Front
COLUMBIA
CONTACT Connecting the Columbia Community | FALL ‘13
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK In my former role as Director of the Intercultural Studies program, I had the privilege of meeting with our third year students when they returned from their 8 month or longer cross-cultural internships. Our conversations were full of laughter, frustration, tears and excitement as they recounted their stories. Whether delivering babies as a midwife in India, peace-building in the Philippines, living with Aboriginal people in northern Saskatchewan, caring for orphans in Uganda or church planting in Thailand, all of these students had experienced the “call to care.” What does it mean to be “called to care”? Matthew 9:35-38 provides some insight. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” A simple reading of the text might lead us to conclude that a “call to care” means we, the strong, help the weak, those who are needy. That kind of paternalistic caring has often led to broken relationships, or unhealthy dependency. The kind of care Jesus calls us to display emerges from a deep love for God and for people; it is an unselfish love that recognizes our dependence upon God. At Columbia, we are seeking to encourage Christ-like character transformation in our students, to inspire them to discover their unique call-
ing from God (their vocation), and to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide care that impacts lives and communities at home and all around the globe. Our students are challenged to realize that a “call to care” provides meaning and purpose for life - Frederick Buechner as they follow Jesus. We were not created to focus selfishly on ourselves. Rather, we were created for relationships that matter; relationships that encourage, edify and empower people to experience life as God intended.
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
As you read the alumni stories in the following pages, please consider how you can partner with the Columbia team in providing a quality Biblical higher education for Columbia students. We need and appreciate your prayer and financial support. Together, we are all “called to care”.
Bryan Born President A donation form and postage paid envelope are included for your convenience. A tax receipt will be issued within a week of the receipt of your gift.
this issue. 03. 2013 Graduation Highlights 04. Program Developments 05. Understanding our Culture: Engaging the city
07. Columbia Enrollment Report upcoming events.
09. Why I Give: Stories from donors 11. Soup’s Up! Columbia Alumni making
10/10/13 Annual General Meeting 10/26/13 Columbia Annual Fundraising Dinner
a difference in the world
15. Alumni Updates
02/15/14 Bearcat Breakfast 06/05/14 Columbia Open Golf Tournament
17. Court Highlights: Bearcat Athletics
COVER PHOTO: Earth vs. Industry by Erin Martens | Mixed medium
Erin Martens graduated from Columbia’s Quest program in 2007. She returned the following year to continue her studies and graduated in 2012 with a BA in Worship Arts. Since graduation Erin has continued to develop her passion for the arts focusing on using visual art as a form of worship.
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ur story: Class of 2013 On April 20, 2013 Columbia held its 77th Graduation Ceremony. Friends and family joined together to celebrate the 89 graduates. Ferin Willms, a Biblical Studies graduate, was elected by her peers as Valedictorian and shared words of encouragement and inspiration. Below is an excerpt from her address.
During our time at Columbia, we have all been confronted with the unique story of the Bible. Yahweh did not just give us a holy book of rules and regulations, he gave us a story, his story: the story of Israel, of exiles, of a people reborn, and of our God who actively engages in human history. May we continue the ministry of reconciliation through telling the story, telling our story, and listening to the stories of the world, who are crying out for a “good ending”. May we never be so proud to think we have it all figured out, but may we continually wrestle with the story and may we all become more intimately connected to the story of the Bible and the God who relentlessly pursues us. Ferin Willms’ love of learning and heart for the marginalized, motivated her to pursue Biblical Studies at Columbia, where both her faith and understanding have grown along with the capacity to seek God’s justice by serving incarnationally in her community. Ferin graduated with a BA in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in Community Development and hopes to further her education at the graduate level.
Alumnus of the Year Dr. Ron Penner, Valedictorian of the 1965 MBBI graduating class, was awarded Alumnus of the Year 2013 (left). Ron finished his term as President of Columbia Bible College in December 2012. Columbia’s Faculty is pictured (right) at the Graduation Ceremony.
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PROGRAMS
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTS PRAXIS: Urban Discipleship PRAXIS welcomed 7 new students on campus in September as it launched its inaugural year. PRAXIS is an 8-month certificate program with an emphasis on faith and mission in the urban context. David Warkentin, the program’s director, will teach and lead the group through a variety of urban experiences including a trip to New York City in the spring. In anticipation for the year, one PRAXIS student remarked, “I have been getting extremely excited about seeing how God is going to impact my life even more, but also my fellow students. I am so excited for a small group of people who have a passion for our city and seeing God move in it.” To learn more about PRAXIS visit columbiabc.edu/PRAXIS.
Servant Leadership Program Coming Fall 2015 LEAD will be Columbia’s newest program when it launches as a pilot program in September 2014 with an official launch in 2015. LEAD will be a competency-oriented certificate program that introduces students to transformational servant leadership as a lifestyle. The program will equip and empower young adults to make a positive difference in the lives of others as they become more like Christ and serve others in His name. New leadership courses will be a large part of LEAD’s fall semester and will also serve a role in Columbia’s new Leadership minor. Students will spend the winter semester serving others in a cross-cultural context.
Join us for an African adventure of a lifetime. June 15-30, 2014 Learn more and register today at columbiabc.edu/globequest | 04
understanding culture by David Warkentin
Central to the gospel of Jesus is the call to care – to love God and love others with our
whole selves (Mt. 22:36-40). Yet in a culture as diverse as ours, caring can be an intimidating prospect. How can we care for our neighbour if we don’t understand our neighbour? Yet as any good relational expert will tell you, understanding is caring. One of the ways we care, then, is to better understand our world. Key to living out our faith as followers of Jesus is engaging the world we live in – a world that continues to grow and change in many complex ways. There are many words sociologists use to describe our world: globalization, pluralization, secularization, and urbanization. Over half the world’s population is urban and the percentage is only growing. More than numbers, the urban way of life extends beyond geography to touch all aspects of our world. With our increased technological connectedness, New York pastor Tim Keller observes how “this urbanizing influence now extends far beyond the city limits, affecting even the most rural areas of remote countries” (Center Church, 154). Or as urban expert Ray Bakke declares, “You have an urban future, whether you like it or not” (A Theology As Big As The City, 12). For Christians to care by engaging culture, then, means to engage the city. Cities often represent conflicting realities: hope and despair; poverty and wealth; creativity and uniformity; freedom and judgment; equality and inequality. Amidst such tensions, Christians can feel like “resident aliens” in urban culture (1 Pt. 2:9-12) as we wrestle with how to live in the world but not of the world. It can be difficult to find the relevance of the gospel in the tensions of the city. • Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is mired in addiction and poverty. Rampant drug-use, prostitution, and crime make this appear one of the most hopeless communities in North America. Yet in the midst of such brokenness, a level of community persists among the people – community that brings hope into the pain of their everyday lives. 05 |
• Behind the scenes of Vancouver’s theatre community is a story of passion and creativity – and even deep faith – expressed in a desire to communicate meaning through its art. Such a goal is not easily achieved in an industry often driven by a “what have you done for me lately?” definition of success. Artistry, faith, and integrity aren’t easily shared. • Through the windows of a dilapidated storefront space, a new church attempts to be part of the community. Growth is hard to measure and people are hurting in more ways then they know. But present in the community, worshipping God together, they’ve been able to use their small space as a platform to share their faith, loving and serving their neighbours as best they can. • Surrounded by the typical wealth and influence of a boardroom meeting, individuals seek to integrate faithful living with the challenges of competitive business. While not always convinced faith is welcome in this environment, they are increasingly convinced of the need for the gospel to shape how they participate. For business and faith together, such a tension is palpable. Indeed, Christians are called to care in all these instances. But how do Christians care in the complexity of an urban environment? Christians have answered this question from a variety of perspectives, resulting in a variety of attitudes towards cities and culture in general. Some seek to defend their faith at all costs, particularly when culture opposes Christian values. Others seek to emulate the culture, finding places of common ground as a way to affirm and draw connections to
Christianity. Still others seek to simply withdraw from all that is unholy in our world, instead choosing to become isolated from the culture, free from any worldly temptations. Sadly, these diverse approaches to cultural engagement can become polarizing amongst Christians, while at the same time each communicating an incomplete picture of faith and the gospel. Christians are left fighting amongst themselves and misunderstood by others. In his book To Change the World, James Hunter offers a compelling alternative that applies to how Christians can care in the complexity of urban culture. Not unlike Israel as exiles in Babylon or the early church as a minority in the Roman Empire, 21st century cultural engagement requires a “faithful presence within” (276) – a commitment to not quickly defend, embrace, or withdraw as a way to resolve all the tensions of urban culture and faith. Rather, faithful presence within urban culture actively seeks God’s will in presenting how the gospel itself is about presence – God’s presence with us in Jesus. Such a perspective challenges Christians to face each tension of urban culture, realizing that “accommodation must always be critical and resistance must always be humble” (284). Such is the way of a caring faithful presence – in our lives, in our world, and in our cities. These are the types of issues and experiences David gets to engage with students in PRAXIS: a one-year urban discipleship program where students experience faith, community, and culture in the city. Visit columbiabc.edu/PRAXIS. | 06
REPORTS
ENROLLMENT TRENDS We have kicked off another great year at Columbia and are excited to see the transformation that will take place in each student. Here is a look at our enrollment trends and some quick facts about Columbia.
6 YEAR ENROLLMENT TREND 2008 2009
New Students 199 237
Total 522 530
2010
201
485
2011
202
478
2012
178
416
2013*
165
428
STUDENT BODY APPLICATION PROVINCE
*projected
35% of the student body live in
one of our on-campus Residences with the remaining 65% commuting to school.
48% men 52% women
54% Bachelor of Arts Degrees 23% Diplomas 23% Certificates
STUDENT BODY CHURCH AFFILIATION
Average credit load for a
student is 12 credit hours per semester (approx. 4 classes).
Columbia offers 6 majors and 4 certificate programs. Columbia has over 9000 alumni making a difference around the world. 07 |
* All statistics are based on Winter 2013 Columbia student stats unless otherwise specified.
COST TO EDUCATE Columbia is a not-for-profit academic institution. We would not be able to provide quality Christian education without the generosity of our friends and supporting conferences.
COST TO EDUCATE A STUDENT The cost to educate a student FOR ONE YEAR IS $21,600 for one year is $21,600 Who pays it.
Where it goes.
Donors & Conferences Pay 22% $4,752 Academics 44% ($2,219,000 budget)
Ancillaries Pay 11% $2,376
Students Pay 67% $14,472
Tuition $9,450 Room & Board $5,000
Student Development 22% ($1,046,000 budget)
Facilities 18% ($923,000 budget)
Administration 16% ($820,000 budget)
TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT MILLENNIALS The Millennial generation is generally classified as anyone born between 1983-1999. This generation makes up the majority of Columbia’s student body at 94%. Here are the top 10 facts about Millennials that we found most interesting: 1. By 2014, Millennials will account for 36% of the U.S. workforce and by 2025, they will account for 75% of the global workforce. 2. Over 63% of Millennial workers have a Bachelor’s Degree and are on track with being the most educated generation in history (U.S.). 3. 61% of Millennials are worried about the state of the world and feel personally responsible to make a difference. 4. 81% have donated money, goods or services. 5. The average student carries $12,700 in credit card and other kinds of debt and the average Millennial carries $45,000 in debt. 6. 75% see themselves as authentic and are not willing to compromise their family and personal values. 7. 41% of Millennials have no landline phone at home and rely on their cellphones for communication. 8. 33% of Millennials live in cities and 14% live in rural environments. 9. 84% say that helping to make a positive difference in the world is more important than professional recognition. 10. 65% of Millennials say losing their phone or computer would have a greater negative impact on their daily routine than losing their car. This list was adapted from: http://danschawbel. com/blog/74-of-the-most-interesting-factsabout-the-millennial-generation/.
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FRIENDS
WE GIVE BECAUSE WE CARE
Columbia’s ministry is made possible as people like you partner with Columbia in prayerful and financial support. Our donors come from all walks of life and give in various capacities. From monthly contributions, scholarship sponsorship, and single-time gifts, we have giving options that can fit within your budget and financial means. Please contact development@columbiabc.edu.
2013/14 FUNDRAISING GOAL: $270,000
Why I Give by Kathleen Doll My time at Columbia as a student was a season which God used to shape me and show me His incredible power. I came to the college as a shy and timid kid, and graduated four years later blessed with affirmation of my gifts and my abilities. At Columbia I was given opportunities to try new things, to fail, and to learn from those attempts and mistakes. Now, having worked at the college for 8 years, I am privileged to journey with students; I get to walk alongside them as they come to learn about who they are, the gifts God has given them, and together watch His healing power in our lives, so that we may glorify Him. Graduation day is a bittersweet day for me each year: I am reminded of all God has done in the lives of these students. I am confident He will continue to do great work through their lives as they go forward and I know I will miss their faces around campus. That, however, is the point of Columbia: to equip people in the time we have with them so that they will leave us and be ministers in whatever profession God is leading them to. The ministry of Columbia spreads across the world as graduates follow after Him. This is why I choose to support Columbia financially: I have benefitted personally from the ministry of Columbia, I witness God at work in the lives of students, and I see God’s hand in the futures of our graduates. Kathleen (2004, BA Caregiving & Counselling) has worked at Columbia in the roles of Resident Director, ICS Associate and currently is the Associate Dean of Students.
COLUMBIA’S
ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER We welcome you to join us for the 2013 Columbia Annual Fundraising Dinner on October 26 featuring inspiring stories from Caregiving & Counselling alumni.
“ WHEREVER I GO, WHATEVER I DO, GOD HAS CALLED ME TO LOVE PEOPLE; I AM CALLED TO CARE.” Hannah Toews
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For more information contact Tonia at 604-853-3567 x 528 or development.events@columbiabc.edu TICKETS ARE COMPLIMENTARY RSVP required to reserve your seat.
YEAR TO DATE: $52,000
Join us October 26, 2013
People Assisting Students (PAS) You can bridge the gap between the cost of a Christian education and a student’s ability to pay by offering a scholarship (merit based) or bursary (need based). In the PAS program there is provision to offer a scholarship or bursary with criteria and under a name that is significant to you. It can be set up as an annually funded award or you can give a lump sum as an endowment. Contact Myra Lightheart at 604.853.3567 x 344 or myra.lightheart@columbiabc.edu for assistance in getting started.
Laura Funk received the Temple Family Bursary sponsored by Loren and Caroline Temple for a returning student in the basketball program involved in Youth Work.
Jesse Winger received the J & L Scholarship for Ministry sponsored by Jack and Lena Block for a student called to serve in the local church or parachurch.
Samantha Moldovan received the Spirit of Generosity Award sponsored by Mennonite Foundation Canada.
Columbia Open We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day for our 17th annual Columbia Open Golf Tournament on June 6th, 2013. After an exhilarating day, golfers enjoyed a delicious reception, door prizes and silent auction items. One lucky golfer went home with the President’s prize – a 50” TV! The day came to a close with a testimony from a current Columbia student and an address from President Bryan Born. Thank you to all of our golfers and sponsors - we couldn’t have done it without you!
JOHN REDEKOP
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ALUMNI
soup’s up! How a soup spoon can build community and other ways Columbia grads are making a difference in their world
Soup Ottawa by Jared Klassen
“Community” is one of Columbia’s favourite buzz-words. While it can be easy to throw the word around and risk robbing the term of its value, it is a popular word on campus for good reason: community is a chance to support, challenge, spur on, and demonstrate that you care for one another. I recently started an initiative with a few friends here in Ottawa to show that this city is a caring community. “Soup Ottawa” invites people to share their ideas of how they want to make Ottawa a better place for the people that live here. We’ve organized quarterly evening events as a platform for people from the community to showcase these ideas. 11 |
A sold out crowd in May 2013 ate Grounded soup at Hub Ottawa and raised $970 for a local charity. Everyone is welcome to attend the event to support, encourage, and even fund these initiatives: $10 at the door gets you a chance to interact with the 6 presenters and other creative people while enjoying a tasty bowl of soup (because we all know great ideas are best shared over a meal!). At the end of the evening, everyone votes – with their spoon – on which idea they liked the most. The project with the most votes is awarded 100% of the money collected at the door. Our first event in May had 97 people attend, so $970 was given to a group who wanted to start a street-art project for kids and teenagers in their neighbourhood to take pride in their community and make it beautiful. The truth is, we’re all looking for a place to belong in one way or another. In an age where you may know more about your neighbours through Facebook and Twitter than face-to-face interactions, many people are trying to find more meaningful ways to get connected with the community that surrounds them. We found Soup Ottawa to be a practical way for people to get involved, show that they care, and directly support ideas that make their community a better place. Originally from Abbotsford, Jared Klassen graduated in 2011 with a BA in Biblical Studies, Community Development Emphasis and was 2010/11 Student Council President. Jared has worked with several community development agencies including MB Mission and Mennonite Central Committee. He now works with non-profit agencies in Ottawa, Ontario. For more information about Soup Ottawa visit soupottawa.ca | 12
ALUMNI
The Beautiful Truth by Brittany Cavanaugh
A few years ago while attending Columbia Bible College a dream began to form in my heart. I remember the moment I felt God call me to start something for young women in their 20s; in 2009, this ministry was born. The Beautiful Truth is an eight-week study series that touches on significant issues many college age women deal with. My desire is to bring a deeper understanding of God’s truth about how beautiful we are to those who need it. Our discussions take each lie that women believe about themselves and replace it with God’s truth to instill lasting transformation in our minds. My hope with this program is for women to have a stronger sense of their true beauty that starts from within. This way, we can grasp the unique way that God has created for us to live in freedom. So why do this? Because God has called us to serve others. Not only are we called to love and care for others, we are also called to care for ourselves and love how God created us. It is my desire to bring this truth into the lives of others. Brittany Cavanaugh (Larson) graduated in 2011 with a BA in Youth Work. Currently, she and her husband, Jason (BA Worship Arts, 2010) live in Lynden, WA. For more information about The Beautiful Truth, visit thebeautifultruthblog.blogspot.ca. 13 |
Vancouver’s Downtown East Side by Jordan Shaw
The gift of mercy and grace has often been transformed into the obligation and institution of charity. In Matthew 25:31 and following we are told that the defining mark of those who follow Christ is the act of extending care to the stranger, the weak, and the poor. Because we have given the job of charity to the government and to aid organizations, we as Christians now feel very little need to deal with anyone outside of our social class. Yes, we may still give money, or perhaps volunteer to give out coffee in the park once in a while, but even this we do at arm’s length, unable to look the marginalized in the eyes and tell them that we love them, simply because Jesus loves them. We do a disservice to our fellow human beings, to ourselves, and to our churches by creating distance from personal interaction with the marginalized. The church that forgets what it means to suffer is the church that ceases to be an effective witness for Christ. Not all of us have the ability to leave our homes and move into the slums. But, despite the fact that not all of us know what it feels like to be homeless and forgotten, we all understand what it means to be lonely. We all understand what it means to be unloved. We all have the ability to sit closer to that smelly guy on the bus. Every one of us can reach out across the divide of economy and culture, not to offer a hand up, but just to offer a hand. We all have the ability to engage in small acts of radical love in our local contexts. Being Christ-like doesn’t always mean moving into the slums. But to be Christ-like does mean to open our eyes and our hearts and engage in some way with those that the world considers worthless. Jordan Shaw graduated in 2010 with a BA in Intercultural Studies. Jordan was one of the first ICS students to experience an internship in North America, and spent a year living in slum hotels in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver. Currently employed by the Salvation Army as a resident support worker for people recovering from addiction, Jordan and his wife Carlye now live in the DTES full time. You can connect with Jordan online at faithandfrustration.wordpress.com.
Want to be featured in a future issue of the Columbia Contact? Send us your alumni updates to alumni@columbiabc.edu.
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ALUMNI
ALUMNI UPDATES Send your alumni updates to alumni@columbiabc.edu
FRIESEN | HEIDI [HILDEBRAND] Heidi (2008, Caregiving & Counselling) married Matt Friesen in 2011, and now lives in Winkler, MB where they both grew up. In addition to managing the local Ten Thousand Villages store, Heidi has started an independent fashion brand called Heidiand-Seek Boutique. She creates clothing and accessories for women using entirely re-purposed materials, and 10% of online sales are donated to the Cyrus Centre in Abbotsford. Learn more about Heidi’s designs at heidiandseek.ca.
ROPER | ADAM Since graduation, Adam (2010 BA Youth Work) has been living in a community project with 20+ other people in a renovated hotel in historic downtown Abbotsford. He works with the Fraser Valley Youth Society, a resource-based youth group for minorities. Additionally he is putting the finishing touches on a new book of poetry, to be self-published this fall.
SIMPSON | MIKE Mike (2003 Quest, 2009 BA Worship Arts) is currently completing his final year of graduate studies at Regent College. 15 |
His time there has been spent exploring the juncture of church and world in the Christianity and Culture concentration. Mike has been blessed with the opportunity to serve concomitantly as the Worship Arts Intern at a church in Langley. Such a participation in both ecclesial and academic life has been of great benefit. Over the last few years Mike and his wife have experienced growth in their family, and are now joined by two children - Levi (age 2) and Amelia (age 1). The Simpsons have begun anticipating a time of transition. As contracts come to an end and as graduation looms, they are prayerfully considering where their future might be and what it might entail, all the while seeking to trust in God’s providential care and remembering His countless displays of faithfulness.
SMITH | NATE Nate (2010, BA Intercultural Studies) recently graduated from Asbury University with a Masters of Social Work. He is now a Child & Family Therapist in Kentucky, meeting with the child and/or families four times a week to deal with sexual, physical and psychological issues.
VIS | JEREMY After leaving Columbia, Jeremy (2005 BA Youth Work) found his way into the field of Community Living - a field devoted to supporting people with developmental disabilities. He worked as a Family Support Coordinator for the BC Association for Community Living (now “Inclusion BC”), a provincial advocacy group that advocated with and for people with disabilities and their families to access their rights to full inclusion in BC. Often hearing from families experiencing real crises, the organization helps them in finding their voice. As much as possible, they encourage families to focus on widening their circles of support, reducing the isolation and loneliness that too often accompanies the experience of disability. In September, Jeremy accepted a position as a Compassion Representative for Compassion Canada, supporting their work through recruiting churches and individuals to sponsor children. He is excited to see how this role will help support local churches to be engaged in the business of building God’s kingdom of shalom, both locally and globally!
POTTS | ANDREW & MICHELLE [FROM] Andrew (2003, Worship Arts) and Michelle (attended 1998, ICS) are going to be in Choma, Zambia starting September 2013 with their two children (Kate, age 5 and Malachi, age 2). They are heading there with Mennonite Central Committee’s Global Family Program. Michelle will be working as a teacher mentor and Andrew will be a stay at home dad and may also teach carpentry at a trade school. They will be in Zambia for a three year term. Prayers are appreciated! You can follow Michelle’s blog at offeringupmylife.blogspot.ca and Andrew’s blog at eatabean.blogspot.ca.
COLUMBIA TRANSITIONS KARA BERGSTROM begins her new role as Director of Intercultural Studies this fall. LORRITA BOS is Columbia’s new Service Learning Associate. SHANNA CURTIN became the newest Admissions Advisor at Columbia in June. Shanna graduated in 2012 with a BA in Intercultural Studies. KEERSTIN GIESBRECHT replaces Sheena Nickel as the new Female Residence Director. NATHAN MARTIN joins Columbia from Tyndale University as our new Admissions Coordinator. Nathan comes with a wealth of Admissions experience. ANDREA OLIVIER has joined Columbia’s custodial team. ANGIE SILVEIRA joins our custodial team. BEV TOMLINS joined our Kitchen staff as our newest cook. DAVID WARKENTIN began in May heading up Columbia’s new 1-year discipleship program, PRAXIS. Check out David’s article on pg 05. FERIN WILLMS started her new role as Admissions Advisor in May, after graduating with her BA in Biblical Studies.
COLUMBIA
CONTINUING EDUCATION Discover new and practical applications for the Bible in your life, whatever stage of life you are at. Columbia’s Continuing Education program offers non-credit courses and seminars for those who desire a quality Christian education.
Learn more and register at columbiabc.edu/ConEd
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ATHLETICS
COURT HIGHLIGHTS April Vaandrager (van Wieren) is a fifth year Middle and Team Co-captian for the Columbia Women’s Volleyball Team. After their victory in Provincials, the women’s team went on to place 8th in the CCAA National Championships in 2013. April shared with us the reason she came to Columbia and some of the things she has been learning here. I chose to play at Columbia because I wanted to grow in my faith while playing my favourite sport. I did not know where God would lead me or how I would grow but it has been an incredible journey. I have been able to integrate faith and sport in a way I could not have imagined before coming to Columbia. As a leader, I have tried to follow Jesus’ model of leadership in the way that I conduct myself and interact with my teammates. I have found that using Jesus as a model has changed the way I am able to lead others. After each game last year we started asking opposing teams to pray with us. We would stand side by side in prayer, whether we won or lost, and simply pray. This had a major impact on us, the teams we played, and those around us who witnessed it and I am blessed to be a part of it. God has been teaching me so much over the past three years through my classes, friends, struggles and joys. The biggest lessons have been in trusting in God for everything and the importance of loving others. I have experienced God’s provision in my life and have seen him provide for others. I have also discovered the impact that unconditional love can have on others and it is something I have been trying to incorporate into my life every day. This year I am excited to continue growing in my existing friendships with my teammates and make new ones with this year’s new recruits. I can’t wait to see where and how God will work through us this year to reach others while we play the sport that we love.
BEARCAT HOME GAMES 2013/14 VOLLEYBALL
BASKETBALL
Sept 21 Oct 11 Oct 18-19 Nov 8-9 Nov 23-24 Jan 30 Feb 1 Feb 7-8 Feb 15
Sept 21 Nov 22 Jan 10 Jan 11 Jan 24 Jan 25 Jan 31 Feb 1 Feb 6 Feb 8
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Alumni UFV Cascades Capilano Blues Camosun Chargers COTR Avalanche Douglas Royals Douglas Royals VIU Mariners UFV Cascades
Alumni Kwantlen Eagles VIU Mariners Camosun Chargers Quest Kermodes Capilano Blues Camosun Chargers VIU Mariners Douglas Royals Langara Falcons
Duncan Harrison joined the Columbia team in Spring of 2011 as the Head Coach of Women’s Volleyball. Since that time he has been an inspiration to the team and led them to their first appearance at Nationals this past season. We asked Duncan why he chose to coach at Columbia. Coaching at Columbia allows me a unique opportunity to integrate my love of coaching athletes on the volleyball court with helping student athletes mature in their Christian faith. There are many areas of athletics that are transferable to our everyday tasks and responsibilities. Humility, work ethic, loving others and role acceptance are just a few. It is both challenging and exciting to connect with each of our student athletes, seeking out their specific gifts and passions, and finding ways that their role on the team can transfer to their role as followers of Jesus. One of my fervent beliefs is that we are created for excellence in our chosen fields of study and work. If we are to truly have an impact on non-believers and effectively carry out the great commission, we need to have the respect of those with whom we want to speak. If we are a laughing stock within the athletics community, we cannot expect our opponents to engage in meaningful conversation about our faith. If however, we compete at the highest level and do so with exceptional character and sportsmanship, we will be granted opportunities to share with others and plant the seeds that we are commanded to plant. Competitive athletics is a wonderful stage upon which our student athletes can grow and mature in their faith as they transition from teenagers to young adults, discovering the unique and wonderful calling that God has for their lives.
Women’s Volleyball Team going to Nationals.
BEARCAT BREAKFAST
SAVE THE DATE: FEB 15, 2014 Plan to join us for our Annual Fundraising Bearcat Breakfast as we raise money for Athletic Scholarships that help support our student athletes like April Vaandrager.
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