Supplying practical opportunities

Christian Service Department strives to place knowledge beyond the classroom

Story by Sheila Proffitt and Tammy Putnam

'C«o-educational liberal arts accredited financial aid NCAA, NAIA, AIAW " In their search for an institution of higher learning, many prospective students from varied backgrounds and interestshave faced decisions influenced by these terms. This terminology iscommon to college catalogs from YaleUniversity tothelocalcommunity college,andChristian colleges are noexception Whythen,isLiberty Baptist College's growth rate higher than the national average, making itoneofthe fastest growing institutions in America today? What is LBC's key to success?

The answer tothisquestion isnottotally dependent on any one aspect of the college, whether itbe academic, athletic or spiritual Perhaps oneofthemost important reasons for LBC's rapid growth lies in itsChristian Service program Thisdepartment was established aspart of an actionoriented curriculum inwhich thestudent can put topractical use what he islearning in theclassroom Initsfamily ofover4,000 members, LBC recognizes that each student isanindividual with a unique personality and diverse talents Forthat reason, over 122 opportunitiesareoffered inwhich one canbecome actively involved.

A student may choose to teach in a

Good News Club, sing on a SMITE team, use hisathletic ability in theMen of Armour orspend the summer discipling others in the inner citiesof the United States Anyone whocarries a load ofseven hours or more isrequired to participate in one aspect ofChristian Service each semester, but many students take several.

The Christian Service involving the largest number ofstudents istheChildren's Ministries These include not only thenurseriesofThomas Road BaptistChurch, but also Neighborhood Evangelism, Special Education, and many others

Some students choose to use theirleadership abilities to make an impact upon theirpeersatLBCbyserving asaResident Assistant,a prayer leader oras a member of the Student Government Association. Those who are musically inclined have the opportunity toaudition forgroups suchas the LBC Marching Band, the Chamber Choir, the Sounds ofLiberty,Youthquest, the TRBC Orchestra and many others

The 1983 school year saw the addition of two newChristian Services,the Liberty Military Ministry andChristian Family Living The Liberty Military Ministry was born out of a desire intheheart of Associate Christian Service Director John Neyman, Jr. to reach those who are serving our country in all branches of the armed forces. A Serviceman's Center in Aberdeen,Md.,serves as the home base forthe work with the Marines andthe Army The outreach tothose inthe Air Force isconducted through the Freedom Baptist Church in Goldsboro, N.C TheNaval Amphibious Base in Norfolk,Va., isalso open to the evangelistic teams Servicemenare encouraged to participate in the Sourceof Life Bible Correspondence Course; over 200 arenow involved.

Interest intheLiberty Military Ministry was built through the Military Emphasis Week observed inthefall semester atLBC. Recruiters from the various branches of the armed forces were on campus along with a Navy security dog team, anAir Force drill team, andan Army parachute team Asa result of the week, severalstudents joined theMilitary Ministry

The Christian Family Living program was designed formarried students, to allow them to minister within their own home Couples work through a devotional guide which includes such topics ascommunication,companionship, finances, and other principles for marriage and family life Over 90 couples participated this year, according toitscoordinator,Michael J Kachura,assistant Christian servicedirector Inaddition to coordinating and supervising service opportunities forall students, the Christian Service department alsohandles the planning and the mechanics of Super Conference The scheduling of the various conferences atTRBC and on Liberty Mountain ismade through theChristian Service staff, as are all registration and housing arrangements. Staff is also in charge ofselling display booths and printing programs, brochures, and allpromotional materials.

"The ultimate purpose ofthe Christian Service Department," according toDr C Sumner Wemp, vice-president forspiritual affairs, "is that every Student will have a successful and enjoyable opportunity to serve theLord while atLiberty."

However, theinfluence of theprogram does notstopattheend ofthe schoolyear. The department provides agraduateplacement service which assists over 100 students per year in finding areas in whichto begin their ministries.Dennis Fields, director ofChristian Service,isresponsible for all correspondence in this aspect of the division.