Grace Announces 2022-23 Campus Theme: ‘Hope: Renew Your Strength’

Reading the newspaper or watching the news just once would leave anyone with the impression that the world is hopeless. Shootings, war, and nuclear threats all paint a bleak picture of the human condition. How do we deal with the darkness all around us? How do we find hope in the midst of it all? 

Thankfully, the answers to these questions have already been answered. The God of the Universe sent the answer two thousand years ago in the form of a baby boy who would grow up to fulfill God’s grand plan to redeem humanity from sin and suffering. God’s people, the Israelites, awaited His arrival so much so, that the Old Testament is filled with stories of his coming. 

The most well-known prophecy about Jesus, the book of Isaiah, was told at a turbulent time in human history, similar to today’s climate. This is where we find our 2022-23 campus theme, Hope: Renew Your Strength. The theme verse, Isaiah 40:31, says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” 

The Israelites held onto the hope of the coming Savior in the midst of their trials. We can hold onto Jesus as the Savior who already came, already defeated sin and death, and the one who will one day set right all wrongs. In the midst of chaos and destruction, there is still hope of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who took on human flesh so that we might have life.

Why did we choose this theme? 

There are a few rhythms that go into choosing our campus theme. We try to follow a pattern of choosing books from both the Old and New Testaments. We also look to build on the previous year’s theme. Last year’s theme was “Follow Me,” found in the Gospel of Matthew. 

Going back to the Old Testament this year, Vice President Aaron Crabtree and Chaplain Brent Mencarelli chose the theme of hope, keeping in mind all that has recently happened in the world.

According to Mencarelli, the current human situation is much like the lives of the Israelites. “As the Israelites assessed the world around them, they longed for the good old days,” he said. “As they watched sin and fighting increase among them, they wondered if God saw them, if God heard them. But God knew what they needed. God knew exactly what they needed, and He knows what we need. We need a message of hope.”

Crabtree agrees. “In the book of Isaiah, God sends his hopeless people a messenger to enlighten them with God’s perspective and inspire them with His promises,” said Crabtree. “At the heart of Isaiah’s message is the coming of Jesus.”

Why have a campus theme? 

Grace College has a campus theme for several reasons. First and foremost, we are a Christ-Centered institution. All that we do and believe centers around the person of Jesus. His word guides our institution from beginning to end, so every year we choose a book from Scripture that we will study as a campus. Our campus theme is then taken from the chosen book. Our campus themes center our community on God’s word and foster opportunities for spiritual growth and worship, whether it be in chapel, in the classroom, or in the residence halls.

Fast Facts on the Book of Isaiah

Purpose: To call the nation of Judah back to God and to tell of God’s salvation through the Messiah.

Date Written: The events of chapters 1-39 occurred during Isaiah’s ministry, so they were probably written about 700 B.C. Chapters 40-66, however, may have been written near the end of his life, about 681 B.C.

Setting: Isaiah is speaking and writing mainly in Jerusalem.

Key People: Isaiah; his two sons, Shear-Jashub and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz

Special Features: The book of Isaiah contains both prose and poetry and uses personification. Also, many of the prophecies in Isaiah contain predictions that foretell a soon-to-occur event and a distant future event at the same time.

Isaiah Reading Plan

We know that the school year is a busy time filled with classes, studying, and friends. We also know that reading the Word is an essential part of having a strong and growing relationship with God. That’s why we’ve created a reading plan that will fit any schedule, so everyone can be encouraged by God’s promises of a Savior, challenged by God calling Israel back to himself, and have a fuller view of God’s character.

Week 1: August 1st – 6th → 1:1 – 2:22

Week 2: August 8th – 13th → 3:1 – 4:6

Week 3: August 15th – 20th → 5:1 – 5:30

Week 4: August 22nd – 27th → 6:1 – 7:17

Week 5: August 29th – September 3rd → 7:18 – 8:18

Week 6: September 5th – 10th → 8:19 – 9:7

Week 7: September 12th – 17th → 9:8 – 10:4

Week 8: September 19th – 24th → 10:5 – 10:34

Week 9: September 26th – October 1st → 11:1 – 12:6

Week 10: October 3rd – 8th → 13:1 – 14:32

Week 11: October 10th – 15th → 15:1 – 16:14

Week 12: October 17th – 22nd → 17:1 – 17:14

Week 13: October 24th – 29th → 18:1 – 20:6

Week 14: October 31st – November 5th → 21:1 – 21:17

Week 15: November 7th – 12th → 22:1 – 22:25

Week 16: November 14th – 19th → 23:1 – 23:18

Week 17: November 21st – 26th → 24:1 – 25:12

Week 18: November 28th – December 3rd → 26:1 – 27:13

Week 19: December 5th – 10th → 28:1 – 28:29

Week 20: December 12th – 17th → 29:1 – 29:24

Week 21: December 19th – 24th → 30:1 – 30:33

Week 22: December 26th – 31st → 31:1 – 32:20

Week 23: January 2nd – 7th → 33:1 – 33:24

Week 24: January 9th – 14th → 34:1 – 35:10

Week 25: January 16th – 21st → 36:1 – 37:38

Week 26: January 23rd – 28th → 38:1 – 39:8

Week 27: January 30th – February 4th → 40:1 – 40:31

Week 28: February 6th – 11th → 41:1 – 41:29

Week 29: February 13th – 18th → 42:1 – 43:28

Week 30: February 20th – 25th → 44:1 – 45:25

Week 31: February 27th – March 4th → 46:1 – 47:15

Week 32: March 6th – 11th → 48:1 – 48:22

Week 33: March 13th – 18th → 49:1 – 50:11

Week 34: March 20th – 25th → 51:1 – 52:12

Week 35: March 27th – April 1st → 52:13 – 53:12

Week 36: April 3rd – 8th → 54:1 – 54:17

Week 37: April 10th – 15th → 55:1 – 56:8

Week 38: April 17th – 22nd → 56:9 – 57:21

Week 39: April 24th – 29th → 58:1 – 59:21

Week 40: May 1st – 6th → 60:1 – 61:11

Week 41: May 8th – 13th → 62:1 – 63:6

Week 42: May 15th – 20th → 63:7 – 64:12

Week 43: May 22nd – 27th → 65:1 – 65:25

Week 44: May 29th – June 3rd → 66:1 – 66:24

Do you want a college community that desires authentic relationships and the purposeful study of God’s word? Then Grace College is the place for you! Fill out our Lancer Application to start your journey today. Follow along with our chapel messages to learn more about The Book of Isaiah.