Bible & Christian Ministry - Students

Rachel Tidwell

Children's Ministry Intern
Church: Macedonia Baptist Church

Focus: I work with all the kids, but specifically with the 5th and 6th grade girls in their Sunday School class on Sunday mornings and their small group on Wednesday nights.  I also help to lead worship if that means anything.  My main focus is just to build relationships with the kids, 5th and 6th grade girls especially.  I have begun "hanging out" with some of them outside of church which is awesome.

Steven Vance

Study Abroad at Jerusalem University College

A lifelong dream came true when I received a scholarship to study for five weeks at Jerusalem University College in Israel from June 12th to July 16th, 2006.  The scholarship consisted of two separate courses; the first was Historical and Geographical Settings of the Bible while the second was Jesus and His Times.  The first covered both the Testaments and the second focused on the New Testament.  I learned more than I could possibly explain in a short paragraph and I made many new friends.  The course was a lot of work but worth every minute!

We walked between 5 and 10 miles a day.  I took 3,000 pictures and lost 13 pounds, but boy did we see Israel!  From Dan to Maktesh Ramone, and Tel Aviv to Amman, we covered the Holy Land! We spent three days in Jordan and had the privelege of visiting Petra.  Most of our time was spent out on the Tels and walking the wilderness trails.  Most of what Jesus saw and a lot of what the Old Testament characters experienced (geographically) was included in the curriculum.  One thing is for sure.  You can read as much as you want, and see as many pictures as you want, but NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING substitutes seeing it for yourself.  If you get the chance to go to Israel, do not hesitate: GO!!!!

Ben Ehmke

Middle School Intern
Church: Highland Meadows Christian Church

Focus: As a summer intern I assisted the middle school intern in Highland Meadows Middle School Ministry.  As part of the internship, I contributed to the ministry staff, and ministered to middle school students throughout the summer.  The experience was one that allowed me to serve and teach me many important lessons about ministry.

Regional Society of Biblical Literature Conference

March 2-4, 2007

Drs. Hood and Hummel led five biblical studies majors to the regional Society of Biblical Literature Conference in Dallas.  Dr. Hood presented the paper "Glass Ceilings in Ancient Constructs: Social Models of women in Early Christian Communities".  Dr. Hummel presented the paper "Hasmonean Politics of Characterization in 1 Maccabeas".  The following students attended the conference: Chris O'Dell, Grant Palma, Terese Conley, Sarah Tucker, and Steve Vance.

National Youth Workers Convention

October 4-6, 2006
October 4th, eleven Christian Ministry students attended the National Youth Workers Convention in Austin, Texas.  The convention was a 5 day conference full of seminars, concerts, speakers, and more seminars.  The conference is a part of the degree plan for the Christian Ministry majors on campus, and is required in order to graduate with a concentration in youth ministry.  There were about 3,000 youth ministers and youth workers that attended the conference.  It was a time for them to gather together, learn, share, and be encouraged.  The schedule kept us extremely busy.  We attended 7 general sessions, 6 seminars, and one critical concerns course.  Many famous bands and artists such as Jars of Clay, David Crowder, Shane & Shane, Jeremy Camp, Thousand Foot Krutch, and Kutless led worship and performed in concerts.  At each general session, there was lots of live entertainment like comedians, skit performers, painters, and illusionists.  The general sessions are the highlight of the convention, and Youth Specialties, the organization that sponsors the conference, always brings in great speakers to speak at the sessions.  The key speaker of the conference was Donald Miller, author of the popular Christian book Blue Like Jazz.