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Uniquely Created to Illuminate and Shape the World

Published: April 13, 2021

Uniquely Created to Illuminate and Shape the World

Christians are called to be the light ofthe world a beautiful metaphor that can get lost in the buzz of everyday use and overuse. But what does it mean to be light? Light brings warmth, light gives life, and light shapes the very way we see the world in all of its wonder, hope and beauty. Being light and bringing light brings shape to the world. At Greenville College, we believe that God created each of our students to uniquely shape the world, carrying with them the light of His love. One of the ways we empower students to do this is by connecting them to the church; a beacon of hope to the world.

Pursuit, a touring music ministry comprised of 5 worship bands, provides opportunities for GC students to be light through their musical talents. Teams lead worship on and off campus for churches, camps, retreats and conferences across the United States. This summer 4 Pursuit students traveled to Orlando, Florida for the 2015 General Conference of the Free Methodist Church to lead youth in worship twice daily during the conference. Worship leading is first a spiritual role, then a musical one; a way to serve the body of Christ, explains Paul Sunderland, GC professor and head of our worship arts program.

Internships provide other ways for students to practice and learn what it means to be light in the world, while also gaining valuable experience for their selected fields. Every year faculty members in the Department of Philosophy and Theology work with ministry majors to secure internships with churches and ministries already working as light in the world. This years ministry internships included placements in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Honduras and Nicaragua. At Greenville College we see ministry as a daring adventure in following Jesus. We train our students to courageously and creatively improvise in ministry with an imagination illuminated by the Gospel. These internships offer our ministry majors the experience of applying their theological education their careful thinking about the difference Christ makes in a variety of situations. Whether in Nicaragua or Chicago, these internships provide our students the opportunity to participate in Gods exciting work of reconciliation, shares Assistant Professor of Religion and Director of GCs Ministry Internship Program, Dr. Benjamin Wayman.

Uniquely Created to Illuminate and Shape the World

GC students of all majors are finding ways to be light in the world in the churches and ministries across the globe through semesters abroad. During the summer and fall of 2015, GC students traveled to learn fromand serve alongside the Free Methodist Church in the Dominican Republic, Morocco and Spain; with Students International in Guatemala and Nicaragua; and with United World Missions Avance ministry in Mexico. International opportunities to learn and serve also abound through short-term trips with athletic teams, classes, choirs and other groups across campus to ministries in the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Israel and Nicaragua (just to name a few). We are sending our students to every inhabitable continent of the world, illuminating the places and people they reach with Gods love.

At Greenville College we encourage students to embrace the call of being light, shaping the world and the church in the unique ways God has created them; pointing to the wonder, hope and beauty of His great love.

This article was originally published in the October 2015 Issue of Light + Life Magazine.

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