Cheryl Bremer, Chair of the Special Education Department and Assistant Professor of Education, was honored with the title of 2012 Outstanding Professor of the Year. She was nominated by her students and awarded by The Indiana Council for Exceptional Children (Indiana CEC), an innovative organization concerned with the betterment of all student outcomes. The award recognized her for demonstrating knowledge, skill and sensitivity in teaching university students about persons with disabilities, going above and beyond what is normally expected in her profession, and serving as a role model and inspiration to her students and colleagues.

Bremer had the opportunity to attend the awards luncheon on February 20 in Indianapolis to receive this recognition during the Indiana CEC annual conference.

“I’ve had four classes with Dr. Bremer and I have learned so much from her about the field of special education,” said Ethyn Brumbaugh, student nominator. “She has lived out the Grace College Micah 6:8 mission statement, displaying her character, competence, and service in and out of the classroom.”

“When I think of possibly pursuing a doctorate myself one day, there are not many women in my life who I can look up to learn from and model. However, Dr. Bremer opened up her professional life for me to observe and learn from and I could not be more thankful for that,” explained Nina Ferry, student president of Grace College’s chapter of the CEC. “Her passion in the classroom and her passion for her students is contagious. She is an integral asset to the education department at Grace.”

Grace’s men’s basketball team earned its third straight trip to the NAIA Division II National Championships with a 21-9 record.

The Lancers will take on Tennessee Wesleyan in the first round of NAIA Nationals on Thursday, March 7.

“We’re very happy to play in this tournament again – it’s been a very good run for us the past several years,” said Grace head coach Jim Kessler. “We’ve had a great season so far, and by winning eight of our final 11 games, we got the wins we needed.”

Grace, who has punched its ticket to NAIA Nationals in five of the past six seasons, was ranked No. 20 in the Top 25 Coaches’ Poll released Wednesday afternoon.

Their opponent in the first round, Tennessee Wesleyan, hails from the Appalachian Athletic Conference and boasts a record of 25-7. The Bulldogs are winners of their past 18 contests and feature the third-highest scoring offense in NAIA Div. II at 90.6 points per game.

The Lancers earned the sixth of 12 at-large bids into the national tournament. Bruce Grimm Jr. (17.7 ppg, 5.4 apg), Greg Miller (17.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and Elliot Smith (11.3 ppg, 41% 3-pointers) lead Grace’s squad.

“The body of work for the season showed that we should be in the tournament, but we stubbed our toe against Marian in the last game. So for us we feel like we have a second chance, and with that comes a certain amount of energy. We want to make it count,” Kessler said. “Now we need to focus on staying loose for our first game. We need to play with no fear, play free on the court and get after it with confidence.”

Follow the team live in Branson with video coverage (paid subscription) from the NAIA and live audio coverage (no charge) with Grace’s Stretch Internet.

Dr. Gordon Nickel

Dr. Gordon Nickel, a specialist on the historic relationship between Islam and Christianity, will be visiting the Grace College campus Friday, March 22  to deliver this year’s Lyceum Lecture on Faith and the Academy. The lecture is titled “A Christian Response to Global Islam” and will be held at 7:00 in Westminster Hall on the Grace College campus. Earlier in the day, he will also address the students of Grace College during the 10:30 chapel hour.

Nickel’s research focuses on early Muslim writers and the way they approached the Bible in light of the Qur’an. He has completed graduate study at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and The University of Calgary and has lived in Pakistan and India, where he taught for ten years. He seeks to respond to Muslim voices with a concern for apologetics while promoting peaceful approaches to dialogue. He is the author of Narratives of Tampering in the Earliest Communities on the Qur’an (Brill, 2010).

“Nickel is uniquely situated to offer a balanced and knowledgeable perspective on the relationship between Christianity and Islam,” said Jared Burkholder, Associate Professor of American and World History.  “He speaks as a Christian informed by the Anabaptist tradition and is concerned both for the truth of the gospel and for fostering peaceful approaches that reflect a Christ-like disposition.”

The Lyceum Series on Faith and the Academy is a lecture series hosted by the Office of Faith, Learning and Scholarship that strives to reflect Winona Lake’s tradition of cultural engagement and Grace College’s commitment to vibrant conversation on issues related to the intersection of Christian faith and academics.

The event is free and open to the public. For more details, contact Jared Burkholder at 800.544.7223 x6006. For more information about Gordon Nickel, visit: http://www.quranandinjil.org/aboutgordon.

2013 Presidential Scholarship Competition Winners

<<view photos from PSC 2013 here>>

During the weekend of Feb. 15-16, Grace College hosted 133 high school students for its Presidential Scholarship Competition. The competition, held annually, brings finalists to campus to compete for scholarships ranging from $1,000 – $25,000 per year.

This year’s winners included:

President’s Scholarship:

• Hannah Scott, Canyon Country, CA

Trustee Scholarship:

• Anderson Smith, Fort Wayne, IN
• Christina McCrorie, Indianapolis, IN

Faculty Scholarship:

• Elizabeth Manko, Blacklick, OH
• John Robertson, Mansfield, OH
• Jennie Gold, Orrville, OH
• Abigael Johnson, Valparaiso, IN
• Daniel Carlson, Palatine, IL

Achievement Scholarship:

• Jena Stevenson, Niles, MI
• Brooke Neal, Stilesville, IN
• Seth Bingham, Columbus, IN
• Rachel Gruenloh, Jasper, IN
• Sydney Rusk, Geneseo, IL
• Nicholas Ward, Wapato, WA
• Adriana Maxwell, Phillipines
• Benjamin Hutchens, Otsego, MI
• Maile Grout, Seymour, IN
• Chelsee Christoffel, Pierceton, IN

McClain Scholarship:

• Andrew Jeffreys, Warsaw, IN
• Sarah Rainous, Cincinatti, OH
• Abigail Louthen, Riverside, IL
• Nathan Roberts, Warsaw, IN
• Heidi Gottschalk, Fort Wayne, IN
• Hannah Fuller, Greendale, WI
• Lily Fite, Evansville, IN
• Megan Johnson, Lewisburg, OH
• Drew Schramm, Warsaw, IN
• Brooks Gerke, Auburn, IN
• Brennan Angle, Nappanee, IN
• Carissa Miglin, Van Wert, OH
• Caleb Ball, New Bremen, OH
• Lyndsey Rupp, Archbold, OH
• Emily Guinter, Crawfordsville, IN
• Jarod Ward, Elida, OH
• Alexander Campillanos, Brookfield, IL
• Christina Solomon, Burr Ridge, IL
• Jorgen Reimer, Middlebury, IN
• Erin Cooper, Elida, OH
• Melissa Stephan, Goshen, IN

This spring, three Grace College faculty received promotions in their respective fields. Professor Kim Reiff, Dr. Cheryl Bremer, and Dr. Roger Stichter will take on their new titles in fall of 2013.

Kim Reiff, Chair of the Art Department, was promoted from Assistant Professor of Art to Associate Professor of Art. She received an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana and an MFA in Visual Arts from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. “Prof. Reiff is helping to facilitate a more dynamic understanding and expression of the arts and humanities at the Grace College campus,” said Dr. Mark Norris, Dean of the Arts and Sciences.  “She is unique in that she has strong art and business backgrounds.  Her leadership is bringing new professionalism as well as new and vital links to our community and beyond.”

Cheryl Bremer, Chair of the Special Education Department, was promoted from Assistant Professor of Education to Associate Professor of Education. Dr. Bremer maintains rigorous scholarship work and ongoing professional development while she teaches – she completed her doctorate last fall – and also works with the members of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) at Grace College. “I am honored to have received this promotion,” said Bremer. “It is my utmost pleasure to not only teach, but also learn alongside my students.”

Roger Stichter, was promoted from Associate Professor of Accounting to Professor of Accounting after recently receiving his doctorate. “Roger is known for his love of students, his enthusiasm for the discipline of accounting and his dedication to his family and church,” said Dr. Jeff Fawcett, Dean of the School of Business. “This promotion shows that Grace has confidence in me as a professor – which is an honor.” said Dr. Stichter.  “I desire to keep the accounting program a strong degree option for students at Grace.”

All three professors are participating in Faculty Scholarship Forums, which are held once a month to spotlight individual faculty members and their ongoing research. In January, Stichter gave a talk on his dissertation research, which examined the ethical sensitivities of undergraduate accounting students and addressed the question of where ethics should fit within the overall accounting curriculum. Bremer presented this week on her dissertation research regarding the factors that motivate students to choose a career in Special Education. Reiff will be presenting in April about her research on the issues of gender within the field of art education and the ways women have situated themselves within the discipline.

Professor Kim Reiff

Dr. Cheryl Bremer

Dr. Roger Stichter

On Tuesday, February 5, Grace College Indianapolis invited award-winning editorial cartoonist Gary Varvel to speak in the COM 110 Public Speaking class. Grace College Indianapolis is located on the north side of Indianapolis close to I-465.

Varvel gave an interactive lecture about communicating an idea succinctly, inviting students to help him brainstorm for a cartoon utilizing the key ideas from his talk. He then drew a cartoon on the spot from class input and actually used the idea for his Wednesday, February 6 cartoon in the Indianapolis Star.

“My larger purpose in bringing in Gary to speak to the students was to allow them to see a committed Christian practicing his craft with excellence within a secular environment,” said John Crane, communications professor at Grace College Indianapolis.  “The intention was to help the students learn how to thoughtfully engage their respective spheres of influence with the Christian worldview, no matter what their eventual vocation may be.”

“I found it timely that Gary’s artistry while with our class — as shown in his syndicated cartoon — captured one of the real strengths of the Weber program. Namely, providing a venue that offers a sound educational experience for a fraction of the typical tuition cost. His cartoon embodied one of the fundamental reasons why the Weber program exists.”

Varvel’s cartoons have appeared on CNN, FOX News and in Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, USA Today, World magazine and several other distinguished publications. He is the 2010 recipient of the Rueben Award and the 2011 National Headliners Award. He is currently the editorial cartoonist for the Indianapolis Star and one of only 50 full-time cartoonists in US.

The cartoon inspired by the class can be found here: http://blogs.indystar.com/varvelblog/2013/02/05/college-debt/

Heritage Forums, a series of talks celebrating the 75^th anniversary of Grace College and Seminary, will hold its second installment on Tuesday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the east room of Westminster Hall. These panels are based on work that a number of Grace College professors, faculty and students, along with other collaborators, are doing for an upcoming volume on the history of Grace College and Seminary.

“We are examining literally hundreds of records and conducting a host of oral interviews to help us understand our past,” said Dr. Mark M. Norris, Chair of Grace’s History and Political Science Department and professor of European and World History. “I am hoping that this will be of use to us as we continue as a community of scholars to follow the Christ of the Bible in today’s culture.”

Dr. Jared Burkholder, coeditor with Norris, will be on the panel along with Robert Clouse of Indiana State University and Carlos Tellez of Grace College. The event will be chaired by Dr. Norris, with commentary by Timothy Erdel of Bethel College. Other contributors to the project include Ron Manahan, president of Grace College, Christy Hill, Jim Swanson and a number of student assistants.

a Part Time Youth Pastor in Logansport, IN

We have a group of about 10 students  from the ages of 12-17 yrs.  We are offering a starting wage of $150/wk and housing.  We are a family oriented, Pentecostal, contemporary worshiping church in love w/ Jesus and committed to seeing the Lost get saved.  WE are in serious need of someone to minister to our Youth.

Please contact me w/ any questions at 317-402-8020 and at email backrandall@comcast.net

Amanda Randall

Due to Chaplain Mike Kupke recently retiring from the Elkhart County Jail, the Elkhart County Jail Chaplaincy Board is announcing an opening for a full-time Chaplain at the jail.

All interested persons are asked to email OR mail their resume to:

pastorrick@rolfonline.com

Questions or Concerns?  Please contact Rick Lambright   260-336-4077

More Info…

The Jail Chaplain shall be appointed by The Advisory Board on Religious Activities. The Jail Chaplain must meet minimum standards as established by the Elkhart County Sheriff. The Chaplain shall be supervised by the Jail Commander. The Jail Chaplain must pass a polygraph examination, background investigation, and medical examination if required by the Sheriff.

Duties

1. The basic workweek will be 40 hrs/week.
2. Counsel and assist inmates on request of inmates or Security Division personnel.
3. Schedule religious services.
4. Maintain and circulate religious materials to inmates.
5. Expand inmates’ awareness of program availability.
6. Assist ministerial visitations
7. Serve as resource and liaison person to the religious community. Be available for speaking at church and community groups.
8. Attend Advisory Committee meetings.
9. Develop, implement and supervise religious education programs including fellowship, worship and Bible study programs.
10. Supervise, provide oversight, and delegate duties to Volunteer Assistant Chaplains.  Also, hold quarterly meetings with Volunteer Assistant Chaplains.
11. Be “on call” for emergencies.
12. Perform other duties as assigned by the Advisory Committee or the sheriff.

On Friday February 1, 2013, Scott Rigsby, world champion Ironman and double amputee, gave an inspirational speech to kick off Transition Exploration Day held at Grace College.

Rigsby spoke to the Grace College student body, and special guests about the importance of seeing each individual’s purpose as a part of God’s bigger plan. “You will give up if your life isn’t a role in a bigger story,” he explained. “You will give up if you’re doing it only for yourself.” He used accounts from his own remarkable life to inspire students to overcome fears and obstacles and make their dreams a reality.

Despite the fact that he lost both legs in a collision with a semi when he was 18 years old, Rigsby now holds world records for double below-the-knee amputees in the Full Marathon, Half Ironman, and International Distance Triathlon. He was the first double-amputee on prosthetics in the world to finish an Ironman distance triathlon. He is now involved in speaking events around the country and counseling wounded US troops.

The event was organized by the Grace Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children and the Office of Student Affairs, and was held at the Orthopaedic Capital Center. Students from Warsaw High School, Bremen High School, and Tippecanoe High School attended. After hearing Scott Rigsby speak, the high school students had the opportunity to participate in a group photo with Mr. Rigsby and go to a Transition Expo with area businesses, agencies, and educational institutions displaying opportunities and resources for students’ future plans.