ADC Student Perspectives

ADC Scripture Reading Contest 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:26:00 +0000

During the Winter term, ADC partners with The Canadian Bible Society to host a scripture reading contest. This year's first place winner is Heather Card. The winner was invited to read at the Commissioning Service for the 2014 Graduating Class, and received a monetary prize and Bible donated from the Canadian Bible Society. All contestants also received the Finance Bible from the Canadian Bible Society.

Scripture Reading Contestants
Back Row: Christoph, Terry, Jeff, Joe, Keith, Alec, Dr. Brackney
Front Row: Lori, Palhem, Heather

A Graduate's Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Zacharias) — Fri, 02 May 2014 12:18:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Helena Allan. She graduated with her MA in 2012 and graduates with her MDiv this month from ADC.

I am reactionary, yes. I am easily hurt, yes. I respond on emotion, yes. As a result, I have made many poor decisions and choices in my life. They are decisions I accept and in many cases, stand by; I accept responsibility for any fall out caused by my life choices. I know I haven't always handled situations in the best of ways, and I accept that.

However, with every poor choice I've made in life - I have made millions of good choices, choices I embrace proudly. One of the best decisions I made in my life was to take a year off Knox College and move to Nova Scotia and study at ADC. One year turned into three, one degree turned into two. Through this decision I worked with an incredible MA Thesis supervisor who inspired and encouraged me daily. I have completed 3 Units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and found a passion for improving our mental health system. I made amazing friends and support systems at ADC who have shown me how to follow God's will. I got a job at Chapters and inherited a beautiful and precious family. I started my professional ministry at Stevens Road United Baptist Church - a place that I know I had to leave, but will always and forever have in my heart. I was able to organize and participate in an amazing Mission Week, where I heard a call from God to go deeper in my faith. I was sent to Vancouver to enhance my ministry and through this got to know a woman better, who has since become a deep point of spiritual inspiration and encouragement.

I am leaving this beautiful province in 6 weeks; everything is in place. I am leaving my friends, my jobs, my faith family, my school, my life and taking a leap of faith... and while I don't know what the future looks like, what I do know, sitting here a week away from graduation, is I am leaving Acadia Divinity College a much better person than when I arrived. I am leaving Stevens Road United Baptist Church a better minister and person. I am leaving Chapters Dartmouth a more patient and appreciative person. I am leaving a life that has prepared me for the future.

Poetry: Famous

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 15:33:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Erin Jackman. She is in her third year of the MDiv program. Erin lives in Middleton, NS and serves as Social Rep on ADCSA

One way that I express my thoughts and feelings is through poetry or song writing. I wrote this poem around 2004 as a reflection of a time when God worked in my life and brought me out of a life that I was not called to live. He provided me a second chance in life and ever since I aim to serve that his glory shines and he becomes famous.

Famous

Why do I find myself feeling so lonely
Only to find you there
Waiting for me to come into your arms
You hold me, you told me
That you'd never leave me
You stood by my side all the way
It was me letting go, pushing away
Wanted to run, wanted to flee
From the site I'd become
Intoxicated by the world
I played it well the life that shouldn't be
Until you showed me
The death of life that drew near
Showed me why to fight for life
I came rushing to you
Arms opened wide
For your warmth again
Holding me tight you cried
As another fearful child
Raced to your love
Those days are going
The new one have come
Still with every breath I breathe
YOu are there waiting
Waiting for me to fall at your feet
But sometimes I still feel lonely
Only to find myself needing you
Yearning for your tender touch of love
Upon my weary soul
Take this life you give
So your glory shines
And you become famous

Juggling Roles

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:47:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Dustin Day. He is in his final year of the MDiv program. Dustin serves as President on ADCSA and is the co-Interim Pastor at Timberlea Baptist Church. Dustin is newly married to Valerie and lives in Halifax, NS.

We all have roles in society. Son or daughter, cousin, father or mother, aunt or uncle – we all have them. Our roles tend to define us and label us. Anti-bullying assemblies through grade school have taught me that ‘Labels are for jars and cans, not people.’ As I get older I realize that we will always have labels, but the difference is that adults tend to be proud of their labels, not shy away from them.

Student, Husband, Pastor. These are the main roles I hold. On top of the standard son, brother, uncle, friend, mentor, and Christian. Our role in society is never only one sided, we will never only be labeled a ‘person,’ there is always going to be a juggling show happening between our roles. I just happen to have overloaded on my share of the roles and, much like a clown at the circus, have stumbled and have dropped a few balls in trying to keep everything afloat. So, pay attention as I try to teach you how to juggle. It is a big secret, I hope you are ready.

First rule of juggling roles: Don’t.
A juggler constantly has balls flying through the air, always needs to know where each is and doesn’t hold all the balls at the same time, there is always some that are our of their reach, out of contact with them for a time. I have found these same rules need to apply to juggling many roles in my life. I cannot hold every role at the same time, I need to separate them and give them the dedicated time they each need.

I separate my time, dedicating myself to one, maybe two roles at a time. Looking at the day as three separate time slots and filling each with one of my roles. Husband is usually in the evening (since my wife has a 9-5 job) and the morning and afternoon can be one of the other positions. I do this seven days a week and ensure that the time I give to each is dedicated and that if I get a pastor-related email while working on a paper I put it off until work hours.

Second rule of juggling: Know the limits.
Everyone has their limits. When juggling, you should know how many balls you can have in the air while still being able to catch them. Know when to let one fall, to allow the others to continue. Know when you need to take a pause, focusing your attention where it needs to be and accept help from others who are willing to take a ball or two to help. Know the limits of your ability.

Our roles as students are often overshadowed by the other roles that we have had for our whole lives or the new ones that are just a few months old. In my life, the role as Pastor has taken priority over student, but that means that now, in the final moments of the semester my role as a student takes priority. As always, people have labels, and just like a label on a can or jar, what we do needs to reflect the label we have been given. (A box labeled sugar better be sugar… it better not be salt when I go to bake a pie for the spring banquet this week).

Student Testimony: Forgiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:16:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Elisabeth Crosby. She is in the first year of her MDiv PACC program. Elisabeth and her two girls live in Halifax, NS.

Once upon a time, I was married and had two little girls – Joanna was three and Rachel was a new baby.

I was miserable. I was suffering from depression, although I didn't know it. I could hardly reach out to people – which is hard to believe if you know me at all! I called this time in my life “The Dark Night of My Soul,” after St. John of the Cross' description spoke into that time. I was so dry spiritually; I
was beginning to question whether my salvation had been real. I felt like a hypocrite because we were about to start fundraising to be missionaries with Interserve and I was a fraud.

I started crying out to God for answers. We had done some psychological testing to see if we would be good missionaries and one of the things the counsellor said was that our marriage could use work. I used this as a ploy to get him to agree to go to a marriage weekend. At the marriage weekend, I despaired as I listened to the talks. Our marriage needed a lot of work, but I had no energy to do any of it. On the last day, I started crying uncontrollably as something the speaker said made me realize I was harbouring unforgiveness against my husband. And I could tell that God was asking me to forgive him.

I was NOT going to forgive him. I could not forgive him. I had suffered so much in my marriage and instead of God convicting my spouse that he needed to change; He was asking ME to forgive? No way!

Here I was, in April 2005, with the choice to follow God's leading. I did – reluctantly. I decided to start with one thing I was good at – research. I read everything God has to say about forgiveness in the Bible. As I began to uncover His truth, He started to break through my hard heart. As I recognized just how much God had forgiven me for, I realized just how stubborn I had been. I had been doing what I like to refer to as the best definition of bitterness - “drinking poison and expecting the offender to get sick.” I finally released my husband to the cross and began to forgive him.

Slowly, my heart became God's to mold as I released my burden to Him. Three years later, when I was really close to God and could hear His voice and recognize His calling, I felt lead to take the girls and leave our situation.

When I returned to Canada, I started attending the Living Waters program. There, I finally found a place where I could be completely safe to explore the deep-seated issues in my life. I was able to share openly about things I had never said out loud. God started a process of opening my heart, first to show the wounds and get healing, then to pour His love into me. My journey was no longer about my marriage; it was about the work He wanted to do within me in order to make me the woman He wanted me to be.

The Day I Turned off Notifications

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Erin Jackman. She is in her third year of the MDiv program. Erin lives in Middleton, NS and serves as Social Rep on ADCSA.

When it comes to technology/social media, I find myself in between two generations. The generation who thinks it is neat, but doesn’t depend on it and the generation who depends on it as if it’s their lifeline. Every once in a while I will go on a social media free weekend. Last year I went for half a semester without FB & Twitter so I could focus on school without the distraction. This year, I am
keeping the ADC Facebook/Twitter/Google+ accounts up to date, and as Social Rep for ADCSA I have decided not to take such long “fasts” from social media sites.

While having coffee with a friend one day, we were chatting about social media sites and how distracting they are for me. He told me that he turned his notifications off. What? Turn off my notifications? Never hear the sound of someone sending me a tweet, favouriting a tweet, pinning one of my pins, commenting on a status, sending me a FB msg? How in the world can you do that? Well it is actually quite easy.

Here’s how:

You pick up the device or devices you use most often.
Go to each app and turn off notifications/sounds.
You enjoy a noise free day.

The results will be different for everyone. You might face serious withdrawal, and finding yourself wanting to check FB every ten minutes. Or it might be the easiest thing you have ever done. In the end, you might think, “Why didn’t I do this years ago?” Of course if you don’t have a problem with this distraction, then this post is probably not for you.

One day I wrote Danny Zacharias an email and told him about what I was going to write about. He replied with, “Something I suggested in my book. I'm glad to hear you listened....6 months later ;-)” Oh, right. Yes, I read that book. Maybe I need to read it again. I’m talking about Surviving and Thriving in Seminary. So, I opened it up on Kindle and skimmed the chapter on Productivity Over Procrastination. Here are a couple things he says on choosing to turn off distractions.

“There are precious few times when there are actual emergencies that require your immediate attention.”

So when someone “likes” a status or a picture or writes a comment it doesn’t need an immediate response. I knew that!

“We are choosing to distract ourselves because the majority of what distracts us is entirely within our control.”

Yes, it’s in my control. It is my choice to check my email, FB, Twitter, and Instagram a lot (I’m not confessing to how many times a day). Oh, and every once in a while Pinterest, Google+, my blog stats and reader. Not to mention the links to YouTube and you end up watching another video that leads to 5 more and an hour later you wonder where the time went.

Danny also suggests Apps that can help you with these distractions and other options for keeping them from taking up your time. If you struggle with this, it’s a good read.

I know you are all wondering how it turned out for me, turning of notifications. I took the steps mentioned above. All was quiet. I had my homework in front of me, and my laptop open. I was reading, and it wasn’t long before I wondered what was happening on Facebook. Why wasn’t I hearing anything from my phone? No, I’m not going to pick it up!

I did pick it up eventually and checked Facebook and email and Twitter and Instagram. Then an hour later I put my phone back down. At least this time I checked on my terms and not on the terms of the sound of the phone. The next challenge is not to stay on as long.

I checked my phone two more times that day. I stayed on my phone a little bit less each time. It was a great exercise to learn that I don’t have to be controlled by the beeps and vibrates of my phone. I can turn notifications off and be in control instead of the notifications controlling me. I am getting in the habit of leaving my phone in another room while I do school work (another tip by Danny). And I’m trying to be more conscious of how I use my phone when I am around others.

Yes, one day, I turned off my notifications, and I never turned them back on.

Faith-N-Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:26:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Isaac "Tree" Russell. He is in his second year of the MDiv program. Tree is the Youth Pastor at Aylesford Baptist Church. He currently lives in Wolfville, NS. He also wrote a post on Creative Study Habits.

Hey y’all, Erin asked me to share about my faith as well as linking it with my interest in fitness. I think there are a lot of connections and commonalities between the two.

Starting with faith, it's interesting to note how having a “belief” in some sort of spiritual perspective can be positive, for a number of reasons. I would suggest Christianity is the way, truth, and the life. It’s a growing
faith in third-world countries, so it implies it is not based on finances and such. Also, it’s a transformed lifestyle where we have everything to gain; we get to spend eternity with our creator. The One who made us. That’s really neat!

With respect to fitness, this can be a troubling for some. Why? Because it takes dedication and sacrifice (much like our faith). The first step is setting a goal (gain, lose, or maintain weight). My personal goal has always been to be able to bench and squat my body weight (195lbs). That took a lot of time, perseverance, and accountability to build up too. Start with small goals and work your way up.

Marathons aren’t won without practice. Walking is one of the best ways to lose or firm up our bodies. It’s free and can be done anywhere. The ideal is 30 minutes daily. A solid way to break that up is 15 minutes in the morning before work/school and then the final 15 in the eve. We feel a lot better about ourselves and have more energy to do other tasks when we’re in better shape. Believe it or not, we have a better chance of living longer when we are healthier too.

Diet is an important part of fitness as well. This isn’t always cutting out foods, but it can be adding certain food groups. Personally, I'm trying to weigh 235lbs, but I want it to be the right type of weight. You can be creative, have a strict diet during the week, then have a cheat day where you reward yourself. Also, it is a cool way to try out new recipes!

However, there is a danger to this. Our bodies can become our “god” instead of worshiping our one true God. Pride is a killer; when we start to compare ourselves to others in a judging way, that doesn’t sit well with Jesus. Our focus should be to honor God with our bodies and want to preserve them. Think of it like a car, you keep it on the road through the right maintenance and upkeep, right? The same goes with our walk with Jesus: we study the word, live a life of worship, honor Jesus, love others, and respect our bodies. Life is too short not to have fun and push our bodies to see where the Lord will lead us.

Wishing y’all a blessed eve. I’m also excited to hear about your own faith-n-fitness setup. Have a great rest of the semester.

God bless,
Tree.

Looking Into the Eyes of the Homeless

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 16:55:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Kayley Sanders. She is in her second year completing her M.Div. Kayley is currently living in Wolfville and is serving at New Minas Baptist Church in the area of children and youth.

Hello, my name is Kayley, and I am in my second year of my MDIV specializing in youth ministry. Last summer I had a life changing experience working as a chaplain assistant (intern) at The Mustard Seed in Calgary. The Mustard Seed, a Christian non-profit street ministry, began as a coffee house called the burning bush in the basement of a church in downtown Calgary.

The founder Pat knows the struggles that homeless people face on a

daily basis because he became homeless at the age of 12 when he was kicked out of his house by his step-father. For years, he saw no hope. Sitting for hours, Pat would panhandle on the street corner in order to get enough money to feed his addictions.

On one specific afternoon, Pat began his usual routine, but what he didn’t realize was that his life would change forever. It was around mid-afternoon when four men stopped by to talk to Pat. They told him that they didn’t have any money to give to him, but they could offer him something even better. The four men took Pat out for a meal. When Pat was about to leave to find a place to sleep on the street, the young men asked him where he was going. Pat told them that he was going to find a place to sleep and the men took Pat by the hand and told him that he was going home with them.

They led Pat up the stairs, and all the while he was thinking to himself that there needed to be a catch. He didn’t understand why four strangers were being nice. They opened the door to the spare bedroom, handed him clean clothes, and a fresh razor. The next sound that Pat heard brought a grown man to his knees. It was the sound of the door closing. Something he hadn’t heard since he was 12 years old. That shower he said was the best one he had ever had, but that still didn’t change the reality that Pat still struggled with addictions.

One night Pat decided to steal a stereo system from the two men and disappeared for almost a year. Full of shame and guilt, Pat knew he couldn’t go back and face the men that brought him in off the street, gave him a bed, clothes, and food. He ended up getting arrested for armed robbery and auto theft and was in prison at the age of 16. When he was released shortly after his 18th birthday, he didn’t know where to go. He didn’t know anyone else that would open their door for him, so he went back to the only place he knew. What came next, Pat wasn’t prepared for. The men opened up the door, looked Pat in the eye, and said “welcome home! Are you ready to start again?”

The Mustard Seed works a bit different compared to most shelters because the shelter is not directly downtown. Every morning four buses bring residents from the shelter, which is located about twenty minutes outside town, and drops them off in between the resource building and the sustainable housing unit. I opened the office at 7:30 a.m. and immediately, from the time the first bus arrived, I didn’t stop talking with people until it was time to leave at 4:00 p.m.

There is a huge stigma behind being on social assistance or being homeless. A homeless person is seen as being lazy, or an addict, but if you look into a homeless person’s eyes for more than second, you know there is more to their story. The stories that I heard were incredibly heartbreaking and most times I would end up crying along with them. One thing that I learned is that homelessness stems from broken relationships not only with family, but most importantly with God. These are people who have been deemed as invisible to society and some have been told their entire lives that they are nothing. I found that incredibly sad because we are brothers and sisters in Christ and when a person needs help it’s our responsibility not only as a Christian, but also as decent human beings to reach out a hand to help that person out.

It’s the unimaginable pain and confusion of being 13 years old and knowing that not even your own mother wants you. It’s the lonely and cold nights spent on the streets terrified if that night would be their last. It’s the tears that are seen coming from a person’s eyes as they lay in an alley after they just took a hit a heroin. Lastly, it’s the teenage girl who grew up selling her body to feed her addiction because she was told her entire life that she was worthless. There is a stigma behind homelessness, but in reality these are just people who need to be shown love and be given an extra helping hand.

Student Testimony: Linda DeMone

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 18:55:00 +0000

Linda DeMone is a B. Th. student and lives in Digby, NS. She shared her testimony during chapel on Oct. 9, 2013. This is her story.

At the beginning of sharing my testimony I have said in the past, “My only wish from my testimony this morning is that it will be a blessing to someone or touch someone’s life in a positive way.” I hope that this is the case for this written version.

***

We grew up in a Christian home and for as long as I can remember we attended Sunday School and church. I don’t know of any family who hasn’t had their share of trials and ours was no
different. There were good times as well as hard times in our family but all of us pitched in and helped one another. I continued to attend church while I worked as an LPN at the Burn Unit at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax.

When I married my husband, I didn’t realize I was under his control until it was too late. I really began to miss church but was afraid to attend because in his mind only hypocrites or fools attended church and he warned me not to go so that I would not be labelled like the rest of them. I am sorry to say that I allowed this to happen and in situations of abuse it isn’t easy to break that bondage. Life remained this way for 25 years.

I need to say here and now that my marriage wasn’t totally bad. There were good times and times of enjoyment, like traveling. But more importantly, I was missing the God times. I missed my Jesus, who was with me from birth. But I still prayed - every day I prayed.

My life and marriage were becoming a total sham. I wouldn’t ask anyone for help, because I felt that I made such a mess of things. The bright spot in the marriage were his parents - my saving grace many times and though I never shared anything, I am sure they knew my plight. They were so loving, kind, and generous to me—they treated me like their daughter. I couldn’t believe that they brought up their son to be so controlling.

In abusive situations there is usually a code of silence, and I maintained it until the fateful night when I nearly ended my life, after a severely abusive episode in which he broke my ribs. God saved me from death – I was 7 months pregnant and had a cardiac arrest on an O.R. table in Shelburne because of severe hemorrhaging. And now here I was trying to take my life at 1:00 in the morning. I said, "Lord, what am I doing?" I prayed hard for forgiveness and asked my Jesus if he would make me whole again. I asked him to relinquish me from this horrible marriage. And we did, five months later. From that moment, I started praying differently, asking the Lord to give me the courage and conviction to follow through with a divorce. The marriage was beyond repair and I was in danger; I had no other choice.

Simply put, I had totally drifted away from the life I grew up with. I had accepted and enjoyed our materialistic lifestyle. Even our trips became a status symbol – we had a "look at us" mentality. When I left, nine days after our 25^th wedding anniversary, I was free for the first time in years and although I had a lot of issues to deal with psychologically, I worked most of them out through secular and Christian counselling.

On a trip to Halifax I met someone who knew me most of my life and she asked me where my husband was. I replied, “We’re divorced.” It shocked her and she said, I thought you two were joined at the hip and I said, “I’ve had a hip replacement.” Our marriage was such a façade; people thought we were the perfect couple.

2 Cor. 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” When I moved, I started attending the Baptist church regularly and let me tell you, I knew I was in a place of such love and comfort and Jesus was speaking to me like I never knew possible. I couldn’t get enough of his Word and read the entire Bible cover to cover, 3 times in one year. I got re-baptized and it was a great experience. Little did I know that God through the Holy Spirit was just beginning to mold me and turn my life around even more.

One morning as I was getting ready to go to worship music practice, the powerful hand of my Lord took me on my knees to the floor. It was there that I asked Christ to forgive me yet again, and I saw him on the cross of redemption. In my tiny apartment, I began to live again for my Jesus, asking forgiveness of myself for staying and forgiving my husband for what happened in my marriage. Right then and there, I knew that the Lord was calling me to do something more with my life and that is where I got the call to ministry.

What about now? Mark 10:52 says, “ 'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you'. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” God is still saying, I am giving you sight, follow me, and where I go so shall you go also.

My journey still continues today. I still have "ah ha" moments: one was a little over a year ago, when it dawned on me that I was doing too much again and some of my old habits were creeping back—the busyness and hiding a little more pain from the past. After a long hard look at what I was doing through prayer, I relinquished myself once more to God - down on my knees, asking forgiveness and in his infinite mercy and grace, saying “Here I Am Lord,” Thy will be done.

Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.

Diligence

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 21:35:00 +0000

Our guest post today is by Tyler Horton, who previously wrote "Vowels or Vehicles". He continues to share with us his journey of balancing family life and school. He is in the first year of the MA (NT Studies) program. Tyler lives in rural New Brunswick, just outside of Fredericton, where he has been an Assistant Pastor for 10 years.

I remember looking up and realising that the festive presence of our poinsettia at one end of the family piano was being intruded upon by a set of three small pumpkins from Halloween that were nestled awkwardly at the other. The date was December 21^st. As a widowed father of three kids, seven and under, if I don’t do it, it doesn’t get

done. So, the blame for the lack of ‘Christmas’ in our house (and the lingering presence of Halloween...I should add) rested squarely on my shoulders.

Of course I had big plans. I was going to finish assignments and write a final exam early in the week and then after a day to rest and transition I would devote myself to creating atmosphere and memories with my kids. Cards were going to be signed illegibly and mailed. We were going to make cookies and caramel popcorn. I was going to mull cider so we could drink in the spiced aroma as much as the liquid itself. Decorations were going to be chosen and placed according to the preferences of my trio of little people. We were even going to make popcorn chains for our real tree (because an artificial tree is about as authentic as low fat eggnog)! But now it was four days before the big day and we had no baking, no atmosphere and only a wreath, an old ceramic plug-in tree and the aforementioned poinsettia to tell us that we were that close.

And it was all my fault. Now I will freely admit that is not those ‘things’ that make Christmas worthwhile. But my point is that I realised I had robbed my kids of things that do matter by not getting my classes done when I should have. It isn’t that we had to have caramel popcorn, but they should have had that time of popping and stirring and eating it as a family. We didn’t need to smell the cider, but they should have had the opportunity to have it linger for years to come and waft through their memory of childhood Christmases.

As I mentioned back in the first post I did for this blog (Vowels and Vehicles), choosing to begin this degree involves me choosing to take some time and some energy that was available for my kids away from them. Because of the value I place on the tools I am gaining, I am entirely willing to do that. But through a lack of diligence I took too much. Our schooling is valuable, but not so much so that we can let it intrude improperly into our other responsibilities. In many ways I am studying for my kids, so that I can be part of a church that can read the Bible well. But I must also study diligently and with discipline so that I can give them the rest of what they will need from me over these next months as well.

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” (Proverbs 13:4, ESV)

ADC Christmas Banquet

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 21:43:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Natasha Davidson. She is in her first year completing her Mdiv. Natasha is from Wolfville and is a youth leader at Falmouth Baptist Church. She also enjoys photography.

There is something about Christmas that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Perhaps it is the music (which I listen to a little too early!), or maybe it is the food (which I eat way too much of!). However, I think that it is the shared time with family and friends that really puts the cherry and the sprinkles and the chocolate sauce on top for me at the Christmas season! It is just wonderful to get together with
a group of people and really celebrate Jesus' birth!

With the crazy, busy atmosphere of end of term it was really great to get together with the students and staff of ADC and kick off the Christmas break (despite a snow storm) with great food, amazing conversations, and fun, spontaneous games and entertainment! I believe that fun was had by all!

ADCSA Events & Important Dates for Winter 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 15:19:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

Welcome back to class for the Winter 2014 semester. Natasha and I would like to bring you the events and dates for the rest of the semester. Be sure to mark them on your calendar! Attending events that are planned and provided for you by ADCSA Social Reps are opportunities to build the ADC community and take a much needed break from your studies.

Events/Dates in Red are ADCSA sponsored.
Events/dates in Blue are ADC sponsored.

ADC Kitchen Party - Jan 17th, 5:30 - 8:30pm at Christoph's place. Open to all students, staff, faculty, and friends. Please bring finger foods to share. Bring along your favourite board game, guitar, or just yourself and enjoy a great night out.

Super Bowl Party - Sun. Feb 2. - At Keith Blair's! Starts at 5:30pm, kick off is 6:18pm. It will be a potluck type deal, so please bring your favourite dish, dessert, or favourite Super Bowl food to share! This will be in place of our February ADC Kitchen Party. 13 Summer Street, Wolfville.

Simpson Week Potluck - Monday, Feb 10th, 5pm in the Student Lounge. During Hayward week we started off with a potluck attended by students, staff, and faculty. It is a great way to start the week off together and enjoy fellowship, especially with those we do not see on a regular basis on campus. Please bring a dish to share. A reminder that we do not have a stove.

Simpson Week Lectures - Feb 10 - 14. "The Character of Preaching" with Prof. Scot Gibson. As many of us are studying to minister in churches, be sure to check out the Simpson Lectures. There are also workshops during the day if you are not taking a course. You can check it out and register on the ADC website.

Reading Week - Feb 17 - 21. Enjoy the week off OR a week of class!  

Pancake Lunch - Tues. Mar 4. Student Lounge. Join us for a delicious pancake lunch and reflection on Lent. Free!

ADC Kitchen Party - Fri., March 7 - Hosted by Dr. Anna Robbins. All welcome!

Experience AcadiaDiv - March 11. If you know someone who might be interested in attending Seminary be sure to tell them about ADC and invited them to come experience a bit of our world!

Spring Social - April 11. A great way to end the year together! Natasha and I are working hard on getting a location and making this night a great one!  The date won't change, so be sure to put it in your calendar so you are free to join us!

Last Day of Class - April 15 - The day we all panic realizing that in a week everything needs to be handed in!

Last Day of Exams - April 23 - The day everything needs to be handed in!

You can always check the Upcoming Events page to see what's happening for q quick reference!

On behalf of the ADCSA we would like you to know that we are praying for you as you enter a new semester. For some it is your second semester of your program and for others it is your last. May God be with each one as we continue to follow his calling and may each one do everything for Christ and him only. Finish well, friends.

Your '13-'14 ADCSA Social Reps,
Natasha & Erin

A Christmas Card

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 03:26:00 +0000

Merry Christmas!

May you have a wonderful Christmas.

May you enjoy time with family and friends and be rejuvenated for a new start in January!

Blessings to you and your family.

Stress Reliever: Bubble Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 17:59:00 +0000

Today is the last day of classes. Final assignments and exams are ahead of many students. How do students at ADC relieve the stress of school? With bubble wrap. ADCSA provided bubble wrap in the student lounge today for those who wished to snap away and get carried away in popping.

Enjoy a few fun pictures and then go find some bubble wrap to pop!

Bubble Wrap Furniture!

ADC Students taking the stress off with bubble wrap!

Remember to enjoy the days of final assignments and exams.

Only a little while longer, and you will have a wonderful break to be refreshed

and ready to come back in the New Year!

By the way, there is still plenty of bubble wrap in the student lounge if you need a break!

It will make you laugh!

Asperger's and Academia: A Personal Story

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 18:41:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Andrena LeBlanc. She is in her second year completing her MA. Andrena currently lives in Wolfville, NS.

Asperger’s Syndrome is a condition I have, and it affects everything I do, including my academic life. For those who do not know, Asperger’s Syndrome is a form of high functioning autism. It affects how people see the world and interact in it. Not only can it make them awkward in social situations, but it can also make them avoid
socializing all together depending on where they fall on the Asperger’s spectrum.

For me, it makes me get obsessive easily and makes me an extremely focused person. This manifests itself in when I play games. Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is an obsession of mine. I get really stressed out, and sometimes angry if enough days go by where I can’t play it. Some days SWTOR is all I ever like to do- at the expense of eating at times. Being obsessive makes me really focused on things. It also makes me very socially awkward: I often don’t understand jokes, misunderstand nonverbal cues such as voice tones and body language, and on most days I prefer to be off doing stuff on my own rather than being in large social gatherings.

If I get curious about something I’ll read about it and study it, so I know everything about it, especially if it’s a controversial issue. Some issues I’ve looked at include (1) executing prisoners rights and (2) are the black and yellow wasps really hornets or something else? A lot of people with Asperger’s do that sort of thing- learn everything there is to know about a topic. I have a hard time understanding social situations. I struggle with reading body language and how people say things. I find that I often connect with people better on games like SWTOR or when I’m engulfed in some of my other hobbies. Having Asperger’s can be a frustrating and a rewarding thing at the same time.

In my academic life, it’s an ally. In fact, many people from history like Sir Isaac Newton were believed to have had Asperger’s. It helps in academia because people with Asperger’s get very, very focused on specific topics. The more I walk with God, especially after being a Christian for 10 years, I have grown more and more curious about Him and how He connects with me and with others. This curiosity grew through my reading of the Bible, which is part of what lead me to faith, and it grew from there. During the second year of my undergrad, I took and introduction to theology course… and I fell in love with it! I realized upon completing that course that I couldn’t stop at an undergraduate degree in theology. I had to keep going, keep learning, and keep striving after God through academics no matter what. I hunger to learn about God and to know God through that knowledge. I think Asperger’s is how God gave me this gift of hunger for Him and His Son, Jesus. Without it, my hunger for God wouldn’t be the same.

Asperger’s does provide its challenges, however. For example, there are courses that I dive into easily and get high marks in and there are courses I have to literally fight with myself in order to work on. I know some must be thinking that all students do that, but people with Asperger’s can take this to an extreme. In a sense, if we’re interested in something we’re really into it and will over-achieve. However, if we’re not interested in something the chances of us working towards it are slim to none.

Yet I am able to fight against this side of me. This is usually by depending on God to help me do my school work, as well as making sure I’m in an ideal working environment. My ideal working environment is in my school’s library where there is quiet. I can focus on doing my school work easily. Unfortunately, I do get distracted really easily. Some days I think I may also have some form of ADHD on top of my Asperger’s. Hence why if people wander up to me and say “hi” in the library, I can come across as extremely agitated. Not only is it because many people with Asperger’s cannot stand it when they get distracted from something they’re really into, but I find if I get distracted it takes me more time to get re-focused into what I was doing.

Unfortunately, I cannot really share those things with the people who just come up to say “hi.” After all, it is rude if I were to tell them “Please go away” or “Can you not say hi to me when I’m working.” I have a hard enough time connecting with people and making friends as it is. Yet, I wish I could say something without being stigmatized. These kinds of mind battles happen a lot. Which can range from whether or not I should go out for coffee with a group of people, to resisting my hobby obsession to focus on school.

These battles happen daily and can sometimes result in everything or nothing getting done in a day. Yeah, it can be frustrating. Hence why I’m trying to get a better support system for myself in place so I don’t have to bear it alone and my life with Asperger’s can be slightly easier.

So that’s basically it. Being in academia can be the best and worst of times for someone with Asperger’s. However, I know that with God’s help I can stand underneath my studies and emerge a theologian and Christian scholar.

Anti-Slavery Week at Acadia

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 17:01:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Pelham Flowerdew. He is in his third year at Acadia University. Pelham is the president of Acadia Christian Fellowship.

Hello Div College and beyond!

Those of you who are current students may have seen me around the building every once in a while, and if not, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Pelham Flowerdew, and I’m in my 3rd year pursuing two degrees – Chemistry and Theology.

I have the privilege of letting you know that this week is a significant one here at Acadia. Anti-Slavery Week, organised by Acadia Christian

Fellowship, kicked off this Monday with the goal of raising awareness of the issue of human trafficking and gathering funds to fight back.

Estimates for the number of slaves alive today range from 27-30 million (around 1 in every 250 people). Currently, the Human Trafficking Industry is THE largest growing criminal activity in the world. Last year, the sex industry made over $32 billion, which is more than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined. Innocent children, men, and women are sold into slavery and forced to perform sexual services, unbearable manual labor, and made into child soldiers where they are often forced to murder their own families. More than 2 million children are exploited for sex every year. Women and children are shipped into ports all around the world, even Halifax, and many of us are completely unaware of this reality.

But we serve a God who is aware. He adores people and loathes slavery. We follow a Saviour who proclaimed “He has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” As his hands and feet at Acadia, we are called to play an active role in the abolition of this horrible practice, and bring God’s Kingdom here.

The most important thing we can do is pray.

On Monday, 30 people around the country signed up to pray for a portion of the day, crying out to God for the sake of His children, and asking him to allow us to burn with compassion for the victims around the world.

This Tuesday, two interactive art stations were set up on campus to get students creatively engaged, informed, and dreaming of freedom.

Wednesday night, all are invited to a “Coffee House for Change” in the KCIC Garden Room from 7:30-10. Free snacks and drinks provided, but donations are asked for to fight for those without a voice.

On Thursday night, join us in the KCIC Auditorium from 7-10 for a screening of the documentary “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls”, which shed light on the sex trafficking industry from a Christian perspective. This will be followed by stories of hope from an expert abolitionist.

Friday afternoon, however, is where the whole week comes to a climax. From 12-5, a full-sized shipping crate will be sitting outside the Div College, and we are currently looking for 30-60 volunteers (we only have 10 so far) to sit in the crate for 5 hours, getting a small taste of what thousands of women and children face as they are shipped around the world like objects. The event will be live-streamed around the world, and online donations will be collected. As the money comes in, people in the crate will be “freed” one by one.

For more information on the week and how to donate, check out our site:

http://wallace092695.wix.com/anti-slaveryweek

In Christ, Pelham

Creative Study Habits

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 23:01:00 +0000

*Editor's note: Sometimes it is important
to take a break from studies and be a little silly.

Today's student guest post is by Isaac "Tree" Russell. He is in his second year of the MDiv program. Tree is the Youth Pastor at Aylesford Baptist Church. He currently lives in Wolfville, NS.

Hello everyone,

I would like to take a moment to share my study methods and ways I've personally found to be successful to me for studying. There are three components of studying for me which, when blended together, create a solid study recipe anyone can digest. The components are the right place,
the time, and the items in place.

Start with the right place. It's important to find or choose a place where interruptions can be kept to a minimum. Also free your area from distractions. Facebook, cell, turn the TV off, your cat, game boy, makeup, etc. You want to have a place where free thoughts can be embraced, information can be retained, and ideas can be formed. So selection of the right place is a must.

Secondly, the time is important. I personally don't do well studying late into the evening. I'm most certainly not going to judge you if that's your thing. Find what works for you and go with it. I personally like 6:30am-11:30am (with a few 20 min breaks slipped in there for good measure) & 3:30-8:30pm. I try to stay away from noon-2:30, because I've found myself to be most tired and struggling to stay focused. That is not to say it can't be done if that's your sweet spot! So the time of the day is important.

Lastly, the items in place. This is where it varies for everyone — it is like adding raisins or chocolate chips to your cookies, everyone has different tastes. My favourite concoction would be a vibrantly dancing Lava-lamp (like the one we all had in grade 8), a freshly brewed java/tea, a nice scented candle, and if it won't cause a distraction, perhaps light music but with little to no words. Also, light can be important. You don't want it too dim as that can strain your eyes, but too bright isn't good either. Lighting is a trial and error type of deal.

All in all, there is a creative side in all of us. Stand up, dance, and yell something from your heart. Then bam. You'll be set! Try new things and see what works and what is just a hindrance.

Wishing y'all a blessed semester and Christmas break.

Tree

The Last 33.3 KM

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 19:51:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Erin Jackman. She is in her third year of the MDiv program. Erin serves at Newport Baptist Church and as Social Rep on ADCSA. She currently lives in Scotch Village, NS.
Not to alarm anyone, especially my fellow classmates, but there are only four weeks of classes left. Really? When did that happen? With one-month left and a heavy final month of class, we students are entering a time of stress and anxiety. Not only do we have assignments and final exams coming up, most of us are involved in
ministry, have jobs, and families to take care of. It is a lot to balance.

What do we do now? We pray, work hard, and carry on. And have a bit of fun once in a while! Like playing with lobster.

Two verses come to mind as we enter the “busy” season of the semester.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

1 Peter 5:7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

As we continue the semester and find ourselves becoming stressed and filled with anxiety with all that is before us, let us come to the Lord in prayer and share with him what we are going through. Let us give him our anxieties and stress.

Let us pray for one another. If you are not a student, please pray for us as we do our best to finish the semester well. Pray for our professors as each one has their own set of stress and anxiety with the semester coming to a close and thinking of next semester’s courses. Pray for the staff as they encourage us and keep things running smoothly. On behalf of my fellow students, thank you for your prayers.

One thing that is helping me in the past two weeks is attending the Tuesday prayer time in the ADC Chapel. It is a time to take a break and to rest with God and others while you go to Him in prayer for others and those who attend. If you are on campus, join us in prayer. If you are off campus join us wherever you are, and pray for the ADC Family and others around you.

I pray that we all finish well and give over our anxieties to the Lord.

As we enter the last 33.3 KM remember Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Hayward Week Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by James Wood. He is in the first year of the MA program with a focus on New Testament. James lives in Wolfville, NS.

When asked to blog about Hayward Week, I was suddenly reminded how new I am to Acadia Divinity College (ADC). My family and I moved here from Saskatchewan less than three months ago, and we had no ties to Wolfville, let alone Acadia. What insight could I possibly have in such a short time? I quickly discovered ADC lived up to its
reputation and that I could not have chosen a better MA program. The staff and faculty are world class, and they prove that knowledge doesn’t necessarily puff up; it can also inspire. This comes through both in their teaching and how they model Christ in their lives. And as to the student body, my peers are talented and exude a desire to grow in their gifts and in their walk with our Lord. In other words, if ever I feel I need to be inspired, I visit the ADC building. Even so, as I reflect on this past week, I have a deep sense that it is uniquely special.

Dr. Mark J. Boda’s lectures on the Old Testament were deep yet practical, studied yet pastoral. He expounded how recurring creeds in the Old Testament reveal trajectories in the text that witness to God’s redemptive and creative activity—all in anticipation of the advent, ministry, and salvific acts of Jesus Christ and his continued work through his church. Although Christ is not “behind every bush,” he is the goal and hope of the Old Testament, the one to whom it points and in whom it reaches its fulfillment. What this does not mean is that Old Testament study is a matter of donning one’s New Testament goggles and reading everything backwards. Rather, it asserts that God’s revealed character and the historical acts through which he creates, blesses, disciplines, and redeems are not the early church’s invention. It makes profound sense to study both the God who promises and the God who fulfills. And in a culture that seems to value novelty over tradition, new identity over heritage, this is an important corrective.

I think what I will remember most of all is what happened to the ADC community this week. In my experience, intensive weeks are times when most students go home for a “cool down” session. I don’t disparage it, but it was strange to find that there were more bodies in the building than I remember seeing before. It was great to see how many conversations were started because we actually had to wait to fill our water bottles. And whoever left a mint’s worth of M&Ms in the student lounge has found a friend in me. But it was not lost on me that every activity this week was a manifestation of sharing our lives with each other as we convene and study in the name of Jesus Christ, the very same who was celebrated by those who cherished their Old Testament scriptures as we should. And while Dr. Evans may never find evidence that they shared M&Ms at their meetings, I’d like to hold out the possibility that such evidence is forthcoming.

ADCSA Executive 2013 - 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 22:31:00 +0000

The ADCSA (Acadia Divinity College Student Association) Executive exists to help bring community and assist you from a student standpoint as you study at ADC. This year we are focusing on ways to enhance community at ADC in the midst of the changes over the last few years which has resulted in ADC students spread throughout Atlantic Canada and the world.

If you have ideas or concerns or would like more information about student life at ADC, please contact us. You can contact any of us by email (below picture) or visit the ADC Students Online page for more ways to contact current ADC students.

Meet the 2013 - 2014 ADCSA Executive Team:

President: Dustin Day111902d[at]acadiau.ca

Vice President: Matt Wilton
117152w[at]acadiau.ca

Treasurer: Alec Scott

115620s[at]acadiau.ca

Secretary: Kayley Sanders

117689s[at]acadiau.ca

Social Rep: Erin Jackman

112324j[at]acadiau.ca

Social Rep: Natasha Davidson

095620d[at]acadiau.ca

Senate Rep: Patrick Brightman

112700b[at]acadia.ca

BTh Rep: Doug Duncan

113014d@acadiau.ca

MA Rep: Anthony Bent

117150b@acadiau.ca

First Year Rep: Keith Blair
123948b[at]acadiau.ca

ADC Trip to Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 17:33:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Ben Grosvenor. He is in the third year of the Mdiv program. Ben lives in Stewiacke, NS.

It was early February 2012. I had absolutely no idea that a mere two and a half months later I would be making a trip of a lifetime. I had just taken a seat by myself in the Langley room with my bowl of soup. It was Wednesday afternoon at ADC, and the room was quickly filling with hungry students and staff who were taking advantage of the very reasonably priced community lunch. It was just moments after I had began sipping my soup that Dr. Glenn Wooden
had taken a seat right next to me. I did not know Glenn very well at the time so I was quite intimidated at his presence. My mind raced as I struggled to think of a topic of conversation. Out of desperation I managed to recall seeing a poster promoting the ADC trip to Israel that Glenn himself was leading. I asked him to explain the trip to me. He proceeded to explain in detail the nature of the trip, including the many places that would be visited. The conversation certainly sparked my interest. Israel was always #1 on my bucket list of places to visit. However finances and other factors had always made me quickly dismiss the thought of making the trip in the near future.

Approximately two weeks had passed by since my conversation with Glenn. Israel was still pressing on my mind. All I could think about was what an amazing opportunity it would be to tour the Holy Land, to walk the very same places where Jesus walked, and have a professional tour guide and credible scholars walking along side of me. I realized that this was an opportunity that I could not let pass. Even though I did not quite have the finances lined up yet, I knew it was the Lord who had laid this trip on my heart and wanted me to go. Two weeks after my conversation with Glenn I approached his office and asked him to sign me up. Fast-forward approximately two months and I was on a plane (for the first time in my life!) heading for Israel and a journey of a lifetime!

I had some people ask me whether the trip was worth the price I paid. I responded every time, without hesitation that the trip was worth every dime I paid. What made the trip worth it for me was the simple fact that I got to walk the very same land that is the setting for a great portion of the scriptures. Being able to read large portions of scripture and visualizing the surroundings of where a particular story takes place gives me a renewed appreciation for the Scriptures. Seeing those places the Bible talks about from your own eyes really does make the stories come alive!

I easily could write a chapter book on how fulfilling and meaningful the trip was for me. However I will simply close by encouraging anybody who reads this blog to consider making their own journey to Israel. The pictures, videos, and memories alone make the trip absolutely worth it. The ability to read the Scriptures through a brand new lens makes the trip invaluable.

For more information on the 2014 trip visit ADC in Israel and Palestine

Reflections on the ADC Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Matt Wilton. He is in the second year of the MDiv program. Matt lives in Halifax, and serves as the Vice President of the ADCSA (Acadia Divinity College Student Association).

Though driving from Halifax to ADC for an 8:45 AM class may make one envy on-campus students with a five minute walk (particularly on an icy, February morning), early morning conversations with fellow students seem to make it all worth it. While such conversations usually include the latest
elimination from any given reality T.V. show, rides down to the valley also provide an opportunity to talk about life, to encourage one another in life’s trials, and to get excited about the dreams that God has placed on our hearts. It is out of these conversations that one dream would come to life.

My name is Mat Wilton, and I am currently in my 2nd Year of my M.Div. at Acadia Div. I also have the privilege to serve as VP for the Acadia Divinity College Student Association (ADCSA). As you now know, I also have the privilege of driving down with several other students from Halifax to ADC on a weekly basis. It is out of conversations on these drives that the idea came about for an Acadia Div Retreat: an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to come together as a community in order to grow together, and to commit the upcoming year to the Lord. Upon sharing this dream with the rest of ADCSA, it became clear that God had already begun to stir up this dream in the hearts of other members of the team and members of the school’s faculty. Before we knew it, with a short amount of time, a lot of desire, and a lot of hard work by many individuals, this dream would turn into a day-long retreat to start off the 2013/2014 academic year at ADC.

Providing a brief overview of the retreat, the day started off with worship and creative prayer led by Rev. Paul Fowler and Erin Jackman respectively. I was personally encouraged through creative prayer as I was led to meditate on the season of my life that I am in, cast aside worry and distraction, and praise the Lord in a time of thanksgiving. Overall, however, this time was a time of focus where those in attendance were able to meet with the Lord and align their hearts to be open to what it is that the Lord wanted to teach them.

The faculty, staff, and students were then taught and challenged throughout the day by Dr. Andrew Stirling who led us to consider, “Redemption in a Fragmented World: The Mission of the Church in Canada Today.” As we sought to understand the call of the church in Canada today we looked at:

· Our call to use our imaginations for evangelism as we seek to see others encounter Christ;

· Our call to be bold in the public square, holding confidence in the death and resurrection of Christ;

· Our call to be faithful in prayer and with the mandate revealed to the church through the Holy Spirit and Scripture and;

· Our call to cast down idols for the sake of making the name of Jesus known.

Times of teaching were then followed by a small group discussion where we were challenged further as we discussed how the topics presented by Dr. Stirling could lead to application within our personal contexts and communities that the Lord has called us into. This time, from a personal standpoint, was a time of growth for the ADC community as we were able to share, encourage and grow with one another.

As the day drew to a close, the community at ADC completed the retreat committing the upcoming year to the Lord.

If you weren’t able to make it out to the retreat this year, firstly, I would highly recommend trying to attend next year. Secondly, I would encourage you to join us in committing the year to the Lord; join us in our prayer of dedication to Him:

“We offer to dedicate ourselves to You as we enter fully into the academic year that stretches out before us… We desire to be as pliable clay in the Potter’s Hands. Please form us as Christian persons who will live our lives and lead the ministries You give us in ways that will honour You.”

Creative Prayer: Scrabble - ADC Community

Participating in Creative Prayer Stations

A Time of Worship Together

Worship Together

Praying for the upcoming school year

From Toronto to Wolfville

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Keith Blair. He is in the first year of the MDiv program. Keith lives in Wolfville, and recently received the call to be the Youth Pastor at Alton Baptist Church.

“By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

There is something courageous and inspiring about the story of Abraham, a man who trusted God so completely that he was willing to uproot everything he had in his life for the sake of his faith in following an unseen God. But
Abraham’s faith was graciously rewarded by having his descendants, as numerous as the stars in the sky, populate the earth over the course of the next several thousand years.

I grew up in the city of Toronto. Toronto represents everything I had known in my life up until the end of August of this year. In Toronto, I would be able to hop onto the bus or subway, let it carry me somewhere in the vast city of 630 square kilometres, and I would be able to find my way around with relative ease. In Toronto, I had a life. I had a name for myself. I had family and friends. I had a church. I had peace of mind. What could possibly compel me to pull myself away from all this so that I could study in such a vastly different environment as Wolfville, Nova Scotia?

I found out about Acadia Divinity College through the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ). While I was interning with CBOQ’s youth ministry, I met a man named Dale Stairs, who, at the time, was the Executive Youth Minister for the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches (CABC). I later learned that Dale was also a professor at ADC, and I remember in this realization that God suddenly urged me to contact him. To be honest, I was hesitant because at this time I was six months removed from my undergrad, very broke, very tired of school, and not to mention caught up in the work I was doing for CBOQ. So, to have God place the very thought of pursuing a Master’s degree was incredibly perplexing, but if there is anything I have learned about God over the years, it’s that He works in marvellous and mysterious ways.

And so I trusted the Lord’s prompt, and emailed Dale. Without having any idea of how this was all going to work, or where I was going to live, or how this was all going to be paid for, like Abraham, in faith I chose to break free of the comfort of a life I had come to know so well in Toronto, and trust in God’s great plan for my life.

And here I stand, five months later, in the beautiful province of Nova Scotia: I have a place to live, I’m ready to kick off what I know will be an epic three-year adventure here at Acadia, and, like Abraham, God has lavishly blessed me with a community that welcomes its new students in with open arms and commits itself to encouraging and supporting its members’ desire to follow God.

Physically, mentally, and spiritually, I could not be in a better place than here at ADC right now. I may not yet know what the road ahead has in store for the next three years, but the best part is that I get to trust God with that. In the meantime, I will seek to enjoy every experience, big and small, that God has offered me here at ADC. May you as my fellow ADC students seek to do the same!

Vowels Or Vehicles?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Today's student guest post is by Tyler Horton. He is in the first year of the MA (NT Studies) program. Tyler lives in rural New Brunswick, just outside of Fredericton, where he has been an Assistant Pastor for 10 years.

I knew these moments were coming, I just didn’t expect one in my first week.

At two years old, Samuel is my youngest child and at this stage he is playing exclusively with cars. The repeating stages of playing with Sam are:

Sam gives me a vehicle of some kind
Sam watches me ‘drive’ this vehicle and make fantastic and realistic sound effects
Sam’s eyes widen as he sees the potential that he has somehow tragically overlooked in this toy
Sam requests that I return the vehicle to his possession

As a dad I love this because the small amount of energy it takes me to perpetuate this cycle brings my son great joy. So when Sam asked for me to stop trying to learn the difference between a vocal and a silent ‘shewa’ and come play, he wasn’t asking for all that much. There was a small hand patting my leg, bright eyes meeting mine, one hand pointing to the rug and another hand opening and closing in the universal sign of “c’mon” (which I think he pronounces with a perfect vocal shewa, by the way).

The internal crisis was not powerful but it was entirely upon me. Am I doing the right thing? Can I actually justify robbing my two year old son of playtime to learn Hebrew? Is this truly the best use of my allotted energy and attention? My answer came in the remembrance of a pudgy medieval monk.

One of reasons I have desired and worked toward starting this Masters degree is a lesson from the life of Martin Luther. His awakening to the gospel was a major catalyst in the Reformation. His entrance into freedom, which contributed to the Gospel breaking through again in Europe, came through the study of the Greek New Testament. The truth had been encrusted under poor translation and made inaccessible. If Luther had not opened the New Testament in its original language he would have remained in darkness.

The lesson I take from this is twofold. First, reading the Bible accurately is a matter of (eternal) life and death. Second, a crucial part of ensuring an accurate reading of the Bible is to learn to study it in its original languages. One of my main goals in beginning studies this Fall is be able to do this. Of course it is not the only important thing, but if the Bible is what it says it is I must do everything in my power to read it as best as I can.

Sam left the table disappointed. Being two, he did not sulk for long as the next thing to cross his path engrossed his attention completely. But still, he left without me coming along because I chose Hebrew vowels over a toddler’s vehicles. I don’t say no to playtime every time, but in embarking here at Acadia I am choosing to send him away with unfulfilled expectations more often. This is a cost I am willing to pay because I aim to be part of building a church that reads the Bible well; that is, a church where he can grow up and hear the truth clearly and accurately. My prayer is that the many sacrifices I will make will prevent me from sacrificing the truth that Samuel most needs to hear. So for now, he will have to hear some “hhhhh” (with the all the phlegm that implies) when he is used to hearing “vvrrrooooom”.

As the School Year Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000

"It's six a.m. I'm so tired. The alarm sounds a new day begins. Before I go and disturb this peaceful moment, I look to you. I wanna say a prayer before my feet can hit the ground. Lord I give this day to you. Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. And watch the day begin. I want to watch the day begin." - Audio Adrenaline, This Day.

When I wake up early for morning class, this song comes to mind. As I have been reflecting on the beginning of the school year, these words come to mind. We could change the words “a new day” to
“a new school year” and the words “I give this day” to “I give this school year.”

Some of us were at the ADC Retreat on Friday, Nov 13th, and we had the opportunity to give this school year to the Lord. For those who were not able to make it, I encourage you to take a few moments right now and give this year to God. Perhaps it is something that you will continually need to do, and that is ok.

When the school year begins, a new schedule forms. It always takes me a couple of weeks to adjust. Some students get on track right from the get go, but most of us need to adjust to the new schedule and might even find ourselves lost at times. Thankfully, there is a great tool to help us procrastinators or those of us who have a hard time adjusting (which does not mean you are a procrastinator). Everyone can benefit from this tool, even if you are the most organized and scheduled person.

This tool is our very own Danny Zacharias' e-book, Surviving & Thriving in Seminary: A Practical Guide for the Wide-eyed and Mystified. I read it over the summer (a quick read), and I need to read it again. It was motivating and gave great practical tools that will help me throughout the rest of my studies. It might seem as though I am putting a plug in for his book... well, I am. Why? Because a lot of us students would benefit from reading this book and applying its wisdom. If you don't believe me, check out this interview with Danny or reviews on Amazon. It will be the best $3.14 you have ever spent. That's less than a vanilla latte at Starbucks or Just Us! Coffee. How can you not invest in such a great tool?

There is even a chapter on becoming a Ninja! A reading Ninja, that is. He even tells you to take naps! Short naps, but still, naps! He admits to napping in his office. It helps with productivity. I decided to put it to the test this summer at my office job. I put my head down and napped for 20 minutes. It made a big difference in the rest of my day. I wasn't sluggish for the rest of the afternoon like I normally was. This is just one little nugget that you will find in the book, along with a chapter on finances, preparing your relationships, taking charge of your education, equipping yourself with the right tools, and more great tools for surviving and thriving in seminary. He also gives links to a variety of online tools that are practical.

What makes this book so great is that it hasn't been that long since he has been a student (actually, he still is a student working on his doctorate), and he knows what it is like to juggle school, work, and a family. Danny has learned the ways of seminary and he has made it easier for us by putting it all in an e-book. What a great guy.

I don't know why you are still reading this post and haven't gone to Amazon to purchase this fantastic book.

After you read it, come back and share your favourite chapter, quote, or tool from the book!

*Back to School photo by nuttakit at freedigitalphotos.net