More than a Bible study
By Zach Walker 162 Minnesota Hispanics attended the 7th Spanish-Speaking Seminar for Pastors and Leaders March 30, with the next conference set for May 18. Juan Hernández Jr. began his lesson. He gestured toward a PowerPoint on Revelation, a topic he teaches every semester at Bethel University. But this time, he taught in Spanish. His voice rang out through overhead speakers to a crowd of people just like him. A group who looked like him and sounded like him and worshipped like him. Hernández, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Bethel University, led the seventh Seminar for Spanish-Speaking Pastors and Leaders March 30 at Bethel, with the eighth set for May 18. The turnout was record-breaking with 162 members of the Minnesota Hispanic community as well as Bethel students and faculty attending the event to learn about the historical, cultural and theological context of the book of Revelation. The… Keep Reading
Faculty load adjustments
Provost Deb Harless presented the recommendations and results of the Faculty Load and Structure Working Group in reducing expenses to reach target savings. By Emma Harville As budget shortfalls sent waves throughout the Bethel community in the past year, several working groups of staff were established last spring to work through these shortages and recommend changes in order to reduce costs. Provost Deb Harless and associate provosts Deb Sullivan-Trainor and Randy Bergen held a session Thursday morning to discuss the Faculty Load and Structure Working Group’s recommendations on how to address the budget, particularly pertaining to faculty course loads. The Faculty Load and Structure Working Group’s objective in meeting was to “identify one or more equitable systems for faculty loads that work across all four schools and result in cost savings” and reduce costs by $1,150,000. Each course allows faculty members to obtain a number of Teaching Equivalency Units (TEUs)… Keep Reading
Talking about the tension
Conversations arise around a recent statement released from the BTS department. By Sam Johnson On May 1, the Bethel faculty senate met in the Olson Boardroom to engage in a conversation about one of Bethel’s departments. The majority of the meeting was led by Gary Long, department chair and professor of Biblical and Theological Studies. Long spoke about who BTS is as a department amid questions from outside the community on the content that is being taught in the classroom. In March, Long said that he met with faculty senate president Chris Gehrz and board of trustees chair Julie White for two hours, discussing subjects like the group “Take Back Bethel” and a perceived theological drift going on within the department. In response to the reported drift, BTS faculty crafted a statement. Long said that the statement was agreed upon by all department faculty members. The statement’s content was affirmed… Keep Reading
$5 within 5 miles
By Taylor Fondie College students are often running tight on money and time, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves on a budget. Here is a list of ways to get the best bang for your buck! All these locations are within 5 miles of campus and offer a way to spend $5 or less. AMC Rosedale 14 1595 Highway 36 W, #1000, Roseville, MN 55113 Going to a movie at AMC can get expensive, however, if you go on Tuesdays AMC offers five dollar movie nights. Bring a friend and take a break from studying to watch your favorite new movie. McDonald’s 1313 W, County Rd E, Arden Hills, MN 55112 Get a cheap McFlurry, McDouble & small fry from McDonald’s and enjoy a walk around the trails of Lake Johanna. Be sure to go in and order your food to get an additional Bethel student discount for… Keep Reading
Planting leaders
Listening session informs students about presidential search By Elena Vaughn CarterBaldwin Executive Search co-founder Price Harding held a listening session in the Olson Boardroom to hear student feedback on the search for a new university President May 2, but only two students attended the event. CarterBaldwin is a faith-based search firm that looks for leaders for organizations such as Young Life, FCA and many universities. This search firm works to collect data on applicants and nominees, such as resumes and letters of interest, and conduct preliminary interviews. While CarterBaldwin initiates these first steps, the final decision is up to Bethel’s Board of Trustees. When discussing his motivation and vision for the company, Harding cited a desire to “plant leaders in organizations…so they can flourish…so the organizations will produce fruit for years to come for the Kingdom.” Bethel’s new president will be announced Spring 2020 and begin working that summer. The… Keep Reading
A resume of rejection
From one sinker to another: just keep failing. Maybe one day you’ll be a professional ping-ponger in New York. By Jamie Hudalla The warehouse in St. Louis Park looks like it might hang pig carcasses up on hooks or collect the ghosts of flour mill workers from 1890. My hands shake as I sit in the parking lot, but that has less to do with the warehouse and more to do with my job interview. I study who I am as I wait an hour and a half in the parking lot. What are your strengths, Jamie? Well, not driving. How do you deal with conflict? I’ve taken a reconciliation class, so, pretty well. What are your career goals? Fiction writing. Pray for me. I crack a window because I forgot to wear deodorant and it’s a balmy 40 degrees. At 1:55 p.m. I walk in the door of the… Keep Reading
Spring in to these ice cream shops
By Taylor Fondie With temperatures rising now that spring is finally here, it’s the perfect time to hit your old favorite, or maybe discover a new place for a creamy treat. This list doesn’t cover nearly all of the ice cream shops in Minnesota, but it gives some of the top selections of where to go and what to order. Izzy’s Ice Cream 2034 Marshall Ave St.Paul, MN Recommended Flavor: Chocolate Peanut Butter with Burnt Caramel for the Izzy’s Scoop The most iconic ice cream shop in Minnesota, offering many tasty ice cream flavors with a novel and smart twist. Izzy’s is home to the Izzy scoop, a delightful mini scoop on top, think of “the cherry on top” but instead of a cherry, it’s ANOTHER scoop of ice cream. Licks Unlimited 31 Water St Excelsior, MN 55331 Recommended Flavor: Fat Elvis Licks Unlimited always has a line out the… Keep Reading
From small town to the Big Apple
Lacey Benz studies at Bethel and learns to fuse her faith and business career together. By Judd Martinson and Emma Eidsvoog Lacey Benz went from growing up on a farm in Blue Earth, which has about 3,000 people, to studying at Bethel, to riding the subway and interning in New York City for JPMorgan Chase & Co. Now studying economics, finance and international business at Bethel University, Benz knew Bethel was the place for her after seeing a Welcome Week video during her second visit to campus. “I just knew at that moment, ‘Wow, God has called me here to Bethel,’” the Bethel senior and Chief Investment Officer of the Royals Investment Fund said. Since studying at Bethel, Benz has noticed the difference between her classes at a Christian university and her secular high school. “In every single class I take faith as an aspect that we talk about at… Keep Reading
A team of many jerseys
The Bethel Club Lacrosse team is making a splash but many do not know about them on campus. By Joe Hiti On a beat-up Bose speaker, Old Town Road by Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus is blasting through the SRC. “One more, one more,” Kyle Ramsey yells calling for the ball during warmups. The sound of sneakers on blue clay courts. The smell of sweaty gear in the air. Lacrosse balls zinging into the blue net surrounding the court, their makeshift field. Players stretching and taking shots in their collection of high school, college, and summer camp practice jerseys. Sitting at one end is a single lacrosse net. This is practice for the Bethel men’s club lacrosse team. “The team has been around Bethel since the early 2000s,” junior captain Chase Larson said. “But really the last couple of years we’ve grown.” “Right now we’re on track to… Keep Reading
Prism: Not just a Bible study
The discipleship group for LGBTQ+ and same-sex attracted students formed last spring under Campus Ministries, following the vision of Bethel University By Zach Walker and Jared Martinson When several students approached Assistant Campus Pastor Jason Steffenhagen about starting an official group for LGBTQ+ and same-sex attracted students, he grabbed a notepad and pen and listened. He contacted Pastors Matt Runion and Laurel Bunker with the idea of starting an LGBTQ+ discipleship group. Through that discussion, Prism was born as another vehicle for Bethel students to live out the first core value of Bethel University — following Christ and living out the teachings of Jesus. “[Students] wanted a space to be in community, to grow in their faith, to be able to talk about their faith,” Steffenhagen said. ”We talked about the need that we were seeing in our students and the areas where other forms of discipleship might not have… Keep Reading