St pr-CUAtl i r\ ~ KINDNESS by the yard For members of Alpha Chi Malachi, the Total Ministry Initiative (TMI) Retreat weekend gave them the opportunity to learn what it was like to have a career in ministry. For the members of the Bible majors' honor society, this was an excellent opportunity to refocus and broaden their horizons. The retreat began on Friday, Nov. 4 and ended on Nov. 6. Students volunteered at a hospital in northeast Arkansas, where they spent time visiting, talking and praying with patients and performing hospital visitation rounds. On Saturday, the group worked at the Paragould Children's Home. On Sunday, they led church services at Hillcrest Church of Christ in Paragould, Ark., and at West Ridge Church of Christ in Pocahontas, Ark., teaching adult, teen and children's Bible classes as well as leading worship. Sponsor Devin Swindle, professor of Bible, used his connections as a minister to plan the retreat with some help from Alpha Chi Malachi officers. "This retreat is designed to give our ministry majors some practical ministry experience," Swindle said. "It was really just my brainchild. I grew up at a small Christian academy, and we actually had a social club at this Christian high school of kids who would go around and lead worship services on Sunday nights at different congregations in the area. That's where I got all of my experience. Our majors just don't have that today. So, the idea was to take one whole weekend and just dedicate it to getting as many ministry touches in as many different areas as possible." Senior Frank Franks thought the retreat was good for the club because members had the opportunity to actually go out and serve. "Before, we had just been a club where we got together and listened to speakers talk about biblical subjects, but now we are actually doing something that's ministry," Franks said. "It will be a lot more like a club of people ministering to others rather than just a scholastic association which we attend only to get Bible scholarships." SophomoreJustin Sims agreed that students got a lot out of the retreat because of the real-life situations they encountered. "I think it's important to extend yourself a little bit," Sims said. "I'm teaching an adult Bible class. I've never done that before. Putting yourself out of your comfort zone causes you to grow. We could just say, 'I'm going to spend a weekend and sleep and do homework here.' All of us have things we could be doing instead of this. To go out on a limb and do this, I think, is really beneficial." Swindle believed the TMI Retreat would become an annual tradition for Alpha Chi Malachi. "Nothing teaches you the ins and outs of Christian ministry like the practice of it," Swindle said. "We as professors can prepare you academically and intellectually, but that is not all there is to do in ministry. There is the work of the heart and the hands as well as the head. So, a retreat like this helps to train all those elements. I would say students, especially those interested in going into ministry, ought to take every opportunity to actually do ministry while they are at Harding." Ashley Rosenbaum '12. Bible OMW~~ -1\MCM'i~ Row 1: K. Lape, D. Gillaspie, E. Walker, K. Scherer,]. Cannon. Row 2: E. Stone, K. Kelly, C. Crook, S. Crook, E. McCollum, J. Elander. Row 3:]. Brooks, M. Kellermeyer, E. Hartley, K. Brock, M. Crowson (sponsor), A. Calloway, A. Paden, M. Casella, L. Paden, K. Elander.
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