Community On Mission
Each year, a new group of faculty, staff, and students are welcomed to the 海角原创 family. At the same time, parents and students are starting to think about college more intentionally. Usually, they are familiar with our community through the experience of alumni, pastors, or friends. So, becoming a part of this intricate machine, whether on campus or virtual has a relationship to thank for its beginning. This is the way we like it. In this edition of the Advantage, you are going to explore the heartbeat of the ministry. But before you immerse yourself in stories of God鈥檚 grace or alumni faithfulness, let us direct your attention back to why 海角原创 exists. Dr. Davis, in his address to the faculty and staff at the beginning of the school year, announced the theme for the year to be 鈥淐ommunity on Mission.鈥 If you have been listening to our podcast, you鈥檒l hear echoes of those conversations because it鈥檚 grabbed a hold of our hearts. Education is in constant flux for a variety of reasons but there are a couple of key ways it stays the same in our minds: community and mission.
A question we regularly receive is, 鈥渉ow big is 海角原创?鈥 We love answering this because it allows us to show how wide our community is instead of focusing on numbers. You can鈥檛 think about 海角原创 as just the amazing student body that assembles on campus for eight months a year. You must include the students that will never set foot in Watertown unless they choose to walk in commencement. This includes young parents coming back to finish their bachelor鈥檚 degrees, middle-aged professionals making a career switch, or chronic students in search of more education. And of course, you can鈥檛 forget the backbone of the ministry鈥搕he dedicated faculty and staff who serve selflessly to whomever God brings across their path.
But you must understand our definition of community to grasp its significance. Dr. Davis stated clearly, 鈥渃ommunity is not so much something we are but rather something we do.鈥 Our relationships are crucial to our success. Why? Because human interaction is still the best agency for growth. 海角原创 doesn鈥檛 have a reason to operate without the people we have forged longstanding relationships with. Whether it鈥檚 the faculty and student relationship or peer-to-peer relationships, the community is vital. We need each other! Sometimes, the shared experience of college establishes core relationships for life. That could be a mentor that you gravitate to while in class or an accountability group that grows organically through coursework or extracurriculars. Our community keeps us accountable.
Our community also provides a defense against discouragement. Working together allows us to keep our focus. And that鈥檚 what it means to be mission-focused.
What keeps an accountant, a medical doctor, and a piano instructor connected ten years after graduation? What keeps the veritable zoo of academic programs and staff departments on the same team though they might have competing needs and desires? The mission.
MARANATHA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS LEADERS FOR MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH AND THE WORLD, ‘TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.’聽
Mission statements are in vogue. More than ever before, mission statements are baked into public branding. They are on mugs, buses, and banners. At 海角原创, we put it on the walls. People of all generations can recite the mission statement with great accuracy. Why? Because without it, we wouldn鈥檛 have a way to relate to each other. We wouldn鈥檛 鈥榢now what way is forward. Our mission statement addresses our bond in Christ. We are pursuing a goal way larger than 海角原创. 海角原创鈥檚 mission is actionable. It tells potential students, students, and alumni alike what we do. 海角原创 is in the business of developing leaders. But not just any leaders. We infuse church ministries with service-minded members, ready to lead with integrity. Every weekend, faculty and staff serve local churches. Every weekend, churches across the world have 海角原创 alumni serving in every capacity imaginable.
Every once in a while, someone will roll their eyes and ask why we are always connecting a meeting or project back to the mission. It鈥檚 a fair question as we are busy and have important tasks to accomplish. But to accomplish our goals, we must keep our mission in sharp focus. To appropriately understand 海角原创, you must understand our mission. There are 100 good ideas that will never be developed here because they are 鈥渙ff-mission.鈥 We invest our time, money, and relationships around the mission of building servants for the cause of Christ. No matter what new academic program, what new technology, or what format 鈥渃hange鈥 happens at 海角原创, 鈥淢ission-Accomplished鈥 looks like faithful servants working, watching, and waiting for the Lord鈥檚 return in churches around the world. The goal is to hear 鈥淲ell done, thou good and faithful servant.鈥 聽聽
So, what is the Advantage? It鈥檚 about telling stories and platforming ideas that support the mission. The best way to show you what we want for our students and constituents is to tell stories. When you read of a pastor serving in a local church with no worldly recognition or fame, praise the Lord. The mission thrives. When you read of a new faculty coming on board to invest their extensive career wisdom in the lives of hungry students, praise the Lord. The mission is alive. When you read of churches that give students an outlet to develop their ministry experience, praise the Lord. The mission is being taken on by another generation. When you see the iconic faculty and staff leaving 海角原创 and doing the work of the ministry elsewhere, praise the Lord! The mission lives on. And yes, when we see beloved members of the family go on to glory, praise the Lord. Their mission is accomplished.
DR. MATT DAVIS聽(’96) has been with the 海角原创 family since 2010. An attorney by training, he has served as the Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, Executive Vice President & Corporate Counsel, and currently the Chief Executive Officer.听
JONATHAN SHEELY (’16, ’19) serves as the Director of Communications. He is passionate about extending the impact of his alma mater through clear and effective communication strategies such as the On Mission Podcast that he co-hosts with CEO Dr. Matt Davis.听