SOCIETY
L AWRENCE J OURNAL -W ORLD
People & Places
Photo courtesy of Bob Rainbolt
MORE THAN 300 GUESTS attended the barbecue and dance of the Happy Times Squares Aug. 27 at Building 21 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. From left, Vernon and Toni Nelson, Topeka, recognize Lois and Stan Zaremba, Lawrence, who headed up the barbecue. They were also presented yellow Mums in appreciation. Vic Perry, caller, is shown, in the rear.
Photo courtesy of Lareeda Hickey
FROM LEFT, TERRY DRASKOVICH, JUST FOOD VOLUNTEER, and Jeremy Farmer, Just Food executive director, accept a $1,500 check from Vernis Flottman, Pilot Club of Lawrence to sponsor their first annual Just Food Golf Tournament. The Aug. 8 check presentation was at the club’s meeting at Conroy’s Pub. The golf tournament was Sept. 12 at Eagle Bend Golf Course.
‘In your experience, how do our current generations look differently at faith?’ ——————
In my ministry, I see how much we all have in common The Rev. Peter A. Luckey, senior pastor, Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vt.: Yes, indeed, our current generations look differently at faith. Case in point: according to the Pew Research Center, of the generation born between 1981 and 1988, (what Pew calls Generation Next) one in five in that group say they have no religious affiliation. The proportion of young people who feel this way has doubled from the late 1980s. The Barna Group has discovered a significant difference in how people born before 1946 view their faith versus succeeding generations. Faith for the Boomers is, according to the research group, “the foundation of their lives.” Throughout my ministry I have witnessed this group’s
deep sense of loyalty and commitment — not only to their beliefs but also to the institutions that help perpetuate those beliefs. Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) and even more so, the generations following the “boomers” like Generation Next, tend to see their faith less tied to one group or tradition Luckey and instead view their faith as a work-in-progress, something cobbled together among their own life experiences, the tradition in which they were born into and exposure to other traditions. What I admire about young people today is how they are able to balance a
commitment to their own roots while at the same time able to draw insights from other places. Many in this generation would nod their heads in agreement when the Christian mystic Matthew Fox says, “there are many wells but one river.” Take all these generalizations with a grain of salt. What I find more and more compelling in my ministry is how much we all have in common, no matter if we are 9 or 90. We are all on a search. We all live our lives with fundamental questions like the following: Why am I here? Is there a God and if so, does God care about me? What happens to me after I die? And what am I supposed to make of my life? — Send email to Peter Luckey at peterluckey@sunflower.com.
Send your questions about faith and spiritual issues for our religion columnists to religion@ ljworld.com.
Some stay while others leave, but there is hope for the church Doug Heacock, contemporary worship leader and director of media and communications, Lawrence Free Methodist Church, 3001 Lawrence Ave.: When I was growing up in the 1960s, I scarcely met anyone who was not at least peripherally involved in a church, but as the ’60s gave way to the ’70s, more people rejected the church, along with many other elements of “the Establishment.” This seemed to me to result in a growing group of people who, in the ’80s and ’90s, did not raise their children in the religious traditions in which they were raised. To some extent, I believe the church has also failed to help young believers develop a durable faith. A recent survey (http://bit.ly/aOK4yy) indicates young people are leaving the church at a higher rate than ever before. More and more people are identifying themselves as having “no religion” or even as “ex-Christians.”
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AROUND AND ABOUT
Photo courtesy of Bob Rainbolt
DAVE KETCHUM, TONGANOXIE, is shown cutting and serving barbecued pork which served 300 square dancers and guests attending the barbecue and dance of the Happy Times Squares. In addition, the meal included potato salad, french fries, vegetables and homemade pies. The meal and dance was Aug. 27 at Building 21 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.
Saturday, November 26,2011
While this is cause for justifiable alarm among church leaders, and should be treated as a wake-up call, I believe there are some encouraging signs, as well. More people in my church (and many other churches), for example, are beginning to wake up to the needs of a suffering Heacock world, and are taking seriously the Bible’s mandate to care for the poor. This is appealing to (and could be an avenue for communicating the gospel to) Generation Y — the “millennial” generation, the children of the baby-boomers — because they desire to be engaged in doing something positive for the world. The rise of the Passion movement (268generation. com) among college students suggests that there
are significant numbers of young people who are interested in seeing God be glorified and giving their lives to serve Christ and others. That movement has also helped drive the creation of a great deal of new worship music. The church’s slow-butsteady adoption (and adaptation) of new communications and technology tools and strategies is also helping the church seem less “weird” to the Internet generation. It should be noted that in other parts of the world, the church is growing dramatically — even explosively. The rise of the “leavers” may be a uniquely American thing at this point in history. And we shouldn’t forget that Jesus said he would build his church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. There is definitely hope for the church. — Send email to Doug Heacock at doug. heacock@gmail.com.
Amanda Weishaar, Lawrence, participated in an internship program offered by Kansas State University’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute this summer. !" Chastity RomeroLatham, Lawrence, was awarded a Master of Arts Degree this spring from the University of Oklahoma Norman campus. !" McPherson College has recognized its highest academic achievers in their spring 2011 honor roll and honorable mention students. To qualify for the honor roll, students must earn a grade-point average of 3.55 or higher. Those earning a grade-point average from 3.25 to 3.54 are named to the honorable mention roll. Area students named to the honor roll: Casey Maxon, Lawrence; Dustin Kitchen, Oskaloosa; and Madison Chambers, Wellsville. Area students named to the honorable mention roll: Cord Cunningham, Ottawa; and Nicholas Wilde, Overbrook. ! Stacie and Adriane Kaufman, Olathe, announce the birth of their daughter, Mia Grace Kaufman, on Sept. 19, 2011. Her grandparents are Jimmie and Opal Kaufman, Eudora, and James and Colleen Fleck, Madisonville, Ky. !" Scott Klopfenstein, a master’s student in geography from Lawrence, was one of four students at Kansas University to receive outstanding achievement awards from the Kansas Geological Survey. Klopfenstein received the Jack Dangermond/ESRI Geospatial Technologies Student Award for his work in Cartographic Services. !" Stephanie Jian, Lawrence, was one of six outstanding undergraduates at Kansas University selected as Hall Center Scholars for 2011-12. Each scholar also received an award of $500. The selected students will spend the academic year in conversation with the visiting speakers of the Hall Center’s Humanities Lecture Series. !" Nicole Lordemann, Baldwin City, was one of two Kansas State University Salina pilots to compete in an historic, all-female race, this summer, Air Race Classic 2011. The race began June 21 in Iowa City, Iowa. Racers had through June 24 to finish the race in Mobile, Ala., and stopped at checkpoints in Brookings, S.D.; Jamestown, N.D.; Spearfish, S.D.; Rawlins, Wyo.; Alliance, Neb.; Great Bend; Borger, Texas; Norman, Okla.; and El Dorado, Ark. Lordemann competed in a Cessna Skyhawk 172 equipped with a Garmin G1000 avionics system. !" During Emporia State University’s Summer Theatre production of “Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s Got the Will?,” Trinity Standridge, Bonner Springs, played Marlene Turnover. The show ran June 22-25. !" The following students were named to the spring 2011 dean’s list at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., by earning a 3.5 grade-point average or higher. Area students included: Austin Hunter and Lucas Turner, Basehor; Katherine Johnson, Sonya Bhakta, Jennifer Crawford, Rebecca Haworth, Evan Taylor and Brooke Thurman, Lawrence; Grant Klise, Berryton; and Brandon Leppke, Bonner Springs. !" Kansas high school students experienced what it took to be a teacher at the Kansas Future Teacher Academy in Emporia June 12-16. The academy consisted of 26 Kansas high school students and was held at Emporia State University. Kelly Kristiansen and Guin Toalson, both of Free
State High School, attended the academy. !" Elizabeth Bellinger, Oskaloosa, graduated cum laude May 10 from in Southwestern College, Winfield, with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. !" The University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, announced area students named to the spring 2011 dean’s honor list, by earning a grade-point average of 3.5 or better. Area students included: Allyson Coy, Shelby Crawford, Sharon Grant-Guerra and Daniel Schaffer, Basehor; Laine Armstrong, De Soto; Wesley Henning, Kathleen Hermesch and Mariah Vaughn, Lawrence; Michelle Chrisman, Linwood; Chelsey Breshears, Geri Jenkins and Kyle Mabary, McLouth; and Emily Gripka, Alex Nowasell, Amie Riddle and Melinda Watson, Tonganoxie. !" Sally Konzem, Lawrence, graduated cum laude June 5 from Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis., with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Students who received the honor of cum laude, graduated with a grade-point average between 3.4 and 3.69. ! The University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, held its spring commencement ceremony May 14. Area students awarded Bachelor of Science degrees included: Keven Courtney, Basehor; Ashley Fischer, Overbrook; and Alex Nowasell (cum laude), Tonganoxie. Area students awarded bachelor’s degrees in nursing included: Sharon GrantGuerra (cum laude), Basehor; Lisa Hatter, Lawrence; and Jennifer Tate (summa cum laude) and Melinda Watson, Tonganoxie. Area students awarded Master of Arts degrees included: Sherrie Wright (teaching), McLouth; and Tammy Hedge, Tonganoxie. !" Jessyka Coulter, Linwood, was named a Dimmitt Scholar at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, in recognition of high academic distinction for the 2010-11 academic year. Dimmitt Scholars must be full-time students who have completed at least 45 credits of college work with a cumulative grade-point average between 3.50 and 3.75. !" Mark Jongman-Sereno and Scott Thellman, both of Lawrence, were named to the 2011 spring dean’s list at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, by earning a gradepoint average of at least 3.5. !" Missouri University of Science and Technology, formerly the University of Missouri-Rolla, announces area students named to the spring 2011 honor list, by earning a grade-point average of 3.2 or above. Lawrence students included Christopher Lane, Leah Williams and Hunter Scheib. !" Bethel College, North Newton, announced area students whose spring 2011 semester grades have earned academic distinction. Will Nagengast, Genevieve Rucker and Anna Cook, all of Lawrence, were named to the dean’s list by earning a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher. Area graduates awarded bachelor’s degrees during May 22 commencement exercises: Andrea Baldwin (nursing), Amanda Fredrickson (business administration, cum laude), Daniel Lassman (biology) and Caleb Stephens (social work), Lawrence; Nathan Dick, (business administration), Baldwin City; and Joshua Powell (communication arts and music), Basehor. !" David Debiasse, Lawrence, graduated cum laude May 7 from the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, with a Bachelor of Science degree. !"
Five Kansas State University doctoral candidates have received a prestigious university scholarship for their dissertations that focus on improving human health and enhancing the quality of life. Each recipient of the KState’s Research Foundation doctoral research scholarship was awarded a $15,000 scholarship stipend and up to an additional $5,000 for tuition reimbursement. The 2011-2012 recipients included Andrew Jones, a doctoral candidate in physics, Lawrence. !" Meghan Shanks graduated in June from the University of Cincinnati with a master’s degree in medical physics. Shanks is a 2005 graduate of Lawrence High School and a 2009 graduate of Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. !" Alyson Hock, Lawrence, graduated cum laude May 21 from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and biochemistry. !" Six area students have accepted scholarships to attend Fort Hays State University for the 2011-2012 academic year. Ellen Bentley, a 2011 Lawrence High School graduate, accepted a $500 Academic Opportunity Award in teacher education. Beckett Bergstrom, a 2011 Lawrence High School graduate, accepted an $800 Hays City Silver Academic Award. Misti Jenkins, a 2011 McLouth High School graduate, accepted a $900 Academic Opportunity Award in nursing and a $500 Copper Academic Award. Cassidy Steele, a 2011 Jefferson West High School graduate of Meriden, accepted a $900 Academic Opportunity Award from the College of Business and Leadership and an $800 Hays City Silver Academic Award. Nicholas Stephens, a 2011 Shawnee Heights High School graduate of Berryton, accepted a $900 Academic Opportunity Award in art and design. Anthony Weiss, a 2011 Baldwin High School graduate, accepted a $700 Fort Hays Bronze Academic Award. !" The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announces area students named to its spring 2011 deans’ list/honor roll. Veronica Grizzle, DeSoto, was named to the College of Journalism and Mass Communications deans’ list/ honor roll, by earning a minimum grade-point average of 3.7. Kaylen Fleming and Brittany O’Donnell, Lawrence, were named to the College of Arts and Sciences deans’ list/honor roll, by earning a minimum grade-point average of 3.7. Monica Sorensen, Bonner Springs, was named to the College of Business Administration deans’list/honor roll, by earning a minimum grade-point average of 3.6. Sorensen earned a 4.0 gradepoint average. !" Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, announces area students named to its the spring 2011 president’s and dean’s lists. Students earning a 4.0 grade-point average were named to the president’s list; those earning a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher were named to the dean’s list. Jordan Payne and Aliza Rosenthal, both of Lawrence, were named to the president’s list. Byron Varberg, Justine Ahle and Matthew Farrier, all of Lawrence, and Connor Twombly, Baldwin City, were named to the dean’s list. !" Samantha Claypool, Lawrence, graduated magna cum laude June 4 from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., with a bachelor’s degree in international relations.