Stephanie Boegel 
I am a veteran. I spent just over five years on active duty in the United States Army, including a deployment to Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division during the opening year of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Even though I’ve spent 100% of my vocational ministry life in military communities, I have been out of the … Read more
Some lessons stay with a student long after the classroom lights go out. A teacher’s encouragement. A conversation that makes room for a difficult question. A moment when Scripture becomes more than a familiar passage and begins to shape a personal decision. The impact of Christian education grows through experiences like these, connecting what students … Read more
I love the Church. That probably seems like an obvious statement coming from someone who has spent more than two decades in vocational ministry, but I don’t say it casually. I’ve seen enough of the Church to know better. I’ve seen unhealthy churches, and most assuredly, I contributed to some of the unhealth. I’ve watched … Read more
Choosing a university is about more than deciding where to earn a degree. It’s also a decision about the ideas, relationships, and habits that will shape a person’s life. For students who want their education to deepen both their understanding and their Christian convictions, faith-based higher education offers a considerable path forward. Its value reaches … Read more
I have spent a surprising amount of my life on both sides of the table. I’ve been a young soldier receiving an order and a C-suite leader giving one. I’ve been a student wondering why a professor designed an assignment that way, and a professor explaining why I absolutely designed it that way. I’ve sat … Read more
At 52 years old, Karen would have never thought she would be pursuing a college degree, but God had a different plan. She lives in Missouri near Fort Leonard Wood with her husband of 35 years, Greg. With 27 years of experience in the mortgage industry, she helps families find their dream homes. As a … Read more
In 2020 I was selected to be the next President of Manna University. At the time I was a teaching pastor at a local church and adjunct professor to at least five universities. During that sometimes-awkward vocational transition, I learned about the strange vocabulary of higher education: All useful terms that I now use regularly. … Read more
Some of the most important teaching moments in higher education happen outside the classroom. At Manna University, students often reach out to faculty when they encounter academic, personal, technological, or ministry-related challenges. These conversations show why one-on-one mentoring in college can be so important to student success. As a faculty member, I begin by listening … Read more
I greatly dislike brainstorming sessions. I said what I said. Few things frustrate me more than sitting in a room for an hour, filling a whiteboard with ideas, talking about everything we could do, and then walking out without clear action steps, ownership, or follow-through. What did we decide? Who is doing what? When is … Read more
Life is hard. Staying grounded in our faith is hard. Today, there are distractions constantly around us. People are leaving local churches and deconstructing their faith. That’s why it’s so important to be proactive about knowing the why behind the what; knowing why we believe, not just what we believe. It’s not enough to believe … Read more
