The recipient of this year’s Zondervan Theology Award was chosen by the members of the Bible and Theology Committee in consultation with the Academic Dean.  Several factors were considered in selecting the recipient - their overall grade point average; the excellence of their grades and performance in their theology courses; and noteworthy achievements that distinguished them in their theological studies.  The first ever recipient of the Zondervan Theology Award was Casey Craigie.  Casey is from Pomeroy, Washington, and is graduating this year with his Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral Studies.  Right after commencement he will marry Rebecca Mobley, who is also graduating from NHCC.  In the Fall, both of them are going to continue their studies at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

The weekend kicked off with a Gala dinner and auction and concluded with a special concert by two-time Dove award winning worship artist, Rachael Lampa. We are happy to report that our goal of $75,000 was exceeded as we raised $115,000 from both events, including a large donation from Open Bible Church’s Pacific Region. Through these efforts, nearly seventy students were able to receive scholarships for their studies at New Hope. The College would like to express its deep gratitude for the great generosity and commitment of all the donors, volunteers and supporters of New Hope who made this event possible.

If you would like to make a donation to New Hope’s Student Scholarship Fund, follow these steps:
1) Click here
2) Click the “Give Online” button
3) Create a donor account
4) Once logged in, select the scholarship fund of your choice from the dropdown menu

“This is a great opportunity for the Foursquare graduates of NHCC,” says Gary Matsdorf, Ministry Leadership Chair at the College.  “While in College, students have limited experience as interns and this is the perfect next step; all of us at NHCC know that pre-service training requires classroom input, personal life development (spiritual formation) and substantial ministry experience to be most effective.”  Residents can choose church planting, senior pastoring, church administration, worship, NextGen ministry, missions or chaplaincy as their resident field of focus.

With a cast of over 40 singers, dancers, and actors, Tarzan® swings into the New Hope Center Auditorium April 19-28th.  Visit the webpage http://www.TarzanEugene.com for tickets and more information about the new Broadway show.

See you in the jungle!

To watch a video about the Maggie May Hope Scholarship click here:

To donate to the Maggie May Hope Scholarship Fund, follow these steps:
1) Click here
2) Click the “Give Online” button
3) Create a donor account
4) Once logged in, select “Maggie May Scholarship Fund” from the dropdown menu

Dr. Brown, who holds a PhD from UCLA and has authored several books including What The Bible Reveals About Heaven and the soon to be released Embracing Grace,  had two main emphases with which he challenged the students and staff—living in God’s grace and ministering it to others rather than living/ministering by the law and the value of the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  “God’s way has always been belief in a promise; our propensity to legalism has caused us to turn it into the need to try to ‘obey’ a promise,” captures just one of Dr. Brown’s many provocative statements.

Regarding the baptism with the Holy Spirit, Dr. Brown gave his personal testimony (having been raised outside the Pentecostal tradition and unaware of this understanding prior to his late teens) and noted several examples of how his understanding of the Spirit’s fullness operating in and through him has shaped his pastoral ministry and brought many freedoms to people they would not have otherwise experienced.  The entire subject was an encouragement to some and a theological and personal challenge to others.  “Though an interdenominational College, NHCC’s historic roots and current ties to two Pentecostal denominations make the topic vitally important in our students’ education.  I am proud of Daniel for tackling the topic with both grace and forthrightness,” says Gary Matsdorf, the College’s Ministry Leadership Chair. 

The two days also included a time of Q & A during which students and staff were afforded opportunity to glean from Dr. Brown’s experience and wisdom on a wide variety of topics from church planting to balancing ministry and one’s personal life.

On a recent recruiting trip to Coralville, Iowa, Sean McCartin, our Athletic Program Manager, hosted a “friends and alumni” of NHCC gathering. It was a time to reminisce about the past, get updates on the present and discuss the vision for the future of New Hope Christian College. All enjoyed hearing or sharing great stories of college experiences of the past. The stories included a few college romances. Three of the couples represented met their spouses in college. Woohoo!

McCartin asked each attendee to share their biggest “take away” from their time in college. Many responded by saying the relationships and sense of community that the College experience fostered were just what they needed at that time in their lives. The College’s commitment to develop a strong biblical worldview was echoed by everyone. Also, there was an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the staff and professors who invested so much of their time to train, educate and equip them for faithful Christian service.

McCartin also asked what they would like to see continue to happen in the future of the College. They responded by saying that a priority of studying the Scriptures that would fuel a continued love for God’s Word and His standards was primary. They also mentioned a desire for unity amongst the students even if they have different denominational or church backgrounds. In addition, they remarked how important it is for our next generation to graduate with a strong fire and passion for God and the mission to take the Gospel worldwide.

There were many laughs and great fellowship, and gift bags from the College were distributed to each participant. All had an enjoyable time. Thanks again to the friends and alumni who came to share together. The team at NHCC is so grateful for our past alumni, those who have set the tone for other young leaders to follow and those who continue to invest into the College and future world leaders for Christ. Blessings!

Representatives from New Hope Christian College returned recently from attending the Annual ABHE Conference in Orlando, Florida (ABHE is the College’s accrediting agency). The conference allows colleges and universities from around the country who are committed to quality biblical higher education to collaborate, exhort, encourage and train together.

Enrollment Growth Award

At the closing celebration banquet, New Hope Christian College (Oregon and Hawaii) were the recipients of the Jonathan N.Thigpien Enrollment Growth Award! In the enrollment category of 200-399, NHCC had the highest enrollment increase percentage of any ABHE institution.  As one of only a few awards given annually by ABHE, we are blessed to have this type of affirmation from our accrediting agency among the nearly 180 colleges and institutes.

While it is not about the “numbers” but more importantly the training up of men and women who will be deployed to change the world for Christ, this award is an affirmation of the hard work and continued efforts of both the Oregon and Hawaii recruitment and admissions’ teams, and all those who love NHCC and act as informal recruiters!

Mobile Classroom Workshop

In addition to receiving the above award, Dr. Aaron Friesen and President Guy Higashi led a workshop entitled, “The Nexus Between Technology and Higher Education” where they discussed NHCC’s use of the flipped classroom concept during the Fall 2012 semester; the flipped classroom creates a mobile classroom experience for student athletes. The workshop encouraged other ABHE schools to think creatively about the “learning event,” so that we can move beyond the traditional classroom to a classroom without walls.

For a video about the mobile classroom at NHCC, click here:

Known as “friend” to Foursquare pastors and national leaders throughout the world, Daniel is one of the most personable, yet provocative, leaders in the international Foursquare family. He gleans thought-provoking as well as practical treasures from the Bible, and expounds them with humor, animation and enthusiasm. His insights about discipleship, church leadership, and Spirit-empowered ministry, couple with his unassuming manner, make him a sought-after speaker around the world.

SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
February 13th - 14th

This schedule is the same for both days of the Spring 2013 Spiritual Leadership Conference

SCHEDULE
8:30 - 9:20am     Worship, Prayer and Communion
9:30 - 10:25am     1st Plenary Session - Daniel Brown
10:25 - 10:45am   Break for refreshments
10:45 - 11:45am   Round table discussions reflecting and applying Daniel’s Message

11:45 - 1:00pm     Break for lunch

1:00 - 1:20pm     Worship
1:20 - 2:00pm     2nd Plenary Session - Daniel Brown
2:20 - 2:30pm     Prayer, Closing and Dismissal
2:45 - 3:45pm     Daniel Brown special Q and A time with Pastoral Ministry Majors

                    *All classes are canceled for both days. Attendance is recorded by scanning proximity cards and is a required component of a student’s Ignite grade.