ACU Today - Fall 1999 News

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Top college guides rank university as a one of the best in America again

Students' Association to mark 75th anniversary at Homecoming

Exchange program in Mexico, Abilene provides real-world, hands-on learning

Learning to serve: Welcome Week freshmen take time to help

Lectureship 2000 to refocus Christians for God's work in the new millennium

Faculty Scholar Profile: Dr. John Willis

Learning to serve: Welcome Week freshmen take time to help

Do servants make good leaders? Do leaders make good servants? Although these questions read a bit like a chicken-or-the-egg brainteaser, ACU provost Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen solved the puzzle.

"The genius of our mission statement is that serving comes first and leading comes afterward," he said. "If that wasn't strategic, it was certainly providential."

And putting service first has become a hallmark for ACU. Now, service is a prime component of Welcome Week, an orientation week for new students to ACU each fall.

"We have coordinated with local organizations to send freshman and transfer students into the community for a hands-on approach to what it means to give your time and effort for the benefit of another person," said Nancy Coburn, director of ACU's Volunteer and Service-Learning Center.

Coburn coordinated the new student involvement for Welcome Week so students could volunteer in areas where they would come in contact with other people. More than 230 students went into Abilene Independent School District classrooms to read to young children.

Others went to nine children's care centers, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Hendrick Medical Center, five retirement centers, an Alzheimer's care center, two shelters for victims of family violence and several senior citizen activity centers.

"When you make that connection with another person and see the appreciation on his or her face, service becomes real like never before for a volunteer," Coburn said.

And the cultivation of servant-leaders is important at ACU. "The development of serving and leading is best accomplished when it's intentional and planned," VanRheenen said.

"Students have strong servant hearts," Coburn said. "You just have to find ways to open them."

The Welcome Week service projects also caught the attention of Abilene Reporter-News senior staff writer Loretta Fulton.

Bruce Beaver, a senior from Tyler volunteering for Welcome Week, told Fulton, "That's part of ACU &endash; serving."

Beaver explained to Fulton that community service introduces freshmen to ACU's mission, which stresses educating students for Christian leadership.

Coburn said adding the service element to Welcome Week is a good way to help students get their college careers started on the right track. It also helps establish a pattern for service that has the potential to stretch beyond the years students will spend at ACU.

"This creates easily accessible ways for students to serve God through serving others," she said. "When you start your college career with that frame of mind, it seems to put everything else in perspective."

Lectureship 2000 to refocus Christians for God's work in the new millennium

The year 2000 will only be about six weeks old when ACU's 82nd annual Bible Lectureship focuses on the theme "Unfinished Business: Challenges for the New Millennium."

ACU president Dr. Royce Money ('64) will start the lectures with "A Vision for the Third Millennium" on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. with a keynote address in Moody Coliseum.

"It's time the Churches of Christ pull together and make a positive impact on society," Money said.

"I hope we can lead the way on such an effort with Lectureship 2000 serving as the starting point."

On Monday at 7 p.m., Dr. Jack Reese ('73), dean of the College of Biblical Studies, will present "May It Be According to Your Word."

Then, on Tuesday at 7 p.m., Mike Cope, adjunct faculty member in undergraduate Bible and ministry and minister of Abilene's Highland Church of Christ, will present "A Passion for Community."

To wrap up the lecture series on Wednesday night in Moody Coliseum, Dr. Ervin Seamster, special consultant to ACU's president, will present "Holy God: Holy People" at 7 p.m.

"We specifically chose keynote speakers who have some connection to ACU because we want to send a strong signal that the university will continue to be proactive and visible in re-articulating the ancient Gospel in our time," Money said.

Other special events will include:

Alumni Day Luncheon, Sunday, Feb. 20, call 800-373-4220 or 915-674-2622 for $10 tickets.

Christian Service Luncheon, Monday, Feb. 21, call 915-674-2687 or send email messages to conderd@acu.edu for $10 tickets.

Friends of ACU Library Dinner, Monday, Feb. 21, call 915-674-2542 for $10 tickets.

Missions Luncheon, Tuesday, Feb. 22; write ACU Box 29433, Abilene, Texas, 79699-9433 for $10 tickets.

WACU "For Ladies Only" Dinner, Tuesday, Feb. 22, call 915-672-8265 for $8 tickets.

For complete information about Bible Lectureship, see ACU's Web site at www.acu.edu.

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Last Update: Sept. 17, 1999
Page maintained by Jeremy Parish, parishj@nicanor.acu.edu
Questions to Ron Hadfield, hadfieldr@nicanor.acu.edu
http://www.acu.edu/acu-today/fall99/news03.html


		. Top college guides rank university as a one of the best in America again Students' Association to mark 75th anniversary at Homecoming Exchange program in Mexico, Abilene provides real-world, hands-on learning Learning to serve: Welcome Week freshmen take time to help Lectureship 2000 to refocus Christians for God's work in the new millennium Faculty Scholar Profile: Dr. John Willis Learning to serve: Welcome Week freshmen take time to help Do servants make good leaders? Do leaders make good servants? Although these questions read a bit like a chicken-or-the-egg brainteaser, ACU provost Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen solved the puzzle. "The genius of our mission statement is that serving comes first and leading comes afterward," he said. "If that wasn't strategic, it was certainly providential." And putting service first has become a hallmark for ACU. Now, service is a prime component of Welcome Week, an orientation week for new students to ACU each fall. "We have coordinated with local organizations to send freshman and transfer students into the community for a hands-on approach to what it means to give your time and effort for the benefit of another person," said Nancy Coburn, director of ACU's Volunteer and Service-Learning Center. Coburn coordinated the new student involvement for Welcome Week so students could volunteer in areas where they would come in contact with other people. More than 230 students went into Abilene Independent School District classrooms to read to young children. Others went to nine children's care centers, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Hendrick Medical Center, five retirement centers, an Alzheimer's care center, two shelters for victims of family violence and several senior citizen activity centers. "When you make that connection with another person and see the appreciation on his or her face, service becomes real like never before for a volunteer," Coburn said. And the cultivation of servant-leaders is important at ACU. "The development of serving and leading is best accomplished when it's intentional and planned," VanRheenen said. "Students have strong servant hearts," Coburn said. "You just have to find ways to open them." The Welcome Week service projects also caught the attention of Abilene Reporter-News senior staff writer Loretta Fulton. Bruce Beaver, a senior from Tyler volunteering for Welcome Week, told Fulton, "That's part of ACU &endash; serving." Beaver explained to Fulton that community service introduces freshmen to ACU's mission, which stresses educating students for Christian leadership. Coburn said adding the service element to Welcome Week is a good way to help students get their college careers started on the right track. It also helps establish a pattern for service that has the potential to stretch beyond the years students will spend at ACU. "This creates easily accessible ways for students to serve God through serving others," she said. "When you start your college career with that frame of mind, it seems to put everything else in perspective." Lectureship 2000 to refocus Christians for God's work in the new millennium The year 2000 will only be about six weeks old when ACU's 82nd annual Bible Lectureship focuses on the theme "Unfinished Business: Challenges for the New Millennium." ACU president Dr. Royce Money ('64) will start the lectures with "A Vision for the Third Millennium" on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. with a keynote address in Moody Coliseum. "It's time the Churches of Christ pull together and make a positive impact on society," Money said. "I hope we can lead the way on such an effort with Lectureship 2000 serving as the starting point." On Monday at 7 p.m., Dr. Jack Reese ('73), dean of the College of Biblical Studies, will present "May It Be According to Your Word." Then, on Tuesday at 7 p.m., Mike Cope, adjunct faculty member in undergraduate Bible and ministry and minister of Abilene's Highland Church of Christ, will present "A Passion for Community." To wrap up the lecture series on Wednesday night in Moody Coliseum, Dr. Ervin Seamster, special consultant to ACU's president, will present "Holy God: Holy People" at 7 p.m. "We specifically chose keynote speakers who have some connection to ACU because we want to send a strong signal that the university will continue to be proactive and visible in re-articulating the ancient Gospel in our time," Money said. Other special events will include: Alumni Day Luncheon, Sunday, Feb. 20, call 800-373-4220 or 915-674-2622 for $10 tickets. Christian Service Luncheon, Monday, Feb. 21, call 915-674-2687 or send email messages to conderd@acu.edu for $10 tickets. Friends of ACU Library Dinner, Monday, Feb. 21, call 915-674-2542 for $10 tickets. Missions Luncheon, Tuesday, Feb. 22; write ACU Box 29433, Abilene, Texas, 79699-9433 for $10 tickets. WACU "For Ladies Only" Dinner, Tuesday, Feb. 22, call 915-672-8265 for $8 tickets. For complete information about Bible Lectureship, see ACU's Web site at www.acu.edu. Page 1 \| Page 2 \| Page 3 \| Page 4

		News \| Sports \| Hilltop View \| Second Glance Back Issues \| Feedback \| Alumni Bookcase \| Tipsheet \| Our Staff .
		Last Update: Sept. 17, 1999 Page maintained by Jeremy Parish, parishj@nicanor.acu.edu Questions to Ron Hadfield, hadfieldr@nicanor.acu.edu http://www.acu.edu/acu-today/fall99/news03.html