About Ed Pickel

Ed Pickel is the director of admission and student services for Belhaven University's Chattanooga and Dalton campuses.

Praying for God’s Will

The most amazing thing about knowing God is, well, knowing God. The fact that we can know the One who created the universe more intimately than a spouse, sibling, or closest friend is a truth that would utterly transform us if we took the time to grasp it. Equally amazing is the idea that this God who runs the universe and orders the affairs of the entire world has a plan for each individual that belongs to him. As one who came to faith in the 70’s, I remember vividly Campus Crusade’s Four Spiritual Laws…especially that God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life.

How do those of us who work in adult education communicate this truth to our students? Until recently, it’s been my erroneous assumption that adult students come to our campus already knowing God’s will for their lives. They are, after all, adults. At this point in their lives, they should have the faith, spouse, and vocation categories of God’s will pretty much nailed down, shouldn’t they?

 Maybe, but I think there’s another level of God’s will to which I haven’t given much thought until running across a prayer that the apostle Paul offered incessantly for the believers in his life…that they “may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9110, ESV). It seems to me that, at least in this portion of scripture, Paul takes more of a micro view of God’s will. He wants his friends to discern God’s will at such a level that it makes a difference in their daily footsteps with the Lord, right down to “bearing fruit in every good work.”

 I don’t want to minimize the importance of prayer for such important aspects of one’s life as faith, vocation, and who one marries. These potentially fragile categories of God’s will merit much prayer. What I’ve concluded, however, is that God’s will also takes place on a daily basis. What is God’s plan for our students today? What will they face? What kind of fruit-bearing work will they enjoy? In what ways will they learn about God?

 Those of us who work and teach on Belhaven’s adult campuses have been given remarkable opportunities to be involved in the lives of our students. Even more remarkable is the awesome responsibility to pray for them. Within the grandeur of God’s sweeping plans for them, let’s don’t forget to pray as Paul did – that God will give our students knowledge of his will in their walks today… that today’s works will bear fruit and they will know God better at the day’s end.

December Graduation

Last Thursday evening, I was privileged to read Psalm 8 at our Chattanooga Adult and Graduate Studies campus graduation. This psalm offers a beautiful study in contrasts – the majestic God (Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth) presented as “mindful” of a seemingly insignificant creation (What is man that you are mindful of him?). In addition, this scripture reminds us that this majestic God has given us a role (dominion) in His creation. Majesty, significance, dominion…what wonderful words to speak to graduates and their families.

I wasn’t sure that I would like a December graduation. I’ve always associated graduation with the bright colors and sweet fragrances of spring. Spring represents new life – kind of like graduation. I could find no graduation analogies in the deep darkness of winter, until…

I walked into the church. The contrast between the darkness on the outside and the warm soft light of Christmas on the inside was overwhelming! Candles in the windows, garland on the banisters, happy voices glad to be inside out of the dark cold. The warmest, brightest, greenest day in spring would pale in comparison to this scene. I found myself not wanting to leave the church. If spring graduation is a sending out, surely December graduation is a gathering in. The reality, I suppose, is that graduation is a wonderful event whenever it is experienced, but I’m definitely a December convert.

Graduates leave, you know. That’s the purpose of the university experience. They come to go. So, last Thursday evening, after gathering them in, we sent them away. For me, it’s a great comfort knowing that we’re sending them away equipped. Our graduates are adult learners who are poised to make a difference in their work organizations, communities, churches, and families. Not only have we exposed them to rigorous academics, they now have a clearer picture of what a Christian worldview is and how to apply it in everyday life.

Does that matter? Indeed it does. The graduates who left the bright warmth of the church on Thursday evening found themselves facing a cold, dark world in which a gunman murdered the most innocent and defenseless among us. Much like what happened after 911, our graduates will find themselves responding to questions from their coworkers, neighbors, and, of course, families. They will find a world whose view of life and God has been shaken to the core. Who better or more prepared to help others through this difficult time than our graduates? Our world needs the comfort and direction that a biblical worldview offers…our world needs our graduates.

So, if you’re a graduate reading this post, congratulations! One journey is over, and another is beginning. May you find purpose in the significance and purpose that God has given you, and may you wrap yourself in the warmth of the majesty of our great God (remember, it’s cold outside).

The Burden of Your Calling

Jesus doesn’t mince words when he talks about our responsibilities as his followers – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23 ESV).

I finally figured out that the reason this verse has never really bothered me is because I’ve never really understood it. There’s so much here that blows right over my head…come after Christ, deny myself, take up my cross. Really? How does that work?

Until yesterday. That is, it wasn’t until yesterday that I began to understand it. Okay, at least part of it. As I read the verse, the phrase “take up your cross daily” began to resonate. What does the cross mean within this context? Among other things, it seems to me that the cross represents two things (at least): It was Christ’s burden, but it was also a symbol of his calling to bring salvation to his people through his sacrificial death.

We don’t have to look too far in scripture to sense the burden of Christ’s calling. He agonized in Gethsemane; great drops of blood fell from his face as he contemplated what was about to happen to him. He cried “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” “I’m thirsty.” “It is finished.”

It’s beginning to make sense to me now. Jesus asks me to take up my cross daily. I have a calling. The question I now find myself asking is to what extent do I feel the burden of my calling? When was the last time I agonized over my role as a father, an employee, or a member of my community? Quick prayers said on the drive to work or shallow have-a-nice-day devotionals do not reflect a life that feels the burden of a calling. Rather, I’ve come to realize that the “burdened” life requires sacrificial prayer, extensive time in God’s word, and love-motivated obedience to the one who called me.

If you’re reading this blog, you have a calling as well. Your primary calling is the calling to become a follower of Christ through repentance and belief in the good news of the gospel. Beyond that, there’s the calling to serve him in the various spheres of life in which you find yourself (family, work, church, community – just to name a few). For our students on Belhaven University’s adult campuses, they’ve realized that completing an undergraduate or graduate degree represents God’s calling to prepare them for leadership usually in, but not limited to, their workplaces. If God is calling you to serve him as an adult university student, we can help! Many of our staff members have been adult (non-traditional) students and know the balancing act that must take place for adults to successfully complete their education.

I’ve resolved not to take my calling lightly any more, and I hope that’s your resolution as well. I want to experience the burden of my calling each day as Christ has asked me to. To do anything less is to trivialize a role that the Creator-God of this universe has given me.

Take and Give

 

A couple of weeks ago, Belhaven University’s Chattanooga campus experienced its first commencement exercise. Dr. Niel Nielson, president of sister institution Covenant College, gave a challenging exhortation to our graduates to pursue their callings. It was the type of evening that those of us in the field of education live for.

I’m the director of admission at Belhaven’s Chattanooga adult and graduate studies campus; I’m also an adjunct faculty member. Among other things, this means that I get to know our students at the beginning, during, and at the end of their college experience. It’s my role as a teacher, however, that allows me to interact with our students in an up-close-and personal way.

As working adults and college students, their lives, for the most part, have become exercises in calculated chaos. I’m thinking of a single mother who writes a ten-page research paper while putting the kids to bed – with Good Night Moon in one hand and her marketing text in the other. And then there’s a dad who works two jobs to support his family but somehow finds the time to return to school and pursue his college degree. Ask him why, he’ll tell you that he does it for his family…to be an example for his kids as well as to increase his income. I see students struggle with family members’ illnesses, the loss of jobs, and many other types of personal struggles too numerous to name. As a teacher, I’m also privileged to experience the joys of the adult college experience – getting to know people in their diversity, learning to work together on a project, sharing in their “I can do this” moments.

At this year’s graduation, I spoke to a young lady who had started her journey toward a college degree several years ago. I can remember the day that she came to our campus to talk about returning to school. There were a series of starts and stops, and, to be honest, I wondered if she would make it. But there she was…a smile, a hug, a thank you, a college degree. Graduation – I love it.

Why do adults return to school to earn their college degrees? In the field of adult education, this is a well researched question. There are a lot of answers, but the way I see it, the foundational answer is found somewhere in the process of “take and give.” Here’s what I mean…

In a previous post, I referred to Jesus’ story about the rich fool and his disciples’ reaction to it (Luke 12). It appears to me that this story pushed Jesus’ followers way outside their comfort zones. The problem was that the rich man used the fruits of his success to ensure an easy and care-free life. The lesson for his disciples (and us) was that they should not take comfort in their plans for personal security; rather, they should trust God for everything – even for things like food and clothing. Predictability and security were no longer to be part of life’s strategic plan. Rather, they were things to be taken by God and replaced with something much better.

To be more specific, Jesus had taken away his follower’s need to find security in material things and replaced it with security that is only found in his kingdom…”Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32, NKJV). The principle here is that Jesus takes from us before he gives to us. Think about it. Before anything worthy of the kingdom takes place in our lives, Jesus has to take away those things that will ultimately hinder experiencing his kingdom…a process of take and give.

For our students who would call themselves Christ-followers, they will tell you that their return to college represents a divine calling. As they pursue their callings into the classroom, they find that many of life’s activities have been taken – sacrifices made – in order that they may experience the joys of God’s provision during the process of earning their degrees. It’s not an easy lesson to learn, but our students will tell you that it is a very rewarding process. After all, there’s freedom in knowing that God will meet our needs – right down to what we eat and wear. However, the “knowing” comes only as a result of God’s taking – a trial exchanged for a kingdom …sacrifice exchanged for, in the case of our students, graduation.

As I spoke with my just graduated applicant/student/friend, it was obvious that she learned this lesson. Perhaps something as wonderful as graduation is a taste of kingdom victory – a reward for trusting God totally and submitting to his process of “take and give.”

 

Trading a Crisis for a Kingdom

Have you ever been blindsided by information or an event that totally changed the way you looked at the world? Maybe it was news that your job would be terminated or that you or a loved one were about to face a serious medical challenge. Something happened that struck fear in your heart. You realized that life would never be the same.

I think the difference between teenagers and adults is the way they make life-altering decisions. Teens are usually forward thinking and make major decisions based on their dreams. They’re going to change the world. Those of us who are deeper into life (job, family, community) are more reactionary. We typically think we’ve got life figured out until something unexpected slaps us in the face and turns our world upside. When that happens, our reactions become attempts to restore the equilibrium in life we experienced prior to the event. We’re afraid, and we don’t want to be afraid any more.

Jesus shared an interesting story with his followers that is typically referred to as the parable of the rich fool. You know the story. A rich guy had some good years which turned into a good life. He was so successful that he had to build bigger buildings to store all of his stuff. His attitude was “I’ve worked hard, provided for my family…it’s time to kick back and relax.” So far, so good. Most of us Americans can connect with his “I’ve worked for it – it’s mine” mentality. Actually, most of us, if we’re honest, must admit that we don’t have a problem with it. Jesus’ disciples probably didn’t have a problem with it either. After all, isn’t it prudent to work and save so that you can take care of yourself and your family in the future? Yes, but…

I think Jesus’ disciples were responsible, professional, business oriented people who may have been surprised by the slap-in-the-face, life-altering, paradigm-shifting ending of Jesus’ story: Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:20-21, NKJV).

Did Jesus’ followers expect such a tragic end for an otherwise successful entrepreneur? In fairness to the text, the parable of the rich fool is about covetousness. This business man was extremely successful and not willing to share his excess. However, I don’t think his disciples got it. Have you ever wondered why Jesus spent the next 12 verses (Luke’s account) calming them down (“don’t’ worry,” “do not fear, little flock”)? What Jesus’ followers heard, I believe, was “Forget what you’ve learned about profits, savings, and a business model that generates some level of predictability.” Instead, Jesus tells them to seek his kingdom first and all of their needs would be met. Did you catch that? Don’t worry about food, clothing, shelter, planning – trust God instead. Has any one of us done that today…this week…month…ever?

As an admissions director at one of Belhaven University’s adult and graduate studies campuses, I deal with adults whose lives, many times, have been uprooted by unexpected information or events. In fact, one of the main drivers of adults returning to college these days is a life crisis – the loss of a job, of a potential promotion…of a spouse. Like Jesus’ disciples, we find our lives clipping along at a comfortable and somewhat predictable pace only to find that kingdom life isn’t based on some rational model found in a textbook.

In response to his disciples’ crisis of faith recorded in Luke 12, Jesus taught a lesson of trust and hope: Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Jesus asked his followers to exchange the old paradigm of possessions and predictability for the new paradigm of the kingdom (giving and serving). He taught them that the transition requires trust, a step of faith, and the willingness to exchange worry about the future for a day-by-day trusting in his resources.

If you’re reading this blog, you probably expected it to somehow relate to adult education. Here’s the connection. I’ve worked in this field long enough to have learned that, for many adults, returning to college is perceived as part of the solution to an unexpected life crisis. If a job is lost or a promotion missed, returning to college can make one more marketable. If we’ve been part of an organization’s “right-sizing” strategy, an undergraduate or graduate degree can help us transition to a new career path. For many, earning a degree can provide a level of job security in uncertain economic times.

If you feel that your circumstances are pushing you back into the classroom, you’re not alone. More than one-half of today’s college students are non-traditional, adult students. In fact, Belhaven University has six adult and graduate campuses around the southeast that make up a community of adult learners who have decided to take Jesus at his word. Returning to college is not easy or comfortable, but for our students it has become the next step forward. For those who seek Jesus’ direction in their lives, there are many examples of God’s provision. They’ve learned that out of a crisis comes a kingdom, and in that kingdom are found all of the resources needed for the task at hand…and much more.

 

 

 

Adult Degree Programs and Community Building

 

If you’re a working adult reading this article, chances are that you have considered returning to school. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 48% of all adults over the age of 40 participated in degree programs or classes in 1999, and the trend continues today. Nearly 50% of all college students are 25 years of age or older. Eighty percent of these students work full time while attending class.

Why are adults returning to the classroom in record numbers? Some adults are returning to school in order to gain skills or credentials that will protect their current jobs or help them find new jobs. Others are returning for personal reasons – to finish what they started. Whatever the reason, the adult student has become as much a part of the college landscape as the bell tower or backpack.

The adult returning to college brings many issues to the table. Long gone are the days when she can focus totally on her studies with little else to worry about. For most adults returning to college, this new endeavor must be balanced with work, family, and a myriad of other activities that compete for the student’s time. Institutions that offer educational programs for adult learners must offer a learning environment that is designed to meet the unique needs of the adult learner. In order to make these “non-traditional” students successful in their return to the classroom, traditional programs must become “non-traditional.”  They must reach out to adult students with new and innovative approaches rather than expecting them to conform to an environment designed for younger students with less complicated lives.

The degree programs that you will find on Belhaven University’s adults studies campuses represent such an approach. We recognize that learning takes place when adult students are challenged to link newly acquired information to their career activities. The classroom environment, weekly assignments, and project-team assignments are all designed to maximize learning in ways that are meaningful to the adult learner.

The need to attend college while not neglecting other responsibilities is an important issue for the adult considering a return to college. Students in Belhaven’s non-traditional degree programs attend class once a week instead of two or three times a week. This allows more time for family, church, work and all of those other things that require the student’s attention. The convenience of our adult degree programs is enhanced by impeccable student services and competitive tuition rates than include the costs of books

So, what does all of this have to do with my theme of community building? Having been told a few years back that “it takes a village to raise a child,” we can’t help but acknowledge, in this turbulent economy, that it takes education to build and sustain the village. Education is an integral part of any attempt to build better communities. The bottom line is that when adults can complete their college degrees, communities benefit in a number of ways. Local businesses benefit from a workforce enhanced by the knowledge and abilities of the college graduates. Local economies benefit from the increased purchasing power that a college degree brings to its recipients. Families benefit from the positive changes in quality of life that usually accompany the mother or father who now has a college degree.

Belhaven University’s adult studies campuses have been part of this type of community building since 1996. With a reach that includes Jackson, Mississippi; Memphis; Houston; Orlando; Atlanta; and Chattanooga; our graduates are impacting communities throughout the southeast and beyond. At one time, most of these people thought that they would never complete their college degrees.  As the lives of most working adults become more complicated in these uncertain times, Belhaven University remains committed to offering uncomplicated ways for adult learners to realize their dreams and contribute to the growth and well being of their communities.

 

Thinking About “The Question”

As someone who has been involved with adult education for 13 years, I’ve been faced with this question many times, “What will this degree do for me?” The person who asks this question wants to know what skills he will acquire that will lead to a better paying and perhaps even more fulfilling job. This is an honest question, and if you’re a prospective student, Belhaven’s admission representatives are eager to provide the information you’re looking for. However, let me challenge you a bit. What if the answer to your question could be enhanced by asking a different question – a question that’s driven more by a transformational view of education than a purely vocational view? Here’s what I mean.

Arthur F. Holmes, in his book The Idea of a Christian College, implies that to ask “What will this degree do for me?” is to ask the wrong question. Rather, a prospective student should ask “What will this degree do to me?” To frame the question this way means that the prospective student understands the difference between transformational education and education that merely produces vocational skills. Transformational education provides a broad yet integrated view of the world that changes a person to the extent that her influence on her family, employer, church, and community is pervasive and far reaching. Degree programs that focus primarily on the equation that more skills equal a better paying job are short-sighted in that they fail to realize that skills have a short shelf life and fade quickly into obsolescence.

Consistent with Holmes’ view that the liberal arts are the best type of career preparation, Belhaven University’s adult and graduate studies programs provide an expanded offering of general education courses combined with professional curricula that transform students to think broadly and critically in an ever changing and complex world. At Belhaven, occupational know-how (as Holmes put it) is undergirded by courses that develop cognitive and communication skills, imagination, and values – all of which, according to Holmes, are the products of a strong liberal arts (and thus transformational) education.

I suppose that prospective adult students will continue to ask “the question,” and that’s okay. If you desire to return to college, any admissions team worth its salt will work to answer all of your questions. I know we will. There are measurable benefits for those who earn a college degree – no doubt! But you will sell yourself short if, as you explore your options, you fail to consider which college or university’s programs are best designed to transform its students. Only as students are personally transformed by their education will the value of their degree outlast any short-term gains produced by a new skill set.

Chattanooga Campus Offers New Programs

Belhaven’s adult and graduate studies campus in Chattanooga (Quest) recently received approval to offer two new academic programs. In addition to its flagship Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management offering, working adults in southeast Tennessee and north Georgia can pursue the Bachelor of Health Administration and the Master of Business Administration degrees. As the Chattanooga area continues to defy the recession with the addition of Volkswagen of America and the possible addition of two Amazon.com facilities, Belhaven’s Chattanooga campus is positioning itself to meet the educational needs of an expanding population of professionals. The Chattanooga campus also serves students and Dalton and Rome, Georgia.