Forum Summary: Be a Giver

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Author: Sabrielle McNair | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

Mr. Gaylyn Bonjour began the forum with the statement, “God’s way is the way of giving…I want to focus on what I can give you, and what you can give to others,” and He’s teaching us to love one another through giving.

He emphasized that every speaker and teacher is doing their best to impart wisdom and knowledge to the students. In a post-speech interview, he explained that this topic was inspired by a member’s actions of giving that he had recently witnessed. Mr. Bonjour then stressed the points that; each presenter and teacher over the next nine months will be giving of themselves, every student giving of themselves to the best of their ability would be following the example set by God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Give like God

By drawing on John 3:16, Mr. Bonjour explained that God gave His most precious possession to humankind, and in doing so, exemplified the type of giving He wants us to show. Mr. Bonjour gave the point that each day is a clean slate–our sins are wiped, and given a ground zero to try to stay within God’s ways. Yet because of God’s mercy towards us, mercy and forgiveness is what is expected of us towards our fellow man. Quoting Romans 12:10, Mr. Bonjour explained the passage, “Preferring one another [means] esteeming others higher than ourselves. God wants us to see the value of other people and put them first.” He pointed the students towards a question that focuses the mind, by asking yourself, “How can I help you to move forward, (or) be a better person?” That’s an opportunity from God to give to one another.

Learn to Give to Others

Mr. Bonjour also emphasized the importance of giving to those around us. “You are created for the benefit of other people.”  Each person has the ability to have an impact when they learn from God’s example of how to love one another (1 John 4:10-11). We have to change how we treat different people according to their requirements. Yet he also reminded students that different abilities are given to us by God. We each have different ways we can reach others and we should take advantage of that. By asking the question, “Can we help those around us to have a little better existence?” that’s caring as God does.

Overcome Obstacles 

Mr. Bonjour told the students, “Every obstacle that you face is an opportunity to overcome,” and how you do that is through processes established by God. Citing Matthew 18 as the format we can all follow to gain our brother, God puts these systems in place for a reason. He wants the individuals to deal with each other, reason together, and understand each other. Mr. Bonjour then gave the point that self-evaluation is the key for how we can give of ourselves continually,  “If we would judge ourselves we would not need to be judged. If we would look at ourselves and correct ourselves, when Jesus Christ comes back he won’t have to correct us because we’ve done that through the Holy Spirit and His word.” We can then change as we allow God to work in our lives. 

Make a Difference 

God has given you a situation from which you can gain. Every individual that comes through here wants to give you something for you to take away, to grow in the graciousness and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. “What you do today and how you are with society will speak in the future because God’s called you and you do make a difference.” Though we cannot change others, if we begin the process of making ourselves as lights to the world, people will notice. Mr. Bonjour emphasized the fact that as young people, we aren’t perfect, but God is not yet done with us.

Student Life: Le Cinema Noire

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Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

The Plain Facts of the Case

The Living Education students finished their classes on Friday, September 5th. The classes ended at a normal time, but this was no normal day. They had begun to pack up their belongings when they were startled by an announcement. Two student leaders, Ellie and Kezia, burst into the classroom. The students paused and gave them their attention. Kezia spoke first. There was going to be a movie night the following Sunday. The students were shocked. Some laughed, some cried, but most were silent. 

To understand how this event came to be, we need to rewind a few hours. Kezia and Ellie were conspiring together to torment the new students. They wanted the students to engage with the local singles scene (a terrifying prospect), and they had plan. 

After they informed us of the activity, Ellie and Kezia began to delve into the details. 

We were instructed to invite a date to attend with us, and they gave us special invitations to persuade prospective. However, there would only be that night and the following Sabbath to find someone. It was going to be a tall order. After the fact, Kezia explained to me their reasoning. They were using this event as a catalyst to “normalize” dating widely and to bring in more young people from the Charlotte congregation. In the moment, it was madness, pure pandemonium. The students became delirious. The girls stressed and said: “how do you even ask someone out?” The guys asked, “what if they all say no?” Kezia and Ellie eventually managed to restore order and explained the additional detail. The movie was to be a 1930s film—a mystery thriller: “The Thin Man.” To maximize the fun , the students, and their dates, would have to dress in black and white to match the movie. 

The Event in Question 

The Living Education students set about finding dates. They scoured the singles Bible study that night and at church the next day. Many were obliged to talk with unfamiliar brethren, and through diligent effort, most found suitable companions.

Sunday evening rolled around. The movie night was happening at the girl’s dorm, and they were a whirlwind of activity while setting up. Some of the guys showed up early to help too. By time the guests arrived, the venue was lavishly decorated, and the students offered the guests different falvors of popcorn, black and white moon cookies, and some fruit drinks (tastefully named “Murder Mystery Mocktails”). 

Once all the guests got their snick-snacks, we took our seats, and settled in for the movie. The students and guests were charmed by the film and laughed all through the evening, and the element of mystery and thrill added to the mood. The fun did not just end with the movie, but we kept conversing with our dates long afterwards. By the end of the evening, there was only one mystery remaining: when will we be doing this again?

Student Life: Orientation Trip 2022

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Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

Living Education–Charlotte does orientation a little differently than most places.

Rather than beginning classes immediately like most learning institutions, Living Ed. has an “Orientation Trip” to Blowing Rock, NC. This was a welcome difference for me, and I found this trip much more engaging than the orientations I had been to during my time at university. In this post, I’ll share with you what we did on this trip and why I found it much more enjoyable than most orientations.

Leaving for Blowing Rock, NC.

On Sunday afternoon, nine students, along with student leaders and faculty, piled into three cars, and we took off on the three hour trip from the dorms in Charlotte to the cabins we were staying at in Blowing Rock. Fortunately, the staff are all excellent drivers, and we did arrive safely and intact. To our delight (or at least mine), we found that dinner had been prepared, and we had a fine meal together in the main cabin allowing us students to get to know each other and to get to know the staff. 

First Day of Orientation 

On Monday morning, we had breakfast and then headed up to a conference room for the instructors to talk to us about the program. Mr. McNair began by introducing the principles of the program, and then Mr. Frank gave us the frank history of education in the Church, highlighting its importance. Following this, Mr. McNair gave us tips on succeeding in this program and in life. Miss Ross then introduced the role music has in the program and gave specific advice to the ladies in the program. Before lunch, Mr. Ruddelson focused on serving the local Charlotte congregation and each other and gave us practical advice for living together in peace. And then we took a break for lunch. 

In the afternoon, Mr. Tlumak shared some of his life experiences and told us how to get the most out of the next nine months. Then, Mr. McNair showed us a motivational speech, explained the program’s expectations from each of us, and then challenged us to really embrace the program and grow as much as we can. 

The Blowing Rock Tour

After being sufficiently informed and motivated, we went to tour the Blowing Rock park. When we got there, we found a slight issue with the weather that day. We could not see anything. The fog was so thick that we could only see about thirty feet in front of us! This supplied an endless amount of jokes regarding objects we could “see” on the horizon, and the visit ended up being a great experience that all of us students share. 

Whitewater Rafting 

On Tuesday morning, we all had breakfast together again before we cleaned up our cabins and left them tidy. We packed into the three cars again and departed for Boone, NC, for Whitewater rafting. Mr. McNair politely informed us that the water would be a little bit cold. When we got into the water, we discovered that it was indeed a little bit cold, about 40℉ to be precise. All the students, Mr. McNair, Miss Ross, and Mr. Ruddelson divided up into two rafts and shoved off into the frosty rapids. We felt every splash of water and relished every break in the sun on the way down. Despite the frigid temperature, we all jumped in the water and swam around, and the two rafts engaged in some friendly splashing and water gun fights. After we pulled the rafts out of the frosty river, we changed into dry clothes and then departed for the dorms in Charlotte. 

Conclusions

Living Education – Charlotte doesn’t immediately begin with classes with the expectation that the students will build friendships along the way, despite all the stress and distractions that come with the beginning of a semester. Rather, this program begins with a little adventure. This experience allows the new students to get to know each other in a stress-free environment, lets the instructors introduce themselves as individuals and not just teachers, and gives the new students a shared memory that they can use to establish relationships between each other that they will continue to build over the course of the year. 

Forum Summary: What are your pillars?

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Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

In his recent forum, Mr. Smith educated the Living Education–Charlotte students on pillars and how they affect our view of the world.

He explained how we could examine ourselves to identify our current pillars, and what beliefs the students need to prioritize in their lives. He shared his top three pillars of belief and encouraged the students to use the time in this program to examine themselves and build a strong foundation. 

Finding Our Pillars of Belief

Mr. Smith began by asking the students to make a list of five basic things we believed were true. The students obliged him and produced a list ranging from the mundane to the profound. Mr. Smith then proclaimed a startling truth: Every belief we have affects how we view the world around us.“[Worldview is] a collection of things that help your mind to interpret everything you look at. What’s good; what’s wrong; what’s true; what’s false.” These things are facts, misunderstandings, experiences, and assumptions that we have made through our life, and they affect our understanding of reality.

We may not comprehend why we have certain opinions about an object or behavior, but our perception of that object or behavior is based on beliefs that we possess. As Mr. Smith said, “Every belief we have is a pillar; it just may not be supporting much.” He then told the students, “The challenge for you, at this age, is to create as accurate a worldview as you can so that you see the world rightly.” Society tries to convince us that there is no objective reality, but true Christians must strive to see the world as God does. This means examining all our worldviews to see if they are in line with God, and then uprooting the beliefs that support erroneous worldviews. In addition, we need to strengthen the pillars of belief that support a godly worldview so they are solid enough to endure the trials and temptations that will attempt to shake them. 

Choosing the Right Pillars

Again, Mr. Smith had the students write down beliefs, but this time we were to write down three beliefs that we considered to be “load-bearing” pillars, meaning supports that were most essential to our interpretation of reality. Then, Mr. Smith revealed the three foundational pillars he had derived over years of consideration. His first pillar is the belief that God exists. As Mr. Smith elaborated, this pillar is critical as it supports so much of his worldview and conduct of life. If it were to fall, many other pillars would crumble as well. Thus, it is imperative that a true Christian strengthen and solidify this belief.

Then, he moved on to his second pillar—Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Mr. Smith put this as the second most important pillar, citing John 17:3 and the criticality of knowing Christ. Furthermore, these two beliefs can support one another. We can trust what Christ reveals about the nature of God, and we can prove that Christ lived and was raised from the dead, a miracle which requires a God.

For the third pillar, Mr. Smith brought forward his belief that the Bible is the word of God. Any doubt on this third pillar can be cured by the first two, as Christ said that “the scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). And by extension, much of the life of Christ and the nature of God is delineated within the Holy Bible. Further Godly beliefs are important and necessary, but these three pillars build a structure that bears much of the load of an accurate and godly worldview.

Strengthening and Refining Our Pillars

Mr. Smith concluded by encouraging the students to strengthen these load-bearing pillars by putting in “time, effort, prayer, and meditation.” As he said further, “These are things that are deserving of our time, and yet we rarely give them that kind of time.” Mr. Smith admonished the students to use this time, while we are still young, to consider our beliefs, our worldview, and the strength of our convictions. Trials will come in life and challenge one’s beliefs, and these godly pillars of belief must be strong. A true Christian must uproot those pillars that support bad and faulty worldviews as they manifest themselves in that Christian’s life. 

Blowing of Trumpets – A Memorial

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The first fall festival is the Feast of Trumpets. Leviticus 23 instructs God’s people to celebrate “a memorial of blowing of trumpets.” What do these trumpets represent, and why should we remember them annually? This Feast pictures the start of the most momentous events in mankind’s history. We should study to understand its meaning clearly.

Course Spotlight from Feast Days: The Feast of Trumpets
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