PHILOSOPHY OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

Transcription

1 PHILOSOPHY OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY College Mission Statement To produce, through collegiate education, biblically competent, culturally aware, maturing servants of Jesus Christ whose love for God, His Word, and people shapes their lives into a transforming force in the church and world. Five elements are essential to this central mission: College Core Values These core values flow out of the mission statement and provide the basis for our philosophy of student development. Biblically Centered The college exists to help equip the church and improve society worldwide by developing biblically competent Christians through quality undergraduate programs. The college affirms that biblical studies are the central integrating factor of all its undergraduate programs. The college requires majors in biblical/theological studies to expose students to the rich heritage of the Christian tradition, the full scope of biblical revelation, and the relevance to Christian mission. Educationally Balanced The college seeks to foster independent, culturally aware, lifelong learners who understand and contribute to society. The college affirms that a substantial component of general education is essential to a balanced, broad-based undergraduate education. The college equips students to develop a balanced worldview that draws from their general education and biblical/theological studies core. The college offers select liberal arts majors to complement theological studies core requirements, to enhance curricular breadth, and to integrate faith and learning. Practically Focused The college values proper integration of knowledge and theory. The college requires a program of practical education and experience, which provides leadership training, ministry skills development, and vocational and career guidance for service in the church and the world. The college offers select ministry majors to complement the theological core, to enrich the general education foundation, and to provide practical expression of a Christian worldview. Faculty Mentored The college selects faculty on the basis of Christian commitment, scholarly competence, and desire for mentoring relationships. The college requires faculty

2 members to provide a model of Christian faith and learning while engaging with students both in and out of the classroom. Spiritually Grounded The college promotes the spiritual and personal development of each student by assisting, counseling, motivating, supervising, and evaluating students as they mature in their Christian faith. The college, as a nondenominational institution, respects the variety of Christian traditions represented among the student body. The college supports the integration of faith, learning, and Christian service as the distinctive feature of Christian higher education. DEVOTIONAL LIFE The book of Revelation speaks of a group of believers who worked hard and maintained correct doctrine, and yet were warned by God s Son for forsaking their first love. In spite of their knowledge and good deeds, they had allowed their hearts to become cold. Multnomah s trustees, faculty, and staff share the conviction that while students need to learn the message of God s Word and the methods of Christian ministry, they must place a high priority on a personal, daily walk with Jesus Christ. Further the following activities provide opportunities for personal and corporate growth and development in spiritual exercises and in the student relationship with God. Chapel To reinforce Multnomah s commitment to the spiritual life of its students, the college family gathers Monday, Thursday, and Friday for morning chapel services. This is an opportunity for the faculty, staff, and students to share in worship and prayer. Various Christian leaders from throughout the United States in addition to Multnomah s own president and deans bring messages of challenge and encouragement from God s Word. Devotions Multnomah s Spiritual Life class, required of all entering freshmen, provides valuable instruction in how to cultivate a personal walk with the Lord. Regular group prayer sessions in the residences offer further spiritual encouragement. Days of Prayer & Praise or Outreach The college family unites on six or seven designated days throughout the school year to join in Scripture reading, singing, testimony, and prayer. Classes are dismissed on these special days as faculty, staff, and students enjoy an uninterrupted time of spiritual reflection and refreshment. One day each semester is an outreach day that combines prayer with engaging in practical service projects in the community. Christian Life Conference Scheduled early in the fall semester, this annual conference helps students gain perspective and spiritual preparation for a year of study and learning. Each year, a devoted Christian leader brings biblical, life-related messages to the new student body.

3 MISSIONS EMPHASIS In the conviction that the field is the world, Multnomah makes every effort to impress students with the need of all the world s peoples for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the salvation available through His name. Classes in personal evangelism and world missions form part of this emphasis. Weekly student ministry assignments bring the need home in a practical, personal way. In addition, the college seeks to consistently present the challenge of missions, both at home and abroad, in a variety of ways. Student World Outreach Team (SWOT) Every Monday, the Student World Outreach Team, a student-body organization led by a student chairman, convenes a chapel to hear a missionary guest, intercede for world missions, or hear about short and long-term opportunities abroad. Periodically, the SWOT team will organize additional meetings in which missionary guests, fellow students, and faculty with cross-cultural experience can update and enlarge the student knowledge of world missions. Multnomah Community Operations (MCO) MCO is a student-led organization that focuses its efforts on the community immediately surrounding the campus. This group coordinates the Days of Outreach as well as several weekly ministries. Annual Missions Conference Multnomah sets aside an entire week of spring semester for students to interface with more than a hundred missionaries representing a wide spectrum of evangelical missionary organizations. The program emphasizes the Bible and missions, the missionary s qualifications and responsibilities, and the missionary enterprise in its various phases at home and abroad. In addition to learning from daily messages, students can discuss methods, problems, and opportunities in missions work through missionary panel sessions, question-and-answer forums, and workshops. RESIDENTIAL LIFE The goal of our Residence Life program is to provide an atmosphere that is conducive to academic, spiritual, and relational growth. Living in community provides the opportunity to develop deep relationships that spur one another on as we seek to exalt His name together. Undergraduate Housing We believe that students living in campus housing enjoy a number of benefits. For example, various studies have shown that students living on campus are more satisfied with their college experience and develop richer friendships than students who commute. We also recognize the legitimacy of older students making their own decisions about their housing preference. With that in mind, single, undergraduate students under the age

4 of 21 and taking at least ten hours of class, are required to live in college residences. Exceptions to this policy may be made if the student is living with parents or is living with relatives at least 30 years old who assume responsibility for the student. Married Student Housing Multnomah is committed to the importance of building strong families. Therefore Multnomah has various houses and apartments for married students. Arrangement for married student housing is provided through the college Student Services Department. STUDENT MINISTRIES Multnomah recognizes that an academic program is not complete without the proper application of classroom knowledge and theory into practical real-life experience. Ultimately, learning is both being and doing. Student Ministries emphasize both "being" and "doing" combining these crucial aspects of one s entire educational process. Multnomah s Student Ministries Department provides students with a wide array of practical, supervised ministry opportunities. The greater-portland area offers a wide diversity of exciting student ministry options. Philosophy of Student Ministries The primary purpose of the Student Ministries department is to provide practical hands-on ministry experiences to train students for a lifetime of fruitful service and ministry. At Multnomah, student ministries are an integral part of the total academic program under the supervision of the academic dean, and are administrated by a team of qualified staff. The Student Ministries Department has created a comprehensive program that gives students meaningful practical-ministry experience. This faculty-approved program has been developed according to the following philosophical and biblical priorities and convictions: All committed Christians will love and serve God and other people. God s primary ministries agency is the local church. People often learn best by doing. Practical education is an integral part of a complete academic program. Personal and ministry-skills development is most effective when it is purposeful, systematic, focused, progressive, and connected to personal or vocational goals. Personal- and ministry-skills development is most effective when guided and stimulated by personal accountability, supervision, mentoring, and evaluation. The Student Ministries Department is committed to the maximum spiritual, personal, and ministry development of each student. Therefore, it desires to assist, counsel, motivate, supervise, and evaluate students to accomplish the following student-related objectives: To serve God and other people. To develop ministry skills and determine personal ministry strengths and gifts. To receive specialized ministry training that correlates their academic degree with real life ministry training.

5 To receive specialized ministry training for those pursuing fulltime vocational ministry. Required Credits Multnomah believes that service to the church of Jesus Christ should be a lifestyle and like all colleges accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education, requires practical field-ministry credit as well as academic credit. For graduation, one nonacademic student ministry credit is earned for an approved ministry performed on a weekly/regular basis and supervised throughout each semester. Student Ministries Opportunities There are many ministry opportunities in the greater-portland area. Every student may select his/her own choice for ministry involvement according to certain guidelines that will qualify for college level ministry credit. Ministries may be in/through local churches (children s, youth, Sunday School, Bible studies, discipleship, leading worship, etc ) or in community related ministry settings (street ministry, school campuses, nursing homes, ethnic groups, International students, etc ), or through creative ministry alternatives submitted to and approved by the Student Ministries department. Student Ministries Labs We provide weekly ministry workshops and labs where students can discuss, interact, problem solve, and pray for their respective ministries. These small groups provide mutual encouragement, training, and stimulation for greater ministry effectiveness and impact as well as spiritual development.