Archive for September, 2011

Dean of Students Tim Griffin joined GCU after more than 10 years as chaplain of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. “When I was a chaplain in motor sports, you had to live with your community to be able to serve them,” he says. “So we lived out of a motor home every weekend.” Taking that same approach, the Griffins moved onto the GCU campus. At the same time, their son, Spencer, was preparing to join his older brother, Taylor, at GCU. Most kids leave the nest, but rarely does the nest follow them to college.

When runners take off on Saturday, Oct. 15, at the start of the Run to Fight Children’s Cancer on the GCU campus, they will do so after a horn is blown by the honorary race starter, Olivia Baumgardner of east Phoenix. To the casual observer, Olivia is just like any other 4-year-old. But Olivia isn’t a normal 4-year-old. She’s dealing with something that no one — let alone a child — should have to deal with. Olivia has cancer.

Everyone gets discouraged sometimes! However, we can live above the fear of becoming seriously discouraged — leading to even deeper depression — by trusting in God’s Word that He will keep us from temptations that could overwhelm us.

GCU AzHOSA and the Red Cross will host a blood drive on campus, Monday, October 31 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. To schedule your appointment or for more information contact the American Red Cross at 520-230-7295 or go online to www.redcrossblood.org and enter Sponsor Code: GCU. All presenting donors will receive a T-Shirt from the American Red Cross. For donor eligibility questions, call 1-866-236-3276.

Singing the national anthem before sporting events is a tradition that gained footing during World War II, when baseball stadiums became large-scale displays of patriotism. Today, it is as much a part of those events as the seventh-inning stretch or the halftime show. On Monday night, GCU held open auditions for anthem singers for this year’s men’s and women’s basketball games. With Ben Campbell and Matt McAllister from the KNIX morning show as guest judges, the Arena became a scene out of “American Idol.”

many fast food chains have redirected their efforts to become more health conscious for us busy people on the go. Here are some tips when you decide to drive through one of these chains.

How does Russ Pennell follow Russ Pennell? That was the question at Chapel this morning, after the Antelopes’ head coach for men’s basketball opened with a rousing blues-rock version of “Nothing but the Blood” — with the coach on guitar and vocals — that brought the audience to its feet. Using Luke 12:22-31 as his text and speaking on anxiety and worry, Pennell said, “When we worry and fret, we walk up to the throne of God and shove Him off and say, ‘I got this.’ Do you believe in what God has asked you to do (in life)? If the answer is yes, then why would He let you down?”

GCU Arena announced itself as a game-changer for the University on Friday night with a knockout staging of its first concert, a Christian rock show featuring Casting Crowns. From the aroma of popcorn inside the main entrance as music fans arrived to the encore played by the headline act at about 11:20 p.m., the new facility and its staff delivered in a big way, receiving kudos from all corners. “The Arena’s staff was A-1 and on its game all day,” said Melanie Hall, Casting Crowns’ road manager.

The first three Chapel services of the semester have featured strong speakers: Dean of Students Pastor Tim Griffin, author Josh Riebock and Redemption Church Pastor Justin Anderson. Monday’s Chapel will bring a fourth. Russ Pennell, GCU’s head coach for men’s basketball, will speak on the topic of trusting God with anxiety and worry.

After 58 nights, 14,000 miles and thousands of GCU-branded coconut sunscreen bottles, Trevor Roberts and Spencer Fehrenbacher claim they have seen it all. The duo returned to GCU in mid-August after a summer of touring the country promoting the University, handing out scholarships and checking out some of the hot Christian bands that will be performing at GCU Arena in its first year. “It was a lot of fun,” said Roberts, who is already back out on the road for 30 dates of the Third Day tour, which comes to campus on Nov. 20. “We were able to speak in front of thousands of people at a time, sharing our campus with them and getting people interested in attending GCU.”