Spring 2017 Ambassador Magazine

SPRING 2017 PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE Seven things that won't change at OCC p. 4 AMPLIFYING CHRIST'S CALL The story of OCC grad Jayson French p. 12 IN LOVING MEMORY Remembering six longtime servants of the college p. 20

Three generations of Ozark grads: Bob Scott ('50), Dr. Mark Scott ('76) and Allison Scott McBirth ('15)

Still Focused, Still Faithful

Earn an entire bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies without leaving your home, job or church. Apply today! occ.edu/olapply

CONTENTS TO INSPIRE President’s Perspective Matt Proctor A lot can change in 75 years...

Through the Years

A look at Ozark’s logos, then and now

New Testament Words Kenny Boles

An in-depth look at the language of Scripture

Featured Theme Dr. Mark Scott

The story of Ozark and the Scott family

Just One: Jayson French Matt Proctor

One alum’s unique gift for calling students to ministry

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TO INFORM Campus News

Recent happenings at OCC

The Big Picture

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A snapshot of life around campus

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In Loving Memory Matt Proctor Rejoicing in their resurrection hope, grieving their earthly absence

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Coming Soon

Upcoming events at OCC

Heard In Chapel

Our weekly chapel services help keep our focus on Christ

Meet Your OCC Family

Introducing Ozark’s staff member, Kim Balentine

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TO CONNECT Your Partnership David Duncan

Helpful tools for Christian stewardship

Alumni News

Updates from alumni around the world

One More Thing Amy Storms

A final thought from our assistant editor The Ambassador magazine is published three times each year to inspire, inform and connect the Ozark Christian College family.

Editorial Team: Dru Ashwell, Kathy Bowers, Jim Dalrymple, Jill English, Amy Storms Graphic Design: Little Bird Marketing Photo Contributors: R.J. Harbison, Mark Neuenschwander, David Summerlin Cover Photo: Three generations of Ozark–Bob Scott, Dr. Mark Scott and Allison Scott McBirth.

Photo by Mark Neuenschwander Contact Us: Ozark Christian College 1111 N. Main Joplin, MO 64801 alumni@occ.edu

28 29 36 The ultimate mission of Ozark Christian College is to glorify God by evangelizing the lost and edifying Christians worldwide.

The immediate mission of OCC is to train men and women for Christian service as a degree-granting institution of biblical higher education. Ozark Christian College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). OCC is also a Candidate for Accreditation with Higher Learning Commimission (HLC).

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

STILL FOCUSED, STILL FAITHFUL:

Matt Proctor has served as president of Ozark Christian College since 2006.

AFTER SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS, SEVEN THINGS AT OCC THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE Matt Proctor

A lot can change in 75 years.

In 1942, the world was a different place. The average yearly wage in the U.S. was about $1,800. Stamps were 3 cents, Cokes were 5 cents, and a gallon of gas cost you a whopping 15 cents.

College students used slide rules instead of calculators, manual typewriters instead of laptops, watched Casablanca in the movie theater instead of on Netflix, and had never even seen a television.

A lot can change in 75 years.

In 1942, a small band of believers gathered in Bentonville, Arkansas—men like nationally known evangelist F.W. Strong and recent seminary grad Seth Wilson—all of them driven by a vision. In Matthew 9, when Jesus saw the crowds lost and helpless, his heart was moved with compassion, and he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (9:37-38). The group in Bentonville dreamed of a college that would prepare workers for the harvest field.

After all, there were still lost souls to be saved, children to be taught, hungry people to feed, wounded souls to love, Scriptures to translate, churches to plant and nations to reach. The need was great. Oh, for more men and women to go into the world with the good news of Jesus! Surely God could use a school dedicated to that very purpose.

And on June 12, 1942, Ozark Bible College was born.

The One Constant Is Change

But as Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only thing constant is change,” and over the years, Ozark has certainly not stayed the same. In the early days, OCC students used a rotary phone to connect with an operator. Then our dorms went from payphones on every floor (remember waiting forever while some guy talked with his girlfriend?) to push-button phones on every desk to smartphones in every pocket. Of course, a few other things have changed as well:

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We relocated our campus. Today Bentonville, Arkansas, is one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country—home to the world’s largest company (Wal-Mart), a world-class art museum, a 10,000-seat concert venue, and a high-traffic airport. But back in the 1940s, Bentonville was just a sleepy little town, and in 1944 the Ozark trustee board decided it would never amount to much. So they moved the college to Joplin. (Clearly they were preachers, not prophets.)

We grew our student body. With greater access on Route 66, more supporting area churches, and lots of part-time employment for students, the move to Joplin turned out to be a wise one. Word began to spread. From 16 students, the student body grew to 50, then 100, then 200. In 1963, Ozark moved from a large house on North Wall Street in Joplin to our present campus on North Main Street, where we grew to 300, then 400, then 500 and beyond. Last fall, we welcomed over 600 students.

We changed our name. For 43 years, the college sign read Ozark Bible College—which led to inevitable jokes about Ozark Bridal College. (Each fall, within only a few weeks, the campus looked like Noah’s Ark—everybody walking around two-by-two. The college was a microwave for romance.) But in 1985, Ozark merged with Midwest Christian College and adopted Midwest’s middle name to become Ozark Christian College. (Of course, the new initials OCC lent themselves to a new nickname— Ozark Couple’s College. Some things never change.)

We revised our curriculum. Ozark was training men and women to serve the church, but as the needs of the churches changed, so did the classes offered. Whereas students used to learn to share the gospel through Chalk Art Ministry, today in classes like Worship Technology, they learn to share Christ using the latest software.

A lot can change in 75 years.

A mind full of God’s Word, a heart formed by God’s Word— these are the most important preparations for ministry.

“Teaching the Word of Christ in the Spirit of Christ”

We all need something we can count on, a truth upon which we can depend, a 'still point in a turning world.'

Finding Middle C

But some things never change.

When Lloyd Douglas, bestselling author of The Robe, was a university student, he lived in a boarding house. On the floor below him lived an elderly, retired music teacher, now infirm and unable to leave the apartment, but every morning the two men had a ritual. Douglas would come down the steps, open the old man’s door and ask, “Well, what’s the good news?”

The old man would pick up his tuning fork, tap it on the side of his wheelchair and say, “That’s middle C! It was middle C yesterday, it will be middle C tomorrow, it will be middle C a thousand years from now. The tenor upstairs sings flat, the piano across the hall is out of tune, but that, my friend, is middle C!” We all need something we can count on, a truth upon which we can depend, a “still point in a turning world” (T.S. Eliot). For Christians, the one unchanging reality—the absolute in which there is no shadow of turning—is Jesus Christ. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8).

For Ozark Christian College, there are also a few other things that, by God’s grace, will always remain the same. In honor of our 75th anniversary, here are seven things at OCC that will never change:

Our curriculum is divided into general education, professional education and biblical education. People often give me suggestions on classes we should require—usually in the areas of general education (Accounting 101) or professional education (How to Organize a Sports Ministry). Though many are good ideas, if we included every suggestion, our students would need eight years to graduate instead of four!

So which classes should make it on the required list? Our Bible college accrediting agency mandates 30 hours of required Bible classes. But at Ozark, we require 50 Bible hours—mostly straight-up exegetical classes like Acts, Romans, 1-2 Timothy and Titus. We are out of the norm, even among Bible colleges. Should we cut a Bible class or two for something more “practical”?

While we want our students to take general and professional classes, we want the most generous helping on their educational plate to be biblical classes, and we will guard those curriculum hours like a cherubim with a flaming sword. One of Ozark’s longtime mottoes is “teaching the Word of Christ in the Spirit of Christ” because a mind full of God’s Word, a heart formed

by God’s Word—these are the most important preparations for ministry (2 Tim 3:16-17).

May that never change.

“Training Men and Women for Christian Service”

Founded in 1636, Harvard University’s original purpose was to train pastors. But over the decades, the university drifted from its mission, and in 1701, a group of New England ministers started a new ministerial training college called Yale University.

Founded in 1938, Christian Children’s Fund’s original purpose was to share food, education and the gospel with orphans worldwide. After inventing the concept of child sponsorship, the ministry grew to one of the nation’s 100 largest charities. But over time, they lost their Christian identity, and in 2009, they changed their name to ChildFund International.

Founded in 1942, Ozark Christian College’s mission was to train men and women for Christian service. Over the years, we have certainly faced challenging seasons—a financial crisis or a personnel crisis or an enrollment crisis. But we have never had an identity crisis. We know who we are. We are called by God to be a Bible college, and we have not wavered. After 75 years, we are still focused on one mission: training men and women for Christian service.

May that never change.

“Go and Make Disciples of All Nations”

When Ozark moved to Joplin’s North Main Street in 1963, the first building erected on campus was named the Missions Building. (It’s still our main classroom building.) That was not by accident. The leadership was making a statement: Jesus’ last command would be our first priority. In Matthew 28, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and Ozark would emphasize a heart for global evangelism.

So before the first shovelful of dirt was turned, President Don Earl Boatman, Academic Dean Seth Wilson and Missions Professor Woody Phillips knelt on that patch of ground and prayed, “Lord, the harvest is still plentiful, and the workers are still few. Use this college to send out laborers into your harvest field.” Their prayer has been answered. Over the past 75 years, Ozark alumni have carried the good news of Christ to all 50 states and over 100 countries, and our commitment to God’s global mission remains as strong as ever.

May that never change.

TO INSPIRE

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PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Though you may not know all the names of our faculty today, folks like Michael DeFazio, Chris DeWelt, Shane Wood, Teresa Welch, Mark Scott, Jessica Scheuermann, Jon Kehrer and Isaac Schade are carrying on Seth Wilson’s legacy of biblical scholarship, service and spiritual fervor. For 75 years, in each generation, God has faithfully brought together a gifted, godly team here to train kingdom leaders.

May that never change.

“An Atmosphere of Grace, Trust and Freedom”

“Not to Be Served, But to Serve”

Ozark’s third president, Don Earl Boatman, was wonderfully down-to-earth. One day Gale Butler, wife of Professor P.T. Butler, called the college: her husband was traveling, their pipes had sprung a leak, and she needed the name of a plumber. Shortly President Boatman himself appeared at her front door—white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, tie thrown back over his shoulder, pipe wrench in hand—and proceeded to fix the leak. He took the motto on the college seal seriously: “Not to be served, but to serve.”

That’s the kind of leader I want to be. (Though when it comes to plumbing, I’ve got the will, but not the skill.) At Ozark, we still want to train servant leaders—men and women who follow the example of a Christ who washed his disciples’ feet ( John 13). We want to send them into the world with a Bible in one hand and a basin and towel in the other.

May that never change.

“Not a One-Man School”

As a student, I was in awe of Ozark’s founding academic dean, Seth Wilson. His knowledge of Scripture was legendary, but when the college bought its first property in Bentonville, Seth also knew how to sand and refinish the floors, paper the walls, and roof the buildings. In addition to professor and academic dean, Seth Wilson also served—at varying times—as librarian, typesetter, custodian, public relations field-man, bookstore manager, mechanic and magazine editor. The man could dissect a Greek text, quote vast portions of the Bible, overhaul a car engine and direct the college choir—a true Renaissance man. Leonardo da Vinci, meet Seth Wilson.

In Ozark’s early days, he did it all by necessity, but Seth was wise and humble enough to know they needed to build a team.

“I told the trustees I wasn’t interested in a one-man school,” remembered Seth. “If you have one man training preachers, they too often take on the limitations of that one man.” So over the years, Ozark students have been shaped by many faithful men and women—folks like Don DeWelt, Wilbur Fields, Tasci King, Harvey Bacus, Jackina Stark, Kenny Boles and Lynn Gardner.

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This phrase—one of Ozark’s seven long-held core values—not only adorns a wall in the Casteel Administration Building; it permeates the entire campus environment. Ozark isn’t a perfect place, but it’s a healthy place because grace has been the air we breathe. We accept and love one another, and the leadership has operated with high trust in Ozark’s people. “The more rules you make, the less cooperation you get,” said Seth Wilson, and that atmosphere has encouraged initiative and inspired creativity.

An old proverb says, “Methods are many, principles are few.

Methods always change, principles never do.” Over the years, while the college has held firmly to its principles, we’ve never been afraid to try new methods. When Professor Don DeWelt had the idea to start College Press Publishing, the Ozark leadership said yes. When Professor Bob Stacy wanted to start Christ In Youth (CIY), the Ozark leadership said yes. When Meredith Williams wanted to begin a group eventually called Impact Brass & Singers, the leadership said yes.

We continue to try fresh things, like OCC’s NextLevel video resources and our new Creative Arts Academy. This campus culture of trust and freedom has helped produce generations of kingdom pioneers—spiritual entrepreneurs who have launched ministries like Good News Productions, International and Rapha House, who have planted thriving churches and who have blazed new missionary trails around the globe.

May that never change.

“A Jesus School”

When President Ken Idleman planned the Casteel Administration Building, he made sure visitors were greeted immediately in the lobby by a large mural of Jesus welcoming workers into the harvest fields (Matt 9:37-38). Current Academic Dean Doug Aldridge likes to say that Ozark is “a Jesus school,” and he’s right. Christ is at the center of all we do.

He’s at the center of our calendar, as we gather each week in chapel to worship him. He’s at the center of our curriculum, as each student studies his Word—especially his life in the Gospels.

He’s even at the center of our campus. On the front porch of the Seth Wilson Library stands an eight-foot-tall statue of Jesus.

Students call him “Scary Jesus.” (If you’re leaving the library at night and suddenly glimpse a towering figure in the shadows, you

might call him Scary Jesus, too.) The actual title of the statue is Christ Teaching, and on the wall behind the image are the words of Christ, “Come...learn from me” (Matt 11:28-29).

It’s a powerful reminder: Jesus is the one we seek in every decision, the one we study in every class, the one we follow every day. He is the author of Ozark’s story, and for 75 years, he has kept us focused and kept us faithful.

Seth Wilson used to say, “Who we teach you to love is more important than what we teach you to know,” and more than anything else, we want our students to love Christ. We are a Jesus school.

May that never change.

Jesus is the one we seek in every decision, the one we study in every class, the one we follow every day.

He is the author of Ozark’s story, and for 75 years, he has kept us focused and kept us faithful.

TO INSPIRE

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Since Ozark began in 1942, several things have changed, including our college logos. But one thing has remained the same for 75 years: our mission of training men and women for Christian service.

1940s

1970s

1980s

1990s

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2000s

2017

NEW TESTAMENT WORDS

NEW TESTAMENT WORDS

FAITHFUL Kenny Boles

In the epic battle to conquer the city of Troy, the names of great heroes are still remembered: men like Achilles, Ajax, and Hector. Less known, but just as important, were the faithful comrades who fought side by side with them.

These fellow soldiers were called pistos (pih STOSS).

In classical Greek, the word pistos meant things like trustworthy, reliable, faithful. Homer used it to mean one thing more: loyal to the point of death.

Men like Patroclus (with Achilles), Lycrophron (with Ajax), and Podes (with Hector) were earlier called friend, companion, brave soldier, etc. But it was only after they had died in battle that they were called “pistos comrade.”

In addition to the overtone of death, the word pistos had another important element. Pistos always meant personal loyalty. That is, it was loyalty to a person, not just to a cause. Thus, for Homer, pistos could be defined as “complete personal loyalty, even to the point of death.”

Now, we will look at three passages in the New Testament that are illuminated by this word’s background. The first is 1 Corinthians 4:2. A person who serves God, a steward in whom God has put his trust, must be found pistos. He does not have to be successful, just faithful.

He is loyal to God beyond question.

The second verse to consider is from a parable Jesus told about himself in Matthew 25:23. A master gave talents to his servants and then came back for an accounting. To some he said, “Well done, good and pistos servant! Enter into the joy of your master.” But to another he said, “Depart from me.” It was not merely that the bad servant had failed to make a profit. It was that he was disloyal to his master—calling him a hard, dishonest man who reaped where he had not sown.

The final text to consider is Revelation 2:10. The church in Smyrna was told, “Be pistos to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” So what does it mean to be “faithful”? It means to be totally loyal to God, serving even to the point of death, knowing that we will enter his joy in heaven.

Kenny Boles taught Greek and New Testament at OCC for more than 40 years.

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FEATURED THEME

HARD TO EXPLAIN: HOW OCC PERPETUATES A VISION Dr. Mark Scott Dr. Mark Scott serves as OCC’s director of preaching and professor of New Testament.

Bob Scott offered the closing prayer at the Preaching-Teaching Convention in February.

It would be hard to explain the Scott family without the influence of Ozark Christian College. More significant than their Scot-Irish and English heritage is the OCC legacy passed down through the generations.

Bob and Cecil Scott—Dad and Mom, to me—met in San Antonio, Texas, in 1945.

Dad was attending Restoration Bible College, a very small struggling school that eventually folded. They married on June 27, 1946, and immediately moved to Humboldt, Kansas, where Dad began preaching at the Christian church there.

This allowed Dad to travel back and forth to Ozark and graduate in 1950. Over the years and in various places, five sons were born: Dan, Mark, Phil, Tom and Tim.

“There was always Ozark.”

The vocational ministry was not a job to Dad. It was the family’s life. We did church, and everything about it—VBS, camp, revivals, you name it. But alongside the ins and outs of the local church, there was always Ozark. Mom and Dad made sure that the five Scott boys were on campus—a lot. If there was an activity on campus for our age group, we were there (Ambassadors Rally, Deeper Life, concerts,

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etc.). Mom and Dad hardly ever let the five boys out of school. In fact, you had to be practically on your deathbed to be absent. But they’d allow us to miss school each year for the Preaching-Teaching Convention. That was an acceptable excuse.

In addition to going to campus for events, Mom and Dad also brought Ozark to us. OCC professors and students were regularly in our home and around our table. Churches that Mom and Dad served hosted Bob Stacy and his high school assembly teams (predecessor to CIY), Bill Baker and his Defenders, Chapel and Concert Choirs, and Impact Brass & Singers. Mom fed them all. At the time, we five boys were brain dead to our parents’ strategy, but now it seems clear: they intended to cram Ozark down our precious little throats. But they were never harsh with it. I don’t remember them ever telling us that we had to attend a Bible college or that we had to go into the vocational ministry. More than once they expressed their desire for all of us to have at least one year of Bible college, but even that was not required to stay in their will. Their method was more subtle and infectious.

“This man must be a giant.”

We grew up hearing Seth Wilson quoted—at the dinner table and in sermons. I thought this man must be a giant. When I finally had him for class, I realized that he was. Dad always spoke with such admiration for President F.W. Strong and his other professors. By the time we were all old enough to have a conscious thought, the college had relocated to 1111 N. Main in Joplin. New professors had come, and Mom and Dad embraced them all. Names like Boatman, Phillips, DeWelt, Stacy and Fields now began to be referenced along with Brother Wilson. We ended up in camps with these professors, and I finally realized those encounters were not accidental. Mom and Dad so loved Ozark that they wanted us to love it, too.

Mom and Dad so loved Ozark that they wanted us to love it, too.

Starting with Bob’s graduation from Ozark in 1950, every decade since has seen a Scott attend and/or graduate.

Dan started at OCC in 1967. Mark, Phil, and Tom all started in the 1970s. Tim came along in the 1980s.

Not only did all five boys attend OCC, so did their wives. Dan knew Debbie before she came to Ozark, but their relationship grew while both were students. (Dan had been at OCC, left for a stint in the Air Force and then returned.) Mark knew Carla before they both attended Ozark in 1971. Truth be told, Carla was even more enamored by Ozark than Mark. Her preacher during her junior high days was Ron Carter, an OCC student at the time. She invited Ozark students (guests of Ron’s) home regularly for Sunday dinner. Her sweet mother, Cynthia, found ways to stretch the dairy farm budget and feed many OCC students. Phil met June at Ozark. In fact, their relationship got up and running as the result of attending a mutual friend’s wedding. Tom knew Brenda from Iowa. But it was on the OCC campus where their friendship turned into courtship. He was the only brother who lived on campus in the trailer court after getting married.

Tim met Julie at Ozark, too, and their common interests in music and ministry launched them into a career of campus and local church ministry.

The Next Generation

Before long, in the 1990s, the next generation of Scotts—beginning with Mark’s kids—began making their way to OCC. And a great-granddaughter could be on campus as early as 2019!

All in all, to date thirty-four Scotts and spouses have walked the halls of Ozark Christian College.

Not only did these Scotts attend classes, but several of them also worked for the college in various positions while students, as well.

Three are currently employed: Mark as professor, Tim as the official piano tuner for the music department and Matthew McBirth (Mark’s sonin-law and Allie’s husband) as the Director of Diversity.

We’re so very grateful for the influence that Ozark has had on our family. It has prepared us for ministries across several states and on the mission field, from preaching ministry to music ministry to children’s ministry to mission ministry to teaching ministry to hospice ministry. But this story is about more than dates, places, names and numbers. Other OCC families, such as Weeces and Greers, have longer legacies.

It’s About a Vision

The story of Ozark and the Scott family is about perpetuating a vision.

First and foremost, it’s about a vision of the glory of God. Our story is a blip on the radar screen (Psalm 115:1). God’s story of getting the world back is what brings him glory (Rom 11:33-36; Rev 7:9-12). It’s a vision about teaching the word of Christ in the Spirit of Christ (2 Tim 3:16-4:2). It’s a vision of servanthood and giving it all up for the cause (Mark 10:45; 2 Cor 12:15; Phil 3:17). It’s a vision of evangelism and bringing lost people to Christ (2 Cor 5:11-21). It’s a vision about the church and what she is supposed to be (Eph 3:10). It’s a vision of preparing a people for that prepared home ( John 14:2; Rev 22:1-4).

And it’s a vision of incarnation and sacrifice ( John 1:14-18; Rom 3:2126).

OCC has no school song. Or does it? Three songs, for years sung at the end of the Preaching-Teaching Convention, laid claim to our family and underscored the vision: “Jesus Is All the World to Me” highlighted the Christ-centeredness of our personal faith in him (followed by “Wonderful and Marvelous Is Jesus to Me”).

“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” highlighted the message that had saving power, and “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” was all about the mission of God in the world. Many other families deserve this space.

But for this family, it would be hard to explain the Scotts without Ozark Christian College.

TO INSPIRE

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JUST ONE: JAYSON FRENCH

GOD’S MEGAPHONE: HOW ONE OZARK GRAD IS AMPLIFYING CHRIST’S CALL Matt Proctor

Steve Eynon wasn’t planning on being a minister. The Florida high schooler’s achievements—varsity football starter, honor choir, student council, National Honor Society—opened lots of vocational opportunities. “I always saw myself as a businessman,” says Steve.

Until he heard from God through the voice of Jayson French.

As a preacher, Jayson is...intense.

Straightforward and forceful, he’s more like John the Baptist, less like Joel Osteen, and the message Steve Eynon heard Jayson preach was direct and lifechanging.

Speaking at a Christ In Youth conference, Jayson (OCC ’91) brought a large wooden box on stage, and at first he ignored the box. But halfway through the message, Jayson shocked the audience.

He announced that the wooden box was a coffin—his coffin—which he was placing in his house as a new coffee table. Though only in his 30s, Jayson wanted a bold reminder to never waste a moment of his life on worthless endeavors.

Don’t waste your life. That message hit Steve Eynon hard. He knew God had given him abilities he could use in fulltime Christian service, and that night, Steve answered God’s call. He eventually enrolled at Ozark, and now serves at Christ’s Church of the Valley in the Phoenix area.

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Little Country Church, Big Life Change

“Amplifying Christ’s Call to Be Kingdom Workers”—that’s the motto of Christ In Youth (CIY), and it could be Jayson French’s personal motto as well.

He wouldn’t label himself this, but Jayson has often served as “God’s megaphone,” sounding forth God’s summons to a lifetime of service.

“I feel like I’m uniquely gifted to call people into ministry,” says Jayson. “I remember my church history professor telling a story of a preacher many years ago. When he came to town, mothers would hide their children. Fathers would lock their doors, because when this preacher sounded the call, the young people couldn’t help but answer. I’ve always felt like that’s my ministry.”

That’s ironic, because growing up, Jayson never actually saw himself in ministry.

“I didn’t grow up in a Christian home,” he remembers. “My mom and stepdad partied. There was lots of alcohol and drug use in our home.”

When a second grade classmate invited him to a sleepover, Jayson tagged along with the classmate’s family to church the next morning. “I had never been. We did lame crafts, ate bad snacks, and then a man got on stage and talked too long.” But Jayson was intrigued and wanted to keep going. Eventually his whole family ended up tagging along with him to church.

Today, Christ’s Church of Oronogo is a megachurch with over 2,000 worshippers each Sunday. “Back then, it was just a little bitty country church,” says Jayson, “but that church came alongside my family.”

God used his people to love Jayson’s family into the kingdom.

“My mom and I were baptized on the same day. [OCC professor] Wilbur Fields was actually the one who baptized my dad. When we got home, my dad put all his alcohol in a wheelbarrow, carted it to the back of our property and busted every bottle.”

God was at work, and their lives would never be the same.

Bible College on a Bribe, Ministry on a Dare “I got very involved at church,” remembers Jayson. “But I still wasn’t thinking ministry. In high school, I went to nationals in speech and debate, and I wanted to be an attorney.”

But Jayson’s dad said, “If you go to one year of Bible college, I’ll buy you a car.”

Jayson weighed his options, decided the car was worth it, and enrolled at Ozark Christian College. “I spent my freshman year having a good time, sometimes being an idiot. I was just putting in my year to get my car, then I would be off to law school.”

But most of all, the future New Testament professor learned from Jayson a love for God’s Word. “Jayson loved the Bible. He challenged me to memorize Scripture. He taught through Bible books in youth group, week in and week out, and he really believed that, if you read it and live it, this book has the power to change your life.”

Again, Jayson was the voice God used to call someone into vocational ministry.

“I did a student ministry internship with Jayson after my junior year in high school,” says Michael. “And later, when I walked down the aisle to answer God’s call to ministry, Jayson was the one preaching.

When I got to the front, he met me there and said, ‘I’ve been waiting for this a long time.’”

“It’s a Rocket Ship Ride” God, however, had other plans. During an Ozark chapel service, the elders from First Christian Church in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, announced they would be conducting interviews for a summer youth minister. Jayson, seated as always in the chapel balcony, paid little attention until one of his buddies said, “Hey, Jayson, you gonna try out for that church?”

“No, I’m going to be an attorney.”

“What’s the matter? Afraid you wouldn’t get the job?”

At this point, young male bravado kicked in: “Oh, if I wanted it, I would get the job.”

“Prove it. I dare you to interview.”

“Alright. Let’s both do it, and we’ll see who gets it.”

Jayson met with the elders from Sapulpa, and during the interview, one asked, “Young man, if we offered you this job, would you take it?”

“I had to seal the deal,” says Jayson. “So I said yes, I would take the job. They offered it, and then I was duty-bound to accept it.”

So Jayson took his first ministry on a dare, and God had more in store. “I ended up taking the youth group to a CIY conference, and listening to Robin Sigars (OCC ’77) preach. I heard God calling me into ministry. I felt if I did anything else, I would be disobedient.”

“I’ve Been Waiting for This a Long Time”

While at OCC, Jayson met his wife Janice, and after graduation they served in youth ministries in Fullerton, California; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Amarillo, Texas.

“My education at Ozark really prepared me for those ministries. It was so formative, and I am deeply grateful,” says Jayson. “I can draw a direct line from specific classes I took to specific aspects of my ministry down through the years.”

Current OCC professor Michael DeFazio was a teenager at East Tulsa Christian Church, a child of divorce, when Jayson started his ministry there.

“He was my youth minister for most of junior high and high school,” says Michael, “and Jayson is easily in the top three most influential people in my formative years.

He showed me what a strong, God-loving man looked like when I didn’t have that in my life.”

Michael still carries with him lessons he learned from Jayson. “He drilled into us the importance of integrity. I can still hear him, ‘If a man ain’t got his word, he ain’t got nothing.’ I also remember he often called Janice ‘my bride.’ You never heard him speak ill of his wife.”

Jayson has certainly been “God’s megaphone” for a long time. After more than a decade in local church ministry, he moved in 2002 to Joplin to work with Christ In Youth. Started in 1968 by Ozark professor Bob Stacy, Christ In Youth has grown into an international youth ministry, creating events where young people can encounter the gospel in a culturally relevant way.

Jayson serves as CIY’s vice president of programming. They now hold more than 100 events for students each year, and last year alone, 2,600 students made first-time decisions to follow Christ, while 25,000 students made some kind of commitment to kingdom work.

“Jesus has really given us growth,” says Jayson. “Just during my years at CIY, we’ve gone from reaching 35,000 students each summer to 80,000 students. We’ve expanded globally, with events in a dozen different countries. We’re opening our first international office in Ireland, with plans for more in India and Latin America.

“It’s exhausting and invigorating all at the same time,” says Jayson. “It’s a rocket ship ride, and we’re just trying to hold on.”

When asked about what excites him most in ministry now, Jayson doesn’t hesitate, “Watching the number of students accept the call. When I see them pursuing kingdom work with their lives— that’s my greatest joy.”

TO INSPIRE

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CAMPUS NEWS

OCC Granted Candidate for Accreditation Status In November, OCC was granted Candidate for Accreditation status with the Higher Learning Commission. This adds to our national accreditation with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), which we’ve held since 1988.

Ozark began the process of seeking candidacy status with the HLC in 2012. In 2014, we were notified that we’d met all the eligibility requirements and could prepare for an institution review and evaluation visit by HLC. An HLC evaluation team visited campus in April 2016. On November 3, 2016, the HLC Board voted to grant the college status of Candidate for Accreditation.

“Accreditation is a means of assuring the public that an institution meets accepted standards of quality and integrity,” says Vice President of Institutional Research and

Effectiveness Dr. Teresa Welch. “Ozark’s mission and curriculum have not changed. We continue to train men and women for Christian service as a single-purpose Bible college.”

The Higher Learning Commission accredits degree-granting, post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region of the United States. While national accreditation provided by ABHE focuses on the accreditation of Bible colleges and the Bible programs of Christian universities, regional accreditation with HLC validates the quality of an institution as a whole and evaluates the institution compared to other schools within that particular region of the U.S. occ.edu/accreditation.

Read our Accreditation Frequently Asked Questions at occ.edu/accreditationfaqs.

For more information, contact Dr. Welch at welch.teresa@occ.edu.

Honor Grads Announced

Ozark’s graduating class of 2017 will be one of the largest classes in recent history, with an anticipated 157 graduates.

We’re excited to send so many workers into the harvest field. We’re also excited to announce this year’s honored graduates: Luke Proctor, co-valedictorian and class orator; Kendall Martin, co-valedictorian; and Jesse Furst, salutatorian.

Baccalaureate and Commencement services will be held May 12-13 in the OCC Multi-Purpose Building.

Chris White Joins Faculty

Beginning next fall, Chris White, who currently serves as Director of Online Course Development, will expand his role to include teaching on-campus students, as well. Chris will teach Strategies for Teaching each semester, as well as continue his current duties in online course development and administrating our learning management system.

Chris has a Master of Religious Education from Lincoln Christian University and ministry experience with Rossville Church of Christ in Rossville, Illinois, and Jasper Christian Church in Jasper, Missouri.

Alex Goff Named Next Gen Finalist

Congratulations to OCC senior Alex Goff, who was recently named as a finalist for this year’s Next Gen Preacher Search. In this joint effort between Pepperdine University’s Youth Leadership Initiative and the North American Christian Convention, young people with an interest in teaching and preaching submit five-minute videos for review and critique by Pepperdine University’s Jeff Walling and a panel of preachers. After a nationwide search, Alex was selected as one of four finalists who will present their lessons to over 25,000 Christians at gatherings across the country, including the North American Christian Convention and the Pepperdine Bible Lectures.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Staff and Faculty Closures

Several longtime members of the Ozark family are concluding their service with the college. Gary Wheat retired in January after 30 years in Ozark’s Technology Department. Howell Henderson retired after serving in the Physical Plant Department since 1999. Janice Wallis will retire after 20 years as OCC's morning receptionist, and Mark and Mindy Sloneker will conclude their combined 40 years in the Seth Wilson Library this spring. Dru Ashwell, Alumni Relations director and Speech professor for more than two decades, recently accepted the lead minister position at First Christian Church in Lamar, Missouri. Peter Buckland will join the staff of Christ’s Church of Oronogo, Missouri, also after more than 20 years at OCC. English and physical education professor Jay Engelbrecht has taken a teaching position at a community college in Jacksonville, Florida, after teaching at Ozark for 13 years. And Dr. Larry Pechawer, Old Testament and Hebrew professor for 18 years, recently concluded his full-time service with Ozark. We’re so grateful to each of these servants for their many years of faithfulness to the kingdom and to the college!

GARY WHEAT

HOWELL HENDERSON

JANIS WALLIS

MARK SLONEKER

MINDY SLONEKER

DRU ASHWELL

PETER BUCKLAND

JAY ENGELBRECHT

DR. LARRY PECHAWER

Welcome, Admission Counselors

We’re excited to welcome two new members to the OCC team.

Jesse Furst and Marcus Schaeffer will serve as full-time admission counselors. In this role, Jesse and Marcus will travel, recruit and build relationships with prospective students. While Jesse and Marcus are new to this role, they aren’t new to Ozark. Both will graduate from OCC this May, and both have worked in on-campus jobs as students.

Interested in visiting campus or learning more about OCC? Contact our admissions team at admissions@occ.edu or occ.edu/requestinfo.

TO INFORM

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“A JESUS PEOPLE” at OCC

Record crowds joined us for the PreachingTeaching Convention in February. Jon Weece, Kyle Idleman and others preached powerful main session messages, and we were led in worship by Brian Sites and Matt Bayless. We shared together at our class reunions and at a special dedication of the Idleman Ministry Center, named in honor of Ken and Kaylene Idleman, who kept Ozark a ministry-focused school during Ken's 27 years as president.

The convention concluded with a special 75th anniversary celebration for OCC. Share your “Happy Birthday, Ozark!” message with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at #ozark75.

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OCC CREATIVE ARTS ACADEMY

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Now accepting applications! occ.edu/caa A JESUS SCHOOL BY MATT PROCTOR

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Choose from four creative arts tracks: • Musical: vocal, instrumental and worship leading • Technical: audio production, electronic music, stage design and lighting • Visual: photography, filmmaking, graphic design, illustration and animation • Performing: theater, dance and writing

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JUNE 11-16, 2017 Training high school students for leadership in the creative arts

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IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

George Bailey (senior Garrett Holle) squared off against Mr. Potter (professor Dr. Tom Lawson) in our Christmas production, It’s a Wonderful Life: The Musical. The show, a partnership between Ozark, Joplin’s Stained Glass Theatre, and College Heights Christian Church, welcomed thousands of guests to our campus.

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IN LOVING MEMORY: Funerals, Forerunners and Finishing Well

Matt Proctor

In the last four months, I’ve gone to six funerals.

Each was a longtime member of the Ozark Christian College family, so it’s been a hard season for us at OCC. While we rejoice in their resurrection hope ( John 11:25), we grieve the earthly absence of our friends ( John 11:35).

But funerals for the faithful can be good for my soul. Each of these six “finished the race” well, and at each forerunner’s funerals, I was inspired to take the baton and carry on. Here’s how each challenged me:

Embrace the Ministry of Reconciliation

On November 1, 2016, we lost Dr. William Abernathy, Ozark’s librarian for fifteen years. Tall with distinguished white hair and a Tidewater accent, Dr. Abernathy was a true Southern gentleman. Bill was an outstanding leader—modernizing Ozark’s library, serving as president of the Association of Christian Librarians and volunteering as a consultant to theological libraries in Barbados, St. Vincent, Jamaica, Haiti, Palestine, Israel and Kenya. But I think his greatest campus contribution was his heart for racial reconciliation.

Bill grew up a mile from the site of Virginia’s last lynching, absorbing the prejudice of his neighbors. As a teenager in 1954, he published a letter in the Richmond paper decrying the Supreme Court’s decision to end “separate but equal” schools. So how did he eventually end up joining NAACP marches, serving in three black churches, starting OCC’s annual Racial Reconciliation Week, intentionally pastoring our minority students, and championing multiethnic ministry?

Quite simply, he caught God’s heart for the ministry of reconciliation (Eph 2:14-16). After studying the Scriptures, he turned conviction into action, and OCC began to catch the vision. (Google his Christianity Today article “The Emancipation of a White Preacher.”)

Lord, help me run my race like Bill.

Watch Over One Another in Love

On November 2, 2016, we lost Don Helms, Ozark’s security guard for seventeen years. “Deputy Don,” as he was affectionately known, was a behind-the-scenes servant. A former police officer, Don knew there were real bad guys in the world, and he took his protective role seriously. Someone said there are three kinds of people—sheep, wolves and sheepdogs—and Don saw Ozark’s students as his flock. He watched over our campus like a sheepdog to protect them from predators. Don would say, “I’m never going to be the guy to stand and preach, but maybe I can keep safe these guys who will.”

At some colleges, security guards are disrespected as “rent-a-cops.” But our students loved Don. Vice President of Student Life Monte Shoemake said, “I’ll never forget, at our first all-student campus meeting last semester, the roar of applause our students gave Don when he was introduced.” That’s because, as his father-in-law put it, “Don loved those kids.” Evangelist John Wesley used to urge believers to “watch over one another in love.” Don did that, and if he left behind one message, his family said it would be: “Take care of each other.”

Lord, help me run my race like Don.

Serve Others with Integrity

On January 10, 2017, we lost Herb Casteel, an OCC trustee for thirty-seven years. A WWII veteran, Herb practiced law in Carthage, Missouri, eventually serving as a trial judge. “Serving” describes Judge Casteel well.

Herb gave his time and wisdom to others as Carthage mayor, an elder and Sunday school teacher, an Ozark trustee and a board member at local companies like the Fortune 500 Leggett & Platt.

The word used most often of the Judge? Integrity. Attorneys praised his work on the bench: • “Years before computers, he had the law at his fingertips and almost never got reversed.”

• “A good judge who provided a level playing field, whether you were president of Leggett and Platt or a mill worker.”

• “A rare judge—if he got information that his initial decision was in error, his pride would not deter him from reversing a ruling.”

But the greatest testimony came from his two daughters. “He’s the most honorable man I know,” said Nancy Casteel Mouton. Jane Casteel Jennings added, “Studying the evidence of his life, there wasn’t a gap anywhere. He was truly a man of integrity.”

Lord, help me run my race like Herb.

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TO INFORM

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

2 Timothy 4:7

Keep Joy When Life Is Hard

On January 19, 2017, we lost Colleen Bennitt, who worked in Ozark’s development department for fortyfive years. Life was often hard for Colleen, a widow at age 25. She moved from Kansas with her four-yearold son to study at Ozark. Money was always tight, but as Colleen said, “God was faithful as father to the fatherless and defender of widows.” (Psalm 68:5) After graduation, she was hired to raise funds for the college. Mostly, Colleen “raised friends,” building relationships with thousands of people. “Mom never met a stranger,” said her son Michael, “engaging in conversation with everyone she met…at the grocery store, car wash, restaurant…always a smile and words of kindness.”

Smiles weren’t always easy. Colleen remarried, but this man eventually proved unfaithful and filed for divorce. Though devastated, Colleen never lost her faith…or her joy. “I would have despaired, but I believed Psalm 27:13, ‘I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’”

She did enjoy the life God gave her—cheering for the Jayhawks, flying planes, making friends—and Colleen could crack hilarious one-liners. A gifted pianist and energetic worship accompanist, I can still see Colleen playing, smiling, eyes sparkling, joyfully praising God. Lord, help me run my race like Colleen.

Stay Tender Beneath the Tough

On January 20, 2017, we lost Paul “P.T.” Butler, for thirty-six years a professor and registrar at Ozark. “Paul Butler scared me to death,” said Kenny Boles, as he described facing P.T.’s pitching as a high schooler in a church camp softball game.

As one of his students, Brother Butler scared me in the classroom. This no-nonsense, Navy man knew his stuff—he’d written sixteen Bible commentaries—and his class was all business. We were there to learn God’s Word, not fool around. He kept the grading bar high, cracked no jokes, and behind those black-rimmed glasses, Brother Butler certainly seemed gruff.

But as many of his 4,000 students learned: inside the bear was a teddy bear. Encouraging a struggling student, serving a colleague in need, working creatively as registrar to help a student graduate—all of these revealed a tender heart beneath the tough exterior. (Our nickname for Brother Butler was “the iron marshmallow”…hard on the outside, soft on the inside.) Fiercely faithful to Scripture, he was a “reed not swayed by the wind” (Matt 11:7), yet gentle with others, “a bruised reed he would not break” (Matt 12:20).

Lord, help me run my race like P.T.

Practice the Wisdom of a Well-Ordered Life

On February 23, 2017, we lost Jim Marcum, an Ozark administrator and professor for over forty years. Jim left a career in the oil business, moving his family to Joplin to study at Ozark, then moving into a professor role after graduation.

Paul wrote the words, “Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Cor 14:40), and Jim Marcum lived them. He was a born systematizer—a place for everything and everything in its place. (As one former student said, “He is now personally organizing heaven.”)

As a horseman, Jim took meticulous care of his animals, saddle and tack. As a teacher, he could break a subject down to its most basic parts and arrange them clearly. As an administrator, he implemented strategic organizational processes. As a longtime elder, Jim guided his church with clarity and insight.

But Jim’s home revealed best the wisdom of a well-ordered life. A loving husband, a respected father and grandfather—such testimonies are not the fruit of a careless, random life. In Psalm 119:133, the psalmist prayed, “Order my steps in your word,” and Jim’s life is the story of consistent, intentional choices to organize his life—each individual step, each small detail— according to God’s Word.

Lord, help me run my race like Jim. Six funerals. Six lives faithfully lived. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Heb 12:1).

TO INFORM

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COMING SOON May 12-13: Graduation Weekend

Join us on campus for this spring’s Baccalaureate and Commencement services!

On Friday, May 12, John Seitz will speak at the Baccalaureate service at 7:30 p.m.

Commencement is Saturday, May 13, at 10:00 a.m. Both services will be held in the Multi-Purpose Building.

June 5-9: Branson Conference

June-July: Sports Camps

Every summer, OCC Athletics hosts sports camps for kids ages 3rd-12th grade. Athletic Director Chris Lahm oversees all camp activities, and members of past and present Ambassador teams help Coach Lahm teach skills in athletics as well as foster spiritual growth. Space for camps is limited, so register now! occ.edu/sportscamps BASKETBALL Junior High Girls (Grades 6-8): June 11-14 ($165) Junior High Boys (Grades 6-8): June 18-21 ($165) High School Boys (Grades 9-12): June 25-29 ($195) Boys and Girls Day Camp (Grades 3-5): July 5-7 ($50) VOLLEYBALL Junior High Girls 1 (Grades 6-8): June 21-23 ($50) Junior High Girls 2 (Grades 6-8): July 5-7 ($50) Junior High Girls 3 (Grades 6-8): July 10-12 ($50) CROSS COUNTRY Middle School (Grades 5-8): July 15-17 High School (Grades 9-12): July 17-21

For 20 years, our Branson Conference has offered adults 55+ a chance to rest, relax and refresh. Held at the beautiful Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in Branson, Missouri, this year’s conference will feature Matt Proctor, Dr. Chris DeWelt, Gerald Griffin and Phil Mehrens and explore Revelation 22 with the theme, “Heaven: What We’re Made For.” occ.edu/branson

June 11-16: Creative Arts Academy

High school students, join us on campus for Creative Arts Academy!

Learn worship and creative arts from our staff and professional artists in four tracks: Musical Arts: vocal, instrumental, and worship leading Technical Arts: audio production, sound design, lighting and stage design Visual Arts: photography, filmmaking, graphic design, illustration, and animation Performing Arts: theater, dance, and writing Plus, guest speakers, field trips, evening worship, small groups, and more! occ.edu/caa

June 27-29: North American Christian Convention

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TO INFORM

Don’t miss the 2017 North American Christian Convention, “This Is for Everyone,” held this summer in Kansas City, Missouri. Under the leadership of NACC President Gene Appel, this year’s convention includes dynamic speakers, worship leaders, workshops, a full teen convention, children’s programming and a large exhibit hall. Visit Ozark at Booth #811, and join us for the OCC Alumni and Friends 75th Anniversary Reception in the Kansas City Convention Center Room 2501 D on Wednesday, June 28, at 9:00 p.m. occ.edu/nacc

Free video resources for you and your church

DR. MARK SCOTT PARABLES

MICHAEL DeFAZIO HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE

CHAD RAGSDALE APOLOGETICS

KENNY BOLES THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

COMING IN 2017-18 RANDY GARISS MARRIAGE SERIES AND LEADERSHIP SERIES DR. TERESA WELCH CHILDREN’S MINISTRY TRAINING KEVIN GREER STUDENT MINISTRY SERIES: IDENTITY DOUG WELCH THE WAY OF THE CROSS

SHANE J. WOOD, PH.D. REVELATION MICHAEL DeFAZIO ROMANS DR. CHRIS DeWELT THE GLOBAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH

DR. MARK SCOTT MIRACLES

Sponsored by JON KEHRER MESSIANIC PROPHECY

TO INFORM Download or view NextLevel resources at occ.edu/nextlevel.

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ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION

KANSAS CITY CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 2501 D

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, AT 9:00 PM

ppel

Gene RickAppel Atchley

Rick Atchley Mike Breaux

Mike BenBreaux Cachiaras

DeVage Vage Trevor Reggie Epps

Reggie Epps Charlotte Gambill Charlotte Gambill Derwin Gray

Higgs Higgs Liz Curtis Cam Huxford

Cam Huxford Ken Idleman

Greg Nettle

Greg JohnNettle Ortberg

KenTim Idleman Liston

John Jordan Ortberg Rice

BenRuby Cachiaras Clark

Ruby Kyle Clark Costello

Derwin Gray CraigKevin Groeschel Craig Groeschel Haah

Kyle Costello

Kevin Haah

Tim Liston Lomenick Brad Lomenick Brad Scot McKnight Scot McKnight

Jordan HaydnRice Shaw

Haydn DaveShaw Stone

Dave Stone

HEARD IN CHAPEL Every week, our college family is challenged by outstanding messages in our chapel services. Watch the messages at occ.edu/chapel or on Ozark’s YouTube channel. Here’s a taste of what we’ve heard recently.

“

What we believe should affect how we behave.

”

- Beth DeFazio, 01.24.17

SIT. WALK. STAND.: Walk | occ.edu/chapel

“

It's not, 'you'd better not sin!' it's, 'you don't have to sin, because you are a free person.'

”

- Mike Ackerman, 03.07.17

SACRAMENTS: Baptism | occ.edu/chapel

“

Nothing is so powerful as the message of salvation communicated through the life of a truly redeemed man. Oh God, send us such men. Oh God, make us such men.

”

- Dr. Terry Bowland, 03.14.17

SACRAMENTS: Preaching | occ.edu/chapel

TO INFORM

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YOUR MISSION IS OUT THERE.

TRAINING STARTS HERE.

At OCC, you’ll receive the training you need for the kingdom assignment God has for you.

Contact us today at admissions@occ.edu or 417.626.1234.

occ.edu

MEET YOUR OCC FAMILY Getting to know the people of Ozark Christian College

KIM BALENTINE:

STANDING IN THE GAP At OCC, 95% of our students receive some type of financial aid…which means that 95% of our students are encouraged and helped by Student Financial Services Director Kim Balentine.

Raised in Joplin and Carl Junction, Missouri, Kim worked for several years at Cable ONE before coming to Ozark in 1999.

Beginning as a loan counselor and transitioning to director in 2004, Kim has worked every job in OCC’s financial aid department over the past 17 years.

Whether at work, church or home, Kim loves to serve. At Ozark, she helps students and parents navigate the often confusing world of scholarships and federal aid, and she has a

knack for communicating the complex with clarity and grace.

At her church, Kim volunteers with two annual “Give Back” events, organizing school supplies, clothes and backpacks for kids each August and Christmas presents for families each December. And at home, Kim serves her whole family: husband Drew, daughter and son and their spouses, three granddaughters and four rescue animals.

“I have never been an out-in-front person and usually serve most in support roles,” Kim says. “It is such a blessing to be able to serve others. Standing in the gap for those who need help is what it’s all about!”

Hobbies for Kim include baking, reading, and collecting coffee cups and stray animals—dogs Ozzy, Sally and Roger, and cat, Ally.

Granddaughters Addyson, Aliya and Amelia love to bake and play with Kim.

Kim has been married to Drew for 25 years. Her daughter, Whitney, works in the OCC Business Office, and her son, Aaron, serves in the United States Navy.

TO CONNECT

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YOUR PARTNERSHIP

YOU UNDERSTAND MONEY...

David Duncan David Duncan serves as OCC’s Planned Giving Specialist.

You understand money—we all do.

Perhaps that’s why Jesus used it to teach so many life lessons.

For example, Jesus once used money to help a man comprehend forgiveness and grace. You can read the whole story in Luke 7:36-50, but the crux is that if you are forgiven a great big debt, you’ll likely appreciate (and love) the forgiver more than someone who has been forgiven of just a little debt.

While we understand money, there are some aspects of managing it that are more complicated than others. The use of wills and trusts would be an example. You

might want to check out our free Guide to Planning Your Estate and Confidential Estate Inventory booklets. You can download them at occ.edu/legacy.

The Guide will introduce you to the subject matter and the Inventory will help you gather all the necessary data you will need to have an excellent plan created from your Christian worldview.

Of course, we’re also available to talk it over—without cost or obligation—if that would help. Feel free to give us a call in the OCC Development Office at 417.626.1218, or email duncan.david@occ.edu if we can be of service.

TRIBUTE GIFTS SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 - FEBRUARY 10, 2017 Memorial Gifts:

Dr. William (Bill) Abernathy

Mrs. Sandra Abernathy, Donna Anderson, Association of Christian Librarians (Cedarville, OH), Dr. & Mrs. Garland Bare, M/M Darrell Bowers, College Heights CC (Joplin), Mrs. Lois J. Evans, Mrs. Rose E. Gaither, M/M Thomas S. Gilman, Sr., M/M Tony Gilman, M/M Roger Gladden, Mrs. Penny Graves, M/M David Harris, Mr. Richard W. Kelley, M/M Robert E. Kelley, M/M Fritz T. Koopmann, M/M James R. Marcum, M/M David R. McMillin, M/M John Michael, M/M Douglas D. Miller, M/M William K. Orbin, Mr. Michael Pittman, Kathryn Rameriza, M/M Gordon W. Sechrist, Mrs. Linda Short, Dr. & Mrs. Jeff Snell, Jean B. Sweet, M/M David C. Warden, Mrs. Lenora Wiley

Thomas Aylott

Mrs. Pat Aylott Colleen Bennitt Mrs. Pat Aylott, College Heights CC (Joplin), M/M Douglas D. Miller, M/M Harold E. Monical, M/M James Taylor, Dr. & Mrs. Woody Wilkinson John & Margaret Boatman M/M Kenny Boles Paul & Betty Boles M/M Kenny Boles Dr. Paul T. Butler Mrs. Pat Aylott, Dr. & Mrs. Orville Brill, M/M Larry Catron, College Heights CC (Joplin), N. Sue Ferguson, M/M Charles Gash, M/M Thomas G. Hempen, M/M Douglas D. Miller, Miss Paula S. Richardson, M/M James Taylor, M/M Willard Wallis, Dr. & Mrs. Woody Wilkinson Clarence & Etta Cain Allen Cain, Lucille Vest and Lynn Cain Winston Carter M/M Ronald W. Carter

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TO CONNECT

Herbert Casteel

Anytime Personnel Inc. (Joplin), Dr. & Mrs. Lance G. Beshore, BKD Wealth Advisors, LLC, Dr. & Mrs. Orville Brill, College Heights CC (Joplin), Drs. Donald & Karen Herzog, M/M Steve Jennings, M/M Ronald Jones, M/M Douglas D. Miller, Miss Paula S. Richardson, M/M Gary Sheets, M/M Richard M. Webster, Jr., M/M Clifford Wert, Dr. & Mrs. Woody Wilkinson, M/M Randy Wilson, M/M Forrest Young Dean Cloud Dr. & Mrs. Paul T. Butler Melba Cousins M/M Fritz T. Koopmann Russel & Mary Crisler Mary Lou Harden Don DeWelt M/M Bradley Neal Carlos & Nelda Elmore M/M Richard H. Steckler Ronnie Fagras Mr. Gordon Fagras, Mr. Paul Fagras, Mr. Mike Fagras Louise Fields Dr. & Mrs. Woody Wilkinson Clarris Freis M/M David Freis Gregory Gardiner Mrs. Nancy H. Gardiner Wayne Gardiner Mrs. Nancy H. Gardiner John Gilmore M/M Michael Lee Charles Greer M/M Richard M. Haden Opal Johannes Dr. & Mrs. Paul T. Butler Patrick Johnson Mrs. Donna D. Glasgow, M/M Gary W. Gregory, Mrs. Maxine Keely

Harold Keely Mrs. Maxine Keely Roberta Kenoyer M/M Stephen R. Asbell Judy Lanham Mr. David Mark Lanham Shirley Lyttle Mrs. Karen M. Turner Pauline McIntosh M/M Marvin Schiavone Connie Mieir Mr. William Mieir, Sr. Rufus Mitchell M/M Duane Ecker, Mary Langton, M/M R.A. Moss Larry Morecraft Dr. Patrick H. Johnson Adam Ransom M/M James Ransom Edna Raybould M/M John A. Taylor Gary Reed Dr. & Mrs. Paul T. Butler George Roane Dr. & Mrs. Woody Wilkinson Tom Ross Mrs. Connie Ross Vance Schipper Mrs. June Schipper

Honor Gifts:

Jim & Becky Bilbro Anonymous Aaron & Lindsay Brockett Dr. & Mrs. Donald A. Twist Herbert Casteel M/M Jordan B. Casteel Guy Chase M/M Larry D. Roseen Chad Edwards family M/M Donald L. Hampton Wilbur Fields M/M Marvin J. Tunnell

Ruth Rader-Schumacher M/M Darwin J. Rader William (Bill) Temple Mr. Richard L. Temple Joy Vernon Mr. Bill D. Vernon Henry & Delores Ward Laurel Kublick, Thelma Truex Don Weece Linda L. Burke, M/M Jerry Burns, M/M Jack K. Cooper, M/M D. Burton Davis, M/M Kelly Dowling, M/M Rodney Faulds, M/M Russell E. Fischer, M/M Leonard A. Fowler, J&M Rental, Deborah Longton, M/M W. Wiley McFarland, M/M Craig Mock, Schneweis Business Services, M/M Roger Seacat, M/M Larry B. Sommer, M/M Randy Weece, M/M Donald F. Wegener, M/M David Wetmore, Dr. & Mrs. Woody Wilkinson, Cyl Wood Don & Jean Weece M/M Gene Weece Ray Wheeler Gilbert CC (Harrison, AR) Charles & Dorothy Wittenborn M/M David Wittenborn Bill Worthington Dr. & Mrs. Woody Wilkinson

M/M Mike Harney West Side CC (Springfield, IL) Donald & Melinda Holt Mrs. Connie Ross Clair LaVern Newman M/M Harvey J. Newman OCC students attending during WWII Mr. Glenn E. Boyes Matt & Katie Proctor M/M D. Lloyd Thomas Ronald Shuman Mr. Chris Shuman

ALUMNI NEWS

Congratulations, Honored Alumni “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). At our President’s Banquet in February, we were thrilled to recognize the faithful service of Roy (posthumously) and Carol Weece and Roger and Nancy Storms.

For more than 50 years, Roy and Carol Weece served in the local church as well as in the Christian campus ministry at the University of Missouri. Roy passed away in 2007 and received the most important “Well done!” In his absence, all four of their children stood with Carol at the President’s Banquet.

(Pictured from left to right: Joe Weece, Julie St. Clair, Carol Weece, Jud Weece and Jon Weece)

For over 40 years, Roger and Nancy Storms have served in the local church and around the world. Nearly 30 of those years were spent in Chandler, Arizona. When Roger retires from Chandler Christian Church in May, he and Nancy will offer respite service to missionaries around the world. Roger serves as a trustee at OCC. TO CONNECT

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ALUMNI NEWS

CONGRATULATIONS Zach (attended) and Shaina Powell (attended) Hicks on the birth of Oliver Declan on January 8 in Joplin. Shaina also started as children’s ministry coordinator at Blendville CC in Joplin on January 1.

Casey (05) and Rachel Imler (attended) Kleeman on the arrival of Zeke Adaiah on January 16 in Olney, IL.

Josh (08) and Sasha Greer (12) Moore on the birth of Rosalie Louise on October 10 and the adoption of 18-month-old Dominic Joshua on December 13 in Monroe, GA.

Kolby (14) and Megan St. Clair (13) Allen on the arrival of Atlas James on November 21 in Council Bluffs, IA.

Daniel (07/current staff ) and Susanna Lang (07) McCoy on the birth of John Daniel on January 25 in Chanute, KS.

Daniel (13) and Jordan Reinhardt (13) Baker on the birth of Paxton Duane on January 31 in Waddell, AZ.

Sam (13) and Rachel Martin on the arrival of Graham Christopher on February 4 in Joplin.

Rick and Brianna Bolt (01) Bushnell on the birth of Adira Mae on December 21 in Joplin.

Jeremy (12) and Kasey Wheeler (11) Congdon on the arrival of Emmi Rose on January 25 in Danville, KY. Ryan (05) and Jill Stahly (02) Dodd on the birth of Emma Jill on November 9 in Broken Arrow, OK. Miles (attended) and Ashley Eubanks on the arrival of Kennedy Elizabeth on March 9 in Prairie Grove, AR. Ryan (10) and Megan Gariss (09) Fletcher on the birth of Charles Wilberforce on October 20 in Anthem, AZ.

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Eddie and April Brubaker (attended) Penner on the arrival of Walter Scott in Topeka, KS, on October 6.

Dan (09) and Erica Humphrey (09) Ritchie on the birth of Eliza Kay on November 12 in Englewood, CO. Chaz (13) and Chelsea Rusaw (13) Robbins on the birth of Carter Boyd on March 3 in Chicago, IL. Andrew (attended) and Karen Sampson on the birth of John Blayne on November 5 in DeKalb, MO.

Beau (04) and Michelle Harmon (04) Hamlin on the birth of Tabor Stone on December 6 in Avon, IN.

Jordan (10) and Lindsey Bone (10) Schultz on the arrival of Levi Jackson on June 25, 2016, in Worden, IL. Jordan also earned his Master of Divinity degree from Lincoln Christian University in May of 2016.

Daniel (12) and Megan Badgett (11) Harney on the birth of Jack Adron in Carrollton, TX, on October 6.

Lito (10) and Tiffany Morris (attended) Solorio on the birth of Elyana Hope on March 8 in Wichita, KS.

Brian (06) and Stacey Gibson on the arrival of Jacqson on February 8 in Joplin.

Matthew (13) and Kristie Livingston (14) Herlihy on the birth of Noah Matthew on November 5 in Olathe, KS.

Aaron (11/current staff ) and Joanna Gardner (09) Payne on the birth of Luke Dean on January 10 in Joplin.

Tony and Liz Steele (08) Martin on the birth of Micah Steele in Minneapolis, MN, on February 5.

Jeremy (11) and Bethany Hyde on the birth of Hattie Joy in Holly Springs, NC, on January 16.

Phillip (03) and Anna Brock (02) Lance on the birth of Abigail Marie on February 3 in Joplin.

Jim (12) and Jackie Landis on the arrival of Ezekiel Raymond on October 15 in Muskogee, OK.

Andrew (06) and Jenna Muter (attended) Stout on the birth of Denee Lou in Pittsburg, KS, on March 7.

Dalton (attended) and Michelle Price (17) Warden on the birth of Evelyn Marie on October 15 in Joplin.

Austin (12) and Melea Cook (12) Weece on the birth of Olivia Jane on January 16 in Joplin.

Aaron (04/current staff ) and Danielle Dueppen (04) Wheeler on the arrival of Evangeline Joy in Joplin on November 28.

ALUMNI NEWS

OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY Please continue to lift up in prayer the family of the following alumni who have passed away in recent weeks: Dr. William Abernathy (former faculty) passed away from complications of Parkinson’s disease on November 1 in Joplin.

Colleen Bennitt (65/former staff ) passed away on January 17 in Springfield, MO, following an illness.

Dr. Paul T. Butler (61/73/former faculty) passed away unexpectedly in Joplin on January 20.

Following several years of declining health, Judge Herbert Casteel (former trustee) passed away in Carthage, MO, on January 10.

Amber Hogan Chaney (attended) passed away on November 26 from complications of heart surgery.

Dr. Eleanor Daniel (former faculty-M) passed away on March 2 in Savoy, IL.

Ron Dunwoody (attended) lost his battle with cancer on January 9 in Fulton, MO. John Thomas Gilmore (79) passed away in Jasper, IN, on October 5.

Following a short battle with cancer, Connie Graham Hargrave (attended) passed away on November 8 in Fairfield, OH. Don Helms (current staff ) passed away suddenly while on duty as OCC campus security guard on November 2.

Patrick Johnson (51-M) passed away in McAllen, TX, on December 7.

Billie Rowe Linder (attended) passed away on February 9 in Joplin.

Following a short battle with a lung disease, Jim Marcum (76/faculty) passed away on February 23 in Joplin.

Beverly Withrow Miller (attended) passed away in Hutchinson, KS, on December 7.

Following several years of ill health, Ed Moynihan (73-M) passed away on November 7 in Concordia, KS. Carl Polsley (59-M) passed away on November 15 in Oklahoma City, OK. Keith Sangwin (63) passed away in Long Beach, MS, on January 26.

Justin Scherlen (attended) passed away on August 4 in Taos, NM, from injuries suffered in a work-related accident as a police officer several years ago.

Walter “Jack” Spratt (54/57/former faculty) passed away on February 27 in Mt. Vernon, MO. Bill Worthington (67) passed away in Joplin on January 7, following an illness.

Scott Zielsdorf (attended/former staff ) died of a heart attack on October 29 in Kansas City, KS.

CLASS NOTES 1950s

1970s

Bob Scott (50) recently began an interim preaching ministry with the First CC in Pineville, MO.

David (71/trustee) and Kathy Betts (attended) Bycroft retired from a 47-year ministry with the Tyro CC in Tyro, KS, on February 5. They have launched E-320 Ministries and will be available to lead seminars, do interim ministries, preach revivals and serve the church around the world. For details, email davidb@tyrochristian.org.

Congratulations to Fred (56) and Gerrie Anderson (66) Kerby on the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary on September 23 in Joplin.

1960s Judy Schultz Mason (66) writes that she recently retired from the Mt. Vernon, IL, high school after teaching art for 33 years.

She serves with her church and is the secretary for the board of North Burma Christian Mission.

Best wishes to Al (69) and Vivian (attended) Houk who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in New Braunfels, TX, on November 26.

David Dunson (71) has served in the Tulsa Fire & Police Chaplaincy Corps for 25 years. In April, Dave and another chaplain joined the Tulsa groups who were invited by the government of Ukraine to teach their police and fire chaplains how to minister and care for people in distress in emergency situations. Dave is the pastoral care minister with Highland Park CC in Tulsa.

Rusty Westerfield (71) recently began serving as preaching minister of the First CC in Haysville, KS. On March 5, Jim Cormode (73/former staff ) began his second year as preaching minister of the Christian Church in Cummings, KS.

Now in their 25th year, Literature and Teaching Ministries has seen over 2 million books (975+ titles) printed in 70 languages. This ministry was founded by Phil (74) and Susan Ross (72) Casey in Joplin.

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ALUMNI NEWS: CLASS NOTES

1970s CONTINUED

1980s

Jon (74) and Rita Hughes (attended) Hantsbarger have closed a ministry in Pompano Beach, FL, and Jon is now preaching at the Community CC in Clewiston, FL.

Congratulations to Mike Armstrong (82) and the Christ on Campus ministry at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, as they celebrate 35 years of ministry to college students.

On October 13, Pat Sampson (75) celebrated 25 years of ministry with the Barnard CC in Barnard, MO. The Sampsons live in DeKalb, MO. Debbie Welch (75) was recently honored with the first place award for Best Newscast 2016 (Commercial Radio) by the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

After teaching sixth grade for 23 years in Hilliard, OH, Debbie retired to Maine where she returned to her broadcasting roots. Debbie works for stations in Ellsworth and Bar Harbor and lives and worships in Downeast.

Dr. Don Ott (76) is in his thirtieth year of teaching part-time at Mid-South Christian College in Memphis, TN; twenty-fourth year of leading Christian Psychological Resources and ministering with River Valley CC in Russellville, AR; and seventh year of directing Cuba Bible Institute in Havana, Cuba.

Steve Lee (76) closed a 31-year preaching ministry with the Suburban CC in Corvallis, OR, on December 18. He and his wife, Claudia (attended) plan to remain in the Corvallis area, enjoy their family and seek the Lord’s guidance in this new chapter in life.

Larry Roseen (76) will start his thirtieth year in Christian camping ministry this summer. He currently serves with Camp Como in Colorado.

Terry Stine (76) has been selected to serve as president of St. Louis Christian College in Florissant, MO, leaving a similar position with Boise Bible College in Boise, ID. Roger (76) and Nancy Bottoms (91) Storms will retire from 29 years of ministry with Chandler CC in Chandler, AZ on May 7. They plan to offer respite service to missionaries as well as preach and teach internationally.

Jim Terral (76) and Kathy Manning were married on April 14, 2016, and are making their home in Girard, KS. Debbie Silverberg Amigo (77) is an AP Spanish teacher and department head at the high school in Terre Haute, IN. She and her husband, Miguel, worship and serve with the North Terre Haute CC.

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Charlie (83) and Pam Jackson (80) Curran recently closed a ministry in Owasso, OK, and Charlie is now the lead minister with the Cherokee Hills CC in Oklahoma City, OK. Jerry Harris (84) has been named publisher of The Christian Standard and Lookout by Restoration Movement Media of Parker, CO. Jerry will continue to serve as senior pastor of The Crossing, a multi-site congregation based in Quincy, IL. The transition coincides with the retirement of current editor, Mark Taylor, on June 30, 2017.

Paul Meinsen (88) is now a licensed financial advisor with Edward Jones in Farmington, MO. Derek Facculyn-Gous is serving as preaching minister with the C of C in Mason City, IA, leaving a 13-year ministry in Albion, IL. Chris Heiss (87) is serving in the area of adult ministries with the New Day CC in Port Charlotte, FL. Dr. Derek Voorhees (89) has been named president of Boise Bible College in Boise, ID, having previously served the college as a professor since 2011.

1990s Doug (90) and Marcie Toogood (90) Demaree write that Liberty Church in Broken Arrow, OK, has merged with The Gathering, forming Anthem Church. Doug served as Liberty’s worship pastor for 5 1/2 years, and is now the associate pastor of ministries, initiatives & communication at Anthem Church. Marcie continues to work with the Hospitalist Group at St. John Medical Center.

Rhoda Souder (92) Frech is serving as part-time children’s minister with Galesburg CC in Galesburg, KS, where her husband, Jim (93) is preaching minister.

Becky Clear Rodenbaugh (92/03) has been with the Carthage, MO, school district as an ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) teacher for 15 years.

Keevin (93) and Stephanie Lang (93) McGlumphry recently celebrated 15 years of leading international ministry with the campus ministry at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO.

Les Miller (94) celebrated 20 years of preaching ministry with the C of C in Fredonia, KS, in February.

ALUMNI NEWS: CLASS NOTES

1990s CONTINUED

2000s

Toney Salva (95) recently began a part-time role with Stadia as the Northeast Regional Director for church planting. He continues to serve Discovery Christian Church in Cranberry Township, PA, having just begun his fourteenth year as founding and lead pastor. He is in his ninth year serving on the board of directors of Orchard Group.

James Garner (01) is now serving as lead minister with the First CC in Burlington, KS, leaving a ministry in Unionville, MO.

Brandon (10) and Amber High (08) Kittle have moved to Hinton, OK, where he is serving as preaching minister with the First CC.

Rick Randleman (02) lives with his family in St. Joseph, MO, and began serving as the minister at the Christian Campus House at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville and continues to serve in a similar position with Christian Campus Fellowship at Missouri Western University in St. Joseph.

Tyler (10) and Abigail Curran (11) Lane are living in Spokane Valley, WA, where he serves as high school pastor at Valley Real Life Church.

Brian Williams (95) recently earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Ethics from Oxford University, Oxford, England, and is now a Departmental Lecturer in Christian Ethics and Theology at Jesus College, a part of Oxford University. He is also the Director of Oxford Conversations, a collection of curated interviews with leading Christian academics and scholars at the university.

Jeff (96) and Jennifer Oakes are living in Quincy, MA, where he is the lead minister of the Restore CC, leaving a ministry in North Chelmsford.

In March, Tory (97) and Kara Satter started their thirteenth year of serving with San Carlos Apache reservation in Globe, AZ. Tory serves as executive director of 3:18 Ministries.

Jeff (98) and Kristee Beard (attended) Hinson are living in Lebanon, MO, where he is the preaching minister of the Southern Heights CC. They left a ministry in Chandler, AZ. Travis Hurley (98/former staff ) is serving as director of advancement for Watered Gardens Mission in Joplin.

Dr. Amanda Powell (03) completed doctoral studies and earned her Doctorate in Education in July 2016.

She continues teaching in southwest Missouri and is an adjunct professor at Crowder College in Neosho, MO, and teaches in the Seneca school district.

Chad Bronson (11) was ordained to the ministry at Delaware Baptist Church, Grove, OK, in May of 2016.

Josh Evans and Lyndsey Eubanks (13) were married in Prairie Grove, AR, on December 17, and are making their home in Stillwater, OK.

Erik (05) and Melissa (03) Streeter Winston have taken positions as the executive director and program manager of Adult & Teen Challenge of Oklahoma Adolescent Centers, running both the boys and girls ChristCentered Recovery Programs in Jay, OK. Dayne Curry (06) completed a Master of Organizational Leadership from the University of Northwestern - St. Paul in August, and continues working on an Executive Master of International Service from American University in Washington, D.C. He plans to pursue nonprofit and development opportunities in the Middle East and Central Asia in the future.

On January 30, Andrew Schwarz (07) joined the staff of Countryside CC in Wichita, KS, as discipleship pastor.

Chad Harrington (09) and Rachel Quinn were married on October 15 and are making their home in Nashville, TN. Ben (09) Ford has closed a ministry in Wichita, KS, and is serving as middle school pastor and student team leader at Generations CC in Trinity, FL.

Lisa Larsson (13/current staff ) and Jacob Ruhl (current staff ) were married on December 17, and are making their home in Joplin.

Caleb Facculyn-Gous (14) recently began his second year as youth and family minister at St. James CC in St. James, MO. Kylee Amos Hatfield (14) is serving as early childhood center minister at Northside CC in Warrensburg, MO, leaving a ministry in Springfield.

Dillon McElhinney (14) and Annika Koenig (14) were married on November 19 in Longmont, CO. Janie Weece Andler (16) earned her BS in Education from Missouri Southern State University on December 17.

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ALUMNI NEWS: CLASS NOTES

2000s CONTINUED Cameron (17 candidate) and Morgan Fankhauser (15) French have moved to Woodhaven, MI, where he will serve as connections pastor with the Twin Oaks CC.

Heather Kidwell (17) has been hired to serve as part-time campus minister with Campus Christians campus ministry at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS.

ATTENDED

PUBLICATIONS

Sid and Marj Ridgway (74/former faculty) celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on March 23 in Joplin.

ARTICLES

Dustin Bailey graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Master of Arts in Christian Studies with dual emphases in Christian leadership and youth ministry. He currently serves as the Arizona State Representative for Celebrate Recovery Inside.

Gene Barron has served as lead minister with the Valley View CC in Highlands Ranch, CO, since May of 1979. The congregation is in the process of bringing on an associate minister for him to mentor and transition into the lead position as Gene prepares to retire.

Eddie Baugher was recently promoted to executive director of Christian Motorsports International, Inc. (aka, Team RFC and Racers for Christ). This is the oldest and largest motorsports ministry in the world, currently utilizing 370 staff members (mostly volunteer) that serve at over 2,000 events a year.

Christian Standard NOVEMBER “When God Brought the Homeless” by Brian Jennings (98) “The Jesus House” by Jackina Stark (attended/former faculty) DECEMBER “Mystery, Model, Hope” by Chad Ragsdale (current faculty) FEBRUARY “Fostering the Good News” by Jon Hembree (11) “Surprise!” by Chad Ragsdale (current faculty) “Beauty in the Battle” by Larry Timm (86) MARCH

Jen Black is serving as the executive director of the Alliance of SW Missouri in Joplin.

“Taxi Drivers, Refugees, and Other Good Reasons to Pray” by Kevin Dooley (85)

Gordon Blankenship is now serving as camp manager of LaMoine Christian Camp in Tennessee, IL.

“Lady Wisdom, Ben Franklin and the Marlboro Man” by Jay Engelbrecht (current faculty)

Ty Curry just led in the launch of Axis CC in Poteau, OK.

“A Woman’s Place” by Dr. Tim Harlow (93)

Steve Sears is working as a life group pastor at the Church at Rocky Peak in Chatsworth, CA. In December, he earned a Master of Arts in Ministry (Spiritual Formation concentration) from Hope International University, Fullerton.

The Lookout

BOOKS Grace Is Greater: God’s Plan to Overcome Your Past, Redeem Your Pain, and Rewrite Your Story by Kyle Idleman (98) Tell Us About the Holy Spirit, Papa (for children) by Tom Mullenix (attended)

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NOVEMBER 13 “Make Disciples Who Make Disciples” by Mike Schrage (attended) NOVEMBER 20 “Thankfulness in Terrible Times” by Victor Knowles (former faculty) DECEMBER 18 “The Gift of Christmas” by Tyler Edwards (07) FEBRUARY 5 “Homeruns, Fumbles, Families and Sports” by Brian Jennings (98)

“On behalf of our family, we want to say thank you. As you send them out, Matt, we’ll send them in.”

-Joe Weece For 75 years, individuals and churches have partnered with Ozark to make up the difference between what students pay and the actual cost of their education.

The Difference fund offsets student cost by 20%.

Thank you for helping us equip the next generation to reach the world with the message of Christ. occ.edu/donate

1111 N Main St Joplin, MO 64801

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Joplin, MO 64801 Permit No. 62

Change service requested

ONE MORE THING A final thought from our assistant editor Amy Storms is a wife, mother, Strong Hall dorm mom, and Director of Marketing at OCC.

THE REST OF THE STORY Amy Storms

Good authors draw readers in with the very first line, but a great author knows to end well, too—to wrap up the story with a satisfying resolution. From a fairy tale’s “happily ever after,” to Paul Harvey’s “rest of the story,” to J.K. Rowling’s famous closure for Harry Potter, “All was well,” how the story ends is even more important than how it begins.

The older I get, the more I find myself ending each story with the same words: “...God was faithful.”

Good story or bad, success or failure, exciting or boring, it all seems to finish with the faithfulness of God. “He was in the hospital for three weeks,” I say of my son, “and a ventilator breathed for him...but God was faithful.”

“It was a rough season,” I tell of my marriage. “We stayed because we’d promised to—not because we wanted to...but God was faithful.”

“We didn’t know how we were going to pay for it,” I say more often than I’d like, “but just in time, God provided enough, because he’s faithful.”

1. Deuteronomy 31:8 2. 2 Timothy 2:13

Ministry highs and hurts, rejoicing hearts and broken, health and illness and everyday life in general...all of it wraps up, one way or another, with the fact that God has never left us nor forsaken us.1 He is so faithful.

God’s faithfulness in the past reminds me that he’ll be faithful in the future, too—that the unfinished stories that worry me today will eventually conclude like all the rest, because God is faithful. It’s who he is—his character—and even if I’m faithless, “he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”2 Sometimes, I’d love to jump to the end of the book! To turn to the very last page, and say with the apostle John, “Come, Lord Jesus,” and skip all the conflict in the middle. But the great Author knows just how to wrap up. In due time, I’ll live “happily ever after,” and as he writes the “rest of the story,” I’ll find again that “all was well.” How the story ends is even more important than how it begins, and God lovingly, mercifully, eternally ends every story the same.

Because he is faithful.