When I was in my late twenties, I thought it would be a good idea to leave a vibrant community of fellow Christians that was built over a period of eight years, and move to Gainesville, Florida to attend graduate school. Career-wise, it was a good decision. However, the first year I was extremely lonely […]
To understand why his wife cried, it might help to know what I have been doing the past couple of years. I retired five years ago from Oklahoma State University after 38 years in academia. The Faculty Commons staff couple that built the vibrant Christian faculty-staff ministry at OSU over a period of 30 years […]
On a recent Friday I found myself unable to finish all my weekly tasks by the end of the workday. That evening, after my wife and kids were in bed, I stayed up to revise papers, answer questions, and schedule meetings for the coming week. I finished at around 2 AM by sending half a […]
When I started teaching at a major research university 10 years ago, I pondered how I might serve the Lord on my campus. As a lecturer, I have teaching assistants who serve as graders, and many of them are international graduate students. Often international students are not invited into American homes during their time in […]
(In this age of unbelief, Matt Chandler argues that “it all starts with hospitality.” In a recent training session with his church, he suggests four quick ways to show hospitality. The genius of his approach lies in its simplicity.–FCMM Editors) The God of the universe is serious about hospitality. Hospitality can create an entry point […]
For many professors, their home is their castle. The bridge is up, the moat is filled, and students are not welcome there. What does it mean to “wash my students’ feet as Jesus did his students” with regard to where I live? When I was an undergraduate at Kalamazoo College, a professor invited me to […]
I recently attended one of the Faculty Commons conferences that I had avoided attending for decades because I was “too busy.” It was the best reminder I have had about our unique calling as professors and the best opportunity I know of to learn practical, innovative and proven strategies for sensitively sharing the love of […]
In addition to valuing mentoring and academic integration as a professor, I’ve also learned a new concept called the “ministry of presence.” I learned it from a young student of mine. On the day my father died, this dear student taught me the power of “faithful presence” when he drove many miles through terrible weather […]
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Overcoming classroom cynicism and building a special learning community takes work. I sacrifice the first ten minutes of every single class building community. That’s a large chunk of a 50 minute class, but I’m convinced that when a student feels connected, secure, loved, and seen, their brains move from reactive to responsive states; they receive […]
