Bethel University
Bethel Parent
A newsletter for parents of Bethel University students
Students Being Prepared for Equality Ride
Be assured that Bethel is preparing students for Equality Ride, the national bus tour of homosexuality advocates visiting campus on April 18. As you know from Provost Jay Barnes' letter in January, Bethel did not request Equality Ride to visit, but decided to use their presence to help students form a biblical position on homosexuality and learn how to have courteous and civil dialogue with others who hold differing views.
In addition to an intranet site with resources for students, informal classroom and one-on-one discussions, and email communication from the president, students are being offered several opportunities to prepare for the Equality Ride visit:
- A booklet entitled "Homosexuality: A Biblical Perspective." This short work, by Bethel Seminary professors Peter Vogt and Mark Strauss, was distributed to all students just before spring break. It discusses major biblical passages that set the Christian's moral compass in terms of sexual issues. It analyzes how clear passages against homosexuality are misinterpreted, and deconstructs common arguments for accepting gay behavior. Finally, the booklet concludes with a practical and loving response to those who have a homosexual orientation.
- Convocations on March 28. During chapel time, the student body, along with all faculty and staff, gathered in Benson Great Hall to hear President Brushaber and Provost Barnes discuss Equality Ride, how Bethel is choosing to respond and why, and how our community can demonstrate Christian love while holding its ground. That evening, students, faculty, and staff were invited back for an interactive opportunity to ask questions about Equality Ride ranging from theological issues, to logistical plans, to clarifications on Bethel policy.
- Student Life gatherings. In residence halls and other settings for commuter students, the Office of Student Life is hosting small group sessions for students who want to discuss Equality Ride and issues of homosexuality and the Christian faith. The sessions will be facilitated by a team from campus ministries, counseling, and biblical/theological studies for a well-rounded approach. Resident directors (R.D.s) and resident assistants (R.A.s) are also being prepared to have discussions with students about this important issue at any time.
Bethel is finalizing the agenda for the April 18 Equality Ride visit. Preliminary plans call for members of the group to speak in several relevant classes at the invitation of faculty; have lunch with administrators and student leaders; conduct informal presentations; and hold an evening of dialogue with Bethel representatives about academic freedom within Judeo-Christian values.
For more information about the Equality Ride visit, go to the Bethel University home page.
Bethel University: More Than I Dreamed
By Karen Williams, mother of Stephanie '05 and Rob '07
I never dreamed it would be easy to say "goodbye" when my children left for college. But it was easy when Stephanie, my first, left—that is, easy in comparison to saying "goodbye" to her dad who left for heaven just the year before. After that final earthly goodbye to my husband, I was relieved that Stephanie, and two years later Rob, were just going to college. Besides, they were going to Bethel University—a place known for high academic standards and a Christ-centered, vibrant campus life, and it was only 20 minutes from my home! I was thrilled, and yet what they found within their Bethel experience was even more than I dreamed.
My children found a place to belong. Within weeks each got settled into dorms, made new friends, started classes, and got involved in various activities. They became so comfortable in their new life that the word "home" no longer meant the house where I resided, but rather Bethel.
I was amazed that around the end of Stephanie's first year, she asked, "Mom, you know you are my best friend, don't you?" Then, only weeks into his first semester, I received a note of appreciation, an offer of help, a declaration of love, and a bouquet of roses from my son, a dream come true for a mom. Something about Bethel had built this security, and yet encouraged my children to stay involved and reach out to their mother.
Both Stephanie and Rob have succeeded academically, and are being well prepared in their majors. At the same time, both have become involved in numerous campus jobs, extracurricular activities, sports teams, and leadership positions that exposed them to the gifted and godly Bethel staff, coaches, and faculty. The experience they gained, the knowledge they gleaned, and the relationships they built have added many of what I like to call "mini- majors." The investment in my children's college education at Bethel has multiplied into a life experience more valuable than I envisioned.
Currently, Rob, an active junior, is excited about being a resident assistant and helping with student activities. He has been hired to be an assistant resident director next year, and is still sending me flowers. Stephanie is a seminary student. She is also the resident director of Bodien, a freshman dorm.
The one thing I do dream and pray for is that my children will walk with the Lord through and after college. This dream has and is coming true, praise the Lord. Thank you, Bethel University, for creating an environment where, above all, my children can grow in their relationship with our Savior.
We plan to feature more articles by Bethel parents in upcoming issues. Do you have a story that could be considered for this column? Please contact Patty Thomson, Bethel Parent editor, at 651.635.8063, toll free at 800.255.8706, ext. 8063, or via email at p-thomson@bethel.edu.
From the Winds of a Hurricane: Katrina Brings Student to Bethel
Although Hurricane Katrina caused much heartache and loss, some good has come of the devastation. While hurricane winds blew away lives, for some, it also created new opportunities, including an education at Bethel for one displaced New Orleans resident.
When the Category 5 hurricane hit the Gulf Coast states in late August 2005, one of the countless lives turned upside-down was that of New Orleans resident David Armstead, now 19 and a freshman at Bethel.
Prior to the storm, David was serving as a student intern with Urban Impact Ministries (UIM), a Christian outreach to underprivileged youth and families. The organization offers educational programs, leadership programs, Bible studies, youth clubs, camp experiences, and job training assistance in New Orleans.
As a resident assistant living in UIM's Yellow House, David set rules and worked with children participating in outreach efforts such as AWANA or Challenge Circle. He also assisted church youth groups visiting on mission trips. The living quarters of Yellow House provided housing for David until he could transition from taking a few classes to being fully enrolled at the University of New Orleans.
When Katrina struck, David was among 75 people affiliated with Urban Impact who were evacuated from the city. Using three vans, they headed for the John Perkins Ranch in Jackson, Mississippi. From there, the group was shuttled to Hot Springs Village, Ark., a large gated community. Later, he spent time with his mother, who had relocated to Houston, Texas, after the hurricane.
In time, David was back in New Orleans to help with relief efforts, where he reconnected with a team from Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and its pastor for family life, Brad Nelson. The Bethlehem team had visited New Orleans before the storm to work with Urban Impact, and David had formed a friendship with Pastor Nelson, who now urged him to come to Minneapolis and live in Nelson's basement.
While David had heard of Bethel University prior to the storm, it is unlikely he would have predicted enrolling as a freshman this past January. But such a choice seemed like a good fit: both Pastor Nelson '80 and Scott Lundeen '95, the associate director at Urban Impact, who had mentored David, are Bethel alums.
Scott readily encouraged David to attend his alma mater. "Dave is one of our students who is able to work in both the white world and the black world. Bethel will be a very supportive Christian environment. [While there he] can see another part of the country and his perspective will enlarge."
Soon after arriving in Minnesota, David was accepted as a freshman student at Bethel. He is pursuing a business degree with an emphasis on human resource management, with a goal of developing jobs in the urban areas of New Orleans. He is considering a minor in reconciliation studies. David currently works with youth at Bethlehem Baptist.
At Bethel, David has discovered that people are interested in learning more about him.
"It's kind of cool. Everyone wants to hear my story," says David. "It's a way to open eyes about what's going on."
He hasn't been on campus long, but concerning studies, David has two observations: there is much reading to do and "the classes are challenging and make you think."
According to David, his mother's reaction was "My child is going to freeze—and miss that spicy Cajun food!"
Scott Lundeen agrees that good things have come out of a bad situation. "After Hurricane Katrina, churches and Christians have been the heroes. They are reaching out, asking `How can we care for folks?'" says Lundeen. "Brad said, `Let's just bring Dave with us,' and Bethel found ways to get him in. Christians are going to incredible lengths to do what they've been called to do."
All-School Banquet: Get ready, get set…to serve!
This year's All-School Banquet will be held in the Sports Recreation Center (SRC) on Saturday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. Parent volunteers are needed to set up, serve, and clean up after the event.
"I slept and dreamt that life was pleasure; I woke and saw that life was service; I served and discovered that service was pleasure."
— Rabindranath Tagore, East Indian poet, philosopher, and Nobel laureate
Letting Go
By Dan Rotach
Dan Rotach and daughter
Carise '06, pictured in an
early photo, and as they
are today.
Wondering how to face summer once your student returned from school? Read about how one set of parents dealt with change and their daughter's need for independence.
If you look carefully at the front of our home in Forest Lake, MN., there is a casing that marks where the phone lines and equipment are stored. On that casing is the outline of the letter " K. " Sixteen years ago we had to take electrical tape and put a " K " on that casing, indicating where the bus would stop and take our daughter Carise to kindergarten.
I wasn't prepared for the emotional push back: My daughter is going to be in the hands of someone else for half a day.
As we waited for the bus, I cried. This letting go thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. I walked back into the house and noticed that my wife, Judy , was getting in the car.
"Where are you going?" I asked her.
"To follow the bus," she said.
That "Special K" moment was one of many that marked significant transitions that usually had two constants: We had to let go, and she had to grow. And we've been juggling those constants ever since.
We've watched our daughter develop into a fine young woman, full of life and love for God. She will graduate from Bethel University this spring. And those two constants have regularly come into play for four years.
When she would periodically come home for the summer, we wondered what this " letting go " was supposed to look like. She was our daughter, an adult, and yet, she was under our roof for awhile. And she had gotten into some rhythms of life that included:
- a walk with God that was different than mom's or dad's
- a group of friends who were ( and are ) incredibly good for her
- a holy independence that we rejoiced to see, but wondered how we were supposed to deal with
"What time will you be home honey?"
"I don't know. Why? "
"Just wondering."
"Dad don't worry. I'm a big girl now."
Oh yeah. She's right.
The times she spent at home were delightful because we negotiated them. Judy and I would regularly empower Carise to forge decisions on her own, but honor us with the freedom to add input.
And it worked. It worked so well that during a stage of great growth in her life, she chose to study abroad. We couldn't follow the bus to Rome, Italy, but we could put her on the plane knowing we had maintained the delicate balance of being good parents, letting go, and trusting God to continue to mature her.
Transitions are tough. But we learned to regularly negotiate them so we could honor Carise with her own maturing process and still be mom and dad.
Dr. Dan Rotach is a licensed marriage and family therapist. He also is an adjunct assistant professor of psychology at Bethel University, and is serving in campus ministries on an interim basis.
Practical Ideas for Letting Go
- Give them room to make choices—and mistakes. Astronauts aren't the only ones who appreciate space.
- Laundry teaches lessons about life. Avoid the temptation to tidy rooms or do other chores for your son or daughter. When the clean t-shirts run out , they'll head for the Tide.
- Don't sweat the small stuff. When your son and his friends take over the family room and play cards until 2 a.m., and reward your hospitality by wiping out a supply of pizza and soda, tell yourself that this, too, shall pass.
- Hints about getting engaged to some nice Christian girl or Boy? Don't go there.
- Worried that your student may become a member of Bedside Baptist? Be flexible. Students used to attending chapel and Vespers may be drawn to Saturday night worship services.
Hometown News
News releases announcing graduations and Dean's List achievements are distributed to hometown newspapers each semester. The information released includes the student's name, year, major, parents' names, and hometown.
If you haven't yet submitted the name of your local newspaper, please click on the Hometown News Form at www.bethel.edu/parents/hometown-news.html. (Major metropolitan newspapers such as the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press typically do not print these announcements.)
Spring is Coming!
Great events conclude the academic year
by Stephanie Green '08
As the Minnesota cold subsides, the snow melts, and life outdoors exists once again, Bethel students also begin to prepare for upcoming events that come with the warmer winds of spring. These events include Spring Break mission trips, banquets, senior activities, and commencement. With so many activities on the horizon, Bethel students will have many opportunities to look forward to in the coming months.
This year's Spring Break, March 17 to March 27, was a life changing time for many Bethel students as they traveled all over the world, from as far as Guatemala to as nearby as Minneapolis. Regardless of the distance, students were able to involve themselves in ministries and experiences that couldn't be found anywhere else, including street evangelism, building and construction, and the working with the arts community.
In the month of May, more opportunities and events will be available on campus, including the annual All-School Banquet. On Saturday, May 20 at 5:30 p.m., the SRC will be decorated and set for a fun night with friends. The night is made even more special by the presence of parent volunteers.
On May 26, starting at 6 p.m. in the Robertson Center Gym, the Commencement Banquet will honor the class of 2006. The banquet will be held for both seniors and their parents. Following the banquet, the Senior Show will be held in Benson Great Hall at 7:45 p.m. This event is written and performed by seniors.
Reservation forms for the banquet tickets will be mailed in March, and College of Arts & Sciences graduates receive one complimentary ticket courtesy of the Bethel Alumni association.
Finally, on May 27 starting at 9 a.m., Commencement exercise for the class of 2006 will begin in the Benson Great Hall. The event will take place all day in honor and celebration of the graduating class.
Warm days. Banquets, concerts, and the Commencement programs. There is a wonderful season ahead!
Music in the Air
Spring concert preview
by Stephanie Green '08
The season of budding flowers, returning wildlife, and warmer breezes is fast approaching. Throughout the month of May, talented student musicians will be featured in the medley of concerts.
Jazz in the Great Hall will take place on Friday, May 5. Toe-tapping jazz will be the theme of the night. The Jazz Orchestras, directed by Jason Harms, and the Bethel Vocal Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dennis Port, will be featured. The program begins at 7:30 p.m.
On Sunday, May 7 , at 3 p.m., the Bethel Handbell Ensemble and Male Chorus will present a concert in Benson Great Hall. Both groups will perform a spring repertoire.
Classics in the Great Hall is slated for Friday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Benson Great Hall. the Festival Choir, under the direction of Jan Veenker, will perform Te Deum.
On Friday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m., the Jazz Orchestra will give a spring concert in Benson Great Hall. And finally, on Sunday, May 21, at 3 p.m., the Bethel University Orchestras will perform their "Bon Voyage" concert. The orchestras will be on tour to Europe from June1-14.
Baccalaureate Service
A special time for graduates and families
by Nicolle Westlund '09
The Baccalaureate Service, held every spring for graduates, has become one of the most cherished and memorable experiences of the commencement weekend. As students pay tribute to their families, reflect on their time at Bethel, and participate in worship, they also receive a clear message: that they are now called to be servants of God, using their education to tangibly be His hands and feet.
A committee of graduates organizes and plans this optional, but encouraged, service. It is a memorable time to spend with fellow graduates as they move into the next stage of life.
This year's Baccalaureate Service will be held in Benson Great Hall on Sunday, May 28, at 10 a.m.
May Commencement Speaker Announced
Dr. David K. Winter, president emeritus of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif. will be the keynote speaker at the spring Commencement. Winter was Westmont's president from 1976 until 2001.
According to a 1986 survey of higher education officials and scholars who study college presidency, Winter as one of the 100 most effective college leaders in the United States. In 1991 he was a recipient of one of five President Leadership Awards and Grants given nationally by the Knight Foundation. In 1999 the John Templeton Foundation selected Winter as one of 50 college presidents who have exercised leadership in character development.
New Orleans Interim Break Missions Trip
By Nicolle Westlund '09
During interim break, Resident Assistant Paul Berg, his wife Brooke, and a team of seven Bethel students headed to New Orleans to help clean up the catastrophe left by Hurricane Katrina.
Sophomore Michelle Ashford was a part of that team. "Our group focused on gutting the home of a musician named Bill. The bottom portion of his home was destroyed by two feet of standing water. Our job was to carry all appliances, furniture, and belongings to the street curb to be collected by a Bobcat."
Although the hurricane had turned life upside down for Bill, his wife, and their two children and had wiped out their children's toys, a prized record collection, and family heirlooms, Ashford was impressed by their positive attitudes. She recalls that there was an "instant connection" to the family, and that it was "neat to see God work through those relationships."
As volunteers, the Bethel team was challenged by the experience, and by serving, learned what it meant to be God's hands and feet.
"Setting aside my own comfort level for five days seemed to be a small gift when the people of New Orleans hadn't been in their homes for five months," says Ashford.
At night, the Bethel group gathered at a local coffee shop to discuss each day's events. The casual atmosphere encouraged conversations, allowing team members to minister to other residents by listening to them talk about their hurricane experiences.
Although they had traveled south to help build others, members found themselves revitalized. "Though our purpose was to give them hope…our Bethel group walked away being humbled and moved," Ashford reflects. "[The residents of] New Orleans taught us commitment and a sense of community, despite times of great disaster—both of which we strive for in our Christian community."
Gifts Made Valentine's Day Special
Students and faculty alike benefited from the love and generosity of families this past February. Students received a personal note from loved loves and a gift purchased from the Office of Alumni and Parent Services. Proceeds help fund the faculty grant program. Thank you for making your student's Valentine's Day memorable—and for contributing to this important initiative!
Summer Jobs: Just a Click Away
Summer vacation is a great time for students to take a break from studies, spend time with friends and family, and earn money. The Office of Career Services at Bethel offers helpful information, including online job postings and an E-Resume service, for students interested in finding employment. You may view this website at www.bethel.edu/career-services/jobs/index.
Credits
Bethel Parent is published four times a year for parents of Bethel University students. It includes stories about students, information about campus events, and opportunities for involvement at Bethel.
Editor: Patty Thomson
Writers: Stephanie Green '08, Nicolle Westlund '09, Karen Williams, Dr. Dan Rotach
Designer: Thomas Vukelich '82
Staff Photographer: Woody Dahlberg '69