Connections

I teach a course that is older than I am. I don’t mean merely that the subject matter predates me, but that this particular course itself, with its title and its content, has been impacting Fresno Pacific University’s students since before I was born. That is a humbling thought indeed.

“Jesus and the Christian Community,” or JCC as it is affectionately known around campus, has been around in some form at Fresno Pacific since 1979. At that time, the course was a part of the general education curriculum that introduced students to history and civilizations. Even at that relatively early point in the institution’s history, my ancestors in the professoriate recognized that Jesus was central to what happens at FPU.

Since that time, JCC has continued to thrive. In 1989, former FPU President Edmund Janzen made revisions to the course to focus primarily on Jesus. Ever since, JCC has provided an opportunity for all students to encounter the challenging words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

The course allows students the opportunity to drink deeply from the biblical text and encounter the wild and challenging Messiah who up-ends all expectations for what the use of power should rightly be. This Jesus recommends non-violence in the face of attack (Matthew 5:38-48). He has no qualms about calling the leaders of his own religious tradition “snakes” (Matthew 12:34; 23:33). In short, he is the sort of unpredictable leader that one might hesitate to hire because of the PR nightmare he might create. Yet, identifying itself in the Fresno Pacific Idea as “Prophetic,” FPU has not shied away from introducing this Jesus to its students.

The move in 1989 to develop a course centered entirely around Jesus was and is unprecedented among institutions of higher education. While many colleges (including many Christian colleges) require students to take religion courses or even Bible survey courses, FPU is different. Deeply rooted in Anabaptist theology, FPU has historically recognized that the person of Jesus, both his life and his teachings, are central to the identity of this institution. That commitment to following Christ has implications for all facets of life, including the curriculum at FPU.

JCC has a rich history that I (and many others) have been blessed to receive. This reception of history reminds me of the words that the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians: “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you” (11:23, NRSV). These words mark the beginning of a passage that is now deeply familiar to those who have been around settings where traditional Eucharist liturgy is spoken before partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Paul indicates to the Corinthians that both he and they are the recipients of a teaching that predates any of them. Yet, this teaching is so central to the faith that they share, that Paul seems to anticipate that its legacy will continue beyond that generation of early believers in Corinth.

This year, FPU celebrates its 75th anniversary. This is a time both to remember those who have gone before us in the faith as well as to anticipate those who will come after us. Like the Apostle Paul, we cannot possibly predict how our descendants at FPU will judge what we say and do today. However, as an institution that is founded on Christ, FPU has recognized since before I was born that the life and teachings of Jesus receive pride of place not “in word or speech” alone, but “in truth and action” (cf. 1 John 3:18) by affording pride of place to Jesus in the FPU curriculum through the JCC course.

I may be one of the younger instructors to have taught JCC throughout its long history here at FPU. However, I am deeply aware of stepping into a grand tradition that predates me and that will (hopefully) continue long after my own retirement. It is my prayer that in encountering the Jesus of the Gospels in JCC, students will find their own place not only in this institution’s 75-year history, but in the larger Christian community that was founded on Christ and has spanned all generations since.

Less of me, more of we.

We ran. And ran. As the filthy Fresno heat of late August crept into September and hung dreadfully through October like an unwanted dinner party guest. We ran. The kind of running that leads you to think your lungs are going to explode, accompanied by the kind of sweat that pours from your body for the rest of the day. The stench of sweaty grass occupied my nostrils permanently through those teenage months.

We ran together. It was basketball conditioning, but we never touched a ball. Jogs. Sprints. Timed runs. Change of directions. Intervals. Relays. More jogs, more sprints. Countless cones.

The coach inflicting this torture upon us was Ericlee Gilmore, and we loved him. He had an infectious energy and zest for life. His voice was deep, and booming was an understatement. In the chaos of a basketball game, in a packed gym, you never failed to hear Coach Gilmore’s instructions, always at maximum volume, drenched with enthusiasm.

But he made us run. And during those times, it was a good thing Coach Gilmore loved us. If not, there was no way any of us would have endured the torturous heat, the terrible air and the joylessness of endless sprints. We considered mutiny. But he led us too well, had served and invested in us too much.

And so, we would run. And run. And Gilmore would yell encouragement, his words covering hundreds of yards. I am confident every one of my Fresno Christian High School teammates would recall this as Coach Gilmore’s favorite saying: “Less of me, more of we.”

Someone would slow on a sprint, and the words would ring out. We would breathe harder, legs aching, chest tight, covered in sweat. “Less of me, more of we.”

Athletics is filled with clichés. They inundate our media. They are repeated ad nauseam. And yet, within them is captured the essence of the human experience. Within them, the simple and profound narratives of Jesus ring true. Within them, a life of great abundance is accessible and available to us. And, the simple truths that create connectivity and endurance in athletics teams can do the same for larger organizations.

Less of me, more of we. This idea carries us through the necessary conflict that comes from actively seeking excellence at Fresno Pacific University. It carries us through the often-painful confrontation of personal biases we must stare down in order to serve. It carries us though conference calls and professional development. It carries us through arriving home at 4:00 a.m. and preparing for the next day’s instruction until deep into the night.

It carried us when a 6’8” transfer student-athlete folded himself into a too-small chair in my office every Tuesday and Thursday after JCC to unpack new-found revelations completely foreign to him. The hours of help he needed to translate the cultural norms of Christian faith made the travel requests, expense reports and practice planning diagrams on my desk suddenly diminish in importance.

It carried us when a young man in our program, having been on our campus less than 48 hours, collapsed in tears on my office couch after learning he had lost a childhood friend to gun violence. It carried us 10 days later when another member of our team was confronted with the exact same challenge.

It carried our basketball team into the Fresno Rescue Mission last fall to serve, fellowship and be in community with men who had great wisdom to share. It carried us into ongoing work with Every Neighborhood Partnership, where our young men serve our city and have their eyes opened to the daunting challenges our community faces. It carried us to complete 1,099 hours of community service in our city over the last three years.

Less of me, more of we.

May we all be reminded of the simple profoundness of the realization that our work has a deep mission to it, and has life breathed into it when there is less of me and more of we. When our email is overwhelmed with student requests that require responses well outside standard work hours, and when we are asked to make difficult decisions or navigate opportunities of mentorship and accountability for young people, then may we whisper: “Less of me, more of we.”

In his favorite saying, Coach Gilmore caught the essence of the life we were created for. “Less of me, more of we” is a defining quality of communities that build transformative identities. It's also a defining quality of our individual calling. In his favorite phrase, Coach Gilmore chose six words that sum up what it means to live a life worthy of six more words: “well done, good and faithful servant.”

Coach Gilmore heard those words sweetly whispered five years ago this September, when his earthly body succumbed to cancer. Almost 20 years after I graduated, his words still ring true for me, my vocation and purpose as a reminder of the profound influence available to us all. He never met any of the members of the team I get to lead today, but I pray they feel his influence every single day. And every day, I pray we are all reminded of our opportunity to live and breathe simple truths that will resonate with our students for years to come. I pray every day that our lives scream “less of me, more of we.”

This mantra is simple, but daunting and gut-wrenching to live out faithfully. The beauty of the simplicity is that which we were created for. It’s our opportunity to lean into our identity as a Christian university in a world and community that needs our transformational service.

As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of a vibrant, life-giving, transformative institution, may we not lose the student-centeredness that has defined us for decades, and is the heart and soul of our university.

Less of me, more of we.

The Fresno Pacific Idea is the university’s interpretation of what it means to be a Christian university engaged in the interpersonal dimensions of faith, learning and service. By engaging in this way we nurture a vision of wholeness, justice and reconciliation which, in turn, builds and extends the Kingdom of God. Our Strategic Map identifies five overarching goals for the next three years to assist in maturing the FPU community in the aspirations of the Idea. The goals are as follows:  

Grow

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back, lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes…Do not be afraid, you will not be put to shame.”

Isaiah 54:2,4

We have broadened our borders from Merced to Bakersfield. Now, how do we become good stewards of the ground we have gained? The FPU Idea challenges us to extend the influence of the Kingdom of God through our students. One way of extending that influence is increasing our student population. In a time when colleges are closing and merging, we are growing by the grace of God. As we are intentional about growth, we should ask to what end? Growth will help sustainability, but more than this, growth will broaden the work of the kingdom through placing more students throughout the Central Valley and the world. Yes, we need the numbers for financial stability, but more so we need the numbers to carry out our mission and the vision of the university.

Engage

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

A second way to extend the influence of the Kingdom of God is by corporately and collectively engaging the cities in the Central Valley, with strategic partnerships outside the region. We need to be intentional in our outreach to the faith community, educational, social, health care, the arts and business communities. As an educational community, we provide expertise in numerous areas of need and broaden opportunities for our students to learn and celebrate the wealth of clinicians and practitioners willing to partner in enriching the educational experience of our students.

Innovate

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”

Proverbs 24:3,4

Since 2016 over 170 colleges have closed. Another 37 have merged. Christian and private colleges all over the country are struggling to meet enrollment goals. Most businesses that endure over time are successful because they are flexible; not changing their mission but changing their methods to adjust to the needs of constituents. They empower those who work for them to think outside the box, to pursue non-traditional approaches to solving problems and to develop new initiatives. The real question is how do we become more efficient and effective in transforming lives for service? How do we educate innovatively? Our vision is to produce innovative programs consistent with our mission and the Idea. Integration of faith and learning is core to that delivery, but methods of integration should broaden the possibilities for our students.

Serve

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.”

Matthew 20:26-28

Service learning is not an option in Christ-centered higher education. Serving beyond our comfort zones or our convenience is the real challenge in washing others’ feet. Our service reflects the spiritual vitality of our learning community. We do not introduce new programs because it is just a good idea; we assess, analyze and anticipate a need, then find our place to serve. Our responsibility is not just preparing students for leadership and service, but modeling and teaching how to serve with love. Perfect love cast out fear, so we can boldly serve without recognition or reward.

Transform

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

We have failed if we do not create a transformative environment in our seminary and on all our campuses. We are not here solely to educate in a discipline, but to introduce peace, mercy, reconciliation and justice through faith in Christ. Some change will come through knowledge, but wisdom combined with knowledge is transformative in students, their families and friends. We will be intentional about empowering faculty and staff to grow in grace, model mercy and walk in love in and outside of the classrooms. We are charged to be examples for believers in our word, conversation and deed, as we become lights to the world. We will therefore explore better ways to become a just community characterized by peacemaking and reconciliation.

The full DRAFT of the Strategic Map can be found here.

It is an honor to restart the FPU women’s tennis program. In an amazing first year we received All-Academic team honors, PacWest Conference Freshman of the Year and four All-Conference awards, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Community Service Award and went undefeated at home!

As I reflect on my first year, I am reminded how far God has carried me and my family from where we were nearly 15 years ago. In 2005, I received my first sudden cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead. Miraculously, I was brought back to life. As a result of sudden cardiac arrests, I suffered memory loss, numerous surgeries and was not able to work, play sports or drive for seven years. I am constantly reminded of God’s love for me as I walk around the FPU campus and see the verse from Matthew 19:26, “…with God all things are possible.”

I could have gone into a depression and lost all hope, and to be honest there was a period where I did. But true hope changes the whole perspective of our lives, and whoever has accepted the call from Jesus Christ can put their eternal hope into action by following their dreams and making a difference. Psalm 62:5 says, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.” God will give us hope that will empower us to radically change lives.

God could do what the cardiologists told me neither they nor I could do. He allowed me to relearn my lost memories, gave me the stability to drive and granted me the opportunity to pour into the next generation as a collegiate tennis coach.

It is a special opportunity to build an athletic program from the ground up, and I recruit students committed to growth beyond adversity. To instill the appropriate team culture, we make decisions every day to emphasize what is right and to immediately correct what is wrong. Through my testimony, I relate with these women about the pressures and trials that happen throughout life. Not everything will go as we plan it. How do we respond? As I remind them how far God has brought me, I assure them he will do the same for them.

I believe God allows us to achieve goals, but it is a sign of faith when our dreams are larger than our reasoning. Positive thinking is not the same as faith in God. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” If we choose to operate in God’s will, nothing can stop us as we move toward the things he prepared for us.

Through these past nearly 15 years, God has taught me multitudes of lessons. Let me impart just a few of them as we receive anxious new students walking around campus not knowing where they need to go, and returning students looking to rekindle friendships.

Time to Get Out of the Waiting Room

I felt imprisoned in my own home, unable to work, do sports, drive or pursue my passion for intercultural studies. Not only do I have a B.A. and M.A. in the subject, but I’m Dutch born and raised, of Indonesian decent and married to an American—it’s literally my life. God taught me I was in his waiting room as he molded and prepared me to be his servant. Now I understand! Many of us go through this waiting period…how did you experience yours?

Time to Live Again
God gave me a second chance in life, physically and spiritually. What are we going to do with our second chances this school year?

Time for Coffee

OK, most of us love coffee or tea. My coffee time is for friends, reflection, relaxation, quiet mornings, etc. As you drink your coffee or tea, maybe there is a colleague or student you can invite to join you, so he or she can be encouraged.

Time for Change

God created nature to go through necessary changes in order to rejuvenate for further growth. I went through my winter in the waiting room as God stripped me of my leaves and prepared me for the harvest to come. But I cannot remain in the winter, otherwise God cannot use me. Sweet is the spring nectar after a long winter! Do you allow yourself to go through changes as God leads?

Time to Pray

First Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Never stop praying.” (NLT). Do you have a set time to pray, or do you pray throughout the day? I encourage you to pray for specific students you meet in the first few weeks of this semester.

As we start the new year in FPU’s 75^th celebration, can we wake up each day like Winnie the Pooh?

 “What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

When we go through difficult days, four things become evident: clarity, confirmation, commitment and character. Having positivity, faith in Christ and a big dream can help FPU’s future. Let’s start this new academic year with this mindset as we celebrate 75 years of God’s faithfulness!

Finally, I must end with a tennis analogy. FPU is called to engage the cultures and serve the cities. This begins with LOVE. We must LOVE those around us in order to engage them. We must SERVE others to emulate Jesus as he SERVED us. If you LOVE others you will SERVE them, that is an ACE worthy of God’s victory!

During the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college at Fresno Pacific University I spent a month with a friend backpacking through Europe. The two of us each carried a massive backpack and a round-trip ticket from San Francisco to Paris. We started our journey in France and from there we eventually made our way to Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and England.

Being college students, we made our trip happen on a budget, which meant we ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and stayed in hostels. Each night we would use an internet café and get the address of a hostel in the city we were going to the next day. We were in Venice searching for somewhere to stay the next night in Florence when we found a super cheap place, which at the time we thought was a hostel. When we arrived, we quickly found out it wasn’t what we anticipated.

We took the address from the website (neither of us had a cell phone on this trip) and we found ourselves at a “rent a tent” camping yard. The set up was that you paid to rent a spot of dirt and a tent, which you had to pitch yourself. I remember arriving at night completely exhausted, wanting nothing more then to set down my 39-lb. hiking pack and lay down on a bed. Instead, we were handed a tent and given a flashlight. This wasn’t an “Eddie Bauer” tent where you connected the poles and 1, 2, 3 your tent pops up. Oh no. We got frustrated and wanted to quit on multiple occasions, but we also knew we really didn’t have many other options, so we pressed on, and after many failed attempts, we finally got it and slept really well.

In just a few weeks, on Thursday, September 5, we will begin the festivities to celebrate Fresno Pacific’s 75^th Anniversary at our Gather 2019 event. As I reflect on our university’s history, I’m deeply thankful for the men and women who went before us, and who responded to God’s call, who pitched the first tent. I’m grateful for those in leadership who pressed on and stepped out in faith, refusing to let mortal thinking be a barrier to what the Lord had planned.

Fresno Pacific University is what it is today because of the people who went above and beyond, who gave and served, in ways both seen and unseen despite the frustrations, to propel Fresno Pacific to where we are now. I’m grateful as an institution we continue to provide opportunities for students from all walks of life to pursue new possibilities, to strengthen their walk with the Lord or introduce the Lord to them and encourage them to press on, even when life gets hard.

As we embark on our 75^th Anniversary, we are all invited to celebrate throughout the 2019-2020 school year. Through reflection and celebration, we will be reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness to Fresno Pacific and be encouraged to look to the future with anticipation of how he will use each of us for such a time as this.

Our commitment to Christ and to the truth of God’s word is still the rock on which our university is built. God is undoubtably doing great things at Fresno Pacific. As a community we can be proud of, by God’s grace, what we have accomplished and welcome what is to come.

Check out 75.fpu.edu for more information on ways you can be involved in celebrating the marked moment of Fresno Pacific’s 75^th Anniversary!

At the beginning of the fall 2008 semester my colleague Rebecca McMillen, Ph.D., and I scheduled a meeting with a McLane High School art instructor named Marc Patterson. We expected to tell Marc about Fresno Pacific University’s new art major and hear a bit about his approach to art education. 

To our surprise, Marc came to the meeting prepared to introduce us to a massive art installation project that his ArtVenture Academy students had already begun to construct titled Whispers from the Streets. The project was inspired by a photograph in The Fresno Bee depicting a homeless man standing near a freeway overpass. The beautiful design of the photo’s composition caught his eye, but more importantly Patterson saw learning potential for his students. After researching the causes of homelessness, studying photographs of Fresno’s homeless encampments and hearing guest speakers like Kalem Kazarian, author of Tell Me Your Story, a book about Kazarian’s personal experiences of being homeless, students created an art installation that sought to create empathy with those who lived on the streets.

When Marc asked if we would be interested in exhibiting this project on campus at FPU, Rebecca and I immediately said YES! Whispers from the Streets was an opportunity to carry out the Fresno Pacific Idea in ways unique to the visual arts. By telling stories of the homeless in the city of Fresno, the exhibit created empathy with those who are less fortunate, an important aspect of our institutional commitment to be a “Community of Learners.” The paintings, drawings, sculptures and mixed media works illustrated the harsh living conditions, challenges of mental illness and many other factors affecting the lives of Fresno’s homeless population. Some students chose to illustrate their own personal experiences with homelessness, bravely shedding light on just how common this experience is in our community.

The resulting show was exhibited at FPU in the spring of 2009 in McDonald Hall, AIMS Hall and in the Steinert Campus Center. The artworks were created by over 200 McLane High School students with some help from my own Painting II students and Individualized Master’s Degree student Cynthia Chapman (a well-established local artist and homeless advocate). 

Through the creation of more than 60 recycled door panels, a large-scale “shanty gallery” and many hours of work painting, drawing, collaging and constructing, students received a wealth of education. They learned about the practical importance of building with wood. They learned about multiple human perspectives, creating art that tells a different story than their own. They explored the best way to use art materials to tell a memorable story. Lastly, they invited their teachers, family, friends and members of the FPU and Fresno communities to evaluate and respond to their hard work. 

FPU has since partnered with ArtVenture Academy two other times. In February of 2015 a series of woodblocks from Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964 were displayed at Butler Church in conjunction with the music-theater performance piece Of Ebony Embers by Florida-based chamber music/performance group The Core Ensemble. In the spring of 2019 FPU hosted a retrospective of more than 10 years of Marc Patterson and Art Venture student projects throughout the campus. Visitors to campus for February Arthop were immersed in creative installations about civil rights in the 1960s, Japanese incarceration in World War II, foster care, human trafficking, environmental issues and stories of Hmong cultural identity (this last project, Stories of Home, the Southeast Asian Story Project, was exhibited at the White House in 2015). 

Though the topic of “art” can sometimes be associated with overpriced excess and meaningless nihilism, Patterson’s social-justice mindset is well aligned with the FPU Department of Art, Design and Creative Innovation. Our students are encouraged to think about the world from multiple perspectives, creating work that is beautiful, meaningful and righteous.