I remember hearing someone say in a change seminar that people do not handle change well. That simply is not true as a universal fact. The truth is some people do not handle some change in some situations well. But as human beings in an ever-changing world we do deal with change. We are resilient and forward-looking. We have to be. We lose jobs, loved ones, and favorite places. We also welcome children into our lives, in-laws, and new opportunities. The weather changes. The markets change. The culture changes. We adapt. We find our way to new ways of doing things. We learn to enjoy memories without dwelling on the loss, explore new dreams, and make the most of new opportunities. We also find ways to keep core commitments and hold fast to our convictions. We remain the same in essential ways while changing in less essential ways. These basic principles and dynamics are true of individuals and institutions. Cairn is no exception. As we begin our celebration of our Centennial Anniversary, I am mindful that our institution has undergone numerous changes while keeping central its commitment to Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture.

Over the course of the next year and a half we will be highlighting our history, new opportunities, and our vision for the next century. From the very modest beginning in 1913, we have been changing, adapting, exploring, and reaching farther without compromising what matters most or apologizing for who we are and what we do.

At the December Commencement Ceremony, I delivered the charge to the graduates. It was an honor to do so at our first commencement under the new name. While more than 2,200 diplomas have been exchanged by alumni since the fall, these December graduates received the first Cairn diplomas as part of a formal ceremony. We have decided to share a portion of that charge with you in this issue. In previous issues you have been given a glimpse of what Cairn looks like, how the new name is being represented, and how the new name embodies our mission, vision, and history. Our prayer is that you will be encouraged now by seeing and reading more of what matters most to this institution and what we envision for our students and the future.

It is a tremendous personal privilege to speak on this occasion, our first commencement under the name, Cairn University. This class of graduates has been witness to many changes here at the University. I have greatly appreciated the maturity and grace they have demonstrated and the support and encouragement they have provided. I look around this gathering and think, “regardless of your program, your degree, or your role we are part of the Cairn community.” Whether you study here, teach here, or serve here, whether you are a member of the staff, the faculty, the administration, the Board; whether you are a volunteer, a supporter, or simply one who has committed a student to the charge of this school, you participate in something truly unique in the academy and I have never been more excited about the University than I am presently. Every day I come to work I am reminded that we are to bear witness and point the way. This is who we are and this is what we do. Walking a Different Path is more than a slogan here. It is a way of life. Your commitment to this institution is evidence of your commitment to the timeless biblical truth that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wis­dom; that God is the source of all truth; and that therefore all learning begins with and is held together by biblical learning.

Walking a Different Path is more than a slogan here. It is a way of life.

I also identify with you personally because I graduated in the middle of the year, as well. It was a little different then. There was no formal ceremony at that time, but I clearly remember the day. It was the final chapel of the semester and Dr. Babb, our former President and now Chancellor, was speaking. He asked those who were graduating to stand and be recognized. We did. Our fellow students applauded. We beamed with pride. Then the two of us sat down.

Today the gathering is much more formal and the number is quite different. There are graduate school candidates, degree completion candidates, as well as undergrads. We come from more varied places, more varied back­grounds, study in more varied majors, and represent more varied generations. The gathering is different, but the charge is the same now as it has been for nearly 100 years. In fact, it is the same as it has been to all like you down through the ages. You have studied, and now you go forth to what God in His providence has prepared for you beyond these walls. Regardless of what is in store for you, regardless of your vocation, regardless of where you will find yourselves across this nation or around the world, you go forth under the sovereign care of God. And on your lips should be a sincere prayer beseeching God to give you strength equal to your task and that He would make you instruments fit for His grasp. You have not been, in fact none of us have been, trained for beds of ease. You have been educated to serve Christ, no matter what your professional major. You have been made ready to live your lives in sacrificial service, fortified by faith, preserved in grace, with eyes directed to the God upon whom your gaze is to be fixed forevermore.

You have been given a tremendous gift. You must now prove yourselves faithful stewards of that which has been entrusted to you. The Bible teaches us that to whom much is given, much is expected. You have been given a biblical education, knowledge of God, yourselves, and the world in which you live, the world which He has made, the world in which you will serve. And you have had impressed upon you and modeled for you the importance of godly living, lifelong learning, and excellence in all you do.

As you go forth from this place, you will enter into what is next, and it will be and should be different because you are different. This is a transformational education. It is centered on Christ and His Word. It is intentionally so and it changes us. So you go now into what is next with all you have learned and become. You don’t need to be taught; only reminded, that ours is a day of tremendous challenges and uncertainty. All around us social, economic, political, and spiritual challenges abound. Humanity experiences every day the effects of sin and the fall. Suffering, loss, poverty, oppression, sickness, and death are part of life in this world. And evil is very real, its presence felt too painfully. Life in this world is not easy. It is a battle, a fierce one, and it will take the whole of you. But you are needed. You have a place to take in it. You must be committed with every fiber of your being to serve Christ, to seek truth, and to stand firm.

Serve Christ

The Christian’s calling is to serve Christ, and to do so well; to walk worthy of Him, wherever, whenever, and whatever the cost. This is not a calling limited to those in fields of exotic, glamorous, or dramatic service. This is the Christian life. We serve Christ. He is our King. We are His servants. We labor for His glory, for the furtherance of His kingdom. This is your calling, Christian, regardless of your vocation. Upon this you must be resolved. Because the battle into which you enter will seek to distract you from that singular purpose. It will bear down upon you in subtle ways via monotony of life and work and in not so subtle ways as you experience tragic or catastrophic circumstances. This is the way life works. Therefore, you must be resolved to serve Christ.

We live in a day and age where living with purpose and sacrificially is not necessarily a very popular idea.

We live in a day and age where living with purpose and sacrificially is not necessarily a very popular idea. Disappointment, disillusionment, and discontentment plague the human condition. We live in a fallen world. But the follower of Christ must nevertheless take up his cross daily and declare with Joshua to all those around him, “Choose you this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” What a sad, pathetic sight it is to see the King’s subjects in rebellion and retreat, walking with no purpose and no passion, apathetic, disconnected, adrift. As faithful stewards, as loyal subjects, and as brave soldiers, resolve first to serve Christ. Do good work. In your homes, communities, churches, schools, organizations, places of business, agencies and practices, and studios. Serve Christ.

Seek Truth

Also you must seek truth. To be a faithful steward of the gift you have been given (your education here) and engage in the battle for hearts and minds, you must be committed to seeking truth. At the very core of your study – no matter what program you were in – has been the greatest of all books, the very revelation of God. As you go forth from here, this cannot change. Do not allow this to have been a temporary commitment. As you serve Christ, who is the truth, the Word made flesh; you must be relentless in your pursuit of truth. You must be people of the Book. It is so easy to be distracted by the things of life, to think that other things are more important, but you must remain committed to being people of the Book.

You must make the study of the Scripture a way of life. To grow in the grace and knowledge of God, to be strengthened in your faith, you must make the Bible a priority. God’s truth must be central in your life. Study it, teach it, hold fast to it, and hold it forth for it is the Word of Life. You will find yourselves in and out of any number of circumstances. Some of you will be in business, some of you will be in social work, education, the arts, ministry, the armed forces, or public service. Some of you will go straight to graduate school; some will take up trades while others become scholars. You must take your place in the body of Christ. You must be a faithful steward of your biblical education. You must teach the Word to your children, friends, colleagues, even strangers. You must teach the Word and make the reading and studying of it central in your life.

There is another idea to seeking truth and I think it is equally important. As Christians and followers and servants of Christ, you must be committed to truth, you must love His Word, and be educated. Particularly, to be biblically minded, well-educated, and professionally competent means that you understand that all truth is God’s truth. Therefore you must be willing to seek it wherever it may be found.

One of the marks of an educated person is the desire to learn more of all that there is to explore. The Christian is to love God and I would assert to serve God with all of their heart, soul, and mind. As educated men and women of God, learning should not cease when there are no more assignments to complete or when there are no more professors looming over you and your calendar is not full of red due dates. It must become a way of life. You must cultivate the life of the mind. Let me encourage you to read widely and with fervor. Make it a way of life. Dialog with and correspond with individuals who will challenge you in your thinking, who will stimulate you in the formation of ideas and understanding of the world. To be a faithful steward of your education you must never let it end. You must seek wisdom and understanding with all that you have and demonstrate to God your love for all He has made by learning all you can of it. He has given you the gift of a mind.

There are those that will tell you truth is a myth. There are many who tear at the notion of truth as though its very existence somehow threatens their own. Information is valued while wisdom mocked. Comfort is more important than truth. You will be assaulted on every side, rest assured. Some will tell you that to survive, the people you serve must be placated, and that truth must be softened because it will not be tolerated. You will be told that to learn, to study, to read and to think when no one is requiring it of you is a waste of time; that those things impede success and acceptance rather than enhance it. Don’t believe it, not for one minute. Truth is more important than any measure of success we can design or devise. Resolve then: seek truth.

Stand Firm

To serve Christ and to seek truth will not be easy. The current flows in the opposite direction. You don’t have to look around very far to see that. To serve Christ and to seek truth is to be pointed upstream. Therefore, you must resolve thirdly: to stand firm. If you resolve first to serve Christ, resolve second to seek truth, resolve third to stand firm. Be assured that God in His grace will sustain you. To serve Christ and seek truth means that it will cost you something. You may be misunderstood, ignored, mocked, ridiculed, or passed over. Or you may lose everything the world holds dear. Still, you are called to stand firm, to keep serving Christ and keep seeking after truth with everything that is in you.

What comfort can there be in this? What comfort can there be in a life of swimming against the current, fighting to keep our legs under us?

Don’t waiver. For as the Psalm says, God is our refuge and our strength. An ever-present help in time of need. What is the comfort in seeking truth and serving Christ? It is this: you will stand firm because God is gracious. He will give you all the strength you need to do exactly what He expects. He never commands us to do anything that He does not empower us to do. If you want to be a person of faith, you must rest in the truth that His grace will sustain you in time of need. His grace is sufficient. We can go forth into battle and we can prove ourselves as faithful stewards because we stand firm in our faith that He is sovereign; that the one with whom we have to do is greater than any circumstance that we encounter or any human failing we possess; that the purposes of God far outweigh the purposes of man; and that His purposes are never thwarted. With that behind you, you can serve Him. With that behind you, you can seek truth. With that behind you, you can stand firm.

To be a faithful steward of your education you must never let it end. You must seek wisdom and understanding with all that you have and demonstrate to God your love for all He has made by learning all you can of it. He has given you the gift of a mind.

Luther, with all the things that were going on around him, stood firm and resolute. He said, “Here I stand. I can do no other.” Luther clung to the promises of Psalm 46 that God was our strength and our refuge. He is our fortress. This is something about which to be excited. Not overwhelmed. The challenges of this world and our day are great; uncertainty is a hard thing. But the opportunities and the potential to make a difference, to be salt and light, to care for those in need, defend those who cannot defend themselves, to shape the thinking of our times, to speak truth in love have never been greater. It is our rightful place to serve our king in this way. And if we truly serve Christ as our king, we recognize that our life is not our own. If we seek truth, we find that his truth abides forever. It is little wonder that Luther found inspiration in Psalm 46 and that his great hymn “A Mighty Fortress” rests upon its teaching. I’ll say this: as you commence, and you go forth from here, be resolved and do not let life deter you from your Christian calling. Be faithful stewards and brave soldiers. Serve Christ, seek truth, stand firm. No matter what the cost. Be of the same mind as Luther, “Be ready and willing – to let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill, His truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.”

What Ellen is doing is in some ways similar to what God does with His human “recreations.” Having rescued us from spiritual death and eternal destruction, He presents us as “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph 2:10). It’s this potential which excites Paul as he writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, “It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This passage appears to be Paul’s central thrust as he deals with the three problems the Thessalonians were facing. In Chapter 1 severe persecution and afflictions threatened to unnerve them. In Chapter 2 false teaching about the day of the Lord threatened to confuse them. In Chapter 3 the undisciplined lives of some threatened to derail them. Paul’s words, about gaining the glory of Christ in 2:13-17, seem to be his primary and unifying exhortation to them.

First he reminds them that, “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2Th 2:13). This “salvation” is much more than simply being “born again.” It’s “deliverance” from the entire realm of their wasted pre-Christian lives. This is evidenced by the fact that this “salvation” is “through the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth.” Indeed, the Greek allows these two phrases to be rendered, “spiritual sanctification,” as in the setting apart of one’s spirit or life, and “truthful (genuine) faith.” Either way, this “salvation” is more than just the salvation from sin “by grace through faith” of Ephesians 2:8-9. It’s a “deliverance” from certain death and destruction unto this marvelous eternal position and purpose which God has intended.

Paul focuses their attention on this ultimate purpose when he adds, “It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2:14). He reminds them that God’s intention is that believers should “acquire” the glory which was secured by his Son.

Paul focuses their attention on this ultimate purpose when he adds, “It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2:14). He reminds them that God’s intention is that believers should “acquire” the glory which was secured by his Son. In Luke 24:26, Jesus said that it was “necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory.” In John 17:5, he prayed, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” In Philippians, Paul wrote, “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (2:9), because “he emptied himself,” and “being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (2:8). Apparently an even greater glory was bestowed upon Jesus because of His humble obedience in fulfilling His Father’s plan.

Amazingly, God’s intention (Heb 2:10) is that all those “born again” into His family should acquire the glory which He has granted to His firstborn son. Paul has already written that they should, “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Th 2:12). In 2 Timothy 2:10, Paul wrote, “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

With this knowledge that we have been called by God to gain the glory of Christ, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to secure this glory by overcoming their circumstances. To those distraught by suffering such severe persecution and suffering, he says, “Stand Firm” because God will judge everyone in righteousness. To those disturbed by false teaching, he says, “Seek Truth” because two things must happen before the day of the Lord can begin – the “departure” (of the Church from the earth, 2:1) and the “revealing” of the Antichrist. To those distressed by the undisciplined lifestyle of believers around them, he says, “Serve Christ” faithfully until the day he returns, regardless of what others do. Paul’s thesis in 2 Thessalonians is “Gaining Christ’s Glory Governs Christian Grit.”

As professors at Cairn, like Paul, we long for our students (and ourselves) to gain Christ’s glory. For some inspiration as to God’s transforming of your life, you might like to visit the Green Lace Lion, in Allentown, NJ, or a shop like it.

Note:

Scripture in this article is taken from the New American Standard Bible.

Can art change the world? Can art change the trajectory of even one life?

My studies at Cairn began with intentions of utilizing my business degree to expand my photography business. Since then, my vision has expanded to combining these disciplines with my artistic abilities (primarily photography and film) in order to provide aid to those in need. This idea was conceived primarily through my involvement with Enactus, a student group committed to using business to provide positive change. Since my freshman year I have assisted in their marketing efforts: creating promotional films, documenting projects, and creating a year-end presentation which resulted in our traveling to Kansas City where we ranked in the Top 16 out of more than 500 teams throughout the USA.

The largest opportunity which has arisen from the relationships I’ve formed at Cairn is my partnership with Bombay Teen Challenge (BTC), a nonprofit organization that works in Asia’s second largest red light district to “rescue and lead women and children out of the darkest parts of society, into the freedom of hope.”

This January I made my second trip to Mumbai, India, to work with BTC by continuing to develop their communications department through hands-on training and discussion. We touched on everything from the basics of filming to the thought-processes required to craft a meaningful story. I have been blessed to see how even my seemingly insignificant efforts with BTC of creating photographs and videos have had a real impact upon shifting people’s paradigms of modern day slavery.

Through the redemption brought forth by the work of BTC, I am again reminded that true art is larger than paintings or photographs – for we are all artists in our own regard. One person uses pixels or paintbrushes, while another may mix spices and meats, and yet another speaks words of encouragement. The true aim of excellent art is to engage another person in some compelling way so that two stories collide, resulting in some radical change – much like our calling as Christians to intentionally live in such a way that our actions reflect the gospel.

Through my experiences at Cairn and Bombay Teen Challenge, I have learned firsthand that the ‘storytellers’ of tomorrow will be ordinary people with ambitious dreams and caring hearts; ethical businessmen, interested teachers, and empathetic counselors – those with the drive and desire to make life – even, perhaps, just one life – better by sharing their art.

Through the cohort at Pan American Christian Academy (PACA) Cairn University brought us, Brazilians, an education of excellence and quality, with the biblical worldview of education in God’s way. It also brought new practices and information about everything that’s occurring in the modern world of education. The University left their “home” and came to “our house” to enable us. What a privilege! What a blessing! This master’s degree in education is a gift from God to us Brazilians! We can see the Lord’s hand moving the heart of every professor who gives their time and travels overseas to teach us valuable lessons and practices for our classrooms.

I have the opportunity to teach the historical facts by integrating them with the Christian worldview that I have learned from the Cairn University professors.

My life, my career and my ministry have been impacted with everything I have learned. All materials are current, lessons are practical, and teachers are highly qualified. As a history teacher, I have the privilege to teach my students to look at the history of humanity from God’s point of view, recognizing that He is the author of history. Students are encouraged to see that the facts and events are results of decisions and actions of people’s acts of obedience or disobedience to God’s standards, and I have the opportunity to teach the historical facts by integrating them with the Christian worldview that I have learned from the Cairn University professors. My classes have improved after each semester of my classes because I get useful and practical tools that can be used immediately. This is the ministry that God has entrusted in my hands and it is up to me to fulfill it with excellence. Professors from Cairn are living examples of excellence. The cohort in Brazil is in the final stretch. We will be taking our last courses this summer and then we will work on our master’s theses. Thank you, Cairn University. I also thank the Pan American Christian Academy for all the support and financial aid. And the verse that comes to my mind is Psalm 116:12 – “What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me?”

In 1963, Herb Purnell and his family moved to a Mien village in the mountains of Northern Thailand. There were no roads, and no vehicles that could handle the terrain; they carried everything up. They had two small children and were expecting their third. Their goal was to learn the Mien language and culture and minister the Word to the believers in the village as they did so. Their time in the village was relatively short – only 14 months – but it was a key part of the work Herb has been doing for nearly sixty years.

Herb graduated from Philadelphia Bible Institute’s three-year Bible certificate program in 1954. “A number of us then went to Wheaton to complete our undergraduate degrees since Wheaton granted PBI graduates two years credit for what we had studied. Thus in five years I was able to complete a major in Bible (PBI) and a major in anthropology (Wheaton). My fiancée graduated from Moody in 1956, and we were married the following week.” The two moved to Hartford, Connecticut where Herb began an M.A. in Linguistics.

The following summer they attended the OMF International Missionary Candidate Course in Philadelphia. “At the end, we were turned down,” says Herb. “That was very painful because our call to missions, to Thailand, and to each other was all through OMF.” After several months of wondering what to do and trying several avenues of ministry, their pastor helped them find a small church in the desert of Arizona to pastor. “The small town had never had a resident pastor, and our church, First Baptist Church of Quartzsite, had twelve people on the membership roll.” After about 15 months of challenging ministry, the Purnells were invited to return to OMF. They were accepted and left for the mission’s international headquarters in Singapore in 1959.

“When we were accepted by OMF and left for Asia, we were not able to say where we felt God was calling us. That country designation was the prerogative of the directors in Singapore. We were designated to the North Thailand field. We obviously had to learn Thai first. Then the field administration designated us to the Mien. But before beginning with Mien, we requested, and were granted, about two years to learn Northern Thai.” Learning Northern Thai was an important step in the process: one needed to pass through Northern Thai villages to get to the Mien areas, the Mien used Northern Thai as one of their trade languages, and the Purnells could use Northern Thai as a bridge language to begin learning Mien.

In 1964, following the 14 months the Purnells spent living in the Mien village, they returned to the United States for an extended furlough. Herb completed his M.A. and a Ph.D. in linguistics, both times using the Mien language as his research area. In 1968, he edited the first Mien-English dictionary, based on material collected by a recently retired OMF missionary and his own files. They returned to Thailand in 1970, but were unable to live in a village. Instead, Herb made frequent short trips and had Mien come and stay in their home so that he could continue to work on the language.

“Because of my field experience in three languages, my academic training in linguistics with a focus on Mien, and my applied linguistic training in helping people learn languages, I became the OMF language consultant for North Thailand. I also traveled to other OMF fields in Asia to evaluate language-learning programs and occasionally put on workshops and to train language supervisors.”

In the early 1980s, the Purnells returned to the United States permanently. Herb was invited to be the chair of the Applied Linguistics and TESOL Department at William Carey International University in Pasadena, California, the academic side of the US Center for World Mission. A few months after arriving, he was asked to minister to a group of Mien who had recently settled in Long Beach. “About that time, the Mien who had settled along the West Coast became interested in writing in the language but realized that the orthographies some of them had used back in Asia were unsuitable here in America. They wanted an orthography that looked more like English and that could help them learn English. Because of my training and experience, I was invited to guide them through the process of developing a new alphabet and way to write their language.”

In 1987, a new dictionary project started. The original goal was to provide a resource for the Bible translation team and for new missionaries learning Mien. “But the dictionary was always done ‘as there was time’ from my regular teaching or research responsibilities. And there were unavoidable gaps: at one point, our house burned and only two copies of the manuscript survived (only because people were late in sending them to me). A friend took the hard copy and reconstituted the database over a seven-month period. There were many starts and stops and hiccups along the way.”

Herb continues, “Some of the work was done by my emailing a draft of a few dozen entries to a retired missionary associate in Ottawa, Canada. The next morning she would telephone another associate, a Mien man in a small village in northern Thailand, often catching him after he had spent a hard day doing farm work or tending his orchard. They would discuss the entries for an hour or so, she would type up their discussion, plus the additions and clarifications they would suggest, and send me an email. Then I would try to formulate new, revised, or enlarged entries based on their information. Another friend, first from China, then from Australia, would Skype me to discuss computer matters that I wanted changed or would email me long lists of entries that I needed to recheck for consistency. Finally, a friend in Bangkok kindly took my ‘Plain-Jane’ manuscript, changed the font and layout, redid my charts and tables, designed a terrific cover, and made the book very attractive. So although I did all the analysis and writing, this was a team project with input from one or the other according to their area of expertise.”

Herb’s passion for the Mien people to know Christ is the heart of his life work. In North America, the Mien community is about 15% Christian and 85% Taoist. Herb hopes that this work may help the community come closer together and open avenues of meaningful communication.During the years of work, the goals for the dictionary changed: the audience expanded from just missionaries to academic researchers who might want to study the Mien language and culture. “But the needs within the Mien community in the US and Canada became the main focus,” says Herb. “The community needed a reference work that would raise the status of their language in school districts and among Americans in general. They also needed a dictionary with a significant amount of traditional culture in it to help their young people improve their knowledge of Mien and their heritage culture. The dictionary is already having a beneficial effect in these areas.” In addition to this, the database can be adapted to be the basis for Mien dictionaries for other languages.

Russ has been working for the past 20 years at Delaware County Christian School (DCCS) as the Director of Advancement. In his time there he directed multi-million dollar capital campaigns and organized large-scale high-profile events. In his time at DCCS he developed and fostered strong partnerships with alumni, parents, the local community, and colleges. Russ developed innovative initiatives that support aggressive fundraising goals and recently directed and completed a $22 million dollar capital campaign for DCCS. This experience will be beneficial to Cairn’s implementation of its Master Facility Plan in the coming years.

Russ holds a B.A. in Education with a Minor in Business and Coaching from Messiah College and an M.S. in Athletic Administration from Temple University. In addition to his Advancement responsibilities at DCCS he also served as the Athletic Director, overseeing the management of a program that included 16 athletic teams.

The importance of being a godly example and of sharing my faith with students and parents became paramount in my life. In all things, I want the Lord to have the glory.

Russ sees his years of employment at Delaware County Christian School as a part of his continuing spiritual formation. “The importance of being a godly example and of sharing my faith with students and parents became paramount in my life. In all things, I want the Lord to have the glory.”

Russ and his wife Linda have two sons who graduated from Delaware County Christian School. Linda is a teacher at DCCS.

Scott Keating, who has served as the Senior Vice President for University Advancement since 2001, in January took a new role as the Executive Director of the Regency Foundation, which is the planned giving arm of the University. He will be working with Russ Nixon and assisting in the University’s Advancement efforts as a Senior Advancement Officer.

Amidst frigid temperatures and brilliant Wisconsin sunshine, over 200 guests gathered to relive a moment in time. For some this included ingesting a few more meals in the camp’s dining hall or the opportunity to strap on cross-country skis or snowshoes to travel the snow-packed trails that surround the idyllic facility. But one reason stood universal for all who returned to the campus: to reconnect with a year that inspired them to deep change and growth.

The weekend itself has been a tradition for the past decade and includes an annual chili supper on Friday, a broomball tournament that same evening, and a hearty brunch on Saturday morning before the group heads off to Ashland, WI, to participate in the annual Book Across the Bay ski race. But last month’s alumni weekend had more…so much more. The campus, filled with 25 years of alumni (nearly every year was represented), was alive with memories and reunions. For many, an opportunity to visit with Mark and Dana Jalovick along with other classmates was reason enough to participate in the event. For others, there was potential for winning a second broomball title (and the opportunity to be the “forever champion”). Still for others, as we continue our journey of faith, just being present at the location that was so influential in our lives and development was a perfect reason to come.

No matter what the rationale for coming, the memories and moments shared were indeed priceless. Alumni had a wonderful opportunity to worship together and to offer public testimony to what God had done in their lives through WWC. As a group, the alumni were given time during a service at Hayward Wesleyan Church to return thanks to the Jalovick family for their dedication to discipleship and their demonstrated perseverance in the oft-difficult role of mentoring college freshmen.

WWC Alumni Weekend 2013 was incredible as we shared together memories and stories of days gone by and as we heard Mark’s excitement as he and Dana look forward to the First Year Programs that he is currently developing and will be overseeing next year on the main campus in Langhorne. Most of all the weekend was filled with rich moments of worship as we saw God in creation, in relationship, and as we testified to His constant provision that has faithfully endured throughout the years since WWC’s inception. Soli Deo Gloria.

Beginning with Commencement in May 2013 and concluding with Commencement 2014, Cairn will be celebrating God’s great faithfulness throughout its history as well as casting a vision for a second century. Throughout the year, there will be concerts, events, lectures, and features in the magazine and on the website that will tell the Cairn story and communicate plans for the future. Homecoming 2013 will be the centerpiece of the year-long celebration. We encourage you to plan now to attend the Centennial Homecoming Celebra­tion the first weekend in October. It will be full of activities you won’t want to miss!

We chose the theme, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” because the University hymn and verse are woven into the life of the school. Through many changes and many challenges the institution has held firm in its conviction that Christ and the Word are to be the center of all we do, and that all that we have been, are now, and will be are a result of God’s grace and great faithfulness. From the institution’s modest beginnings as a Bible institute in the city of Philadelphia Cairn has emerged as a regional private Christian university that calls its students to walk a different path.

As the University celebrates the centennial marker, new opportunities abound and the vision for the future is clear as we seek to fulfill our mission to educate students to serve Christ.

Useful either in a group context or individually, all educators will benefit from this well researched study of education that promotes educational practice that is internally consistent, coherent, and redemptive. MacCullough moves the reader interactively from thoughtful reflection to practical curriculum development.

- Dr. David Wilcox

This winter, the University published By Design: Developing a Philosophy of Education Informed by a Christian Worldview, a book by Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Dr. Marti MacCullough. Dr. MacCullough’s book serves as a guide for pre-service teachers and Christian teachers who have not considered their own practices and beliefs from a Christian worldview.

Dr. D. Bruce Lockerbie, the Chairmain of PAIDEIA, Inc., and the former Dean of Faculty for The Stony Brook School, sets the context for By Design, writing in his review of the text, “Sixty years ago, in The Pattern of God’s Truth, Frank E. Gaebelein revived among evangelical Christians the biblical precept of wholeness or integration, recalling the maxims of the Church Fathers Justin Martyr and Augustine of Hippo and restating their argument in five simple words: ‘All truth is God’s truth.’

“But while Gaebelein’s book created a fresh call for ‘the integration of faith and learning,’ it did not deal with nor advance the metaphor of seeing reality from a particular vantage, which we now know as possessing a specific worldview. For that case to be made, we waited until 1976, when James W. Sire published The Universe Next Door. Since then, a steady wave of books has attempted to define, explain, and give significance to the variety of worldviews competing against a biblically Christian world-and-life view.

“Now Martha E. MacCullough…provides a rare service from a scholar’s desk: She offers essentially her notes, lectures, and exercises given to students who are preparing to follow her vocation as teachers…Her course is an introduction to various philosophies of education, and her premise holds that anyone seeking to develop a philosophy of education must first determine one’s own perspective on life that results in a distinctive worldview.”

In his Foreword to the text, Dr. Todd Williams highlighted Dr. MacCullough’s impact on the University: “Marti’s thumbprints can be found all over the University and upon countless numbers of teachers in both Christian and public education settings. She set the bar high for biblical integration, championed the cause of worldview-based pedagogy, and shaped the educational philosophy of multiple generations of teachers, including many of us who teach now at Cairn. Dr. Marti MacCullough has served with distinction. She taught us all that to teach well and in a manner that is coherent and wholly integrated takes work. It does not happen by accident.”

By Design addresses the felt need Dr. Williams mentions: teaching educators how to teach in a manner that is coherent and wholly integrated. Written for use in the university classroom or by teachers working in the field of education, the book walks the reader through the development of their own philosophy of education, grounded and centered in a Christian worldview.

Dr. David Wilcox, Assistant Vice President for Asia and Latin America with the Association of Christian Schools International, noted the book’s versatility: “Useful either in a group context or individually, all educators will benefit from this well researched study of education that promotes educational practice that is internally consistent, coherent, and redemptive. MacCullough moves the reader interactively from thoughtful reflection to practical curriculum development.”