A p u b l i c at i o n o f t h e c e n t e r f o r c h r i s t i a n s t u dy
I
winter 2011
t h e s t u dy C e n t e r
This issue:
Spring Lectures & Christian Study, p 2 A Vision for Transformation, p 3 Graduate Ministry and the Center, p 4 Parting Reflections from Tim McConnell, p 4 Lessons in Failure and Success, p 6
What’s Inside: Ministry Moments
Looking Ahead: Pursuing Christian Study
by Tim McConnell, page 4
by Fitz Green, page 2
Failure and Success in Life and Business
A Vision for Transformation by Jay McCabe, page 3
by Hank Flint, page 6
Graduate Ministry Update by Bill Wilder, page 4
Study Center Staff Bill Wilder
On the cover: Second-year student, Michelle Opperman, made the most of finals and the cold of winter by sharing in Exam Goodies generously provided by Study Center parents.
Executive Director bill@studycenter.net
Jay McCabe
Director of Undergraduate Ministries jay@studycenter.net
shelly pellish
Spring Lectures and Christian study by Fitz Green, Educational Programs Coordinator In addition to finishing up his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at U.Va. and being President of Graduate Christian Fellowship, Fitz will be serving as part-time Educational Programs Coordinator for the Center. As an undergraduate student majoring in biblical studies at a secular institution, the question I was most often asked was, “Isn’t that challenging to your faith?” Over and over, both in my church and in casual conversation, I heard this question. My answer then (as it still is now) was “No”. I am confident that Truth is to be found in Scripture through study. And I am confident that that Truth can make a difference in our lives. Yet there are, naturally, challenges that arise from historical study of the Bible in a university setting. This is why I’m so excited about the speakers who are coming to visit us this spring. They will address two of the most central challenges to the Bible coming from our culture. First, is what we know about Jesus from the gospels historically reliable? And second, how do we keep our knowledge of Jesus from becoming a matter of merely academic or theoretical interest? Craig Keener is coming in February to speak on “The Historical Jesus of the Gospels.” He is perhaps best known for his work on the IVP Bible Background Commentary, but he has more recently weighed in on the need for Christians to engage with academic “Historical Jesus” studies. He argues that the gospel writers’ portrayals of Jesus make better historical sense than the obscure reconstructions made by many scholars today. We need to question the starting assumptions of Jesus historians, such as the denial of the supernatural. This matters not only because these questions are being asked in classrooms, but also because Christianity is an historical faith, grounded in the actual life (and resurrection) of Jesus.
Director of Development, Alumni + Parent Relations shelly@studycenter.net
Debbie Rodriguez
Director of Finance + Administration debbie@studycenter.net
Ashley Wooten
Director of Communications ashleyw@studycenter.net
Amy Zell
Director of Counseling Resources amy@studycenter.net
Special thanks Photography by Elisa Bricker, U.Va. ‘04, ‘05
Who We Are We are a non-profit education and outreach ministry serving the University of Virginia and Charlottesville since 1968. We seek to serve Jesus Christ by fostering the serious consideration in the university environment
A Vision for TransformaTion: U nd ergraduate M inist ry U p date by Jay McCabe, Director of Undergraduate Ministry When I joined the Center for Christian Study staff in August, I was delighted to return to Charlottesville and begin working as the new Director of Undergraduate Ministries. I was blessed to inherit a thriving undergraduate program, highlighted by the newly renamed Elzinga Residential Scholars Program, excellent partnerships with other grounds ministries, and a history of Biblical teaching and hospitality. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to build on this solid reputation, but I am also eager to shape the future work of this ministry. With that in mind, I’ve been asking God for a clear vision to guide our undergraduate ministry and programs. Based on conversations with the staff, direction from God’s Word, and the established mission of the Study Center, a vision has begun to take root: We want to see students’ minds and lives transformed by an encounter with Jesus Christ.
of a Biblical worldview, and by encouraging and facilitating wise discussion of the Truth in light of the challenges of contemporary culture.
Contact Us Phone: (434) 817-1050 Email: info@studycenter.net Website: www.studycenter.net Twitter: studycenteruva Facebook: studycenteruva The Study Center Newsletter is published for our friends and supporters. University Christian Ministries, Inc. (dba Center for Christian Study) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation EIN 51-0192618.
Now that this goal has been set, we are working toward its fulfillment in a variety of ways. First, we are committed to united and believing prayer. The staff gathered throughout last semester to intercede for individual students and to pray for Christ-centered revival on grounds. We have been encouraged by God’s faithfulness to the ministry and us, so we are continuing to pray for God to transform students’ lives and minds. A second way we are seeking transformation through an encounter with Christ is by developing personal relationships with students. The culture at U.Va. is highly relational, but most of these friendships lack depth and intentionality. Regardless of how a student actually feels, the automatic response to “How are you
doing?” is “Fine, thanks.” Now I had over 120 meetings with students this fall, and many who initially said they were doing “fine,” were actually struggling with classes or relationships or personal insecurities. It took someone listening and inviting them to open up for these real issues to surface and be taken before the Lord. In this case we are taking our cue from Jesus, who taught the importance of understanding people’s hearts (Mk. 7:21; Matt. 6:21). We are also intentionally serving these students by paying for their meals, praying with them, and instructing them in a Christ-centered way of life. Again, these choices are informed by our Lord’s example, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). These relationships demand time and energy, but they are critical for seeing students’ minds and lives transformed by an encounter with Christ. Another way we are working toward this vision is by equipping students to think and serve. Each of our 17 Elzinga Residential Scholars are participating in weekly
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discussions on cultural issues and engaging in service opportunities at the Study Center and in the community. Additionally, many other undergraduate students have participated in our discussion groups and attended one of our many lectures. All of these programs are designed to help students encounter Christ. One exciting new way we are building on the already strong student culture for volunteering at the Study Center is through our newly formed Student Advisory Committee. This group is made up of students from a wide range of U.Va. activity groups, fraternities, sororities and Christian ministries on grounds. They offer input on how we can better connect with and serve their fellow students, and they also serve as a leadership team for our undergraduate ministry. Permeating all of these efforts is our desire to show hospitality to students. We recently renovated the front room of our building to give students a more comfortable space for studying and fellowship. The coffee and hot chocolate are kept well stocked year round, and once again, during exam week we fed the crowds of students who were utilizing the building’s study spaces. These little things are significant as we encourage students to stay for a while and truly encounter the Lord Jesus. So this is the current state of the undergraduate ministry at the Study Center. All of these programs and philosophies have been shaped by our vision and point to our hope that, like the apostle Paul, “we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). It is such a privilege to walk alongside students and encourage them to grow to maturity in their faith. Thank God for His faithful and good work.
Graduate Ministry and the Center By Bill Wilder, Executive Director
Graduate ministry has been a part of the Study Center’s life from the very beginning. The Study Center traces its roots back to the ministry of Daryl Richman in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that point graduates and undergraduates alike attended Daryl’s “College Life” meetings and Daryl made no distinction between the two. As time went on, various graduate student fellowships developed (Law Christian Fellowship, Darden Christian Fellowship, Graduate Christian Fellowship), either as a direct result of Daryl’s ministry or with some degree of help from the Study Center. A long line of Study Center folks have worked with graduate students over the years, including Beat Steiner, Bob Cochran, David Turner, Tony Giles, Lem Howard, Justin Holcomb, and, most recently, Tim McConnell.
Ministry Moments: by Tim McConnell, Director of Graduate Ministries This month I leave Charlottesville to take a call as senior pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Marietta, Georgia. I want to express my sincere gratitude to all who have supported ministry to graduate students these past few years. The Center for Christian Study is doing excellent work intersecting with the lives of graduate students and the university community with thought-provoking conversations about the truth of the gospel. It has been an honor to be a part of this staff, and a real joy to share in ministry. I will always be grateful for the opportunity the Center gave me to minister to graduate students. I know that the Lord has formed relationships here that will last a lifetime. My first meeting at Law Christian Fellowship, I stood next
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I’m grateful for the way in which Tim has continued that strong tradition of graduate ministries here at the Study Center. When I was applying for the same position years ago, Drew Trotter (our longtime Executive Director), wrote to me that the Director of Graduate Ministries needed to have “the mind of a scholar and the heart of a pastor.” Tim has certainly exemplified both of those qualities. He finished his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at U.Va. shortly after he came on staff here and brought those years of study to bear in his teaching and
mentoring. You can catch a glimpse of his wonderful pastoral heart in his parting reflections (below). The people at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Marietta, Georgia will be blessed to have Tim as their pastor. Go with God, Tim. Looking toward the future, we hope to build well on a strong past. “Without counsel plans fail,” Scripture says, “but with many advisors they succeed.” Accordingly, we have taken time over the past months to meet with graduate student leaders, non-student volunteers, and
board members to ask how we can strengthen our common commitment to glorifying God in all of life, including professional and academic vocations. We are now moving forward to find someone uniquely called and gifted to support the Law, Darden and Graduate Christian Fellowships, to meet one-on-one and in small groups with students, and to help students to connect with Christian mentors and leaders in their fields. Will you pray that the Lord helps us find just the right person?
Reflecting on my time at the center to Christopher Norfleet (U.Va. Law ’09) in the middle of the Law School cafeteria. I was moved to tears as forty-five law students lifted up songs of praise, and as Christopher and I sang I noticed that the lattice of the windows formed a cross…if you were looking for it. Christ had gathered a church right there. At Darden I was pulled aside quickly by a Biola graduate named Christof Meyer (Darden ’09). His sense of urgency was palpable—Darden Christian Fellowship had to find ways to get the Gospel proclaimed. Christ had energized an evangelist. A few months later I found myself at Professor Ken Elzinga’s lake house
with a small troupe of graduate students for a Graduate Christian Fellowship retreat. It was clear they had known each other for years and had many ways to hold one another up in faith. Christ had formed true fellowship. There was also the time I prayed with Christopher and his mother at UVA hospital where she had emergency surgery during a visit from Texas. I taped a nickel on the window so that she could say her room had a view of Monticello. And the time Christof came back after graduation for the memorial service held at Darden for his good friend and fellow student, Justin Key,
who died suddenly and unexpectedly last December. The Gospel was proclaimed to all of Darden. Christ works his purposes in every turn of life. These are memories I take with me, with gladness in my heart and thanksgiving that Christ purposed for me to share in ministry here before my time at UVa was done. Please continue to pray for and support graduate ministry at UVa through the Center for Christian Study. There are good things to come! Yours in Christ, Tim
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Lessons in failure and success for Life & Business by Hank Flint, Vice Chairman & CEO of Coca-Cola Bottling U.Va. J.D./MBA ‘80, U.Va. B.A. ‘76 The following is adapted from Hank’s talk on October 26, 2010 at Darden Christian Fellowship.
I thought about a number of things that I could speak to you about today but I felt called to speak about an uncomfortable thing - personal failure. I’m not talking about failing a test, or failing to get a job, or failing at a job, or other kinds of earthly failure, but failure to follow God’s Word, to advance the Kingdom, to serve one Master and no other. I guarantee you that behind most every grand introduction you hear, there is a list of failures not recounted, and behind
by the influence of two men who were bold and unashamed of their faith. I was nurtured in my faith during my fourth year by a strong undergraduate Christian community of which the Center for Christian Study and its predecessor were a part; I was seemingly prepared for a great graduate experience at the Darden School and the Law School and entered the joint degree program in the Fall of 1976 right out of undergrad. Oh, and I met and fell in love with my wife, Anne McMullan, during my fourth year and we became engaged just after I graduated from U.Va. and before my first year of Law School. In short, there was a lot going on. I had embraced career preparation and marriage in one fell swoop. I was well prepared for Law School, not particularly well prepared for
“Workaholism is an addiction. It represents over compensation for a fear of failure, a need to achieve for achievement’s sake, a never satisfied state of never feeling good enough. “ every Christian resume, there’s a long list of failures to do the Kingdom work we are charged to do. Our greatest learning comes from failure but we don’t talk about it much, do we? To tell you a little about myself, I graduated from U.Va. undergrad in 1976 with a B.A. in English and American Studies. I became a Christian at the end of my third year of college, brought to Christ
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Business School but I’ve always been an aggressive learner and hard worker so I survived pretty well with good job offers in the business world and legal world and, I suppose, a look of success. But, looking back, the question I ask now is “Where was Jesus?” What Master was I serving in those days, as a young man pursuing a career, as a newlywed pursuing a marriage? I was prone then to be caught up in the challenges of the day or week and in the things of the
world most immediately obvious and frankly, important – things like career and marriage – but I don’t recall ever asking the Lord God, “Lord, what is your purpose for my life?” Well, I finally took a legal job in a firm of 25 lawyers in Charlotte, NC, a large firm by 1980 Charlotte and North Carolina standards. Some considered that choice a step-down from the bright lights of bigger cities, bigger law firms, bigger investment banks, bigger consulting firms. But it was a choice my bride and I made together to live in a smaller place, to focus on career and family, to have a manageable life . . . and frankly to deal with something I’ve struggled with all my life, something the power of which we underestimate, something called “workaholism”. Workaholism is an addiction. It represents over compensation for a fear of failure, a need to achieve for achievement’s sake, a never satisfied state of never feeling good enough. A great book by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges, Lead Like Jesus, defines “addiction” as “an ever increasing desire for something that has an everdecreasing ability to satisfy.” It is rampant in service businesses like law, investment banking, consulting and the like, and other careers as well. I practiced law for 24 years, running the gamut from corporate to securities to utilities to merger and acquisition to venture capital and private equity law. Charlotte grew like gangbusters. The city which Anne and I styled as manageable and livable for quality of life became bigger that we ever imagined with lots of career opportunity, lots of success
opportunity and lots of opportunity for an addiction to mature. But, as a Christian businessman, 56 years of age and a little tire tread behind me, let me tell you a few things I remember the most about that part of my career. I remember the early part, the part about my first associate who I fired for failing to be available when clients needed her because she was off doing other things, other things arguably she shouldn’t have been doing with client demands as they were. But did I understand that she was recently divorced after two years of a first marriage, that her life was in a shambles, that she needed a friend in the workplace, not an enemy, and that there was an opportunity for Christ sitting square between my eyes? And what about the incredibly talented
do with what I’ve provided you, not only things like food and other sustenance, but the relationships I’ve provided you?” What had happened to me in those days between 1980-1995? Who was my Master then? Was it God? I don’t think so. Was it money? Not really. Was it an insatiable thirst for more work, more fear prevention medicine, more career, more following, more self-esteem, more love from the world? I believe so. Am I describing a career that looked like a wreck to the world? Not at all.
“A workplace is an incredible place for ministry, one of the best places for ministry if the glasses you wear belong to Jesus.” associate who next worked for me and who finally told me through teary eyes that my work style was offensive, that not everyone needed to work like me, serve clients like I did, or expect the same thing from themselves that I did. And then there was a third work associate who conformed to expectations and stayed the course, worked himself to the bone and lost his marriage and his interest in the law practice, not necessarily because of me and my work style but what if I could have coached him and helped him, what if I could have seen him the way Jesus sees people? The point is there is a story and an opportunity with every single person you meet and there are no coincidences in relationships in the workplace or otherwise. People are placed in each other’s paths and, as sure as I’m standing here, the Lord God is saying “What will you
It looked just the opposite. But to the one Master my work and career were a wreck because they had become the object of my service, my second master. I saw that the day-to-day activity of work and career and family had stolen from reflection on God’s purpose for my life, that His purpose had been buried in living for the next day or week, not in living for eternity. And I saw the workaholism, not for its outer symptoms of intensity and hard work but for the darkness that was behind it. I found renewed comfort in a God that loves us, that tells us we are worthy, that we have nothing to fear and calls us to Him. And I began to understand my Kingdom purpose to love and mentor other people, young and old, and to know, understand and develop them in the
work environment so that work and career would feel like a place of great expectation and gratitude, not a place of burden and paycheck. A workplace is an incredible place for ministry, one of the best places for ministry if the glasses you wear belong to Jesus. And so I began to see my work and career entirely differently. I began to pray, to meet with other Christian men in our community, to seek the Kingdom of God, and I was renewed and changed. God began to work through me and use me as His vessel, building on who He made me to be, erasing fear, and replacing it with His will and His hand... My real leave behind for you all today is this whole idea of serving one Master, serving the Lord God throughout your life and career as the priority, not a priority, and your Kingdom purpose will fall into place. A life and career covered in Kingdom purpose will be a life built for eternity and not for things of the here and now.
Read the full story on our blog at www. studycenter.net/connect-and-share/blog. html#flint, where Hank shares more of his story and his advice for living a life for Christ.
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This April, Kevin Vanhoozer comes from Wheaton College to give the lecture, “God Speaks: Acting the Word in the Drama of Redemption.” Vanhoozer argues that theology is not meant to be a dry, abstract, theoretical discipline divorced from Christian practice. It is a way of life, not just a set of beliefs; it requires our own “performances” in the drama of redemption. Thus, Vanhoozer claims, to know God is to engage in “participatory theater,” precisely because what God has done in Christ is also the “script” (through Scripture) for what God is now doing in the church. My hope is that students here at the Center for Christian Study wouldn’t be afraid to take a New Testament class as part of their studies at U.Va. It is our even greater hope that these talks will encourage not only those students but all of our students, by giving them the tools to integrate their faith with their learning and ultimately with the rest of life. The lesson of the centrality of Scripture, in response to the challenges of contemporary culture, will serve our students in their lives far beyond the classroom.
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2011 U pco ming L ectures In Order to Form a More Perfect Union: A Biblical View of Love, Sex and Marriage Saturday, February 12, 1-4 p.m. with David and Krisan Marotta What the Academy Award Nominees for Best Picture Tell Us About Ourselves Tuesday, February 15, 7-8:30 p.m. with Drew Trotter The Historical Jesus of the Gospels Wednesday, February 21, 8-9:30 p.m. with Craig Keener Guilt, Justice and Forgiveness: Three Goods Mondays, March 14, 21 & 28, 7-8:30 p.m. with Lois Westerlund God Speaks: Acting the Word in the Drama of Redemption Friday, April 1, 5-6:30 p.m. with Kevin Vanhoozer