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Charis Schneeberger Senior Recital

Charis Schneeberger Senior Recital

Calvary University Senior, Charis Schneeberger, invites you to attend her Senior Recital on Saturday, November 18, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. at Blue River Bible Church, 15608 Fairchild Dr, Kansas City, MO 64147.  This is a FREE recital.

Charis is from Raymore, Missouri, majoring in Music Education –Vocal. This degree will prepare her to be certified to teach music at the K-12 level in general and vocal classrooms. Next semester she will continue in her degree program before completing her student teaching in the Spring of 2019. She currently enjoys singing ALL the time, teaching kids to swim, taking classes, and hanging out with friends and family.

Singing since she could talk, Charis has had many opportunities to shape her gift throughout junior high and high school in choirs and vocal ensembles, as well as, the Calvary Choral her first two years as a student. She was also a part of Calvary University’s traveling ensemble, Evidence, for two years. She is so thankful for the progress she has made at Calvary so far and hopes to continue to grow to be the very best she can be for those around her now and her students in the future.

Each Music Major has to perform a final recital as part of their degree requirements; however, even though it is required, it is one of the more fun things Music Seniors get to do for their degree process.  Come hear Charis as she sings a selection of Italian, French, and German composers as well as an American favorite composer.  These selections will delight and entertain you, as well as, give you insight as to the hard work and talent of the music program here at Calvary. University.

 

An Opportunity in Teacher Shortages

An Opportunity in Teacher Shortages

The 2017 “Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listing” has been released by the Department of Education. The news isn’t good. As a nation, we are experiencing a significant shortage of teachers in various subject areas and geographic locations. The news is good. With a teacher shortage comes opportunity.

For years we have heard there is a shortage of math and science teachers. For the 2016-2017 academic year, schools had difficulty filling openings for Math, Science, English, Speech & Theatre, and Social Sciences. Special Education and ESL/ELL continue to be shortage areas. But the really shocking news was that many parts of the nation have a shortage in Elementary Education.

Urban geographic areas have reported shortages of qualified teachers for years. Now shortages are appearing in rural areas as well. The State of Missouri reports shortages in the subject areas listed above as well as a shortage of teachers in over 90 of its 114 counties. Superintendents of rural schools recently reported that they are lucky if they have one qualified applicant per teaching position.

These shortages provide opportunity. In political science, the phrase “power vacuum” refers to a condition “when someone has lost control of something and no one has replaced them.” This phrase has been applied to loss of control by one government which is then replaced by another ideology. Opportunity comes to those who recognize an emptiness and has something to offer in filling the void. This national shortage of teachers creates a power vacuum.

Why should followers of Christ consider becoming teachers to fill this vacuum? Consider these reasons:

  • Opportunity to be a witness in a lost world. Modeling Christ-like behavior within a classroom can be a strong witness to students who have never experienced selfless love, kindness, or forgiveness. While a teacher may not be able to teach Scripture in the public school, he or she can model and teach biblical principles of honesty, fairness, strong work ethic, forgiveness, compassion, and more.
  • Opportunity to engage in spiritual battles. As a follower of Christ, a teacher has the power of the Holy Spirit as a partner in spiritual battle. Every day, Christian teachers pray over their classrooms and students’ desks before the day begins. Prayer journals record needs of each student and praises over progress. The more vessels of the Holy Spirit in a school, the more the light penetrates the darkness.
  • Opportunity to become policy makers. Rather than abandon the public schools, Christ-followers should position themselves to become policy makers. Successful classroom teachers can become educational leaders who set policies for their buildings and districts, administrators, board members, state board of education members, federal lobbyists or employees of the national Department of Education. Experienced classroom teachers can become university teachers and mentor future teachers.

Influencers of a society or culture understand that the greatest impact comes with influencing children. Vladimir Lenin understood this opportunity and is credited with stating, “Give me just one generation of youth, and I’ll transform the whole world.”

Consider of all those children who have no one to influence them for Christ. Become a teacher.

Rose H. Henness is an Associate Professor at Calvary University. She teaches in the Education Department and the Ministry Studies Department. Her special interests are educational technological, education reform, pedagogy, andragogy, discipleship, and women’s studies.

 

 

 

Join the Link Chain!

Join the Link Chain!

Do you remember making construction paper link chains to decorate elementary school classroom? The chains would be draped around the room. But sometimes, in the mornings, a chain would be hanging to the floor because one link had come unglued. A quick repair would have the link chain back to its expansive length again.

I’m reminded of those paper link chains in the theme passage I have chosen for this year.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people, who will also be qualified to teach others. … Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:2, 15 NET)

As Paul realizes his time in ministry is short, he encourages Timothy to continue faithfully in what he has learned from Paul. But the message of Scripture must not end with Timothy! Paul exhorts Timothy to teacher others who then will teach those who follow after him.

Paul’s encouragement to Timothy reminds me of these link chains. Each follower of Christ has a responsibility to learn and then to teach others. This is the only way the truths of Scripture pass from generation to generation. We are part of link chains connecting us back to that small group of apostles who followed Jesus Christ.

Just as importantly, Paul cautions Timothy to accurately handle the truths of Scripture. The phrase “correctly handles” literally means to cut straight like a seamstress cuts fabric straight on the grain or a farmer plants a straight row.

Teachers of God’s Word must not twist it to fit their worldview, but strive to present the Word as God originally meant. Not an easy task thousands of years later in an entirely different culture, but a vitally important task.

So, as this new academic year begins at Calvary I hope you can see yourself in that link chain of teaching God’s Word from one generation to the next. I pray that no matter what your area of study, whether Education, Bible & Theology, or Theatre, you become a student of the Word who correctly handles its truth.

 

 

 

 

 

Portraits of Calvary, October 14, 2016

Portraits of Calvary, October 14, 2016

Education Students Head to Moscow

Tomorrow six students who are studying in the education program here at Calvary are headed to Moscow, Russia.  They, along with Education Department Chair Rose Henness, will be ministering at Hinkson Christian Academy, where Calvary alumni Tim and Karen Hange serve on staff.  The students will be teaching VBS and assisting teachers in the classroom, and they will return to Kansas City on October 22.  Please pray for safety and a time of spiritual and professional growth through this experience.

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Back row (l to r): Laura VanderWoude, Elizabeth Viens, and Melissa Bergthold; Front row (l to r): Charis Schneeberger, Alisha Joyce, and Celeste Williams (Not pictured: Rose Henness)

Sara Klaassen

Alumni Relations Coordinator

 

Upcoming Calvary Events

October 13-16    Theater Production:  Silent Sky

October 21          Clay Shoot

October 25-28     Charles C. Ryrie Lecture Series

November 3        OUTPOUR Youth Pastors’ Conference

November 11      Masterworks Chorus: The Seven Last Words of Christ

Upcoming Volleyball Games

October 14, 5:00 p.m. vs. Faith Baptist Bible at Home

October 15, 12:00 p.m. vs. Emmaus Bible at Home

October 21-22, MCCC Tournament at Manhattan, KS

Upcoming Soccer Games

October 20-22, MCCC Tournament at Moberly, MO

Upcoming Evidence Performances

October 30, 10:30 a.m. at Graham Union Church in Graham, MO

November 6, 10:30 a.m. at Word of Life Community Church in Peculiar, MO

November 6, 6:00 p.m. at Sherwood Bible Church in Kansas City, MO