eNuevas Feb 21, 2007

Speaking Spanish with a Dutch Accent
by Katie Polcyn

Kees Abbring
works in the
language lab
with Val Martinez
during CCLS
Spanish
immersion
classes.

February 14, 2007-- Kees Abbring grew up thinking cross-culturally, but not in the ways we
usually think of around Baptist University of the Américas. Kees grew up in Holland where
his native language and culture is Dutch, though every child in Holland is also required
to learn English in the public school system.

Last week, Kees began a new cross-cultural experience as he enrolled in BUA's Spanish immersion class that is directed by Val Martinez through the Center for Cultural & Language Studies (CCLS)
and taught by Dr. Guillermo & Ana Chavez.

Kees came to the CCLS program because a friend invited him and he thought it would be interesting to learn about different cultures. He had also studied French for three years in high school and a little bit of German as well. He developed his strongest English skills while working in Camaroon doing missions for a year. “The first year was terrible," Kees remembers. "Every night I would take out my dictionary to figure out all the words that I did not know.”

By the end of his week of Spanish study at BUA, Kees felt like the CCLS "immersion" approach was a strong and effective way to learn the language. He explained, "It is better to have a class for a whole week together than to have a class for one a hour a week over a whole semester." In
addition he praised the cultural approach of the program which includes presentations on Latin culture and participation with students in an ESL class where he could practice his Spanish and ask questions about the countries that the ESL students call home.

Along with Kees, other CCLS participants at this month's session came from Mount Pleasant Baptist Church to learn about Latin American culture to help them prepare a large group of church members traveling to Guatemala for a mission project this summer. Others at this session maintain housing for hosting missionaries from Latin America, while another student was motivated by plans to work more closely with missions.

The next CCLS immersion week is slated for June 6-13 featuring an immersion weekend in
Piedras Negras, Mexico

Click here for an email flyer you can send to invite someone to the summer session.

Valentines Banquet Celebrates "Love in the Air"

February 14, 2007-- Love was in the air at the Valentine Banquet sponsored last week by the BUA Student Council. From "old" married couples to "first dates" to "really, we're just friends," students gathered together for a fun time with dinner, games and romantic music by Cesar Casasola and Carlos Ramos. Click each photo for a larger image! (photos by Lily Perez & Katie Polcyn)

"Global Women on Campus" Launch with Chapel and Lunch

On February 20^th, a new women's student group was launch called Global Women on Campus. Diana Bridges was on campus to speak in chapel and encourage the new mission organization
with her stories of her experiences working with Muslim women around the world through the Global Women organization.

Global Women on Campus is a chapter of college-aged Christian women who dedicate themselves "to create worldwide friendships among women for learning and service."
Global Women encourages all women to listen for, and fulfill their call to minister in whatever their context. Groups located on campuses around the world are encouraged and trained to meet,
pray, learn and take action.

"Following chapel," says Margarita Garcia "over 30 BUA women joined us for lunch with Diana Bridges in order to learn more about Global Women on Campus." Learn more about how you can participate in this new Global Women on Campus ministry being formed at BUA by contacting Margarita Garcia. The groups next main event will be held on March 8 to support the Women's International Day of Prayer.

Big Ideas at Bargain Prices

The University bookstore will be holding a spring book sale on Tuesday, February 27^th
in the main admin hallway outside Sylvia Trujillo's office. Hours: 10:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.
Lots of great titles will be available.

The next sale will be held March 5 – 6, same hours, same place, same great prices.

Rollins Lectures Bringing Distinguished Historian Justo González
and Alberto Prokopchuk of Argentina to Campus,
Feb. 28 - March 1

Join Us at the 2007 BUA Rollins Lectures

The Latino Church:
Converting Challenges to Opportunities

Wednesday, February 28, 9:00 a.m.--4:30 p.m.
Speaker: Rev. Alberto Prokopchuk Executive Director, Latin American Baptist Union(UBLA); Argentina; lecturing in Spanish with English translation via headset

             ° The Challenge of Planting Churches
                in Latin America

             ° The Challenge of Church/State
                Relations in Latin America

                                                    ° The Challenge of Unity Among  Baptists in Latin America

                                                  Thursday, March 1, 9:00 a.m.--3:00 p.m.; 7:00--8:30 p.m.
                                        Speaker: Dr. Justo González, Distinguished historian,
                                        author and professor; lecturing in English

                                                     ° The Challenge of Transitions

                                                     ° The Challenge Leadership Development

° The Challenges in My Own Ministry Journey

° The Latino Challenge to the Church at Large

    Feb 21................Staff Encuentro, noon
                             Résumé Day, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., Classroom 200 (G. Escobar)
    Feb 22................Chapel: Baldemar Borrego, President, Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas
                             Hispanic Baptist Convention Day on Campus
    Feb 23................Presidential Search Commitee
    Feb 24................Worship Roundtable, 10:00 - 2:00 p.m., Room C104 (Monteiro)
    Feb 26................Institutional Effectiveness Training
    Feb 27................Chapel: Gary Patterson, African-American Consultant, San Antonio
                                Baptist Association
                              Résumé Day, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., Classroom 200 (G. Escobar)
    March 1.............. Rollins Lectures with Dr. Justo González and Rev. Alberto Prokopchuk
    March 5.............. Hispanic Pastors Breakfast, San Antonio Baptist Association,
                              Every Monday in March - April, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., cafeteria
    March 5-6........... Intentional Interim Ministry Training
                              (Center for Congregational Health, 336.716.9722 for more info)
    March 5.............. International Women's Day of Prayer
    March 6.............. Dallas Bridge Builder's Night Out, Park Cities Baptist Church
    March 8.............. San Antonio Development Council Lunch
    March 12-16........ Spring Break
    March 22............. De La Cruz and Jimenez Memorial Chapel
    March 30-31........ Latina Leadership Class, Drama Performance in Victoria
    April 5.................Congresso
    April 13-14.......... Regional Bible Drill Tournament, BGCT
    April 20............... Fiesta del Barrio
    April 21............... Sigueme to College Seminar
    April 24.............. Austin Key Leader Luncheon, First Baptist Church Austin
    April 26.............. Houston Key Leader Luncheon, Tallowood Baptist Church
    May 11.............. 60th Anniversary Dinner
    May 12.............. 60th Anniversary Commencement featuring Dr. Tony Campolo

     February 22............................Searching for the Perfect Paper: Writing College Papers

     March 8.................................Sorry, I Don’t Know the Answer: Interviewing for a Job

     March 22................................You, Me, and a Degree: Married and in College

     April 3....................................Show AND Tell: Sharpening Your Parenting Skills

Meetings are in Room 200 and food is provided
for those making an advance registration. Contact Sandee Elizondo in the
Student Development Office to reserve your place.

Resume Day, Wednesday, February 21, 4:00 to 6:00, Room 200
Resume Day, Tuesday, February 27, 4:00 to 6:00, Room 200

Resume Days are specifically set aside to assist graduating seniors in writing their resumes.

Click here to see a template that might be helpful in writing a resume. Other templates can be found online; however, Sandee Elizondo would caution that "a resume is simple with no references included, but only a line at the bottom of the page that says something to the effect of, 'References are available on request.'"

In preparation for Resume Days, seniors are advised to have their resumes worked out according to this template or another one, and then assistance will be available to make any adjustments that might make your resume stronger.

Monteiro Joins Baptist Musicians for
Hymnal Summit

Breakout Session
Lee Hinson, music professor at Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Okla., leads discussion with
Dexter Hardy, from West Land, Mich.; and Maria Monteiro, Baptist University of the Américas, San Antonio.

Nashville, TN--Planning the introduction of a new Baptist hymnal is a monumental and historic undertaking that recently motivated BUA's Maria Monteiro and over 100 other music professors, worship leaders and musicians to gather in Nashville as part of "The Worship Project" organized by the Lifeway Worship Music Group.

The summit served as a means to get feedback from music practitioners on criteria for selecting the hymns, worship songs and praise choruses to be included in "The Worship Project," which includes a hardback hymnal to be released in 2008, and a 1,000-song digital hymnal repository to be released shortly thereafter.

Monteiro described how Mike Harland, director of the project, welcomed the participants, telling them they had been invited because of the specific expertise they brought to the summit. Many had served on the planning and publication of the previous Baptist hymnal published in 1991. ""I was glad to hear about plans for the publication of a new Baptist Hymnal. With a new hymnal, congregations have an opportunity to renew their repertoire (new words, new tunes), while at the same time, keeping the hymns and songs that have stood the test of time," said Monteiro.

The group attended sessions on educational resources, hymnal selection criteria, hymnal components and products, theological review, Web portal function, and worship song selection criteria. In each session, discussions centered on what was needed to make The Worship Project a usable and successful tool for churches.

"The most interesting aspect of this project to me," said Monteiro, "has to do with the accessibility: the new hymnal is being designed to benefit all kinds of congregations, no matter their size, location, financial resources, or the experience and training of their musicians."

Soul Cool (BUA jazz band: Paul Kraus, Paul Archield, Manual Martinez)

    Feb 23Central Baptist Church Coffee House, 1226 S. Presa St. San Antonio.
    March 6    BUA Chapel
    May 11     BUA Anniversary Dinner

Nora Lozano

Feb 26-27 Texas-Mexico Pastoral Care & Counseling Conference,
Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico

March 22-24 Selection Committee for doctoral and dissertation grants
for the Hispanic Theological Initiative, Princeton Seminary, Princeton, NJ

Paul Kraus

Feb 28-March 1 Texas-Mexico Pastoral Care & Counseling Conference,
Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico

Arnie Adkison

Feb 25 Fellowship Baptist Church, Marble Falls, Texas

"Protegiendo a Nuestros Hijos de Problemas Sexuales,
Violencia y Adicciones,
15 al 17 de Marzo, Iglesia Bautista The New Beacon Hill

Conferencista: Nori Menéndez, M.A., M.D.; Ministerio "Sus Siervos" (His Servants)
Por información completa de esta conferencia: David Estévez (210. 367. 15093) or Jamie Massó (210. 601. 6472) http://www.hisservants.net, profamilia2007@hotmail.com

Child Sexual Abuse Seminar 2007
A "Childsafe" Seminar Designed Especially for Religious Organizations
March 3, 8:30 - 3:30 p.m. $10 registration fee.

Are you worried about keeping children safe in your congregation? Learn about ChildSafe (formerly Alamo Children's Advocacy Center), about child sexual abuse, the justice system and how your church can help keep children safe in San Antonio. For more information contact Terry Duncan
at terryd@childsafe-sa.org, 210.675. 9000.

Joshua Bolch, to Pandora Baptist Church as pastor.

March 1   Juan DeLaGarza
March 2   Jeff Johnson
March 7   Carl Hall
March 13 Charles Wedge
March 17 Guillermo Chavez
March 17 Jim Fowler