Archive for September, 2011

Insisting that “there’s never a good time or a bad time to be in the arts,” Phoenix Symphony music director Michael Christie gave an insightful talk Tuesday night at Ethington Theatre, sharing career tips with the student audience. Christie, only 37, is already in his eighth season as the symphony’s maestro. A former trumpet player from Buffalo, N.Y., he went to school at Oberlin (Ohio) College and his career took off from there. When he won a conducting competition in Finland as a college junior, his path became clear.

Pastor Justin Anderson of Tempe-based Redemption Church brought a thought-provoking message on prayer to this morning’s Chapel in GCU Arena, insisting, “Almost nobody’s good at prayer.” Using parables from Luke 11 and 18, Anderson said Christians need to be “audacious and annoying” in prayer. “The problem with our prayer life is a fundamental disbelief in the Gospel,” he said. “We don’t believe we’re deeply in need of anything outside ourselves. The heart of the Gospel is admitting we need grace and mercy. Ask (in prayer) out of a heart-level belief that He is God and He is for you and He loves you.”

Christian Studies alumni of GCU gathered Thursday evening for the first of what is hoped will be monthly meetings designed to build relationships and a stronger connection to the University. Alums met at McKinley Hall in the Student Union to hear from two of their own: Frank Switzer (Class of 1996), now senior pastor of Paradise Valley Community Church, and Saralyn Bristow (Class of 1994), now a chaplain in the Maricopa County correctional system.

Justin Anderson is Redemption Church’s lead pastor of preaching and vision. He’s a straight shooter who will bring a message on prayer to Monday’s Chapel in GCU Arena. The Gospel needs no kid-gloves treatment, he says. “Uncompromising truth changes people,” Anderson says. “At Redemption, I guess we’re just Christians who believe the Bible is true. We don’t do crazy stuff. I like to open the Bible and teach it.”

A 10-week series of discussions, “Building Bridges Between Faiths,” began Wednesday at a Jewish senior living community not far from campus, led by junior Ty Kieser and senior Micah Briscoe. The series is aimed at exploring Buddhism and its similarities with Judaism and Christianity.

Musician, tutor, cheerleader, skydiver, chess player, pre-Med major. GCU senior Chris Mellon is what you might consider a social butterfly. He is a fixture around campus, with two years of tutoring sciences, statistics and writing in the Center for Learning and Advancement. He is a regular performer at Java Jam. He jumped head first into the Canyon Kids ministry, meeting with local children on Saturday mornings. “The biggest part of college isn’t what you learn,” he says. “It is the person you become. My time at GCU has established who I am as a person and how I connect with people.” In his last year at GCU, Mellon has his mind set on med school and recently completed the MCAT.

GC+You is a weekly blog contributed by GCU Campus Pastor Tim Griffin and Student Development Director John-Paul Reiger.

The Cooke Health and Wellness Center is located in the Student Union. Our hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. We offer services for students and employees that include diagnosing and treating illness, immunizations, primary wound care, sports or school physicals, blood pressure screening, wellness promotion, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, referral to specialists, well-women exams and counseling referrals.

Josh Riebock, the author of “My Generation,” spoke to this morning’s Chapel in the Arena, using Matthew 13:44 as his scriptural text and talking about a time in his life when he was chasing success. “Jesus says, ‘Life with me is like a treasure hidden in a field,’” Riebock said. “Is the Kingdom really the treasure for you, or is it something else? All other things are elusive. You’ll find the Kingdom when you get on your knees and look right in front of you.”

We need to know what we believe and be prepared to defend it, without getting defensive. You never know when God will open a door for us to share our faith.