[dedication] 9 After working on the mission field in Italy for 10 years, Associate Professor of Bible Dr. Shawn Daggett and his family of five were asked to move from their home and their daughters’ birthplace and travel to Arkansas to begin another type of mission work as a professor at Harding. Upon arriving, at the insistence of Dr.Carl Mitchell, a professor of Bible and special assistant to the president, Daggett joined in sponsorship of the European Vision organization, a missions group focused on spreading the Word to European countries.Mitchell thought this organization would be the perfect outlet for Daggett to share with students about his own personal struggles for the faith and aid them on their own missionary journeys. “At the time, mission work was focused mainly on receptive areas,” Daggett said. “We wanted to lift up the cause of worldwide missions, not just one particular area over another. The whole world is God’s mission field.” After teaching at Harding for four years,Daggett and his family moved to Boston where he completed his doctorate degree and worked with a church in Natick, Mass. “God brought that old church to life,”Daggett said.“It was almost like being on the mission field again, and it was good for the kids.” Daggett and his family returned to Searcy where he went on to teach a variety of courses including Missionary Anthropology, Missionary Practicum and the Gospel of John. Daggett said he also used to teach a course that was no longer offered at Harding, a Bible 100 course for international students. “I had a special love for that class,” Daggett said. “I like reading the Bible with those who never have.” In classes like the Gospel of John, Daggett said he liked his students to come away with a first-hand experience of Christ. “In the classroom, I like to maintain high academic standards to prepare students for real life,”Daggett said.“I want students face to face with Jesus to create stronger faith.” Daggett had similar goals for the outcome of his missionary-based courses. “In missionary classes, I want students to accept God’s reach on the one hand, strong truth, and on another hand, extend that grace to the world,” Daggett said. “It’s receiving and giving — grace and truth.” Daggett said his teaching styles were unique in the fact that he liked to change topics or activities every 10-20 minutes. In his Missionary Anthropology classes, Daggett said that recreating real-life missionary scenarios had a big impact on students.His use of film clips, having students take quizzes with their opposite hands and playing cultural games made his classes not only interesting but eye opening for his students. “I have students take quizzes with their left hand on the days I talk about culture shock,”Daggett said. “They realize by the end of the lecture the parallel between that and culture shock. It’s taking something so simple and easy that now requires extra thought.” But shock value was not the main lesson Daggett wanted his students to come away from class with. “My goal is for them to have a much deeper devotional life by the end of my class,” Daggett said. And most students who had Daggett as their professor said they felt that they came away from their classes with more than just a binder full of notes. “I learned a greater appreciation for my own culture by learning about other cultures,”senior Matt Perring said.“What makes sense in one culture doesn’t always mean the same thing in another.” Perring said that he enjoyed the way Daggett brought his lessons together as well. “He was unique in his teaching in that every class flowed with the previous class, and they all had such a strong point at the end of them,” Perring said. “Every day constantly built on his overall theme of understanding the world missionary view, and he was motivated about this topic.” Perring and other students also enjoyed Daggett’s candor outside of the classroom. “He’ll offer you a cup of espresso from the machine he has in his office,” Perring said. “And he will talk about his amazing missionary travels to Italy. It’s incredible to listen to him.” Daggett said one of the most enriching experiences he had while at Harding was the mentoring group he had participated in since 2003. “There are five to six guys who meet early in the morning to pray, memorize [scriptures] and share with each other,”Daggett said. “I like to share books that are the most meaningful to me.” Daggett said he hoped to travel to Zambia in the fall of 2008 with his wife and two daughters, as both of his sons were in school or working. Daggett said he enjoyed participating in the Harding University in Florence overseas program in fall 2000 and would love to be able to take another group. Daggett also said he wanted to lead another summer campaign group through his leadership roles in the Global Outreach organization. [Katie Ulliman] Shawn Daggett Lifetime dedication to missions near and far Dr. Shawn Daggett stands withDr. Monte Cox, associate dean ofBible,ashegiveshis LivingWorld Religion students instructions about removing their shoes and not taking pictures once inside of the Hindu temple inChicagoonOct.20. “Mywife,Donna,and I were blessed to be invited todriveon this trip,” Daggett said. “Having lived just outside of Boston for three years, we love the city atmosphere as well as being with the students on the trip.” [Jonathan Lindsay]
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==