by Josh Paxton | Jul 13, 2018
At the river where Paul met Lydia in Philippi
This summer found five Calvary students accompanying the Director of the Burnham Center for Global Engagement on a three week educational and ministry tour of Greece. The students enjoyed learning the history and cultural background of much of the New Testament as they traveled in the footsteps of Paul. Along the way, we were able to learn about the continuing ministry needs to refugees. We visited two refugee care centers created by AMG, our host for the three weeks. Students were challenged by those ministries as to how God might be calling them to be involved in this continuing global crises. The Burnham Center is already making plans for the next Greece trip in 2020. Students will have as many as five opportunities coming up next summer for both cross-cultural and local national ministry involvement including a trip to Israel! Stay tuned for more information on these opportunities, and enjoy some pictures from the recent trip.
Students spent a day helping with a local ministry to refugees in Thessaloniki.We were not allowed to take pictures inside the center.
Costas, our guide. He is a great friend and incredibly knowledgeable about Classical Greek culture and its involvement in the biblical text.
Visiting the Monasteries at Meteora
We were privileged to attend the graduation ceremony for Greek Bible College. Calvary has recently signed an agreement allowing students to study abroad with GBC.
The inscription on this stone mentions Galio as proconsul of Achaia, verifying Acts 18:12 as well as providing a timeline for the events.
Erastus the City Treasurer of Corinth (Romans 16:23)
The Bema in Corinth (Acts 18:12)
Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-34)
Greece is a beautiful country, However, it is also a very needy country. The economy is still struggling, sharing one’s faith is illegal, and refugees continue to arrive daily.
That’s it for now, if you want to see more join us for our next trip to Greece in 2020! Please be in prayer for the work of AMG and many others who are sharing the gospel in this historic place. While Greece is rich in biblical history and heritage, the needs are also great. Calvary hopes to provide an internship opportunity soon through our partnership with AMG and the Cosmovision center in Athens.
by Sara Klaassen | Jul 13, 2018
Weekly Portraits of Calvary Life
Do It Heartily
Karen Hange painted railings near the Conference Center.
Each Tuesday during the summer, several Calvary staff members step away from their desks and pitch in to help with various maintenance projects around the campus. They clean in the dorm for the first few Tuesdays. Most weeks some people spend time mowing, weed-eating, and pulling weeds. This summer staff members have painted numerous spots and stained a gazebo as well.
Ashley Spicer, Rachel Hontz, Tasha Krahn, and Tressa Shoemaker stained the gazebo.
Because of the library move this spring, one of the Tuesday Work Day projects was putting together some additional shelves. Other staff members worked heartily at moving furniture to the CABRE.
CABRE
Last summer I told you that the building formerly known as the Seminary was being remodeled. At that time, we were planning to move the library and academic center to that space. God had other plans! Now the old seminary building has a new name to go with a new purpose. The CABRE (pronounced SAY-bur) is the Center for Advanced Biblical Research and Engagement. It houses the Pre-Trib Research Center, Center for Interdisciplinary Creation Studies, and the Burnham Center for Global Engagement.
Sara Klaassen
Alumni Relations Coordinator
by Sara Klaassen | Jun 1, 2018
Weekly Portraits of Calvary Life
The Alumnus of the Year award is given annually to a Calvary graduate who has shown faithfulness in his or her service to the Lord. This year the President’s cabinet has chosen to honor one individual and one couple based on their outstanding qualifications.
Mrs. Alice Thompson
Alice Thompson
The first honoree is Alice Thompson. Alice was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and came to know the Lord through her grandmother’s influence. Alice attended Maryland Heights Gospel Center which was pastored by Roger Andrus. Reverend Andrus also taught at Midwest Bible & Missionary Institute, one of the schools which later merged to form Calvary Bible College. He was instrumental in encouraging Alice to attend Midwest, and it was there that her life took on new meaning. She learned from amazing instructors of the Word of God, had opportunities for practical service in the Lord’s work, and met many visiting missionaries at the Chapel services. As Alice searched for God’s will for her life, she soon knew without a doubt that she would be a missionary – and specifically, in Brazil.
While she was studying at Midwest, Alice became friends with Bob Thompson. They each knew that God was calling them as missionaries to Brazil. Bob graduated in 1952, and they were engaged one month later. Bob traveled to Brazil alone in late 1952, and they corresponded by letter until Alice graduated in 1953. She then went to Brazil, and they were married in December of 1953, before she even knew the Portuguese language!
Umuarama
As pioneer missionaries, the Thompsons founded the Brazil Inland Mission in May of 1955. They also helped found the city of Umuarama in southern Brazil in June of 1955. Umuarama was a great location for a city because of its’ strategic location at a crossroads in the middle of the jungle. The Thompsons had the first residential home in the city! They literally carved the city out of the jungles of southern Brazil with other pioneers. Bob and Alice started the first church in Umuarama, and they helped plant many other evangelical churches in southern Brazil. In 1964, Bob helped start a municipal grade school and also taught the Bible there. The school is still functioning today, while the town has grown to a population of over 100,000!
Alice worked side-by-side with her husband for their entire married lives. Both were completely dedicated to the ministry and lived out their faith in front of their five children. They involved their children in ministry as much as possible. Bob and Alice founded the Thompson Theological Bible Seminary in 1968 with the goal of placing graduates in ministries around Brazil. Alice taught many classes for women and children’s ministries. She worked full-time at the Seminary while home-schooling her own children! The Seminary is still in existence today in east-central Brazil, where their son, David and his wife serve as missionaries. David’s daughter, JoAnna, also serves as a missionary in the same location, making her a third generation missionary to Brazil!
Still Serving
Bob and Alice retired from the mission field in 1996. Bob’s home-going in 2009 led Alice to move to Waukon, Iowa, where she currently lives close to her daughter, Cristina Smith, and is active in the church her son-in-law pastors. She is still involved with the Brazil Inland Mission through a ministry of prayer and encouragement that continues as she approaches her 87th birthday. Alice is strong in her resolve to reach people for Christ and to serve in whatever capacity her health allows. Last June, she was able to travel to Brazil for the grand opening of the Alice Thompson Christian Grade School on the Thompson Theological Seminary property, and she helped cut the ribbon at the ceremony! She has made an eternal impact on many lives.
Three of Alice’s children attended Calvary – David Thompson, Anita Weinzierl, and Cristina Smith – as well as her granddaughter, JoAnna Thompson. Another grandson, Nathan Smith, plans on beginning his studies at Calvary this fall. We are delighted to honor Mrs. Alice Thompson as 2018 Alumna of the Year, and we thank her for the amazing example she has been and continues to be.
For health reasons, Mrs. Thompson was unable to attend the Commencement Exercises. Her daughter, Anita Weinzierl, accepted the award on her behalf.
Sara Klaassen
Alumni Relations Coordinator
by Josh Paxton | May 10, 2018
Calvary University and Greek Bible College in Athens recently signed an articulation agreement allowing for the acceptance of credits for students at Calvary from Greek Bible College. This agreement allows for Calvary students to participate in Greek Bible College’s International Student Program, The English Alpha Program. This will further enrich Calvary’s Study Abroad options for its students. “The International Student Program is a one-year course in the Bible designed to equip students to understand the Word of God and its significance for life and Ministry.” Greek Bible College ISP
Courses include:
Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Corinthians, Hebrews, Genesis, Evangelism, Survey of Theology and more, including four courses in Greek! All courses are taught in English.
What could be better than learning Greek in Greece!
For more information on this unique opportunity check out Greek Bible College’s Website
Or contact the Director of the Burnham Center for Global Engagement, Joshua Paxton.
by Josh Paxton | Apr 18, 2018
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” – Philippians 1:3-5
Ethnos 360 and Biblical Ministries Worldwide join Crossworld in SYNERGY with Calvary University
At the Conference on Global Engagement in January The Burnham Center for Global Engagement announced a new educational option for students called SYNERGY. Synergy involves a cooperative partnership between Calvary and its partners in ministry to train and equip the next generation of missionaries and get them to the field sooner. This is accomplished through students beginning the training process with these agencies while also receiving Calvary University credit for their efforts. This groundbreaking opportunity is a Calvary distinctive that is available at no other school.
More information on the details of Synergy can be found here: SYNERGY
We are excited to announce that both Biblical Ministries Worldwide and Ethnos 360 have recently become partners with us in Synergy. Calvary students now have three choices in completing their Synergy coursework and this list is sure to grow!
Our partners are excited about the prospects of Synergy and we are looking forward to working together to reach the unreached wherever they may be found.
David Brown, Biblical Ministries Worldwide
“Biblical Ministries Worldwide is hugely excited to join Calvary University in training the next generation of cross-cultural workers for harvest fields all over the world! Synergy is such a brilliant idea, an innovative approach combining the credibility of academia with the expertise of BMW’s trainers who have a combined 487 years of church-planting experience. We’re praying that God will use this initiative for His glory and the advance of His Kingdom.”
Jason Weaver, Ethnos 360
“Synergy provides students a path to complete their degree at Calvary University and their training with Ethnos 360 at the same time. I don’t know of another opportunity like this! It’s exciting to think about how this program will prepare future missionaries while minimizing the time it takes to get to the mission field.”
In addition to providing great opportunities for existing Calvary students and new Calvary students SYNERGY will create a unique opportunity for students enrolled at Ethnos 360 Bible Institute. Students who are working towards an Associate degree at Ethnos 360 Bible Institute will be able to transfer up to 47 hours of credit towards an accredited degree at Calvary and also complete their training with Ethnos 360’s Missionary Training Center as part of their degree program through Synergy. The end result will enable them to take the same path they already planned on but earn an accredited degree from Calvary University along the way!
Synergy is all part of the Burnham Center for Global Engagement’s mission to end gospel poverty and ensure that the 3.1 billion people who currently have no opportunity to hear the message of Jesus, get that opportunity sooner rather than later. If you have questions about the Burnham Center for Global Engagement or how to take advantage of Synergy contact Burnham Center director Joshua Paxton.
by Josh Paxton | Apr 13, 2018
Help us walk/run the 8350 miles to Mindanao Island in the Philippines to benefit the Burnham Center for Global Engagement!
REGISTER HERE!!!
In 2001 Martin and Gracia Burnham, both alumni of Calvary University and missionaries with New Tribes Mission were held captive in the Philippine Jungle for over a year. Gracia would be rescued and Martin would tragically lose his life during that rescue attempt. The Burnham name is now known to many and they are also honored and remembered through the Burnham Center for Global Engagement at Calvary University. The mission of the Burnham Center is to train and equip the next generation of cross-cultural servants of Christ to meet the challenges of ministry in an ever-changing world. The Inaugural Race to the Philippines seeks to raise funds to help the Burnham Center in this mission.
The Race to the Philippines is a virtual walk/run. This, of course, solves the problem that unlike Jesus, none of us can walk on water! Undoubtedly you may be asking yourself, what is a virtual race?
REGISTER HERE!!!
What is a virtual race?
I am glad you asked!
While 5k’s 10k’s and marathons have been around for a long time as ways for organizations to raise awareness for their cause and raise funds, virtual racing is a recent phenomenon. A virtual race could be summed up with the tagline, Your Race, Your Place, Your Pace. Unlike traditional walk/runs there is no set date and time to do the event, there is no set course marked out to follow, and no set place to travel to in order to participate. You can walk, run, crawl, skip, or ride a bike, wherever you are, whenever you have time to complete your distance. While we have set a suggested date of April 21st to complete the event it really is up to you. We will not be asking you to “prove” that you have gone the distance either.
We have created a Facebook event page here where we would like you to post a selfie or other picture of yourself completing your distance. Our hope is to gather pictures of people all around the world participating in this event so that it is truly a global event.
There is also the option of purchasing a race shirt here: Shirts are an extra charge but we do receive a portion of the funds towards our overall goal, and we think they look pretty sweet! Kudos to Callie Weeks for her design work!
Everyone who registers will receive an event medal, pictured here–>
What is the Goal?
Every great event has a great goal and ours is nothing short of legendary. The goal of the Race to the Philippines is to walk/run or otherwise cover the 8350 miles between Calvary’s Kansas City Campus and Mindanao Island in the Philippines. Mindanao is the island were Martin and Gracia were held captive.
There are two ways that we hope to accomplish this. When you register you will be signed up to walk/run the minimum requested distance of a 5k (3.1 miles). In addition, we have created another form where others can sponsor you to run/walk additional miles. So gather all your friends and have them sponsor you for an additional 10 miles and then walk a half-marathon! If you need to you can always break the distance up. Or you can sponsor Burnham Center Director Joshua Paxton for as many miles as you want, he plans on walking/running 1000 miles this year anyway as a personal goal.
So sign up today and join us as we Race to the Philippines!
REGISTER HERE!!!
