A Welcome Note from the Director of the Christian Service Program
Hello, and welcome to a new era at Heritage Christian University. I want to welcome you to the new and improved Christian Service Program. This is an exciting time for me, and I hope that it is for you as well. We will be learning and creating a new system together and working together to improve the Christian Service Program at Heritage Christian University. Every college and university accredited by ABHE (http://abhe.gospelcom.net/index.html) is required to have a Christian Service Program. I want yours and mine to be the best! With the improvements that we are making this semester, I am confident that it will be.
We are now using computers, Scholar360, and selected web surveys to gather the needed information for the program. This opens exciting new doors to students that have not previously been available.
I do not want the Christian Service Program to be a laborious, boring trudge through the “hallowed halls of learning.” The very name should inspire and excite us. Christian Service! That is what this life is all about: Christian - to be like Jesus Christ, and service - the greatest trait of our Lord and the example our Savior set for us to follow. Get excited and dig in. Get hungry for the practical experience and training that you need to be an “effective communicator of the Gospel.”
Part of the college journey is new experience. The Christian Service Program at HCU is all about helping to guide your journey into new experiences in areas of ministry. So come on: let’s walk together after our Lord in Christian Service!
Michael Jackson
Director of Christian Service
Heritage Christian University
An Introduction to the Christian Service Program
The Christian Service Program at Heritage Christian University is divided into three (3) very important and distinct parts: Reports, Campaigns, and Ministries. Each of these areas serve a vital and valuable purpose at HCU.
Reports
Christian Service Reports are an attempt to keep track of the Lord’s work that is being accomplished by HCU students, staff, and faculty. Historically, Christian Service Report forms were disseminated, completed, and collected in chapel. The reports are now collected as a web page survey: http://www.hcu.edu/index_report.asp. Students, staff, and faculty receive weekly emails reminding them to fill out the report. Every employee and student should fill out a Christian Service Report form for every week regardless of what other class or program they are involved in. Paper copies are available at the back of chapel for those who do not have Internet access.
It is encouraging to see how much work a small but dedicated group has accomplished. HCU is attempting to follow the apostolic example of keeping a record of work so a report can be made to individuals and congregations. The totals for the entire year are published in the Heritage Christian University Annual Report.
Campaigns
Every student at Heritage Christian University is required to go on evangelistic campaigns. Churches contact the University and request a campaign (please use this form). The Christian Service Subcommittee assigns students and instructors to individual campaigns. Campaigns are held each fall and spring semester and special campaigns are arranged in the summer. To graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree a student must have been on eight (8) HCU campaigns (exceptions to this requirement are made for students who transfer in courses and for those who do summer course work). Compulsory campaign attendance ensures practical experience in house-to-house evangelism and ministry in general.
The following description is of the ideal campaign; however, exigent circumstances will frequently force the ideal to conform to the practical. The instructor leads and organizes the campaign group. Campaigners leave HCU on Saturday and drive to the location of the campaign. The students travel together to the location of the hosting congregation in vans, arriving Saturday evening. The students are housed with members of the hosting congregation. On Sunday, the congregation, with the aid of the students, begins a weeklong evangelistic meeting preached by the instructor. Students knock doors each morning and afternoon to set up and conduct Bible studies. The congregation provides meals, usually at the building. The campaign concludes on Friday night, and the group returns to HCU on Saturday.
Ministries
The Christian Service Ministries are areas of Christian service selected by the student. The student then involves himself in the chosen area and is required to spend no less than two (2) hours each week in that ministry area. The following is a detailed sketch of the program:
The student enrolls (at the time of Registration) for the selected Ministry and involves himself/herself in that area of ministry. The student is required to spend no less than two (2) hours per week in the selected area of ministry. The student is given a password and username and signs on to www.hcu.edu and selects the link on the left side of the page titled “Scholar360.” This takes the student to the Scholar360 login screen. The student logs in and chooses the “My Classes” link. The student should see his/her particular Ministry listed in the class list. The student should then click the link of that particular class (for instance, a student signed up for Preaching would choose CS140 Preaching). The student has two (2) required tasks to perform using Scholar360 to receive a passing grade: (1) Every week, they must fill out a log sheet as a report of the time they spent in their area of Christian service, and (2) At least once per month, they post a response or comment to the current discussion on the discussion board. The posting on the discussion board has taken the place of the Christian Service Conferences that were held monthly. Every student is required to fill out a weekly log sheet and add to the monthly discussion. Step-by-step instructions concerning Scholar360 usage will be available to the student from the instructor, Michael Jackson (mjackson@hcu.edu).
There are currently eleven different areas of Ministry. The student must choose an area of Ministry each semester. Each Ministry course can be taken twice. No Ministry course can be taken three (3) times.
Listed below are the current areas of Christian Ministry and a brief description of each.
• House-to-House Evangelism:
Students knock on doors to interest people in studying the Bible in their homes.
• Jail Evangelism: Students visit among inmates at the city or county jails at specified periods and in limited numbers.
• Hospital/Nursing Home:
Students offer comfort to patients and look for evangelistic opportunities.
• Preaching:
Students preach at least once a week and make follow-up visits.
• Bible Class Teaching: Students teach a weekly Bible class in a local congregation and visit their students in search of evangelistic opportunities.
• Youth Ministry:
Students participate as a youth leader or assistant leader in a local congregation, evangelizing the young people and organizing evangelistic projects.
• Visitation: Students take part in a congregational visitation program and look for evangelistic opportunities.
• Bible Correspondence Teaching:
Students set up stateside or foreign Bible correspondence courses and answer correspondents’ questions.
• Hospice Chaplain Practicum:
Students are introduced to the tasks and skills of ministry as a hospice chaplain.
• Internet Teaching: Students use the Internet to find and teach students the Bible.
• Creation/Translation of Teaching Material:
Students create or translate materials for use in biblical instruction.
Christian Service Subcommittee
Michael Jackson - chair
James Farris
Travis Harmon
Wayne Kilpatrick
Phyllis Underwood
Conclusion
Heritage Christian University views the Christian Service Program (Reports, Campaigns, and Ministries) as a valuable way of self-evaluation and an important part of each student’s education. The program is a tool for learning and growing with the aim of helping the Lord’s people more effectively do the Lord’s work.
