College of Theology

The first “Lunch and Learn” of the Integration of Faith, Learning and Work speaker series featured a discussion about what it means to not live by bread alone. Dr. Moronke Oke of the Colangelo College of Business stressed the importance of putting purpose, principles and people at the top of our pyramid, and Joshua Danaher of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences talked about being authentic in our daily thoughts and actions.

The Integration of Faith, Learning and Work is an important part of the classroom experience at GCU, and this year the faculty is having more input than ever into the program. The goal, of course, is to benefit students, and Dr. Jason Hiles, dean of the College of Theology, is confident that will be the result of his decision to form a faculty task force to help him plan and execute the program. Members of the task force already are seeing the benefits.

More than 1,200 students every month find purpose in local volunteer work, participating in GCU’s popular Local Outreach Ministries. From helping the homeless to mentoring middle schoolers, participants find peace and joy from giving to others.

Grand Canyon Theological Seminary is here, and it promises to be a unique experience for students — the combination of a vibrant campus and the opportunity to work in the community. “In a seminary environment, it’s really easy to turn it into a Christian bubble, and we don’t really want a Christian bubble here,” said Anna Faith Smith, assistant dean of the College of Theology.

The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is the most prestigious accrediting body for seminaries, and Grand Canyon Theological Seminary already has cleared the first hurdle toward that honor — it was made an associate member at the organization’s biannual conference last month. “When people who are accreditors of the academic community take a close look at you and say you have quality programs, that’s a big deal,” said Dr. Jason Hiles, dean of the College of Theology. GCU Today has the story.

The memory of Kayla Castro, the GCU freshman who died in April while rock climbing, lives on in “Dancing by Your Side (Home Now),” a touching song written by Worship Arts students Kristyn Roberts and Josh Wathen. Roberts was one of Castro’s roommates and talks passionately about her friend who, she says, was always smiling and maintaining a positive outlook on life. “I just wanted to be more like her,” Roberts says.

Photos by Laurie Merrill and Kathryn Scott GCU News Bureau Eight musical students are making their own instruments during Amp Up! Electric Guitars and STEM, one of this summer’s STEM camps held at GCU. On Wednesday, they got to tour the GCU recording studio with recording studio manager, Eric Johnson. “It’s fascinating looking at at all the science and engineering and math that goes into music,” said Amanda Hughens, GCU’s K-12 STEM outreach manager. “The thing I like best about STEM is that it’s ‘life done correctly.’ ”          

The 2016-17 Ministry Forum schedule was announced, and it contains some hotly debated subjects — everything from social justice to religious liberty to immigration. “Students continue to wrestle with the challenging issues of our day, so we’ve decided to join the struggle by engaging tough topics,” said Dr. Jason Hiles, dean of the College of Theology.

GCU is making another major academic advancement with the unveiling of Grand Canyon Theological Seminary, which is accepting students and will begin classes this fall. The Seminary will teach the same doctrinal principles and Biblical truths as the rest of the University and also will be interdenominational. Unlike many seminaries, it will offer students a rich campus experience and opportunities to serve in the community.

The opening of the Grand Canyon University Hotel and Grand Canyon University Championship Golf Course were big stories in 2015-16, but they were just part of the continued community revitalization. And the rapid growth on campus continued, too. GCU Today Magazine picked the top 10 stories of the academic year just completed.