DiscipleNow
Gives Students an Awakening to Importance
of Spiritual Growth for Youth
by Katie Polcyn
MARCH 6, 2007 --
The weekend of February 16-18, BUA sent two teams to
minister to youth in Houston and Cuero Texas as part of a
DiscpleNow leadership development partnership with Baylor
University. The purpose of DiscipleNow in a local church is
to minister to youth and encourage them in their walk with
Christ. It has also turned out to become a great learning
experience for the student leaders from BUA.
The team
that traveled to Cuero, Texas consisted of Mario Samaniego,
Giovanni Martinez, Francis Rodas, Lily Perez and Katie
Polcyn. They worked with members of Jerusalem Baptist Church
and Santos, their youth leader. Francis Rodas says of
DiscipleNow, “It’s been an awakening experience in which God
has opened up my eyes and reinforced the importance of
discipleship.” There were about twenty students ranging from
5-12 grades that participated in the weekend.
Saturday morning, the team participated in a community
service project serving at the home of one of the elderly
church members where they helped with yardwork.
Mario Samaniego leads a
Cuero youth on the "walk of faith"
The students at Cuero were especially receptive and six students
committed themselves to serving in the ministry, which was a
blessing for the team to see the Spirit working. “Even
though [the students] are young, you can see how strongly
God is working in their lives,” Rodas said.
The team
that ministered at Iglesia Bautista de Houston included
Christina Gaona (Baylor
University), Cindy Alcala, Jaime
Cortez, Alejandro Gonzalez, Ashley Georges, and Caleb Kersh.
Cindy Alcala recalls, “[Disciplenow] is a really good
experience. It's unique. It is something I will encourage
people to do because it helps you see the needs of the young
people.” The team had the opportunity to lead worship for
the youth service, preach, lead the Bible studies as well as
spend time hanging out with the youth and making a
friendship investment in their lives.
“There is a great need as volunteers to both learn as well
as teach what God has done in our lives.” It is also a time
of growing for the team members. Alcala continues, “My
desire has grown to do God’s will.” The verse she gives to
fellow students is from Psalms 37:4-5, “Be happy with the
Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Entrust your ways to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will act on
your behalf.”
Ashley Georges leads
a small group Bible study
BUA Mourns Passing of Philanthropist John Baugh
March 6, 2007--The
Baptist University of the Americas community mourns the
passing this week of
Mr. John Baugh, known to each of us as an outstanding
Christian businessman, churchman and philanthropist. In
declining health for some time, Mr. Baugh died quietly
yesterday morning at the San Antonio home of his
daughter Babs Baugh.
Memorial
services will be held in Houston at Tallowood Baptist
Church on
Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 1:00 p.m.
The BUA community grieves with deep gratitude for the
vision and generosity of Mr. Baugh, who made an historic
$ 3 million gift to the University that has enabled its
recent growth and development of the new Baugh Family
Campus currently under construction. Mr. Baugh is
survived by his wife, Eula Mae, daughter Babs Baugh, and
granddaughters Jackie Moore and Julie Ortiz and their
families.
May
the Lord’s servant rest in peace with the legacy of a
life well lived and countless lives made better because
of his faith and generosity.
Getting to
Know You . . .
Eun Jin Kim
by Katie Polcyn
Eun Jin came to BUA in the fall of 2006 after learning about
BUA through some good friends, Lily Perez and Priscilla
Herrera while the three of them worked together at Camp
Tejas in Giddings Texas.
Eun Jin
Kim was born in Pyungtaek, Korea. Eun Jin means truth and
grace in Korean. Her father is a pastor in Korea, and Eun
Jin would teach Sunday school to 6 and 7 year olds there.
She enjoys working with children.
Eun Jin
studied in the university in Korea for one semester,
learning Japanese and Thai. Through some friends in the
university, Eun Jin found out about Camp Tejas in Giddings
Texas which invites international students to come and work.
Eun Jin came to the Camp hoping to learn some English. She
said that the camp was a good experience for her. She was
able to learn many things and make good friends as well as
learn about new cultures, Hispanic, American, Thai, African,
Chilean and others. Eun Jin returned home
to Korea after the
camping season to get her visa and a few weeks
later she
arrived at BUA to study.
Eun Jin
enjoys studying and learning foreign languages, traveling
and learning new cultures.
She wants to study foreign
languages, first English and then Spanish. She had the
opportunity
to go to Mexico with Priscilla over Christmas
break and really enjoyed it. “I don’t know the future. Maybe
God will use me with my personality, with my desires (to
learn cultures). I am looking forward to how God will use me
in the future.”
Eun Jin
likes to watch Korean comedy shows, to watch movies and to
talk with friends. (She often translates words for her
roommates Megan and Brenda so they can fight(/argue) with
each other in Korean!)
Church
Planting in the Crucible of Arabic Cultures
Church
planting efforts in many Arabic cultures often struggle
against limits to religious freedom, extreme cultural
resistance and persecution of new believers by family,
society and governments.
“Church Planting in the Crucible of Arabic Cultures," a
workshop slated for April 16-17 on the BUA campus, has been
designed to provide practical training over a two-day period
for individuals, churches and mission groups who desire to
develop missiological strategies and skills for engaging
Arabic cultures.
With a background in engineering, our seminar presenter has
lived, worked and led church planting teams in the Arabian
Peninsula for over 16 years and is currently furloughed in
the U.S. for a year.
Come hear compelling stories of faithfulness in the face of
persecution. Develop a biblical missiology of suffering for
the sake of others. Discover tools for faith-sharing and
planting house churches for Arabic peoples in the U.S. And
better understand how your worldview and cultural attitudes
may help or hinder your ministry and the mission of the
broader church engaged in world evangelization.
Staff and students may attend at no charge. General
registration costs $ 75, which includes four meals. Make
your reservation with Karla Romero at
kromero@bua.edu.
International Women's Day of Prayer Program, March 8
The Global Women
student organization will be leading a special prayer
service in the chapel from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. on March 8
in observance of the International Women's Day of Prayer.
You are invited
to join your voices in
prayer on behalf of women all over the world, and pray for
the pressing global needs of women, becoming
a voice for the Voiceless.
You are also reminded to pray this week for
all those who are ministering among these women around the
world.
Chapel Service to Commemorate 40th
Anniversary
of BUA Student Tragedy
by Arnie
Adkison, Vice President for Advancement
On March 22, a
special chapel service at Baptist University of the Américas
will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the
tragic loss of former students and members of the Jimenez
and De La Cruz families when . . .
An
elated carload of Texas Baptists began the drive from San
Antonio to Carrizo Springs. The Jimenez and De la Cruz
families were crowded into the car, singing praises to God
for the successful evangelistic service they had just
attended.
Pastor
Juan De la Cruz had volunteered to drive his friend and
fellow-pastor, Pablo Jimenez, and his family back to their
home.
Only 15
minutes after the trip began, the two families were
victimized by a drunken driver in one of the most tragic
traffic accident disasters in the history of the Lone Star
State. (From the
brochure of the original memorial fund established in 1967)
Ten
members of the two families were killed along with the
driver of the other car. But according to Dr. Josue Grijalva,
then Dean at Mexican Baptist Bible Institute where the
students attended, the tragedy was used by God to bring
glory to His name time after time as the survivors drew upon
and shared their trust in God.
In memory
of those who were taken to heaven before their time, and in
honor of the family members, fellow students and friends
they left behind, the University will be hosting a Memorial
Chapel remembering the 40th anniversary of this
event. The Baptist community is invited to join BUA faculty
and students on Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 11:00am
in the Henderson Chapel at Baptist University of the
Américas.
Trouble
Viewing eNuevas?
Word is that some
students are having trouble viewing eNuevas because they
either access their email through the on-campus web mail
server, Logixonline, or they do not check their BUA email
account.
Here are a few simple
solutions to the problem, and one harder solution.
First, every issue of
eNuevas is actually posted on the BUA web site on the
eNuevas page, which is found under the "About BUA" heading.
At the top of every eNuevas email (look at the top of this
one) you will find a link that connects you directly to the
online version that will open in your web browser. So, if
you can't see the pictures, click on the online version.
Second, you can request
that the campus information technology department (Louis
Villamar and Elizabett Puerta) arrange to have your BUA
email forwarded to another personal account that you can
view more easily. It's a lot like forwarding your phone
number. Just contact one of them and they will be
happy to serve you.
Thirdly, and this is a bit
harder, if you have computer access at home, you need to set
up your BUA email account in Outlook or other email browser
that you use. Our information technology department is
working on some step by step instructions for this, but this
is your best solution. That way, your BUA email messages
will download every time you check your other email
accounts.
We will also be printing
out a few copies that will be on reserve in the library.
Happy reading!
“In heaven you might still
speak Spanish and I might speak ghetto-ese,
but we’re all going to get along. It has always been God’s
intention to be multi-ethnic.
That's why he destroyed the Tower of Babel.”
–Dr. Gary Patterson
“By its
nature, the church is called to be homeless. They find their
homeland wherever they are.”
–Dr. Justo González
“The faithful people of God are always called to be the
pilgrim people of God.”
–Dr. Justo González
"What
must the broader church do for the Latino church to make
their ‘mark?’ There must be a paradigm shift. It is not just
about tolerating each other; it is about needing each other.
Beyond tolerance is acceptance. Beyond acceptance there is
responsibility (for each other). And beyond responsibility
there is reciprocity. The Latino church needs the
church-at-large, and the church-at-large needs the Latino
church.
-Dr. Justo González
Elizondo Offers Moral Vision
of Compassionate Spirit for San Antonio
March
3, 2007--
Dr. Javier Elizondo
gathered with a diverse community of leaders to spend a day
reflecting on what values have made the city of San Antonio
great as part of a 275th anniversary celebration last week.
The symposium held at San Fernando Cathedral was the brainchild
of Mayor Phil Hardberger and Archbishop José
Gomez. Over 85 community leaders from religious, educational,
artistic, business and political fields were invited for what
the organizers hope will launch a new conversation that will
continue as the city moves toward its tri-centennial
anniversary.
After the community leaders were
led through a round of presentations and discussions around the
question, "What should we as a community stop doing
to fulfill the moral vision we desire for San Antonio in 25
years," Dr. Elizondo was a panelist presenter for a round of
discussions around the question of "what should we as a
community keep doing to fulfill our moral vision?"
"What I like about San Antonio, " said Dr. Elizondo is that we
are great at thinking together about what San Antonio should
be." "One of the things our city has been doing well is
developing in our citizenship a compassionate spirit that moves
us to action as we seek to meet the needs of those less
fortunate than we are. This spirit of compassion is something
that I believe is fostered by our leaders in the religious
community, the business community, the education community, our
civic leaders, and others. I have been impressed during the
years I have lived in San Antonio by the level of participation
by our residents in volunteer efforts in behalf of others, not
only here in the city, but also along the border."
Speaking more specifically,
Elizondo went on to encourage participants to continue
advocating for people in need and voicing high expectations for
providing educational opportunities for the under-served,
healthcare for uninsured children, care for the mentally ill and
fair treatment of immigrants.
Lozano and
Maltsberger Receive Tenure
February 21, 2007--
BUA faculty
members Nora Lozano and David Maltsberger made history last
month as the first faculty to ever be tenured by the University.
The
announcement of tenure was made by Dr. Javier Elizondo at a
special recognition during the monthly staff Encuentro luncheon.
"Tenure shows professors that we value them," said Elizondo.
"The granting of tenure means that these professors are
recognized as vitally important to the institution and so they
are invited to stay for life."
In institutions of higher education, the significance of tenure
is that it provides security and stability for faculty, who once
tenured need no longer negotiate
Lozano
teaching contracts.
"Because
this is a 'million dollar decision'" stressed Elizondo, "it
requires serious commitment on all sides. Since Lozano and
Maltsberger are the first faculty to be tenured at BUA, Dr.
Reyes and Dr. Elizondo served as the tenure committee, along
with the assistance of one outside advisors in each professor's
field of study. Dr. David Garland, Dean of Truett Seminary, was
asked to evaluate the academic work of Dr. Nora Lozano while Dr.
Tommy Brisco, Dean of Theology at Logsdon Seminary was asked to
evaluate the work of Dr. David Maltsberger. Now that BUA has a
tenure policy in place, these tenured professors will be
included in the tenure
Maltsberger
committee of future faculty candidates.
Nora Lozano is Associate Professor of Theological Studies and
David Maltsberger
is Associate Professor of Biblical Archaeology.
Elizondo Keynotes
Installation of Rolando Rodriguez
as BGCT Director of Hispanic Ministries
February 18, 2007--Dr.
Javier Elizondo
preached at the installation of BUA alumni Rolando Rodriguez as
Director of Hispanic Ministries for the Baptist General
Convention of Texas. The installation service took place at
Cockrell Hill Baptist Church in Dallas, where Rodriguez had most
recently served as pastor before his new assignment.
