When people hear “Christian university,” there’s usually an assumption attached to it. Either it’s all ministry, all theology, and nothing else, or it’s just like any other school with chapel added on the side. The truth is, it depends on the institution. And more importantly, it depends on what the student does with the opportunity. From where I sit, wearing both a veteran’s … Read more
One of the most humbling lessons leadership keeps teaching me is this: being present is not the same thing as paying attention. I can be physically in the room, emotionally invested in the mission, and sincerely committed to people, while still missing what matters most. That realization has shaped how I think about leadership, discernment, and formation more than any leadership … Read more
For Tauri Maldonado, the journey to Manna University began long before she ever enrolled in a class. After moving from Orlando, FL to Fayetteville for her family’s first duty station, she and her husband faced a pivotal decision once he left the military: return “home,” or continue building the community God had begun for them … Read more
There is no shortage of innovation in education today. There would probably be no “Dr. Serrano” without these innovations. I took my first college course by way of correspondence back when I was a private first-class in the US Army. My first Bible college diploma? Earned via distance education. In fact, I earned all of my degrees through online, asynchronous … Read more
As the Student Life Director, I have had the opportunity to be involved in planning and executing multiple types of campus events. From routine student life meetings to immense occasions like Commencement, I’d like to take you behind the scenes of the university and give you some insight into how universities plan events. Event planning in higher education is a team sport. There is a leader directing … Read more
Before we begin a conversation about faith-integrated learning and biblical integration, we should be asking ourselves the question behind the question. What is the purpose of this life? The “Westminster Shorter Catechism” says that the chief end of man, or essentially the core purpose of life, is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”¹ As John Piper … Read more
One of the most underdeveloped leadership skills is not vision, communication, or decisiveness. It is listening. That may sound obvious, but most of us confuse listening with hearing. Hearing is passive. Listening is not. Listening is a discipline, and like all disciplines, it must be practiced, protected, and cultivated over time. In leadership, what we listen to … Read more
“There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.” – Eugene Peterson In the little town of Bethlehem, a man named Jesse had a son named David. As … Read more
Serving as one of many Christian higher education leaders is both a privilege and a responsibility. The sum of all my experiences and reflection leads me to two important conclusions. The first conclusion is for anyone evaluating the historical and spiritual foundations of faith-based education. Christian higher education is built upon the authority of Scripture. One can accept … Read more
“Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.” – Dallas Willard If you look for an excuse, you will find it every time. I know, because I’m an expert in making excuses! I find myself thinking about excuses often. Sometimes it comes up in conversation with people walking through real pain. Sometimes it surfaces when a student is feeling every piece of … Read more
