College Girls Night 

with Mrs. Akin

March 24 ~ 7-9pm

At the home of Dr. and Mrs. Akin

Magnolia Hill ~ 308 Durham Drive

Come ready to be just a little bit silly, spend time getting to know one another and Mrs. Akin, and of course ~ snack on some delicious goodies!

Questions? Contact us at Women's Life

womenslife@sebts.edu or 919.761.2340

ABOUT ME

My name is Denae Gold, I am in my second year here at Southeastern Seminary and I can’t think of a better place to be pursuing the Lord’s calling on my life.  I attend The Summit Church in Raleigh, and I am a part-time staff member with CRU High School while I am completing my degree.

When I visited Southeastern my first question was, “Is it possible to complete a double degree, one being a Master of Divinity in Youth Ministry and the other a Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling?”  With great excitement the answer was, “We can make it work.”  There began my journey of completing two different masters degrees at the same time.

The Lord has grown in my heart an incredible passion to see teenagers come to know Jesus and be on fire for proclaiming His glory among the nations.  While the Lord began to grow my heart for teenagers, He was also breaking my heart for them as well.  Today’s teenager is often faced with the realities of broken homes, drugs, alcohol, and the list goes on.  The more teens I meet, more the reality of deep hurt and pain becomes evident.  Because of this daunting reality, the Lord opened my eyes and gave me a desire to pursue a degree in biblical counseling along with my youth ministry degree.

As I sought the Lord in prayer about the decision to take on the task of two degrees and the calling that was before me, the Lord reminded me that this task was not about me.  This task was about the students I would one day come across and their desperate need of heart change that only comes from the transforming work of the Gospel.  It was at this point that the Lord reminded me that He would equip me with everything I would need to complete His will.

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

Ultimately I am joining Him on a mission He has already begun.

I feel a desire to become equipped to handle the turbulent situations that often enter the life of a teenager with the biblical truths that are presented in Scripture.  My desire in completing both the MDiv and MA is to help teenagers look through the lens of the Gospel when facing the realities of life.  I want them to be so captured by the glory of Jesus that they rest in the truth that their identity is a beloved child of God.

Last week, we mentioned that our Wednesday blog posts for the month of August would be written by students focusing on the degree programs they’re in.  We thought it might be helpful to our new students to hear from our returning girls on what it’s like to be in these programs.  Our first feature is written by Catherine Blinson, one of our C@SE girls! Let’s see what Catherine has to say about being in the Christian Studies program:

So, Catherine, tell us what it’s like in your degree program?

My degree is a BA in Christian Studies and a minor in student ministry. My hope is to be prepared enough so that in whatever I do, I can help equip students to minister to others through the Gospel. Each class I take demonstrates multiple ways to evangelize to those around me.  Through the example of my professors, the guest worship leaders, pastors, and missionaries that speak in my classes, and the encouragement of my fellow classmates, I am constantly encouraged to live a life of evangelism, loving those around me.

What made you choose this degree?

I love to work with kids!  Young or old, it doesn’t make a difference; I love seeing the light bulb turn on when they finally “get” something we’ve been working on.  My desire is to take what I learn in this degree and use it to serve kids and students in various ways like discipling and mentoring.  I felt like this degree would well equip me to work with and connect with students and encourage them to grow in Christ.

How do you want to use this degree when you finish?

My plan is to step into some type of established ministry program. My heart is to serve, love, and connect with others. Whether that is in student ministry or kid’s ministry, my desire is to become a leader in their life and to ultimately help them grow closer to Him.

How have some of the courses that I have taken benefited me already?

The courses here at Southeastern are very challenging but are also super helpful. Every day, it seems like I am telling someone about my class or how the Lord convicted me during one of my classes. They are full of eye opening material and will often challenge your beliefs and thoughts on different topics.  My leadership course was very helpful. In that class, we had the opportunity to work on a project as a team with people we did not know. We had to outline and prepare what our ideal ministry within the church would be and then work together to come up with what it would look like and consist of. It was challenging to work together and agree with what our ministry would look like!

Is there any advice or any helpful tips that you would give to students who are thinking of pursuing this degree?

Continue to seek His guidance and wisdom as you pray through pursuing this degree.  Also, make sure you take time out of your schedule to get ministry experience on a weekly basis - it will change your life.

Catherine Blinson loves her Father, the outdoors, photography, and missions. She is a senior at the college of Southeastern and is apart of the Connection Point Ministry Team here on campus. She attends Open Door Baptist Church in Raleigh. You can check out her personal blog here: www.catblinson.wordpress.com

Today we will hear from Laura Hahn.  Laura graduated last Friday from the College at Southeastern.  We in the Women's Life Office love Laura, and she has such a servant's heart. College gals, glean from her today.  You'll be glad you did.

If you missed yesterday's post, please click here.

I’m a real college graduate!!!

Oh my, the whirlwind of emotions that comes from graduation. I’m leaving a place that I have come to love. I’m leaving my school, my workplace, and my apartment. I’m leaving all of it at once. However, I keep remembering that my memories will not disappear, and the lessons learned will be in my back pocket for future reference. As I prepare to leave, I am excited to give you a glimpse into what has happened in my head and in my heart during my time here at Southeastern.

When I look back at my time here at SEBTS, I have a variety of memories made and lessons learned. I remember taking Greek my first semester and learning hundreds of words of vocabulary, and then taking a freshman introductory class my last semester. I’ve lost intramural basketball games, had my heart broken, made friends for life, traveled overseas with professors, and made a million other memories.

The College at Southeastern is definitely not what most people would label a typical college experience. There are no wild, drunken parties or 300 person classes with rampant cheating. However, there is the occasional late night Sheetz run and last minute procrastination on 12 page papers. We may not have Division 1 sports, but intramural football does get pretty intense.

Yet there also are many things that stay the same no matter what college you attend, at least for the girls. We still talk about boys and get overly excited about a first date. We still obsess about what we eat and then get on work out tangents. College girls still have the same problems whether you went to a bible college or a state school. But that is where the importance of SEBTS comes in and why I am so thankful to be graduating from this institution.

There are two primary lessons I have learned from my time at SEBTS.  These two lessons actually tie into each other:

1.     Follow God in obedience every single day, and He will provide everything I need.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:19

This verse and this promise require complete surrender. I’ve become an expert at the prayer, ”Lord, I give you control of my future.” However, I’ve had to learn that giving God control of my future means following Christ on a daily basis. Imagine that, right? I’ve learned to trust Him with the big picture, but it was rare that my actions and worries actually reflected that. As I say to myself, and I say to you: follow your sovereign King everyday and do as He commands.  The result is this: He will provide everything you need.

2.     Do not lose your awe of God.

“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” –Psalm 33:8

It is easy to let your understanding of God be simply intellectual, but my challenge to myself and to you is this: let your knowledge of God draw you close to His face and His presence so that you may stand in awe of Him.

My main advice to underclassmen:

While grades and GPAs may not be the most important thing in the world, what you are learning is! I don’t want to get on my soapbox, but this is so important: Do not ever use the excuse, “But it isn’t about grades” to justify shoddy work. Instead, tell yourself, “I will use what I’m learning to further my ministry and my capability to share the Gospel more fully.”

Yes, I understand the power of the Spirit and how important it is to let him lead you in ministry. But at the same time, God called you here to learn at Southeastern to learn about Him and prepare for that ministry.

Your grade, 9 times out of 10, reflects how hard you worked and how much you actually cared. Laziness and complacency should not define your time here at Southeastern. Let your time be marked by working hard and yearning to know how to do your job well! This means understanding theology, worldviews, New Testament book outlines, and what Old Testament poetry means. And yes, it might even mean comprehending Nietzsche and Freud’s works.

Start the habit now of getting things done on time and doing them as well as you can. Don’t let complacency rule your life. Do your best out of obedience to God.  Stand in awe of Him.  He will guide your life, and He deserves your best!

So with that:

Work hard, give God the glory, and worship him with all that you have. You won’t regret it!

Laura Hahn is a graduate (as of Friday!) from The College at Southeastern, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies with a minor in missions. She has been a member at Open Door Baptist Church for over two years and enjoys participating in Spanish Fellowship. She enjoys spending time in the outdoors, preferably the mountains, and reading a good book. This July  through December, Laura will be in the Philippines with the IMB doing church planting and discipleship among an unreached people group. As soon as she return Laura will be applying to nursing school at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Our second giveaway of the week . . . Be sure to look for the winner to be posted tomorrow!

Don’t forget to cite your sources; you're almost there!

College Girl's Night was a great success!
We have had requests for another event....what do you think? 

We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to Mrs. Akin for opening her home to us. We love spending time with our beautiful President's wife! 

Our college ladies were pampered with Mrs. Akin's special mint and lemonade tea, coffee, a candy buffet, popcorn, and giveaways.

We moved into the library for a crazy game of charades. Each of the 5 teams had to act out an entire story from the Bible.  Can you guess what they were from these pictures?

The highlight of the night was when Mrs. Akin opened her heart to us and shared  some of her own story. She also took the time to answer our questions and let us know what life is like for the Akin family.

All together it was a wonderful night! We hope you enjoyed living vicariously through our pictures.  Special thanks to Rachel Linder for taking photos of the night. 

Happy Monday, Ladies!

Source: imgfave.com via Megan on Pinterest

Welcome back from what we hope was a wonderful weekend. We sure had a blast at the Self-Defense class on Saturday. It was a huge success! If you missed the action, be sure to look out for it next year!

As we wrap up this short month, we wanted to be sure to keep you updated on the happenings here in the office. We have a little something planned for everyone in the coming weeks, so be sure to see what interests you!

Monday, March 4: COLLEGE GIRL'S NIGHT (7-9pm) 
For college ladies only! Come join us for a night of fun at Magnolia Hill with our own Mrs. Charlotte Akin. Be ready to be just a little bit silly, spend time getting to know one another and Mrs. Akin, and (of course) snack on some delicious goodies!

March 12: TERM 2 BEGINS
If you are interested in taking BWI classes this semester, time is running out to turn in your applications and register for Term 2 classes. Be sure to contact us here at the office if you have any questions! (919)761-2340 or womenslife@sebts.edu

Monday, March 18: PROJECT:COMPASSION (7-8:30pm)
At this Connecting Point event, we will hear from Dr. Steve McKinion and his wife Ginger about how to minister to the hurting. All of us know someone who is in the middle of a difficult time, but we often don't really know what to do or how to encourage them. Dr. McKinion and Ginger will walk us through what it's like to go through painful circumstances and how Christians can minister to those who are hurting. Stay tuned for more information! In the meantime, feel free to check out Dr. McKinion's blog for more of their story.

April 5-6: FAMILY LIFE CONFERENCE
Once again, Dr. Akin will be hosting his wonderful Family Life Conference here. The conference is open to the public, so be sure to secure your spot by registering today! Dr. Akin’s heartfelt teaching on marriage, child-rearing and many other topics will leave you refreshed and encouraged. For more information, please visit the Family Life webpage. This conference is also available as a BWI class.

As always, if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to be in touch! 919.716.2340 or womenslife@sebts.edu

We look forward to seeing you! 

This week for Fun Friday, we thought we'd bring you some advice from one of our college girls, Drew Smith.  Read on to see what she picks as an SEBTS College Girl's Must Haves!!  

The Essentials for Every SEBTS College Gal

 

With 3 and a half years of college behind me, I’ve learned a thing or two. I spent the last three years at University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) and transferred here in the fall. I’ve lived in Wake Forest since I was 5 so I kind of feel like I’m back home.  Well, I pretty much am back home :)  So, back to being a pro at college, here's a list of six things that I would call essentials for your time here at C@SE (College at Southeastern).


First off I’m gonna go with what you need.

1.  A good local church:  I know you're gonna hear this up and down from the faculty and staff of SEBTS and C@SE, but it’s so true. I’m blessed enough to have been going to the same church for almost 17 years. The importance of getting plugged in somewhere close to where you'll be for the next four (or more) years cannot be overstated!  When you connect to a church, the church connects to you. This means you have a second family to take care of you and you have people that care about what’s going on in your life.  It's a true must have!

2. Multiple Bibles: Another thing you need that's a little more specific to Southeastern, is multiple Bibles. I know this sounds weird but bear with me. When they told me this in orientation, my only thought was "Right, well I have about 5 so that’s not a problem."  But as I went through last semester I realized that, since some of my homework was studying the Bible, it became more like a textbook and I needed to separate that from my personal Bible study. So I used different Bibles: one for school work, one for personal study. It’s a simple idea, but it really makes a world of difference! Speaking of personal study, that leads me right into what I consider your third “must have.”

3. Regular time in the word:  Whether that be going through a book of the Bible or a Beth Moore Bible study, time in God’s word is a MUST! I’m going through Daniel right now; I’m reading it a chapter at a time. On Sundays, to change things up, I listen to sermons while I’m getting ready for church. Time in God’s word is so important; if you aren’t in the Word, you won’t know the promises of God and you won’t know His peace.

 

Now moving on to the less spiritual.

4. A schedule:  A spreadsheet of what your normal week looks like is a huge help because you can see how flexible you can afford to be and when you have that flexible time. Having a planner is a good way to see what needs to be done every day and you can prioritize homework and any other assignments or jobs.

5. Caffeine:  Yep, you guessed it...I'm about to mention the dreaded all-nighter.  It's the inevitable beast that haunts every college student.  Hopefully you won't have to pull to many of these, but rarely does anyone get through college without pulling at least a few.  To survive you need one of three (or all three) things: coffee, tea, or a Monster energy drink. I usually rotate between them but nothing is quite like a hot cup of tea on a long night. I also find it helpful to not change into my pjs or lie down on my bed when trying to stay up to finish a project because it makes it that much harder to fall asleep...although I will not deny - falling asleep is still possible ;)  



6. Mindless Ventures:  I'm venturing off the beaten path a little on this one, but I really believe this is a must have.  You need to have a time, be it an hour or whatever, that you set aside every week to do something totally un-work and un-school related. Watch a show that you like, take a weekly coffee break, go see a movie, read a book. And speaking of books!! We have a TON of reading to do as students of  C@SE and it can sometimes suck the fun completely out of books.  It doesn’t matter if it’s War and Peace, Oliver Twist, or See Spot Run; get a book that is completely separate from your school reading and make it a point to try to read through it this semester.  Make it a book that you don’t have to analyze...something that's a simple read.  This will help fight off the "I'll never read another book so long as I live" feeling you might experience as you're nearing the end.  It doesn’t matter if you don’t finish it by the end of the semester, just do what you can.  (And if  See Spot Run is giving you trouble, try something like Brown Bear, Brown Bear.)

Well that’s my list of the college girls ESSENTIALS.  I'm hoping someone out there will find it helpful.  And don't forget to find at least a buddy of two who will help you remember homework. :)

Drew Smith is a Junior in the College at Southeastern.  While she spends lots of time studying, she can also frequently be found ministering with her church, Faith Baptist, reading CS Lewis, watching British TV, or daydreaming about Ireland. 



College gals - What are some of your essentials?