Point Magazine Winter 2011

Fall 2011

M A G A Z I N E

THE BIRD MAN Caring for God’s Creation p. 12

Things to Do in Ketchikan, Alaska p. 23

JAMIE GRACE The Singer-Songwriter Dishes on her Album, Touring, and Serving God on Stage p. 14

12

The Bird Man

14

Rising Star

20

Not Without a Witness

Roy Crowe ’84 felt called to preach, but God led him in a different direction – to the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University.

billy howard photography

Jamie Grace Harper ’12 overcomes her struggle with Tourette Syndrome to become a Christian singer and songwriter with a passion for reaching others for Christ.

John Houchens ’84 travels the world in his work with Walk Thru the Bible, bringing Scripture to far-flung places.

4 5 22

From the President Campus News Class Notes

CONTENTS

2 | POIN T M AG A ZI N E

When the Access program began in summer 2008, no one could’ve foreseen the success it would be. Just three years later, nearly 1,000 working adults are pursuing their dreams of a Christian higher education thanks to Access. The program offers flexibility for those juggling jobs and families, with classes meeting just one night a week (other course work is completed online).

The program is already offered on the East Point campus and at the Peachtree City satellite location. This fall, a November start date is planned for a cohort of students in West Point. Next up for the program is an expansion to a Savannah satellite location. For more information about the program, visit www.point.edu/access. –Sarah Huxford FA LL 2 011 | 3

FROM THE PRESIDENT POIN T M AG AZ I NE Volume 50, Number 2 Fall 2011 EDITOR Sarah G. Huxford

R

ecently, I had the opportunity to speak to 250 business leaders at a Troup County Chamber of Commerce breakfast. My assignment was to share with local community leaders the story of Point University and the progress we are making with our expansion and the relocation of the main campus to West Point. The speech was relatively easy to give, because I get to see that story unfold from the first row. I watch in amazement daily as God continues to show up and to show us the way to truly be a kingdom college training kingdom leaders to impact their culture for Christ.

When I finished my comments in LaGrange, a gentleman at a table near the podium spontaneously asked what this group could do to help, other than praying for us. I started to answer, but was struck by having been asked that question in the midst of a secular event. Finally, I replied that there may be other things that local citizens and business leaders could do for us –help with planning, participate with contributions – but the most important thing is to pray for us. I am increasingly aware that we have taken on a God-sized task, one that can’t be accomplished without God’s provision of wisdom, strength and courage.

As you read this issue of Point Magazine you will be struck with how God is working in the lives of current students and our alumni who are taking very seriously our task of living out the gospel. Whether teaching internationally, releasing a best-selling song, training a raptor, or serving the poor, Point University students and alums are engaging and creating culture for Christ everyday.

So pray. Pray for all involved in our growth and expansion. Pray for strength and courage for all of our faculty and staff, as many are carrying significant loads during this season of transition. Pray for our students, that they will be able to see clearly the vision God is unfolding and will be encouraged to live boldly for him as they face their futures.

Revealing the cross as we go,

Dean C. Collins ’79 President

4 | P OINT M AG A ZI N E

Point Magazine exists to tell Point University’s stories. It is intended to serve as a vehicle for connecting the University’s alumni and friends. For the first 49 volumes of its existence, Point Magazine was known as The Gold & Blue.

The magazine is published by the Communications Office, which retains the right to determine the editorial content and presentation of information contained herein.

Articles or opinion pieces contributed by guest writers do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of Point University and its board of trustees. Point Magazine welcomes reader responses to its content.

Contact Point Magazine: Attn: Point Magazine 2605 Ben Hill Road East Point, GA 30344 404-761-8861 sarah.huxford@point.edu ©2011 Point University

On the cover: Roy Crowe ’78 (Photo by Megan Cobb Hall ’08) Point University’s mission is to educate students for Christ-centered service and leadership throughout the world. Point University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Point.

billy howard photography

“We have taken on a Godsized task, one that can’t be accomplished without God’s provision of wisdom, strength and courage.”

CONTRIBUTORS Megan Cobb Hall ’08 Wye Huxford ’73 Elizabeth Reid ’13 Adam Simons ’10 Jim Street ’74 William Warren ’14

CAMPUS NEWS

Making

morgan harper nichols ’10

T

his fall, Point University welcomed the largest group of first-year and transfer students in its 74-year history, bringing total enrollment to approximately 1,200 students. The new students were also the first to enroll under the name Point University.

Point credits its record fall enrollment to the announcement of the relocation of the traditional campus to West Point, the expansion of its athletic programs, an increased number of majors, and its effectiveness in equipping students to be points of influence in their chosen careers.

“This new growth and direction for Point University reflects our ongoing mission to equip students who are passionate about being points of influence in business, the arts, education, science, athletics and the nonprofit world,” said President Dean Collins ’79.

Many of the new faces on campus belong to student-athletes, including members of the University’s new cross country, football and softball teams. In addition, the University hired seven new full-time faculty members to keep up with enrollment growth.

During August’s orientation weekend, the incoming class bonded over a scav-

enger hunt and an ice cream social hosted by the Student Government Association and Campus Life Ministers.

On Tuesday, after returning students moved back to campus, SGA hosted a carnival picnic on the Roberts Hall lawn, complete Top of page: First-year and transfer students are welcomed by the Point community at convocation; above: Alicia Howwith cotton candy, land ’13, Student Government Association president, reads snow cones and a Scripture during the convocation service. dunking booth.

“It was so nice Signature Voices, Point’s premier to see returning students mingling with vocal group, provided special music. the incoming freshmen, mingling with Wye Huxford ’73 began the convocation the faculty and staff members,” said Jesservice by reminding students of the sie Davis ’10, housing manager. school’s history, and that the vision our After classes on Wednesday morning, founders had for Atlanta Christian Colthe semester officially kicked off with con- lege in 1937 is the same vision held today. vocation. The record enrollment preventHuxford’s welcome led into President ed the entire campus community from Collins’ sermon, which introduced the fitting into Westside Chapel, so shuttles spiritual life theme for the academic year, transported students to the nearby Word “Renewing and Restoring.” of Faith Love Center, which graciously allowed the University to use its sanctuary.

FA LL 2 011 | 5

Evening Chapel Held for Access Students

On October 4, Point ceremonially opened the doors of its Recruitment Center in the heart of downtown West Point, just walking distance from the 507 Building – the future primary academic building of the University. The downtown recruitment office is the hub of Point’s student recruitment operations in the area until fall 2012, when the University officially moves its main campus to West Point.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by several prominent figures in the communities of West Point, Valley and Lanett, as well as many Point faculty and staff. Attendees included the mayors of West Point, Valley and Lanett; Alabama State Representative Richard Laird (grandfather of Stokes Laird ’12, captain of the men’s soccer team at Point); Chambers County Sheriff Sid Lockhart; and long-time supporter and former Point University trustee Smith Lanier.

Speakers included members of the Greater Valley Area and LaGrange/Troup County Chambers of Commerce, Mayor Drew Ferguson of West Point, Mayor Arnold Leak of Valley, Mayor Oscar Crawley of Lanett, and Point University President Dean Collins ’79, as well as other prominent figures in the Greater Valley Area.

President Collins requested that people of faith within the Greater Valley Area remain in prayer for the University 6 | POIN T M AG A ZI N E

as the school tackles the tremendous undertaking of moving campuses. He also stated how welcoming the community has been over the past months, adding, “We already see this as our hometown.”

Collins thanked the community for its overwhelming show of support at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the first home football game on October 1.

Mayor Ferguson expressed support for the University’s move to the area, stating, “Our communities can work together to make great things happen; Point University can be the glue that holds it all together.” Similar thoughts came from Mayors Leak and Crawley.

Toward the end of the ceremony, President Collins cut the ribbon in front of the new Recruitment Center with a pair of oversized blue scissors. The crowd cheered on this new milestone in the University’s relocation to the Greater Valley Area. After the ribbon cutting, Point University staff welcomed the crowd of more than 100 attendees inside the newly opened office for refreshments.

The West Point Recruitment Center will provide Point with a physical location to meet with prospective students and show them around the area. More importantly, however, it operates as a means to reach out to the community at large, and to serve as another location in which Point University can influence culture for Christ.

President Collins gave a brief message based on the biblical passage about David’s desire to build the temple. Just as David faced challenges, all members of the church are confronted with their own challenges in reaching their goals and dreams, Collins said. He encouraged the audience to not worry, reminding them to trust in God to provide for our needs in his timing.

More than 240 students, faculty and staff were in attendance. “It was a defining moment,” says Virginia Prioleau, academic advisor for the Access program. “I think having the opportunity to participate in a corporate worship service here at the University solidifies the reason the students chose to come to Point – and the reason many will stay until they are finished.” Prioleau shared that an evening service had been desired by many students, and they were thrilled to see the idea come to fruition.

Two more Access chapel services are scheduled for this semester, each on a different night of class. Since most students in the Access program are only on campus one evening each week, the schedule will allow for students to attend at least one Access chapel event each semester without having to change their weekly routines.

–William Warren ’14

earl mccarthy; william warren ’14

New Recruitment Center Opens in West Point

Tuesday, September 27, was the first of a series of upcoming chapel services held in the evening for the Access program at Point. The program, held at 8:00 p.m. in the Point dining hall, took place during a break in class time.

Students participated in an engaging time of worship led by traditional students Zach Berry ’13 and Krystle Henderson ’13. An offering was collected for a microfinancing mission in Nairobi, Kenya through the organization Christian Missionary Fellowship International.

Renovations Begin in West Point Construction formally began on the new West Point campus this fall, but not with a ground-breaking ceremony. Rather, since the primary academic and administrative facility is an existing building, the University held a wall-breaking ceremony hosted by Batson-Cook Construction, the company completing the renovations to the 507 Building.

President Dean Collins ’79 and Batson-Cook project executive Paul Meadows signaled the building’s transformation by swinging sledgehammers into a wall, joined by alumni Wye Huxford ’73 and Joey Westbrook ’76.

The 77,000-square-foot building is the former headquarters of textile manufacturing giant West Point-Pepperell. Collins described the future home of Point as symbolic. “West Point-Pepperell served this community as the cornerstone of industry for several generations,” he said. “We are honored to occupy the former corporate headquarters building and hope that Point University will help bring new vitality to this community.” Collins shared plans to incorporate building materials from the local mill as a tribute to the University’s new location, local industry, and the town’s history.

“Batson-Cook is thrilled to be partnered with Point University for this great project,” said Meadows. “There has been a tangible energy and excitement in the air ever since they made the announcement to come here. As a lifelong Valley-area resident, I am personally grateful for the investment Point University is making in our community.”

Westbrook was a surprise guest at the ceremony, having happened to join Huxford in West Point that day for a tour of the new campus. “It was exciting to see the community support for Point University and know the impact that will soon be a reality when students arrive next year,” said Westbrook.

Huxford added, “Being able to be present at the beginning of the renovation process for the 507 Building reminded me that we are in the midst of something bigger than any one of us, or all of us together, can possibly imagine. God is at work at Point University and we have this opportunity to participate in what he is doing. It simply is amazing!”

The wall demolished in the ceremony will be the future home of the writing tutoring room in the Learning Commons. Construction is scheduled to be completed prior to May 1, when faculty and staff will begin to move into the new facility – a process that will span most of the summer months.

In the Classroom COURSE NAME BUS 490: Social Entrepreneurship

megan cobb hall ’08

INSTRUCTOR Todd Weaver, Ph.D., Prof. of Business, and Alan Kemper, Asst. Prof. of Business COURSE SUMMARY This course provides an introduction to a new business model, social entrepreneurship, which involves creating and running a business with the objective of addressing a social problem, like hunger, poverty or illiteracy, instead of making a profit. However, social entrepreneurship is distinct from charities or other nonprofit organizations in that the business is expected to earn enough money to cover its operating costs, rather than relying on charitable giving. Students in the course will learn about the background of social entrepreneurship, practical strategies and tactics for starting and running a social business, and will create a social business plan. A group of them will implement that plan in Ecuador as part of a second, more advanced social entrepreneurship class in the summer term.

SUGGESTED READING Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs, by Muhammad Yunus; Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know, by David Bornstein; Mission, Inc.: The Practitioners Guide to Social Enterprise, by Kevin Lynch.

“I attended a secular university at first, but that wasn’t conducive to my relationship with Christ. I needed a school that aided that aspect of my life, and I felt Point could give me that. After I graduate, I hope to spend at least a year in the mission field before returning to the U.S. to carry out my calling as a pastor.

Point is creating people who will impact the world in a huge way!”

– SHAUN HORNE ’13

YOUR GIFT MATTERS. Point University’s purpose is to equip students to influence culture for Christ in all spheres of life – through church, business, government, arts and entertainment, education, media and family.

You’ll meet alumni and students throughout this year who are doing just that. But we need your help to provide students with every opportunity to pursue God’s calling on their lives. Approximately 95 percent of Point University students rely on financial aid to make their dreams of a Christian higher education a reality. You have the ability to make a difference – to change the world by impacting the lives of these students. Please support

Point University students by making a gift today.

P O I N T. E D U /G I V E FA LL 2 011 | 7

Point Holds Ninth Semiannual Ministry Day Each semester since spring 2006, Point University has taken a day off from the academic routines of college life to go out into various communities and serve in the name of Christ. This has proven not only to be a day of service, but also a day of learning. Though not in a classroom, sitting at a desk and taking notes, a lot of learning takes place on ministry day – for students, faculty and staff members.

On October 18, by 8:30 a.m., Point vans, faculty cars, student cars, and any other kind of transportation we could find were leaving campus, headed to points all over the place. More than 300 people were involved in following the model of Jesus, who declared that “he came to wait on tables, not be waited on at tables.” (Mark 10:45) We went to some of the places we’ve gone since the first ministry day, City of Refuge being among them. This inner-city mission was the first to invite us to come and spend a day serving. Seth Lingenfelter ’09 was a part of our first ministry day, and is now a ministry leader at City of Refuge.

We also went to Woodland Christian Camp, where Joey Westbrook ’76 leads a staff made up of many of our graduates. Located near Woodland, another camp, God’s Farm, has been on our list for several semesters now.

A new place on the list this year was Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC) in Stone Mountain, Ga. Founded by Ed Butchart ’89, FODAC rehabs wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds and the like, as well as serving in other ministry areas.

Will Sexton ’09, minister of Shady Grove Christian Church in Opelika, Ala., called the Student Development Office last spring to say that he would love to help us with ministry day and would coordinate teams serving in his area as well. We sent several groups his way, as well as groups to West Point, Lanett, and Valley. In addition, a team of students worked with Bob McGuire ’78 and the East Point Clean City group.

Our spiritual formation theme for the year, Renewing and Restoring: How Things Ought to Be, was modeled over and over by our students on October 18. To hear students talking about their experiences, see them go back to where they served to continue volunteering, and simply observe them at work is a great testimony to how God is working on this campus!

– Wye Huxford ’73

8 | POIN T M AG A ZI N E

Hidden on a hill behind the trees on Dodson Drive is a landmark in the history of Point University – a landmark many do not even know exists, and of which even more do not know the history. But to many who have spent time at Point University, this house is a symbol. Not only is the quaint house a historical marker, it is also a representation of how the University itself has managed to remain rooted to its historical mission while growing to meet the demands of a thriving, exciting community of students, faculty and staff.

The history of 2495 Dodson Drive, known to many within the University community as “the Redmon House,” began in the late 1940s, when a small concrete block home was built while Dr. Orvel Crowder was president of what was then Atlanta Christian College. He and his wife, Anna, lived in the humble dwelling at the top of the knoll for roughly seven years. From this location, the Crowders enjoyed an excellent view of the original campus, which had a rural flair due to its fields, an orchard, and even cows and chickens. This small farm not only provided meals for the student body, but also job opportunities for students while living on campus.

After the Crowders, the house became the residence for Dr. James C. Redmon and his family. Dr. Redmon had served the college in various roles in earlier years, including as instructor and the first basketball coach. In 1955, Redmon, his wife Irma, and their three Top: The Redmon House as children returned to East Point after over a decade of ministry in other states. He served as pictured in a 1953 yearbook; president for more than 20 years (1955-78), liv- bottom: The House today. ing in the house on the knoll the entire time.

During the years of his presidency, the house was gradually transformed into its current appearance. A spacious master bedroom was added to the back of the house, the front porch was enclosed, and brick overlays were placed on the original concrete block exterior walls, in order to blend with the other residences being built in the area.

After Redmon’s retirement, he and his wife continued to use the home as their personal residence. Following her husband’s death in 1996, Mrs. Redmon continued to live in the home until her passing in 2002. Since the family had made the house their home for more than 47 years, the designation “the Redmon House” is still in use today.

In recent years, the Redmon House has primarily been used for weeks or months at a time by missionaries who are passing through or on sabbatical. Student families have occasionally lived in the home as well. However, due to the rapid growth of the student body, eight young men now call the Redmon House their Point University home.

The patchwork-quilt-style layout of the house, with its furnishings that combine pieces of many different origins, come together to create a sense of unity and belonging. These visible qualities parallel the way many students, past and present, feel about the way Point University is impacting the culture we live in. Point is made up of people from many different backgrounds and cultures; yet somehow, the student body meshes so well together that it is not just a University – it’s a family. Through all the changes that have been made on campus, small and large, the Redmon House has withstood the biggest challenge of all: time.

- William Warren ’14

desiree west-mccarty; william warren ’14

House preserves past and embodies future of University

megan cobb hall ’08; william warren ’14; morgan harper nichols ’10

HOMECOMING For many in the Point University community, Homecoming holds a special place in their hearts. It offers alumni and friends of the University the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and teachers, and also to reminisce about times past. But Homecoming isn’t limited to looking back; it also allows members of the Point alumni family to look forward and see how their legacy is directly impacting the future of the University.

This year was the last Homecoming on the historic East Point campus. The festivities began Thursday evening with the traditional Fifty-Year Club Dinner, which was attended by nearly 25 club members. An alumni worship service followed in the chapel, including performances by the Concert Choir and Signature Voices, Point’s premier vocal ensemble.

The new alma mater for Point University debuted at the worship service as well. Alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the University rose together to sing the historic ACC alma mater, followed by the introduction of the new

version. A combination of alumni, faculty and staff were all involved in composing the new alma mater, including Lanier Motes ’02, Dr. Dennis Glenn and Michael Plank ’92.

During the worship service, Peggy Block Pennington, wife of the late Jack Pennington ’52, was honored for her service to Point as an instructor, dean of women, accompanist, and director of a trio ensemble in the 1950s. After ministering to several congregations in southern Illinois, Pennington and her husband moved to what is now Zimbabwe where they served on the mission field for 35 years.

Following the service, more than a hundred people attended a reception in the Hathcock Center. At Friday night’s celebration dinner, more than 200 were in attendance, and on Saturday, approximately 60 alumni visited West Point, Ga., to tour the future campus of the University. Pam Ross ’78, director of alumni relations, says, “It was an awesome experience to see so many people catch a vision for the future of our beloved school.”

Top left: President Collins presents an award to Peggy Pennington; above, alumni enjoyed the Fifty-Year Club Dinner, fellowship, a tour of the West Point campus, and more during Homecoming weekend.

Homecoming 2011 was a time of reflecting on wonderful memories as well as seeing a glimpse of future opportunities. Next year, Point will host Homecoming in West Point as a celebration of the University’s 75th anniversary.

Point University’s Alma Mater presented at Homecoming 2011 Hail, to thee, our Alma Mater, Cherished Gold and Blue, For teaching us to lead and serve And to God’s Word be true.

Lifting high the cross of Christ, Our faithful legacy; From east to west, our song shall be, “We are Point University.”

IN BRIEF Business majors Lisa Gantt ’13 and Deene Taylor ’13 were awarded scholarships to attend the Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership in Blue Ridge, N.C. Professor Alan Kemper, who serves on the board of the conference, also attended, and Emma Morris, vice president of advancement, led a breakout session.

A team of Point business students, including Stefanie Chastain ’12, Lisa Gantt ’13, Stephen Lipham ’12, Brandi Schock ’12, and Deene Taylor ’13, competed with 38 other collegiate teams from Georgia in the Social Business and Microcredit Forum in October. The team’s idea involved using aquaponics to feed residents

of homeless shelters and training shelter residents to grow and market food to local markets and restaurants. Gantt, Lipham and Taylor presented their idea at the forum, and although they did not win the competition, their idea was well received.

FA LL 2 011 | 9

Point Football Kicks Off Its First Season

10 | POIN T M AG A ZI NE

which also streamed the broadcast online for out-of-town listeners. Point students were perhaps the most excited spectators, rushing onto the field after the final play to celebrate with their classmates.

“Overall, we are proud of how the event played out,” said Kevin Porter, athletic director and head football coach.

“As a University, we were anxious leading up to the game. We have never had a home football game, and there are a lot of moving parts.”

“I think it was obvious from the beginning that our team was feeding off of the energy of the crowd, and that energy boost seemed to carry us throughout the game,” Porter added. “We all know that football in the South is king. To be able to win our home opener in front of an enthusiastic crowd gives us great momentum as we prepare to move part of our campus from East Point to West Point.”

The following Saturday, the team closed out the season by defeating Gray Military Academy, 21-14.

The athletic department at Point has great plans to use each of the University’s athletic programs to impact the community at large. “We hope to use all of our athletic programs as a vehicle to rally the community and to model the Christian vision and mission of Point University,” Porter explained. “And we look forward to many more great Saturdays of college football in the Greater Valley area.”

IN BRIEF MEN’S SOCCER One of the most tal-

ented teams in recent memory at Point, men’s soccer clinched the number one seed in the region for the regular season, losing to two-time defending national champions Clearwater by a score of 1-0 in the championship game of the region tournament. Although this loss eliminated the team’s chance at a national title, it was still a positive year, with a record of 10-6-1. Luke McLendon ’12, Stokes Laird ’13, Levi Harville ’13, and Avery Alderman ’15 were named to the all-region first team, while Tony Olvera ’15, Federico DeAramburu ’15, Rene Real ’15 and Guadalupe Hernandez ’15 were selected to the all-region second team. The team has a promising future, thanks to a lot of young talent and only one graduating senior (McLendon).

william warren ’14

The inaugural season for the Point University football team ended on a high note, with two big victories in Valley in front of Point’s home crowd.

As a first-year program, the football team competed as a club sport and finished the season with a record of 2-5.

However, the young team improved with each game and has a strong foundation to build on for next season. The defense established itself well and shows signs of promise. The coaching staff expects big things from this year’s recruiting class, as well as a large number of expected transfers, all of whom will fill vital roles on the field.

On October 1, the team celebrated a crushing victory at its first-ever home game in Valley, Ala., defeating Columbus State University 52-12. Fans from both the main campus and the local community filled the stands of Ram Stadium, which on Friday nights serves as the home field for Valley High School’s football team. The Admission Office also held its first Open House in the Greater Valley area that day, with prospective students – and student-athletes – enjoying the excitement of the first home game.

Valley High’s marching band and cheerleaders were there to encourage and support the team, and two local television stations broadcast the game live. Play-by-play radio coverage aired on local country station 100.9 The Bull,

megan cobb hall ’08

New mascot announced

Above left, student-athletes introduced the new mascot to their classmates after chapel; above right, Deene Taylor ’13 shows off her new Skyhawk shirt.

the Point community celebrated yet another first this fall when its new sports mascot was unveiled. Several student athletes debuted the Skyhawk as the new rallying symbol for Point.

“In this season of new beginnings for Point University and with the coming transition to a higher level of athletic competition in the NAIA, it’s only fitting that the mascot be recreated to reflect the new character of the school,” said President Dean Collins ’79.

Athletic director and head football coach Kevin Porter said, “The name and

visual representation of the Skyhawk is strong, intense and bold – it captures the attitude and significance of sports at Point, where our students seek to be points of influence for Christ on the field, in the classroom, and in the world.”

The mascot choice provides a subtle nod to the school’s first, unofficial mascot from the late 1940s: the Sky Pilots, a slang term or nickname for military chaplains during World War II. Skyhawk is also the name of a carriercapable ground-attack military aircraft, which evoked thoughts of fierceness and

intensity among the coaches and studentathletes who selected the mascot.

“I, along with my fellow students at Point University, want to be a point of influence for Christ in our world, whether it’s through the way we play sports, do our schoolwork or ultimately function in our careers,” said basketball player Tory Wooley ’12, who helped select the new mascot. “I’m excited about the Skyhawk and the heightened level of competition and excellence at Point. I hope our other teams can develop into national champions, like our baseball team in 2010.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER The women’s

to the national tournament in Kissimmee, Fla. The team received the number one seed in the tournament, with a bye in the first round. On November 10, the Skyhawks defeated North Central University 1-0 in the second round. At press time, the team was moving on to the national championship game on Saturday, November 12. Check the Point website at point.edu/sports for updates on the championship game.

the runners put in the necessary work that is needed to improve over the next several months, and with the addition of some new recruits, Point has the potential to have a special season in both men’s and women’s cross country next year and in the years to come.”

soccer team also had one of its most successful seasons in the school’s history, winning the South Region Championship. At press time, they were ranked second in the NCCAA Division II, with a record of 13-5-1. Jill Hamilton ’13 was named the South Region Player of the Year and was also named to the all-region first team, along with Brandi Schock ’12, Nery Martinez ’15 and Wendy Mendoza ’14. Danielle Purvine ’12, Ashley Ventura ’14 and Katie Barsotti ’15 were named to the all-region second team. Head Coach Randy Douglas was voted Coach of the Year for the South Region.

Seniors Kathryn St. Pierre ’12, Schock, Rachel Sanchez ’12, Amber Brenton ’12 and Purvine got to end their college soccer careers with a trip

CROSS COUNTRY Football wasn’t

the only sport making its debut at Point this fall – the cross country team also took to the course for the first time, with a total of nine runners. “I was very pleased with the effort and the continued improvement of the men’s and women’s cross country team this past fall,” said Head Coach Mike Caldwell. “If

VOLLEYBALL The Skyhawk volleyball

team improved greatly over last season. Despite only having seven players, they surprised many teams and had a few upsets this year, finishing with a record of 5-16. Yolanda Marroquin ’13 was named to the all-region second team.

Losing two seniors – Stefanie Chastain ’12 and Tyler Blount ’12 – the Skyhawks will need some key recruits for next season in order to continue to build the program.

FA LL 2 011 | 11

Roy Crowe ’78 uses his passion for God’s creation in a unique way

THE BIRD MAN It’s an interesting thing to realize that someone has a life outside of his or her relationship to you: teachers do more than teach, the man you order your pizza from has a wife and children, and Roy Crowe ’78 is more than just my uncle: he’s a preacher, a falconer, a husband and a father. The nature of our relationship prevents me from maintaining any journalistic distance from this subject, but I’m confident that of all the roles Roy Crowe plays to his friends, family, and coworkers, the common thread throughout is a passionate and dedicated relationship with Christ.

Roy Crowe is my mother’s nextoldest brother. He and my mother, Mary Crowe Reid ’80, were close growing up, and this closeness continued into adulthood. My memories of him involve things like spelunking on the ridge at my grandparents’ house, coming home so covered in mud my grandmother wouldn’t let us inside. I have heard him preach the gospel with words and actions; I’ve had coffee with him early 12 | P OINT M AG A ZI NE

in the morning and discussed God and the Bible and the tension where the two intersect with our human impulses.

When talking about his time at what was then Atlanta Christian College, Crowe speaks fondly about his professors, who shaped him into the person and preacher he is today. His calling to the ministry wasn’t a bolt of lightning or a road to Damascus, but over time, God’s leading coupled with examples from great men of faith compelled him to follow. “I’d get out of Olin Hay’s class and want to find someone to preach to,” Crowe says of his former homiletics professor. “I’d hear him preach in chapel and think, ‘Wow. I wish I could do that.’

That’s where my calling was solidified – in preaching class. I listen to sermons and I still judge them by Olin Hay’s pattern. He is still the standard for good preaching, 25 years later.”

He met his first wife, Susan Carter Crowe, (’76-’79), while attending college. They got married, and after he graduated, they took pulpit ministries in

Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky.

Eventually they had two children, Clay and Nathan, and moved to Alabama, where he preached at Shady Grove Christian Church.

In 2000, Crowe started working as a consultant at the Southeastern Raptor Center, which is affiliated with Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The Raptor Center was founded in the mid-1970s as a place where injured birds of prey could be rehabilitated and released back into the wild. The center can house up to 25 birds of prey at a time, and has local facilities to care for the injured creatures.

Working with the Raptor Center would prove to be a pivotal move for him, giving his life a different direction.

Crowe has always been an outdoorsman, going caving and hiking and taking extended camping trips. One of his longtime hobbies has been falconing – hunting small animals with birds of prey.

He is a master falconer, certified by the United States Fish and Wildlife Ser-

megan cobb hall ’08

by Elizabeth Reid ’13

megan cobb hall ’08

vice, and is one of few in the United States to hold an eagle falconry permit. In 2003, he transferred to a full-time position at the Raptor Center, a job he acknowledges he never wanted. His calling to a pulpit ministry has always been his primary goal, but God led him away from that, and with good Top left, Crowe and a veterinary student work with Spirit, a bald eagle; top right and opposite page, Crowe works with Nova, a golden eagle; above, Nova comes in for a landing at Jordan-Hare Stadium. purpose. That fall, Susan was diagnosed with lung cancer. them to come back home. God teaches continues to be involved in their lives. “I “You never know how things will be a them to fly.” have no idea what kind of influence I’m blessing,” he explains. “If I’d been in the Although the Raptor Center’s primary having on these kids,” he says. “Someministry someplace when my wife got goal is to rehabilitate and release the times ministry falls in your lap, and cancer, I wouldn’t have had the insurbirds into the wild, Crowe also does edusometimes you have to look for it. But ance or been able to take time off in order cational programs – traveling with birds ministry happens wherever you are – to give her the care she needed.” that are unable to be released into the when you see something, you have to say Susan died in January 2004, despite wild and presenting educational shows something about it.” prayers for healing and attempts to cure around the Southeast. “The real exciteIn 2006, Roy married Susan Busch, her illness with both traditional and alment of this job comes when you show a close family friend and his next-door ternative medicines. My family was there the birds to a student and you see the neighbor, and she and her three daughthe day she died, and while we were still ters joined the family. They soon moved waiting for hospice to arrive, my uncle to property closer to Auburn and the gathered the family around the dining girls’ school in an effort to live a more room table. He read Scripture and served sustainable lifestyle – perhaps one closer communion. His confidence that my to God’s intentions for us as Christians. aunt was in heaven never wavered. His The family is in the process of building a trust in God was tangible throughout her house and exploring what it means to be entire fight with cancer, and continued stewards of God’s creation. after her death with his faithfulness to spark of curiosity ignite a new passion As Crowe approaches retirement from this basic act of worship. for learning,” he recently told a writer for the Raptor Center, he plans to seek a Immediately after Susan died, a the Auburn website. more active ministerial role in a located friend gave Roy a bird as an activity to Crowe is now the eagle consulministry – the place to which God has focus on, to normalize life. He was still tant and raptor education specialist at been calling him since the beginning. His working at the Raptor Center, and it was the Southeastern Raptor Center. The influence, however, has not wavered; his at this point that Auburn University beprogram allows him to work closely love for God, God’s people, and God’s gan to revitalize their tradition of flying with veterinary students at Auburn, and creation is apparent in both his actions the eagle as a pre-game show at home although he downplays his influence and his words. football games. Today, if asked what he with these students, it is clear he plays a does for the university, his immediate, Elizabeth Reid ’13 is a biblical studies and humanities significant role. In the time he’s worked major and a frequent contributor to Point Magazine. flippant response will be, “They pay me at Auburn, he has met, counseled, and to teach birds to fly.” After the laughter, married three pairs of students, and he adds, “But really what I do is teach FA LL 2 011 | 13

Christian singer-songwriter Jamie Grace has an album climbing the charts – but more importantly, she has a passion for bringing people to Christ

T

he girls started lining up at 4:30. The doors wouldn’t open for several more hours, but none of them seemed to mind. The line they formed wrapped around the perimeter of Mt. Carmel Christian Church. Occasionally a song would break out – hundreds of little voices chiming in as they mimicked their favorite artist.

Just a few years ago, Jamie Grace Harper ’12 could’ve been one of those little girls – lining up for a ZOEgirl or Out of Eden concert. But in September, the 19-year-old was on the other side of the microphone, performing at the release concert for her first full-length album. And nearly 2,000 people had shown up, on a school night, just to see her.

J

amie Grace grew up in Atlanta, a preacher’s kid whose father founded what is now Kingdom City Church in Stone Mountain when she was a toddler. Back then, she was more into gymnastics than music. “I wanted to be a gymnast – that was my biggest thing,” she says.

“I’ve been singing since I was little, because my mom and dad always had me singing in church.

And I actually liked it a lot, but I was really shy.

So the gymnastics thing was kind of more of an outlet. I just wanted to turn cartwheels and be done with it.”

But when Jamie Grace was just nine years old, she began to experience sudden movements she couldn’t control. “I remember one incident when I was doing the balance beam at gymnastics, and 14 | P OINT M AG A ZI NE

by Sarah Huxford the instructor kept telling me to stop moving my legs,” she recalls. “I almost kicked her in the face one time, and she got really frustrated with me.”

Jamie Grace’s parents, James and Mona Harper, thought the increasing movements and sounds were just habits for the first couple of months. But the gymnastics incident, combined with Jamie Grace’s struggle to keep from making noises in movie theaters and other quiet environments, caused the family to realize something wasn’t right. “For about two years, I was just going to doctor after doctor,” says Jamie Grace. “We realized it wasn’t something that was going to blow over.”

Finally, after countless doctor’s visits, Jamie Grace was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age 11. According to the National Institutes of Health, Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. Jamie Grace explains, “My first tics were jolting of my arms and legs, and forcing my head or adjusting my head downward to kind of bend my neck.”

A

t a young age, Jamie Grace had to face the realization that her diagnosis wouldn’t be accompanied by a cure. “As a younger child I was sick a lot, but I was used to them giving me medicine and sending me home, and everything was okay. But with Tourette it was this whole new world of doctors – neurologists,

FA LL 2 011 | 15

photo courtesy of gotee records

What is Tourette Syndrome?

not just the pediatribecause I was the weird kid with Tourette, I was a cian – and I found out it teenager, you know, that whole thing,” she recalls. wasn’t going to go away,” “My parents were very encouraging and uplifting, Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (Tourette Synshe says. Although there but my sister and I were just very down.” Their drome or TS) is a neurological disorder which are medications that grandfather noticed the girls needed a lift, and becomes evident in early childhood or adolescan help some Tourette brought a guitar and drum set to the house. cence before the age of 18 years. The disorder patients, there’s no “He sat down at the drum set and just kind of was named for a French neuropsychiatrist who cure-all – no single played a beat, and got up and walked away and successfully assessed the disorder in the late medication that will handed me the sticks,” Jamie Grace remembers.

1800s. Tourette Syndrome is defined by multiple always improve a pa“He didn’t even say anything, it was just kind of motor and vocal tics lasting for more than one tient’s condition. obvious, like, ‘It’s your turn.’” year. The first symptoms usually are involun“I remember being “Even though I didn’t know what I was doing, tary movements (tics) of the face, arms, limbs or trunk. These tics are frequent, repetitive and 12, 13, 14 years old, still the second I hit those drums, I seriously just felt rapid. The most common first symptom is a trying so many different life coming back,” she adds. “I just felt like, oh my facial tic (eye blink, nose twitch, grimace), and medicines, still being gosh, this is what I’m supposed to do. I discovered is replaced or added to by other tics of the neck, tested – what we call it a part of me that was completely lost before.” trunk, and limbs. in the Tourette world is Around the same time that Jamie Grace began These involuntary (outside the patient’s control) being ‘guinea-pigged,’” discovering music, her older sister started college. tics may also be complicated, involving the entire she says. “With allergies, The two had been home schooled together, each body, such as kicking and stamping. Other sympit’s like, everybody takes finishing high school at just 16, and had always toms such as touching, repetitive thoughts and Claritin. It’s a known been close. So two years later, when it was time movements and compulsions can occur. There thing.

There’s no known for Jamie Grace to choose a college, it made sense are also verbal tics, which usually occur with the medicine for Tourette for her to follow her sister, Morgan Harper Nichmovements. These vocalizations include gruntSyndrome.” ols ’10, to Point University. ing, throat clearing, shouting and barking. The As a preteen, Jamie “It wasn’t very far away, and I could still see verbal tics may also be expressed as coprolalia (the involuntary use of obscene words or socially Grace attempted to hide my parents on the weekend – being 16, you know, inappropriate words and phrases) or copropraxia her tics from others in that was important to me. I didn’t have a driver’s (obscene gestures). Despite widespread publicorder to avoid ridicule. license, so I needed my sister to drive me around!” ity, coprolalia/copropraxia is uncommon with tic “Unfortunately, kids Jamie Grace explains. “Even when I was 14 and disorders. don’t really know how would come visit Morgan, everybody was always Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders occur to treat kids who are so nice and I just fell in love with all of the people in all ethnic groups. Males are affected 3 to 4 different. I remember here. I didn’t want some big, creepy school where times more often than females. Most people with standing in front of the I wasn’t going to know anyone.”

TS and other tic disorders will lead productive mirror, forcing myself to Jamie Grace started out as a counseling major, lives. There are no barriers to achievement in learn how to hold all of but by that time, she was already playing guitar, their personal and professional lives. Persons my tics in and disguise singing and starting to write songs. She began to with TS can be found in all professions. Inthem so I’d look as norfeel that God was calling her to pursue music, but creased public understanding and tolerance of TS symptoms are of paramount importance to mal as I could.” she wasn’t sure to what extent. She’d been making people with Tourette Syndrome.

Struggling to adapt music videos and posting them on YouTube for a to her diagnosis, Jamie couple of years, and some of her videos had gotten Information courtesy of the National Tourette Syndrome Association, www.tsa-usa.org Grace fell behind in a couple hundred hits. “I felt like that was God’s school. “I spent two sum- way of saying, ‘You don’t have to be an artist, you mers and every holiday don’t have to have an album,’ and I was completemaking that up,” she says. She had difficulty walking ly content with that,” she says. “I told God, ‘If I’m and would run into things, overcome by her tics. just singing in front of YouTube people, as long as you can use my testimony to encourage them, he credits her survival in those difficult then I’ll be okay with it.’” years to her supportive family. “One of the medicines I tried made my hair fall ittle did Jamie Grace know how her muout. The asymmetrical style I have now is by sic career was about to take off. In 2009, choice, but when I was a kid, it was not by choice after three years of creating and posting at all,” she says, laughing. “My mom had to cut her music videos on YouTube, she was discovered my hair really short because it was really kind of by a ministry called iShine. Dedicated to reaching lopsided, and she cut her hair super short because pre-teens and their families, the ministry has a she didn’t want me to feel like I was the only one concert tour, iShine LIVE, and a television series, going through a change.” iShine KNECT, which airs on Trinity BroadcastAt 14, Jamie Grace says, she sank into a slump. ing Network. Jamie Grace began touring with “I was wanting to just stay in my room all day iShine that year, and recently finished filming the

S

16 | POIN T M AG A ZI NE

L

third season of iShine KNECT. Not long after that, Jamie Grace was discovered by the Revolve Tour, a two-day weekend conference for middle- and high-school girls produced by Women of Faith.

She joined the tour in spring 2011.

Meanwhile, Christian recording artist and music producer tobyMac saw a YouTube video in which Jamie Grace performed a medley of about a dozen of his songs in three minutes. TobyMac, a member of Christian group DC Talk and president of record label Gotee Records, liked what he saw and sent Jamie Grace a message on Twitter to introduce himself.

“The way Twitter works, because he wasn’t following me – obviously tobyMac wasn’t following me back then – I couldn’t respond,” Jamie Grace says. “So I had this message from tobyMac and I had no way to reply! Fortunately, my mom’s my manager, and they found her website I had created, called her on the phone, and said, ‘Hey, we’re serious about this.’”

Jamie Grace’s CD release party, says, “When I got to know her heart, that’s when I fell in love with Jamie Grace and her family. Not only is she a great singer, she’s a great songwriter who would love to see God’s kingdom increased through the songs that she writes.”

Once the deal with Gotee Records was signed, everyone had to move quickly. Jamie Grace was about to start performing before a national audience with the Revolve Tour, so she had to scramble to record a four-song EP to release in time for tour dates. The EP, Hold Me, was released in February, and before long, the single “Hold Me (feat. tobyMac)” was a huge success. The song was number one on Christian contemporary hits

photo courtesy of gotee records

A

few weeks later, Jamie Grace and her mom were on their way to Nashville to meet with Toby in a coffee shop. “Morgan and I had been offered music deals before, but we’d just never felt like it was a God thing. And even though I loved tobyMac, I knew it had to feel right to our family,” she says.

The Harpers met with tobyMac for more than two hours, discussing the possibilities of working together. But at about 5:30, he suddenly jumped up and said he needed to get home – that his wife was cooking dinner and he needed to be at the table before his kids sat down. “I know it sounds really simple, but just the fact that he was in a business meeting with someone he was talking about signing, and would jump up because he wanted to be home with his kids for dinner, we just thought that was really admirable,” Jamie Grace explains. “It showed his priorities; it showed what was really important to him. A few weeks after that, I was signed and we started recording.”

TobyMac, who came to Atlanta to make a surprise appearance at FA LL 2 011 | 17

J

amie Grace wrote “Hold Me” several years ago, while living in an off-campus apartment with her sister. “God really brought that song out of an insecurity,” she says. “Morgan was about to get married, and learning how to share her with someone else was really tough, really new for me. I remember being so heartbroken, and going into that clichéd, teenage-girl, when am I ever going to find love thing.”

“I remember thinking, in a very insecure way, I’m going to write a love song, but I don’t have anyone to sing it to, so I’m going to sing it to my Snuggie,” she laughs. (The sleeved blankets were a pop culture phenomenon at the time; Jamie Grace’s pink Snuggie has even made appearances on stage.)

“But I remember being stuck on that song and not being able to finish it,” she adds. “And I truly remember God saying, ‘The reason why you can’t finish it is because you’re writing it for the wrong reasons. You know what, I’m holding you. I’m taking care of you. You need to be thinking about me right now, not material things, not a boyfriend.

Just sing it to me.’ And from there, once God put my head in the right place, as far as why I write music and who I need to be singing to, things just took off.”

Jamie Grace remembers driving to Nashville with her mom after the single’s release; knowing the song had gotten radio play in Nashville already, they thought they’d probably hear it during their four-hour drive. When it came on, she says, “we freaked out, for sure, but I don’t know if it was real to me because I was expecting it.”

“The next time I heard it was probably a little more surreal,” she says. “I was leaving dinner with a friend, and we were getting in our cars and One Song at a Time, Jamie Grace’s first full-length album, was released in September and features the hit single “Hold Me.” Her Christmas EP, Christmas Together, will be released November 29.

Her music is available at www.jamiegrace.com or in the iTunes store.

18 | P OINT M AG A ZI NE

turned our radios on, and it was ‘Hold Me,’ and I literally froze. She got out of her car and said, ‘Let’s dance!’ So we were dancing in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant in Nashville, singing ‘Hold Me’ at the top of our lungs.”

After the Revolve Tour ended, Jamie Grace headed to Nashville to work on writing and recording her first full-length album, One Song at a Time, which debuted in September at the release concert sponsored by Point, WFSH The Fish 104.7 FM, and Mt. Carmel Christian Church.

N

ow that the album has been released, Jamie Grace is entering a busy season of performances. One might think the Tourette Syndrome would be aggravated by stress, but Jamie Grace says the opposite is true: “The crazy part about Tourette is that the second I hit the stage, or the second I’m doing something I love, it completely goes away… it’s like it doesn’t even exist.”

“There are definitely moments where I’m on stage where I get stressed out or nervous and I start to twitch,” she adds. “I have this one tic where I make this noise that causes me to stutter, so that’s happened a couple of times on stage, and I’m just standing there trying to take deep breaths and get through it. I know of healthier ways to deal with it now.”

Still, Tourette does affect Jamie Grace with regard to her course work, impairing her ability to concentrate and retain information well. She admits it’s a challenge to balance her school work, Tourette, and her burgeoning career. “I remember when I was a freshman, I always had to do things perfectly,” she says. “But I started touring, and since then I haven’t been able to work as hard as I would’ve liked to.”

“I have one paper a week that I have to use library resources for,” she says, “and I’m never near a library, so I have to find other ways to do things.

Like, I’ll pay my brother-in-law to photocopy stuff for me.”

She misses the social aspect of college, too, while she’s on tour, but explains, “I have my few good friends I know are going to hold me accountable for being a normal kid still, and going on midnight Dwarf House runs and stuff like that.”

Despite missing out on some of the college experience, she says she loves touring. “I love being able to perform and stuff, but I also love the tour

album artwork courtesy of gotee records

radio for four weeks in May, and reached number one on Christian adult contemporary radio in August. The song also reached number one in sales of Christian gospel singles on iTunes. The online music video for “Hold Me” has been viewed more than one million times.

bus!” she exclaims, laughing. “It makes me feel so cool. You get to hang out on a bus? With a kitchen inside and twelve beds?!”

A

sarah hanako clark

nd it’s a good thing she likes touring: on November 29, Gotee will release Jamie Grace’s Christmas EP, Christmas Together. She’ll then embark on a Christmas tour with Newsong, Kutless and Chris August. She has more tour dates booked in January, and will join the Revolve Tour for the spring before returning to Point for her May graduation.

Jamie Grace says her time at Point has prepared her for where she is now: “My major now is child and youth development, and that has helped so much in what I’m doing. When I wrote my talk for Revolve, a lot of that came from my Intro to Preaching class with Dr. Strother.”

“When your major is learning how to work with young people and you’re put on stage in front of 7,000 middle- and high-school girls, that’s going to help out,” she continues. “My counseling and education classes – those classes that help you relate to people in a better way – have helped me with one-on-one situations.”

“I don’t know if people really understand that when you’re on stage, in front of a bunch of kids, you can’t just sing ‘Hold Me,’” Jamie Grace adds.

“You have to be able to tell them what it’s about.

And when they come up to you in the autograph line, and you’ve got a 13-year-old girl who says, ‘I don’t feel like God’s holding me, and I’ve been cutting myself,’ you can’t just say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry about that, go find a counselor.’ You have to be able to say something that’s going to help her. Even if you’re not changing her life, you have to plant a seed in some kind of way. So the Bible classes that I’ve taken here, the counseling classes that I’ve taken, have given me this insight to be able to share God’s word.”

Jamie Grace has also used her Point education to revive a ministry she started when she was 16, Grace Talk. “I started it as a small group in my community, but just recently, I felt God saying that I needed to pick it up again to train teenage girls to become ambassadors in their communities. It’s been exciting to be able to train young people and work with young people, and I know my major is a huge part of helping me do that.”

J

“On the road with Toby, you know, and his guys, we’ll pass devotions around or we’ll pray together,” she adds. “It’s really good to have that.”

Amidst the chaos of juggling college and career, Jamie Grace focuses on the impact she’s able to make through her music. She recounts the story of an older fan who admitted she’d been hiding her Tourette diagnosis since childhood, but felt able to speak freely about it after hearing Jamie Grace’s story.

Another touching moment came in an email from a mother who explained that she and her husband, both white, had adopted a little girl who is black. Feeling that their daughter didn’t have any role models in their immediate community, they brought her to Jamie Grace’s concert. “They said that her life was just changed when she saw me up there,” Jamie Grace explains. “She looked at her parents and said, ‘Mommy, that could be me.’ And that just blows me away. Because I think I sometimes take for granted that I was raised in a very culturally diverse situation, and I’m just blown away that God would use me to do something like that.”

Jamie Grace has worked hard for her success, but she recognizes that it might seem easier from the outside looking in. “A lot of people may think that this just happened overnight, like, oh, she was just putting up YouTube videos and tobyMac saw her,” she says, “but ever since I was 14 years old, I’ve been trying to learn instruments, trying to write songs.”

“I would close the bathroom door, turn on the shower and sing for, like, two hours, and give myself challenge songs,” she continues. “There’s a Reba McEntire song I like that says, ‘You’ve gotta have a little want to.’”

T

o girls like those who lined up outside her amie Grace’s own spiritual walk is someCD release concert, Jamie Grace would say, thing she’s mindful of while on stage “If God puts something in your heart and he ministering to thousands of other people. gives you a confidence in it, he’ll also give you the “You definitely have to get filled back up,” she says. gifts to fulfill that. So don’t give up on it – keep “The very first tour that I did was in 2009, as a practicing, keep praying.” teenager. We didn’t get on the bus until about 12 “Pray first, then practice,” she adds with a on Saturday nights, and every Sunday morning my laugh. “Put your music on YouTube, and then mom would get all of us up and we’d go to church.” Tweet it to me!”

FA LL 2 011 | 19

Not Without a Witness

by Jim Street ’74

John Houchens ’84 ponders one question daily: “How do we bring almost seven billion people into a direct engagement with the word of God?” I met with John at Oga’s, an Atlanta-area Asian-owned restaurant with a Russian name that is served by a Hispanic wait staff and specializes in Southern-fried cuisine. It proved a fitting place to meet since Houchens, a Virginian, has visited almost 35 countries in his role as senior vice president for advancement and global ministries for Walk Thru the Bible.

Walk Thru the Bible, which is best known for its Walk Thru the Old and New Testament seminars, reaches thousands of people in the United States, but millions around the world.

“Numerically speaking, we have a larger footprint internationally than we do nationally,” said Houchens. “We have 50 or 60 thousand people in the U.S. go through one of our live events. We have more than two million international Christians go through our live events annually.”

I asked him how he accounted for the large difference in the number of participants.

“One obvious reason is that there are more people internationally than nationally,” he explained. “India alone has a population exceeding one billion people. However, beyond that, I see a great hunger for the word of God in the places I go. Further, I think their limited access to the Bible as compared to the U.S. accounts for part 20 | P OI N T M AG A ZI NE

of it. Also, the leadership of these churches feels a tremendous need to grow in knowledge and understanding. And, of course, God is moving in huge ways, especially in the southern hemisphere and in Asia.”

“How does Walk Thru serve the international population?” I asked.

“We provide many different kinds of print and media resources,” Houchens said. “Of course, we train church leaders, who in turn train their congregations in the word.”

“There are major challenges when you think about teaching the Bible to the world population,” he added. “Almost five billion people are oral or oral-preference learners. As our vision has expanded to incorporate those five billion oral learners, we ask ourselves how we complement our print resources in ways that support those people. We are thinking more about how to bring the whole world, including those five billion oral learners, into a direct engagement with the word of God.” “What are the major challenges to that?” I asked.

“One of the major challenges, but also one of the major opportunities, has to do with the matter of access to Scripture,” he replied. “In the West, church leaders have many translations of scripture on their shelves. They may have sets of commentaries, not to mention Internet access.

billy howard photography

John Houchens ’84 helps bring the word of God to people across the globe

photos courtesy of john houchens ’84

That encourages a tendency toward studying the Bible alone.”

“There is not that kind of access to resources in the places I have been. There, Christians gather to learn,” Houchens continued. “They depend upon communal sharing of scarce biblical resources.

That is a good thing, and something we in the West could learn more about. However, they need opportunities to learn the word so they can share it. We have to figure out ways to get resources to people who are skilled at sharing and are willing to share with one another.”

While our waiter refilled our glasses, I asked John about a picture he had posted on Facebook, one he had taken while training ministers in Pakistan. He had written a half-joking caption under the picture: He is out there somewhere.

“You were talking about Osama bin Laden,” I said.

“Yes,” he replied. “As it turns out, I was training ministers at a camp only a few miles from bin Laden’s house, where he was killed a month later.”

“How did the training opportunity in Pakistan come about?” I asked.

“We have sponsored training conferences in the Middle East and North Africa over the past ten years. These conferences are for Christian leaders from Muslim countries,” Houchens said. “During the conference in Damascus, Syria, in 2010, two believers from Pakistan approached me and literally begged us to come to Pakistan to train Christian leaders in the Bible.”

“Christians compose about two percent of Pakistan’s population, while Muslims compose about 96 percent. Christians are treated as third-class citizens in Pakistan. They are oppressed politically and economically. They have no opportunity to further their understanding of God’s word, and have to fly under the Islamic radar in their ministries.”

“We have been there twice and have trained about 50 Christian ministers, who will turn and train their congregations, as well as other Christian leaders,” Houchens added. “Most congregations in Pakistan meet in homes, and each minister may serve two to four congregations. Each congregation may have 25 to 100 members.”

“How are you received by these Pakistani ministers?” I asked.

“Enthusiastically!” Houchens replied. “They soak up every word. They are like people who have been in the desert and are dying of thirst.

Their enthusiasm is visible and palpable. They are very open to American Christians and to learning from us.”

“However, that can be a bit of a problem,” he continued. “They sometimes seem to believe that because Americans are so financially success-

Above, John Houchens travels between training sessions in Asia; at left, he and a colleague lead a training session for ministers in Paraguay.

ful, that everything the American church does is right. We don’t want to foster that. We want them to hear the word of God and follow what God teaches them in their own culture.”

“What have learned in your travels and in your encounters with these ‘majority world’ Christians?” I asked.

“The most important single thing I’ve learned is that God is alive and well in what are, to us, far-flung places in the world,” he said. “Second, I have seen that people the world over are the same in terms of what they want and in terms of their struggles. While there are cultural differences, the human experience is similar no matter where I go. Third, I have seen that it is through direct engagement with the word of God that Christians persevere in difficulty, find hope, find identity and are sustained, especially when they can do that in the company of other believers.”

“God will not be without a witness,” Houchens said. “The question is whether we want to join him.”

Jim Street ’74 ministers with the North River Church in Lawrenceville., Ga., and teaches in both the Access and traditional programs at Point.

FA LL 2 011 | 21

CLASS NOTES lives in Woodstock, Ga. Monica is in her third year of service with HomeStretch, a nonprofit organization serving homeless families in Fulton County. She recently accepted a new position as grants and events manager.

99

Molly and Michael Gunnin ’99 and their sons, Bradley and Grayson, welcomed a new addition, Dylan Andrew, on October 13.

71

Lane Loman ’71 is now serving in itinerant ministry and as director of Loman Ministries, which can be found at www.lomanministries.org. He also recently released a solo album titled His Presence.

75

Belinda Groover ’75 was recently recognized by Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, Ga., for 25 years of service as a nurse in the emergency room.

77

Jill Davis ’77 married Joe Thompson on October 8 in a ceremony officiated by Buddy Harris ’79. Jill is a high school history teacher in Coweta County, and the couple resides in Newnan, Ga.

80

Dan Hodge ’80 continues to minister to First Christian Church of Greenwood, S.C., where he has served for eleven years.

95

Paula and John Vernon ’95 and their children, Shawn and Sophia, welcomed a new addition, Samuel Thomas, on August 2. Samuel weighed nine pounds, two ounces.

98

Jim and Monica Echols Olivera ’98 welcomed their first child, Atticus Tate, on July 14. Atticus weighed seven pounds, 13 ounces. The family 22 | POIN T M AG A ZI NE

00

Chris ’01 and Cindy Brown Conner ’00 are relocating their family to Seoul, Korea, where Chris serves in the U.S. military.

03

Mark (’01) and Pamela Impson Sheldon ’03 announce the birth of their daughter, Afton Ellis, on July 21. Afton was welcomed home by her big brother, Finn, and big sister, Lorelei.

04

Robert and Natalie Collins Braden ’04 welcomed a son, Everett Dean, on October 12. Everett’s big brother is two-year-old Benjamin.

versity, where he is pursuing a master of arts in Bible and theology.

Ross Haralson ’07 is serving as site director for Point’s Peachtree City location.

He and his wife, Lindsey Davis Haralson ’07, live in Newnan, Ga.

10

Adam Simons ’10 married Christie Price on October 15 at Kellum Valley Farms in Cleveland, Ga. Adam works at Point as athletic communications coordinator and assistant baseball coach.

Jimmy ’10 and Alex Pennington Webb ’11 were married October 22 in Fort Valley, Ga., in a ceremony officiated by Wye Huxford ’73. The Webbs reside in Kansas City, Mo.

11

Doug Johnson ’11 is serving as interim director of enrollment for the Access program at Point.

Jesse and Storey Brown Stauffer ’11 were married September 10 at West Rome Christian Church in Rome, Ga. The ceremony was officiated by Brad Dillard ’94.

06

Sarah and Jason Westbrook ’11 and their son, Jackson, welcomed a new addition, John Landon, on June 22. The family lives in Temple, Ga. Jason recently began serving Southwest Christian Church in East Point as building engineer and facilities coordinator.

07

12

Billy and Maria Walls Moore ’07 welcomed their first child, son Brandon William, on July 14. Brandon weighed seven pounds, three ounces.

Bryan ’13 and Robin Amick ’12 and their son, Tristan, welcomed a new addition, Gavin Samuel, on October 24.

Nikki Viverette ’06 lives in Nashville, Tenn., where she works as a client advocate at the Tennessee Justice Center, a nonprofit law and advocacy firm that advocates on behalf of thousands of Tennesseans, specifically in regard to health care.

Jessie and Joel Eynon ’07 welcomed their first child, daughter Ella Charis, on May 28.

Carlos Guerra ’07 was awarded a full scholarship from Lincoln Christian Uni-

Harrison and JoAnna Collins Rogers ’12 were married September 17 in Marietta, Ga.

photos courtesy of alumni

54

Rupert Wallace ’54 recently celebrated his 80th birthday with family and friends. He and his wife, Alene (’52-’53), live in Washington, N.C.

IN KETCHIKAN, ALASKA

BY LESLIE JAMES RANDALL ’77

K

etchikan is located on an island in southeast Alaska, and is the first stop on the Inside Passage. It is known as The Rainforest of Alaska (didn’t know that, did you?).

We receive an average of 13 feet – yes, feet, not inches – of rain a year, making Ketchikan the third rainiest place in the world and the rainiest place in the United States.

Here are a few things to do if you’re visiting Ketchikan: 1. FISHING We are the salmon capital of the world! Kings or Chinook, Silvers or Cohos, Pinks or Humpies, Chums or Dog Fish, Sockeye or Reds. And salmon isn’t all you can catch – halibut fishing is awesome as well.

2. HIKING Ketchikan has many trails to hike, whether it’s just for a half hour or you want to challenge yourself with a fullday hike. Terrain is varied, and you’ll run into snow on the peaks year-round, for the most part.

3. WHALE WATCHING Humpbacks and orcas peruse the Tongass Narrows regularly, feeding on herring and salmon. They are amazing creatures, and you can sit spellbound for hours watching these giants of the ocean perform. Sea World doesn’t hold a candle to them!

7. TOTEM PARKS Ketchikan boasts the largest collection of native totem poles to be found anywhere in the United States.

Totems can be observed in Saxman Totem Village and Totem Bight. Each totem tells a unique story – sometimes quite humorous, and other times heart-wrenching.

4. HUNTING Deer are plentiful; neighboring Prince of Wales Island seems to be the most fertile hunting ground, but deer can also be found right here on our island. Other animals to hunt include bear, goose, duck, Ptarmigan, and the list goes on.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Steve ’78 and Leslie James

5. TOURING THE MISTY FJORDS If you visit our island, taking a tour of the Misty Fjords by floatplane is well worth the money.

It is a magnificent expanse of glacial fields and valleys.

6. KAYAKING Sea kayaks are a great way to get up close and personal with sea life and neighboring islands. Investing in a dry suit might be a good idea in the event you topple your vessel. During the winter, a body can only stand to be in the water about six minutes before hypothermia sets in. During the summertime, you can add about 10 minutes to that. Needless to say, you get out of the water as soon as you can. Native children swim in these waters in the summertime! Brrrrrr.

IN MEMORIAM The Point family grieves with and prays for the families of those members of our community who have recently passed away.

photos courtesy of leslie james randall ’77

Randall ’77 have the distinction of being our only alumni to live in Alaska... so it’s fitting that they be chosen to debut this new feature in Point Magazine. Each issue, we’d like to share with our readers the interesting things to do where you live. Want to tell us about your hometown? Email sarah.huxford@point.edu.

Charles L. Romans, Sr. died July 4. He served as director of maintenance at the University during the 1970s and 1980s.

He is survived by his wife, Mae, and other family members, including Buddy ’79 and Tonya Harris (’75-’78), Nancy Romans (’66-’69), and Bethany Romans Raymond ’00.

Clarence Rittenour, Jr. ’70 recently passed away. He is survived by his wife, Joong Rittenour.

Jack Oliver died August 13. He was a longtime trustee of the University, and had been sales manager at Beaudry Ford. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; two children; and many other family members.

W E WA N T TO HE A R FR OM YO U ! Let us know

when you get married, have a baby, take a new job, move to another state... you get the picture. Speaking of pictures, send us those, too – we’ll include them when possible (JPEG format, please). If you’re engaged or expecting, we share your excitement! However, Point Magazine’s policy is to wait until these anticipated events have become reality to print them in Class Notes. Send us a message when the event occurs, and we’ll gladly share your news with your fellow alumni. Class Notes and other alumni information may also be submitted online at http://alumni.point.edu, the Alumni Online Community. If you know of alumni who are not receiving Point Magazine, but would like to, please send us their correct contact information; we’ll make sure they’re added to the mailing list.

ALUMNI ADDRESS CHANGES AND CLASS NOTES ITEMS MAY BE SUBMITTED ONLINE AT ALUMNI. POINT.EDU OR VIA EMAIL TO ALUMNI@POINT.EDU.

FA LL 2 011 | 23

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Atlanta, GA Permit No. 3620