Regent Celebrates Global Day of Worship



By Amanda Morad

December 14, 2012 




President Campo leads chapel in "Hark!
The Herald Angels Sing."

As the semester winds down, pausing for reflection in worship remains a priority for the Regent University community. Recognizing this, President Carlos Campo spoke at a special chapel on Wednesday, Dec. 12, which also featured guest worship artists, Rooted Deep, and Orphan's Promise founder, Terry Meeuwsen.



The chapel service coincided with the Global Day of Worship, an international event featuring 24 hours of worship across 24 time zones, and occurred just hours before Adora America, a worship event featuring several Latino pastors and ministers, filled the Main Theatre for the East Coast broadcast of the Global Day of Worship.

President Campo focused his remarks on the story of Charles Wesley and the Holy Club he co-founded at Oxford University in the 18th century with his brother John Wesley and his friend George Whitfield. "Transform this campus," President Campo challenged students. "You are welcome here to form a 'Holy Club.'"

The Wesleys' transformative methods of worshipping God eventually produced the Methodist denomination and changed both the "old" and "new" world forever, President Campo explained.

"We are outcomes based, right?" he asked chapelgoers, "But we're looking beyond academic outcomes to the ultimate heavenly outcome. How are we preparing students for that?"

One way is through Regent's annual Week of Worship. Five days of special chapel services and a culminating night of worship called students, staff and faculty to focus on their faith. Regent's week of worship is held each November.

Another way Regent is preserving its commitment to spiritual outcomes is the building of the Chapel, expected to open in spring 2013. "So much will happen in that building across the way," predicted President Campo.

Acknowledging both Wesleys' contributions to the canon of traditional church hymns, President Campo concluded his remarks with a breakdown of one of Charles Wesley's more well-known hymns, "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." After explaining what the beloved lyrics represent, President Campo led the audience in the seasonal song.

What the vision and mission of Regent University come down to, he said as he concluded, is "glory—may it ever be true on this campus, that we bring glory to the name of God."

Learn more about Campus Ministries.

PR/NEWS CONTACT:
Mindy Hughes, Public Relations
Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888
E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu

Registration Opens for Study Trip to Turkey

By Amanda Morad

December 7, 2012

From the mosques of Istanbul to the ancient walls of Troy, Turkey is often considered the cradle of civilization. Regent University's School of Education (SOE) is offering a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience the depth of history and culture of Turkey by taking a study tour June 15-26, 2013.
"We will investigate innovation in education from a global perspective as we begin our adventure in [the capital city of] Ankara," said trip leader Dr. Hope Jordan, a professor in SOE. The group will also visit the cities of Cappadocia, Ephesus and Istanbul.

"Turkey has a rich history—that history has significance for Christians with such historic sites as Ephesus, the Hagia Sophia, Laodicea, and the church cave of St. Peter," said Jordan. Outings to each of these sites and others are scheduled throughout the 10-day trip.

Graduate and undergraduate students are invited to participate and earn three credit hours for the study tour. The trip is also open to the community at large. "Anyone who would like to collaborate and learn from teachers and educational leaders while visiting this ancient nation is welcome to join the class," Jordan added.

Of the many highlights of the trip will be a Best Practices in Education roundtable, hosted by Jordan and the team and involving Turkish university and K-12 educators.

Participants will earn three credits at a special reduced tuition rate. Registration for the trip is now open and final travel expenses will be due April 15.

Learn more about the trip.

PR/NEWS CONTACT:
Mindy Hughes, Public Relations
Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888
E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu

Professor Joins Outreach Team in Malaysia

By Rachel Bender

December 12, 2012

It was a different kind of mission trip that took Dr. Amy Trout, associate professor in Regent University's School of Psychology & Counseling (SPC), to Malaysia over Thanksgiving. Accompanied by her husband and three daughters, Trout joined her colleague, Dr. Evelyn Biles, adjunct professor in SPC, on a project designed to allow orphaned girls to experience a mother-daughter relationship.

Photo submitted by Caroline Leal:
fourth place winner of the 2012 OGA Media Contest.

The program, called "Vital Foundation for Girls," is designed to show what family love can look like to girls who have been living in a rumah (shelter) and have not had a solid home life of their own.

Biles has been traveling to Malaysia since 2002, but this was the first time Trout and her family joined the founder of Global Mosaic International.

When the family arrived, Trout and her daughters went to the Golden Palm Resort where they met a group of 18 girls who were picked to join in their adventure. The Malaysian girls were assigned a mother-daughter team to spend the week with in hopes that they would experience the love of the mothers and children, as well as learn about their own self-worth and experience unconditional love.

"A lot of what we did was really live life with these girls," Trout explained. "One girl said to me that she had never seen a real relationship between a mother and child before and that I inspired her."

Living life included playing games, having sleepovers and developing friendships. Each Malaysian girl also worked on a book called My Book of Me, containing creative pages designed to be a reminder of who they are and who they want to become.

Biles created the program simply to give girls a chance to learn more about themselves. "We wanted to have a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural experience, having invited families from Malaysia, India and also Australia, so that the girls from the rumah would see that the love expressed in a family is not just an 'American' thing, but a universal way of how God wants a family to be," explained Biles in a recent article published by Christianity Malaysia.

That also meant training local counselors to work with the girls on issues of identity, sexuality, character development, etc. This was especially important, Trout explained, because they are the ones who will continue to work with the girls long after the mothers and their children have returned to their home countries.

"We're trying to show them that we're really people—that we struggle, we hurt, we love," Trout said.

The trip was organized by Global Mosaic International, a nonprofit organization founded by Biles to provide training in leadership, counseling, conflict management, crisis management and discipleship to areas and people with limited access to these resources.

Learn more about the School of Psychology & Counseling.

PR/NEWS CONTACT:
Mindy Hughes, Public Relations
Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888
E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu

Global Education Center in South Africa Earns Incorporation

December 3, 2012



John Jones (back row center) and members
of the center's South Africa team.

On Tuesday, Nov. 20, the government of South Africa confirmed the incorporation of Regent University's Global Education Center. After months of work establishing partnerships and training opportunities, incorporation of the center will allow Regent to seek local accreditations and professional certifications for programs offered in South Africa, making those programs more appealing for local students.
"The establishment of the Global Education Center in South Africa indicates another milestone in the advancement of Regent University's global vision and ministry," said Regent president, Dr. Carlos Campo. "The university's global strategic plan includes establishing five Global Centers around the world to serve the nations, and this is the first one toward the fulfillment of that plan."

As Christianity continues its explosive growth worldwide, President Campo explained, Regent will look for strategic opportunities to expand. The university's commitment to improving the global competence of its faculty, staff and students also means that the university will continually look for ways to embed global opportunities into its curricula and operations.

Regent's entry into South Africa began around 2000, when representatives from the School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship—now the School of Business & Leadership (SBL)—began participating in educational conferences and offering seminars. In 2009, SBL began offering its online master's degrees in organizational leadership and business administration, and the School of Psychology & Counseling's Trauma Team visited South Africa to provide counseling and training, contributing to Regent's presence and growing reputation there. In 2011, SBL also began offering its online master's in strategic foresight. Currently, about 60 South African students are enrolled in courses, following on the heels of some 20 alumni living in South Africa.

"Established as a branch of Regent, the Global Education Center will serve as Regent's area office in South Africa to promote the university's vision, mission and ministry in the country and the southern Africa region," said Dr. Sergio Matviuk, executive director of Global Affairs.

"South African students are interested in Regent's education, but they are also interested in an education that has the proper recognition by the local government and professional associations," explained the center's director John Jones '10 (School of Business & Leadership). "The incorporation of the Global Education Center brings us closer to obtain those quality assurance certifications and accreditations."

"The Global Education Center becomes the most important global operation and the first international site for the university," explained Matviuk. "It provides a platform for Regent to conduct seminars and conferences, study abroad programs, service learning abroad programs and international research. As a whole, it will be a hub to provide support to Christian leadership development in South Africa."

Currently, the center promotes and markets Regent's Professional & Continuing Education programs and several online graduate programs through the School of Business & Leadership.

In the coming months, the center will work on developing its marketing strategy, building its own administrative systems, and seeking appropriate accreditations and certifications for key programs.

Learn more about Regent's Office of Global Affairs.

PR/NEWS CONTACT:
Mindy Hughes, Public Relations
Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888
E-mail: mhughes@regent.edu