running from a church to a church.

The big problem is how do we address this in the church?  People are hurting and need the love and friendship that churches seem to be missing or unable to provide.  What does the church need to do or change to better minister to the lost?  Maybe there is no answer, but it feels like there has to be something we can do to meet these lost souls and share the love.  Just some thoughts… what are your thoughts?

Justice Week: Live58

To loose the chains of injustice... to set the oppressed free... to share your food with the hungry... to provide the poor wanderer with shelter... when you see the naked, to clothe them - Isaiah 58:6-7

Live58 is a lifestyle movement to end extreme poverty through authentic Christian living, giving people opportunity to put their faith into action and letting them see the direct impact they make. They made a movie about true events of the global Church taking action against extreme poverty and modern slavery. Come watch it with us at Starting@9 in the Mudhole.



The hope is that people will understand the connection between extreme poverty and modern day slavery. After the movie, we’ll discuss it and what we can do to help.



What is Live58?: http://www.live58.org/about-live58

We have everything we need.

Will we do everything it takes?

BY: Ariana Matty

Beer and Hymns?

I recently discovered an article discussing a new movement in the church.  The article was posted on NPR’s site, written by John Burnett, and titled, “To Stave Off Decline, Churches Attract New Members With Beer.”  Now the title is what caught my attention, because it obviously sounds a bit controversial; however, it was not so much the beer part that interested me, but the “stave off decline,” part.  I have never personally participated in drinking.  I do not have a problem with it, because the Bible clearly states that Jesus drank.  I have just personally never wanted to part take in this ritual, but have been around many people who do drink and consider them friends.

Now, the interesting part of this article dealt with churches doing outreach and trying to attract new members by offering night services with beer and in many instances actually meeting in “taprooms.”  They do not drink to get drunk and it was pointed out that in at least one of the meetings there was a two drink maximum.  They are gathering, eating, drinking, singing hymns, and worshiping.  Is this worship?  In History of Christianity class I was required to read a short book called Going to Church in the First Century.  It consisted of people meeting together, eating, drinking, sharing their problems, and then worshiping together.  By this definition people are worshiping.

The real question I have been wrestling with lately is what does modern outreach look like?  Are we going to the places where people really need the message of salvation or are we fishing from a pool of believers who are just continually looking for a new church?  I see this article and think is this brilliant or is this wrong, and how do people respond to this.  Well this is what Burnett wrote:

“Some patrons are understandably confused. They come in for a brew and there's a religious service going on in their bar. They expected Trivia Night and they get the Holy Eucharist.

"I tell 'em, it's a church service," says bartender Les Bennett, "And they're, like, 'In a pub?' And I'm, like, yeah. Some of 'em stick around for trivia, some of 'em take off, some of 'em will hang out and have another pint or two."

That's one of the objectives: A guy sits at the bar nursing a beer, he overhears the Gospel of Luke, he sees people line up to take bread and wine, he gets curious. Phil Heinze says pub church has now become an official — if edgy — Lutheran mission” (Burnett Blog)

Reading that section, makes me think that “Church-in-a-pub” has some real possibilities of reaching the lost and introducing many to the healing powers of Jesus.  The article list several locations of this happening.  The two many focuses for interviews and audio clips that the blog provides are from Oregon and Texas.  In reading through some of the comments though I found this to be widespread.  One person mentioned an orchestra tour they went on where almost every church visited had some form of this idea going on.  Another comment listed a group in Fargo that had started up.  It seems crazy, but Beer & Hymns is catching on and luring in younger crowds.  They socialize, drink, sing Hymns, and enter the presence of God.  I am left with an interesting image in my mind of the television series Cheers hosting a church service.  The theme songs hits upon the feeling of isolation that many of us feel from time to time and how there is a place you can go to get away from it all and everybody knows you.  Mixing that with the feeling we should get from church, but many do not anymore is an interesting concept I want to read more about.

What do you think of this concept?  Let us know drop in some comments and give us some feedback.

 

Justice Week: The Manasseh Project

Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. - Psalm 106:3

You don't want to miss chapel on Tuesday!


Andy Soper is the Director of Mobilization at Mars Hill Bible Church and Founder and Coordinator at Manasseh Project - an outreach ministry designed to help men and women who are victims of sexual exploitation in West Michigan.

And he has a bunch of friggin sick tattoos.

Check out this news article I found on him! It’s basically his story about how and why he started getting so involved in helping end sex trafficking: http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/01/young_fathers_concern_for_abus.html


And in case you’re interested: http://www.manassehproject.org/

BY: Ariana Matty

Justice Week: Set Free Movement

Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully. - Proverbs 28:5

This upcoming Sunday, a Vespers abolition panel will be visiting and chatting with us at The Warehouse at 7:30pm. One of the panelists is our own Dr. Glenn Lorenz, who is currently working with the Set Free Movement and in the process of writing a dissertation on the theology of abolitionism. Another panelist is Professor Laura Vanderhoof from Tabor College, whose dissertation is about what the church’s response to human trafficking should be and what we can do about it. They’ve both prepared a presentation, after which will be a Q&A with everyone who attends.

BY: Ariana Matty

Justice Week Pre-Kick Off

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8

Justice Week is just around the corner! R:58, a student-led ministry team, is organizing a variety of events, speakers, and activities during this week. This week is dedicated to raise awareness and inform people of modern day slavery and give us opportunities to and ideas on how to help.


In a country where clicking and reading more than a one page online article seems to be a difficult accomplishment, I’m hoping some eyes and hearts will be opened and compassion will be stirred to not just watch youtube videos about the oppressed but do something to stop the oppression.

To pre-kick off, I’d like to share a little something I found on my own recently. Please take the time to watch it, share it, sign the petition, pray, and do these little things to help fight child sexual exploitation!

Watch the vid, get informed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGmKmVvCzkw



Sign the petition (it’s really not that hard!): http://avaaz.org/en/wcst/

BY: Ariana Matty

Piano Duet Team to Perform at Central Christian College

Christina Folkerts & Nicole Dyson-Smith will be performing modern piano duets at Central Christian College in Wesley Black Fine Arts building November 8^th at 7:00 p.m.  Folkerts and Dyson-Smith are graduates of Wichita State University School of Music, and have presented lectures and recitals encompassing twentieth century techniques within music.  The performance will include musical works by Debussy, Poulenc, and Shapero, accompanied by visual artwork representing the corresponding style or mood of the musical work.  This event is free to the public.

 

By: Brett Janssen

 

Concert Choir at McPherson's Snow Ball

This Thursday, November 7, the Concert Choir will be singing at the annual Snowball Drop. This event will be held on the Plaza in downtown McPherson, and the choir will be singing leading up to the raffle. They will sing several children’s favorites beginning around 5:45, and the children’s raffle will follow around 6:10. The choir will then lead the attendees in some more traditional Christmas carols, which will be followed by the adult raffle. The choir welcomes the support of the CCC family, and we look forward to an enjoyable evening of celebrating the beginning of the Christmas season! Specific questions concerning the events of the Snowball Drop can be directed to the Chamber of Commerce.

"Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp." Psalm 147:7

November has begun and students have caught sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. Midterm has long since passed and we move to a new phase in the year. The stress of finals is just starting to creep into our thoughts as the campus begins preparation for the final stretch of the semester.

            Musicians, who have been practicing their instruments diligently since the school year began, are perfecting pieces for juries. A jury at Central Christian College involves being brought into a room to perform in front of a panel of judges where you could potentially be deemed unworthy of handling such an instrument.

            Before judgment day, however, students are generally required to sign up for a recital. The recitals give students an opportunity to experience performance in a more formal setting with an actual audience as well as a chance to prepare for the imminent jury. The recitals are open to all students taking lessons and will be held on November 7, 14, and December 5 at 4:00 in Greer Auditorium. In addition there will be a beginner's recital on November 21 that is open to any students in their first or second semester of an instrument. The beginner's recital will be held in the choir room at 4:00.

            The recitals are very entertaining, having a wide variety of styles and sometimes instruments included in a single performance. There are also varying levels of skill and experience among the students which often give's each individual performance an element of surprise as you may not always know what to expect from the performer. The school itself offers piano, guitar, bass, voice, and drums on a regular basis but also sets up lessons for students interested in other instruments. The recitals length depends on the amount of students signed up. Generally the earlier recitals are shorter while the later recitals run an hour to an hour and a half.

            We strongly encourage Central Christian College and the McPherson community to come out and support our musicians as they share their hard work and talent.

By: Andrea Ruiz