Chapter 3

The Office of Spiritual Formation and Diversity

The University in its inception has always had spiritual formation as a part of the core instructional values. Teachers have always prayed with and for students. Students have always read the Scriptures and looked for how God was working through the biblical text and in the course in which they were studying.

20 years ago, The office of spiritual formation was created as an official office of the co-curricular division of the University. Because of the growth of the student body a formalized office was created to coordinate and develop Chapel programs, mission related-activities and service events was desired. This office was developed to help coordinate with academic programs and the local church to stimulate and formulate a rigorous activity for undergraduate students. Over the course of these 20 years as the university has continued to grow, various students from multiple backgrounds and cultures have begun to enroll in the Fresno Pacific University. With the growth and addition of multiple cultures, and traditional programs begin to evolve and to represent Christ to help students reach a diverse world with the kingdom diversity agenda.

As the Lord Jesus Christ himself sent forth disciples into the world to make a difference for him, the University also embraced this great commission. We endeavor to send all cultures into a diverse world in the name of our Lord that we might save souls and impact lives for the kingdom of God. The office of spiritual formation has in recent times taken on diversity in its name. As an Office of Spiritual Formation and Diversity, it is incumbent upon us to recognize that the kingdom agenda is Gods agenda and diversity is Gods idea. Because diversity is Gods idea and it includes his agenda to save lost souls, the University has developed a diversity initiative that helps to equip and encourage students to not see diversity as a negative thing, but rather to see diversity as a kingdom initiative and part of the bigger plan of spiritual formation for all of humanity.

The Office of Spiritual Formation and Diversity is unique in the totality of all that God is doing in the lives of students at Fresno Pacific University. And it embraces all cultures, all nations, and peoples as gifts of God to the entire world. Our primary objective is to have the kingdom mentality of going to all the world and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that the Lord has commanded, we believe that God will be with us through the end of the world.

As the University continues to grow and to expand and has included over the last 15 years regional campuses with very diverse programming, the OSF& D has expanded its co-curricular content to include international missions work in service, technological academic expressions and collaborative endeavors with the local church in the Central Valley. All of these ventures have challenged and pushed the university to be more astute and keenly aware of the biblical text in changing times. The Office of Spiritual Formation and Diversity understands that the cultures and communities that surround the context of our university do not necessarily embrace the word of God or the agenda of God for the work of God in the earth. Nevertheless, our mandate in our calling is clear and is to not to become compromised by the agenda of a fallen world. Therefore, it is our call to be engaged with serving all of humanity with the agenda of God for all of the world. Spiritual Formation and Diversity matters at Fresno Pacific University and it matters because it is a kingdom agenda and God has commanded us to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ.