Covid was the worst thing and the best thing to happen to our faculty group. It nearly killed our in-person groups, but gave rise to life-changing virtual groups. Over the past four years since Covid, being part of a virtual group with other Christian faculty has profoundly impacted my work life, prayer life, and my […]
As a new professor I was committed to living out my life as a follower of Jesus, but I knew that doing so in community was key. I knew several Christian professors, but somehow my efforts to summon a sizable group gathering was elusive. I felt alone. Then one morning it hit me – I needed […]
In 2004 I took a leap of faith and left behind a 20+ year corporate career and chose to join the academy as a Computer Science and Engineering faculty member. One of the first challenges, aside from a very different day-to-day workflow, was finding those who shared my faith in a very secular workplace. Finally, […]
When I started as a professor ten years ago, I wondered how to go public with my faith. My own time as a university student and follower of Jesus had been a great journey of discovery: of life, of growing up, of traveling, of reflection, of learning…and all of this with Jesus himself and many […]
The mottled light filtered through a large canopy of trees as we stepped off the train and onto the platform serving the tiny rural village. A few moments later, my friend and I came to, what appeared to be, the main street running east and west through town. We paused long enough to look both […]
Criminal justice professor draws colleagues into Christian community and service After years of feeling alone as a Christian professor on campus, Dr. Laurie Kubicek assembled a supportive group of believing faculty and staff. In the spring of 2015, they launched the Christian Faculty and Staff Network at California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State). Colleagues describe […]
I remember each of my children’s university commencements, but one will not soon be forgotten. One of my kids was running late to graduation and sped into the stadium parking lot at the last minute, sprinting – gown flapping in hand – to make the processional line. After the ceremony, as lunch grew near, we inquired: […]
Over the years, perhaps what I’ve appreciated most about the Missional Moments is hearing what God is doing on other campuses and gleaning ideas from other faculty. In February 2020, David Janzen from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo shared a Missional Moment about his “Life Lunches” — connecting weekly with students to talk about anything except classwork. I loved […]
To my knowledge, I never had a Christian professor during my decade of undergraduate and graduate studies. When I became an assistant professor, I wanted to be the Christian professor I never knew. . While I had my own idea of how that would take shape, God fulfilled my desire in surprising ways. Soon after arriving […]
There are many situations in which silence is the best response–indeed, often, “silence is golden!” But silence all the time, or at the wrong time, “speaks volumes,” though not the message we need to be sending. I often think of my students from rural Alabama whose Christian parents were terrific but only had a high […]
