By Ashanti Poindexter
The summertime is pretty bittersweet for the EQUIP students, facutly, and staff. We dislike being away from each other, but we are thankful that many of us can serve God and the church during these summer months. This article highlights some interesting ways our students and faculty were serving this summer.
Featured Students & Faculty:
Click a name to be redirected to their section of the article!
Chris Fong: Pangburn Church of Christ @ Pangburn, Arkansas
Chris has been a member of the Pangburn Church of Christ since September of 2022. He says it is a small church, holding only about 20 members. He thought that since he was already a member of Pangburn Church of Christ and it is a body of people that he greatly respects, he should do his internship there, “Though they are a struggling church financially, they have contributed to the spread of the Gospel. That is why I have decided to remain there and do my internship there.” Chris’s internship included multiple aspects of ministry such as leading singing, serving the Lord’s table, teaching Bible classes, and preaching. Chris taught Bible classes and preached on topics such as, “The Dividing Line,” “We Must Trust God,” “Salvation through Sanctification,” “Capture Your Thoughts,” and more. Chris said, “Sundays were challenging, doing all these different ministries, but I’m used to it because I’m from a small town in Jamaica myself. I understand the need to fill in.” While Chris was leading this summer, he also got to engage in outreach programs and visit members currently in nursing homes. Chris thoroughly enjoyed his time as an intern.
Leon Lewis: Preacher’s Conference and Worship Leaders Institute
Leon had the pleasure of traveling this summer to the Preacher’s Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio as well as to Worship Leaders Institute in Jacksonville, Florida. Leon was awarded a partial scholarship to go to the Preacher’s Conference, and there he experienced amazing leaders, gained historical knowledge, and ate good food. Leon said he had never experienced singing like what he witnessed at the Preacher’s Conference. He noted that coming from the Caribbean, there were cultural differences for him.
Leon thoroughly enjoyed the Worship Leaders Institute in Florida. He said they practiced skills such as reading music, directing a group, taking care of their voices, and conflict management. The attendees had the opportunity to sing different parts in music and learn some bilingual songs. The Worship Institute lasted about a week, but the takeaways are life-long!
Matthew Smith: Southwest Church of Christ in Tigard, Oregon
Matthew Smith was an Intern at Southwest Church of Christ this summer. Southwest Church of Christ is located in Tigard, Oregon, and though Matthew had been to Oregon during his time in the military, he had never been to northern Oregon where he spent the majority of his summer. Matthew says that Darron Williamson had come to one of his classes to talk about how students could apply to intern at Southwest Church of Christ. The process included submitting an essay, having an interview over zoom, and meeting with some of the members of the church. Thankfully, Matthew was selected.
Matthew’s internship required him to prepare sermons, preach, do visitations, attend elders meetings, and teach classes. He says the most challenging part of his internship was developing the mindset of being a preacher. He realized that being a preacher was one of the most important jobs one could have because “you have peoples’ lives in your hands.” Another thing Matthew learned over the summer was the importance of the people in one’s life, “especially as a Christian.”
Dr. Jesse Robertson: Cameroon Mission Trip
This summer Dr. Jesse Robertson traveled to Cameroon to aid in a mission trip. He and his team were able to join Cameroon Christians in leading the Vacation Bible School, the Youth Engagement Program, a preacher’s workshop, and Sunday Bible Classes. The Youth Engagement Program and Vacation Bible School lasted about 4 weeks and touched about 700 youth.
The short-term mission team was able to participate in 4 different locations: Bonaberi, Cite De La Paix, Kongwe, and Mudeka. Visiting these different locations allowed the group to experience a village setting as well as an urban setting in Cameroon. Dr. Robertson and his team learned a lot while in Cameroon, and they hope that their team was able to make an important impact with the Cameroon church as well.
If interested in participating in a mission trip like this next summer, check out Harding University’s Global Mission’s page!
Drs. Tim and Anessa Westbrook: Hungary & Lithuania Mission Trips
Drs. Tim and Anessa Westbrook had the opportunity to go to both Hungary and Lithuania this summer. The trip to Hungary was also part of Global Outreach and lasted 3 weeks. Their Harding missionary team organized and ran the Szolnok English Bible Camp that has been serving the community since 1999.
The Harding team was made up of 11 workers. In addition there were 10 Hungarian volunteers. The camp itself served 15 campers. While they were there the team also helped with the Szolnok church. The Westbrook’s speak Hungarian so they were able to serve as team leaders, interpreters, and guides.
The Westbrooks were also to teach in the Baltic Family Camp in Lithuania. This was their first time in Lithuania. There were about 100 people at this camp. While most families were from the Baltic region, there were guests from as far as Spain, England, and India!
The Westbrooks’ role was to teach the adult Bible classes. In the classes there were a variety of different language groups (some people spoke Lithuanian, others spoke English, Russian, and etc.), and while classes were being taught, interpreters would sit near the people who translated into their own languages. The Westbrooks were grateful for the invitation from the Levy Church of Christ located in North Little Rock, AR, to serve in the Baltic Family Camp.
The Westbrooks had an enjoyable summer serving in different places and plan to take a group of students back to Hungary in the summer of 2024.
Now that everyone is back in session, there are plenty of activities happening at Harding. This month the College of Bible and Ministry is hosting the annual Harding Lectureship as well as the Global Missions Experience. It’s not too late to register for both amazing opportunities to expand your understanding of God’s Word and to explore ways God may be calling you to service!
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