We wanted to add a personal touch to our site and share with you some service opportunities that our faculty had over the summer. We also are posting our monthly totals from our Christian Service Report that staff, faculty and students fill out weekly. We hope you enjoy the news!

Totals July - December 2007:

Sermons Preached - 774
Classes Taught - 1005
Led Singing - 287
Personal Studies - 573
Correspondence Studies - 1046
Visits Made - 1701
Benevolent Activities - 1812
Requests for Prayers - 1087
Restorations - 221
Baptisms - 154
Total Responses - 1534

Cory Collins, Dean of Students:

Last month fourteen of us from the Mars Hill congregation conducted a campaign / mission effort in Ocala, Florida. We covered hundreds of homes during the daytime. Sunday through Wednesday I preached a gospel series. Our group sang and recorded some special songs. One day we took gifts from the Mars Hill members to the Mount Dora Children's Home. We met and spent time with many children from difficult backgrounds. The next day we visited the Silver Springs theme park, a nature preserve with alligators, many other kinds of animals, glass-bottom boats, and springs bringing fresh water up from the earth. It was also special to me because my wife, Tanya, and our daughter, Charissa, were part of the work. Several have been visiting that congregation recently as a result of the campaign, and each of us grew tremendously in our faith and love.

Ted Burleson, Adjunct Faculty:

Maywood was a highlight of the summer. I co-directed the first week of camp. We had 18 baptisms and 5 restorations. The Ninth Avenue church in Haleyville gave me the opportunity to speak in a Gospel Meeting on Marriage and the Home the week of June 17-21.

Nicole Parker, Assist. Director of PR:

Personally, I guess the greatest experience for me this summer was TITUS camp.  On Saturday night before our final Sunday, we had a devo with all the kids at Eastwood.  During the devo, Ray had a request for an invitation, which he had not originally planned to do.  He told the group that they could respond to the message if they wanted, and we ended up with 4 baptisms and something like 28 responses. (Out of only 60 kids! I don't have the exact response numbers) This just goes to show that the gospel is alive and well inside the hearts of young people.  They are all wonderful kids and have so much to offer the church.

Michael Jackson, DE Librarian:

My most exciting experience in Christian service this summer was Maywood Christian Camp.  On Wednesday night we (the counselors) got together and did a thing called “Sounds of the Cross” for the senior campers.  We all stood around the amphitheater in the dark and read a script (I narrated) of the events leading to Jesus’ crucifixion.  The other counselors provided sound effects at the different moments in the story.  The end of the script is, “Alive.  Alive.  Alive.”  Following this, we gave the kids an opportunity to respond to what they had heard.  We had over 40 responses and 2 baptisms!!!  The power of the Cross is still “Alive.