ETBU Recognizes Graduating Seniors During Ring Blessing Ceremony East Texas Baptist University honored 72 graduating seniors with the presentation of their official ETBU Class Ring. The Ring Blessing was held Monday, November 9, for the December graduates of 2020. Inspired by Deuteronomy 6, the ETBU Ring allows ETBU Alumni to carry and display the love of Christ through the ETBU Ring tradition. “Students, you will be challenged to live out your faith while you wear this ring,” ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn said. “This symbol on your hand is a reminder of your Christcentered educational experience at ETBU, and hopefully, you will use it to create conversations with other people about what faith in Jesus means, and what your ETBU experience meant to you. We are proud of you, we celebrate you, and we are thankful for what God has done and what He will do in your lives.” Read more.
Give Yourself the Gift of Education at ETBU Tyler Beginning in January, ETBU's Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling will be available at ETBU's new location in Tyler. Featuring evening and online courses, this program is perfect for the working professionals seeking to advance their career options. The graduate program also offers a teaching laboratory for students to begin their counseling practical training through supervised internships and clinicals in ETBU's Community Counseling Center, conveniently housed within ETBU Tyler at 1301 South Broadway Avenue in Tyler. To learn more, visit www.ETBU.edu/ETBUTyler.
Students Kickoff the Christmas Season with Holiday Cheer ETBU students got into the Christmas spirit Thursday, November 19 while celebrating the University's annual Christmas on the Hill event. Students enjoyed Christmas carols,
snapped photos with Santa, and heard the telling of the Christmas story by President Blackburn. The University also participated in its fifth annual Operation Christmas Child, an outreach program organized by Samaritan’s Purse. Although the event looked a little different this year due to the pandemic safety protocols, the heart behind it remained the same. The ministry involves filling shoeboxes with small toys, school supplies, and other items that are sent to children all over the world as a Christmas gift and a tangible reminder of God’s love for them. This year, ETBU Residence Life joined Tiger student athletes and other student organizations in the festivities, with each residence hall contributing shoeboxes to the OCC cause. ETBU collected more than 300 boxes, a record for the University. Read more.
Support ETBU while you Shop! Enjoy Black Friday deals and give back to your alma mater at the same time! With Amazon Smile, you can shop and support ETBU. Visit smile.amazon.com and select East Texas Baptist University as your preferred organization. Amazon will then donate 0.5% of your purchases to ETBU at no extra cost to you!
The Great Commission Center As more students are called to Christ-centered education on the Hill, there is a growing urgency for academic space. To meet this need, ETBU has launched its largest fundraising campaign in history to construct The Great Commission Center, which will be the future home to the Fred Hale School of Business, the Great Commission program, and the Office of Career Development. The project will cost $7,500,000. With over $3,700,000 already raised, we are almost halfway there. ETBU received a $1,500,000 challenge grant from the J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation, and we need your help to meet that challenge. We have
until July 2021 to raise an additional $2,300,000 to meet the Mabee challenge. Every dollar toward this goal is significant and moves us forward in faith. Click here to GO with us on our Great Commission call.
Learn More About the GCC Campaign
ETBU Theatre Performs "Spoon River Anthology" ETBU's School of Communication and Performing Arts transported audiences to a nineteenth-century cemetery during their latest production, Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology. The play, based on Masters’ collection of poetry by the same name, was adapted and directed by ETBU senior theatre arts majors Kelley Malin and Karli Hubbert. The collection of free verse, poetic monologues spoken by the interred townsfolk of the Spoon River, Illinois cemetery, ranged from humorous to tragic. Nearly 100 short monologues, brought to life by an ensemble of twelve performers, weave together relationships and a shared narrative featured in Spoon River Anthology. Student director Kelley Malin rose to the challenge provided by the show’s various moving parts to create a cohesive unit with a deeper meaning. Read more.
Happy Thanksgiving from the Hill! On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff of ETBU, we extend to you a heartfelt thank you for your love and support of ETBU and its Christ-centered mission. Our current students are inspired and encouraged by the path forged by East Texas Baptist alumni, and by the care of friends of the University. We thank God for you this Thanksgiving!
Partner with ETBU this #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday is December 1! Support Christian higher education this year by partnering with ETBU to fulfill God's vision for our Great Commission call. Whether you direct your gifts to give to student scholarships, the Blue and Gold Fund, or the construction of the Great Commission Center, every dollar helps ETBU advance the Kingdom of God and equip the next generation of Christian servant leaders. Visit www.ETBU.edu/give to get involved.
ETBU in the News Students Receive Insight and Wisdom during ETBU's Annual Calling Conference ETBU hosted its sixth annual Calling Conference for ETBU students who are drawn to vocational ministry. The conference provided students with a deeper understanding of how to identify and pursue their career callings with opportunities to learn from experienced ministry professionals. Read more.
ETBU Receives $25,000 to Establish Super 1 Foods Endowed Scholarships ETBU recently received $25,000 from Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) to establish an endowed scholarship program. BGC announced the establishment of the “Focus on the Future” scholarship program in partnership with East Texas Baptist University and more than 40 other universities and colleges. Read more.
ETBU Dean Recognized with TACTE Annual Leadership Award John Sargent, Dean of ETBU’s School of Education, received the Texas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (TACTE) Leadership Award during a virtual annual conference on Monday, October 20. The Outstanding Leadership Award is given annually to an educator who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the organization and who is deserving of TACTE recognition for significant contributions to the educator preparation process in Texas. Read more.
For more information please call: Dr. Scott Bryant Vice President for Advancement 903.923.2069 | sbryant@etbu.edu Emily Roberson Director of Alumni Relations and Advancement Communication 903.923.2043 | eroberson@etbu.edu Reid Adams ('19) Advancement Officer 903.923.2070 | reida@etbu.edu
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