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Volume X, No. 3 April 2006 Parents Progress Archives Planning to Visit?
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Dear Messiah Parents: This academic year has been full of celebration for Messiah College! In the fall we held a presidential inauguration that engaged our campus and the surrounding community in new and meaningful ways. We rejoiced together when our men’s and women’s soccer teams made NCAA history by becoming the first college men’s and women’s teams in the same sport to win the Division III championship in the same season! And this spring, we commemorated the successful completion of the largest comprehensive campaign in Messiah College’s history—raising $50.5 million for student scholarships, new facilities, and enriched academic programs. And we know that you, as Messiah parents, were celebrating with us. One of the privileges I have treasured in my first presidential year has been the opportunity to meet parents of students. I have enjoyed listening to your thoughts, stories, perspectives, and personal reflections of your Messiah experiences. As a college community, we are appreciative of the active role that you play in the life of our campus, and I thank all of you who participated in the inauguration celebration and those of you who have given generously to support the mission of the College through To Serve & To Lead: The Campaign for Student Enrichment. If you are parents of a graduating senior, you are likely preparing a celebration of your own for the upcoming Commencement festivities. (Or if you are parents of a first-year student, perhaps you are just happy to be celebrating the successful completion of your son’s or daughter’s first year!) As we approach Commencement, I am reminded of Messiah’s distinctive and essential mission as we prepare to send hundreds of new graduates into the world—young men and women who have been educated to live as committed Christian leaders, servants, and reconcilers. This semester I have been particularly inspired by some of the creative and heartfelt ways in which your daughters and sons have evidenced their Christ-like character and personal faith by serving their neighbors: • More than 30 students spent their Valentine’s Day celebrating with the residents of nearby Messiah Village retirement community at a special dinner, complete with live “big band” music and lots of intergenerational stories, laughter, and conversation. • Earlier this semester, several students started a new outreach for the region’s homeless, called “Project B,” which enables Messiah students to donate a portion of their meal plans to men and women served through programs such as Bethesda Mission, New Hope Ministries, and other local social service agencies. Individuals who are helped through these programs visit campus several evenings throughout the semester to eat with students in the dining hall and to share their lives with each other through conversation and other relaxing activities. • Every Sunday evening, a group of young men who live in Messiah’s “Restoration House” host a meal for students, college employees, and local residents, where the emphasis is on getting to know each other by sharing good food (prepared by the students) and conversation. These students, who live in a farmhouse on the edge of campus, have a common commitment to caring for the environment and for serving the underprivileged in tangible ways, such as working together at local charitable organizations. I look forward to celebrating with the parents of our graduates at Commencement— and to continuing next year on the educational journey with the parents of our returning students. We consider it a privilege to be entrusted with the education of your children toward maturity of intellect, character, and Christian faith! Warm regards, President Kim S. Phipps |
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