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It’s the Roaring ’20s Again!

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

Estimated reading time: 4 min.

The Living Education students hosted a 1920s-themed dance for over 40 young adults in the local congregation. 

This event was several months in the making. It began when Kezia proposed a themed dance, and what could be a more apropos theme than the ’20s? She rallied the students together to transform the guys dorm into a venue straight out of the 1920s. But what did it all look like? Let’s take a little tour. 

Arrival

It is a brisk Saturday evening. You pull into a church parking lot across the street from the LivingEd. dorm. You make your way across Thompson Road and up the concrete driveway. You knock on the front door, and it swings open for you. You receive a hearty welcome from the hosts. You walk into the dorms and back in time, to the 1920s.

Welcome to the Speakeasy

The house is flooded with soft, warm light. There is a red telephone booth ahead and slightly to the right of the door, by the stairs leading to the second story. Your eyes gravitate up. There is a string of twinkle lights wrapped around the light fixture. More hang between the light above your head and the light in the living room. Another string of lights hang between the light and the telephone booth. It dangles across the top of the booth and then wraps around the handrail going upstairs. 

You look to the right. There is an open entrance. Hanging from the trim of this entrance are more twinkle lights, outlining the walkway. Through the opening is the billiard room. There is a pool table squarely in the middle, on which two guys and two girls are playing team 8-ball on the table. The guys are dressed in formal and nice looking dress clothes, apropos of the ’20s. The girls are wearing flapper dresses, formal gloves, and headdresses. 

You turn to the left now. There is an entrance to a study room. Two tables are set up, and people are crowded over one. You glimpse between two people and see that they are playing some sort of card game. The room erupts in laughter and movement for some reason you can’t put together. Before you can figure it out, one of the hosts says, “The food is this way.”

There’s a Dance Floor Too

You follow them out of the hallway by the front door and into the living room. There are no couches, and it has been cleared to create a dance floor. You notice a red cloth suspended by the light. This red cloth extends from the bookshelf on the other side of the room to the light and then to the bookshelf near you. It gives the dance floor a defined shape and feeling. On the dance floor, a fair amount of people are dancing to ’20s music. You feel the limits of space in the room as you slide by the bookshelf and under the red cloth to get to the other side. 

The host directs you to the patio, where you find a buffet table lavishly adorned with cloth and stocked with hors d’oeuvres. To the left of the table is patio furniture and part of a regular couch stashed to make space for the dance. The house  is warm from the dancing, and the patio provides a cool (no pun intended) place to relax and get a snack.

Snack Table on the Patio

After you get a plate, you hear the dancing paused for a moment. The hostess announces a few games of trivia. The first person to say the answer gets a small prize: moon pies (in existence since 1917)! There’s questions about the most famous events of the ’20s, and prizes given out for a few rounds. Then, the dancing continues and everyone returns to their previous activities. You stick around, dancing and catching up with friends you haven’t seen for a while, even seeing people from across the country. At 9 pm, the event is not formally over, but the Living Ed students begin the process of cleaning up. You make your way out the front door, across the street, and back to the church parking lot, content with the memories you know hold. 

This was not the only event at the LivingEd. dorms in January; they also did a Bingo Brunch for local widows! 

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

It’s all fun and games until someone yells “Bingo!”

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

Estimated reading time: 2 min.

To bring a little fun and games to the Charlotte congregation, the Living Education students hosted the inaugural Bingo Brunch at the women’s dorms. 

On a cloudy Sunday morning, to kick off our return to classes and the second semester, the students set up refreshments and decorations in the women’s dorm for a round of bingo games for local widows. The food for the brunch portion included mini-muffins, cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, and the main entree: chicken and waffles! 

The decorations transformed the whole dorm for the event. There were hand-drawn signs and some larger-than-life dice on the buffet table that featured fancy platters with all the food perfectly placed. Inside the living room, three large tables were set up with folding chairs to fit the guests comfortably. All the tables were adorned with vibrant tablecloths and flower centerpieces that brought energy and excitement to the room. 

The Games Begin

Mr. McNair kicked off the first round… and explained the house rules. Each table became a team and competed with the other tables. If anyone at that table got Bingo, it was a point for their team. After five rounds, prizes, ranging from pens to applesauce would be handed out to the winning team. The tables chose curious team names: the Winning Team, the Packers, and the Yodeling Yaks. One team seemed to dominate the playing field: the Packers (If only the “real” Packers also had that kind of luck that day). At the end of three rounds, the guests were sent home with a commemorative Living Education mug to remind them of their time spent with the 2023 students. 

Afterward, the students got together and cleaned up what was left behind—all while feasting on leftovers, Ellie’s favorite part. We then sped off to their next activity—a game night with friends and nachos, or watching the Packers game that night.

This was the first event the students helped host since the Living Education Alumni Dinner in 2022.

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

Working in the LivingEd Department

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

Estimated reading time: 3 min.

Here’s an inside look at work/study positions in the Living Education Department

Have you ever wondered what the students in Charlotte do in the work/study program? Well, this post is the first in a new series of Student Life posts that will answer that question by describing the student roles available in each department of the Living Church of God Headquarters. Today’s post covers the student positions in the Living Education department. The two students featured are Kaleb Johnson (c’est moi!) and Nathan Kroon. 

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Nathan Kroon is the Media Associate who edits videos, makes posts for Living Education  on social media, and organizes the weekly newsletter

Nathan is one of the three students in the new Student Leader program. In addition to being the Media Associate for the LivingEd department, Nathan is also the lead landscaper for the dorms and the Resident Assistant for the guys’ dorm. For the LivingEd department, he is the primary video editor, official photographer for events, and much more. 

Nathan’s Roles in the Living Education Department:

What does Nathan have to say about:

The most fun part of the job? “I think video editing has been most fun, especially when I am able to be more creative with it. But that requires having a lot of material to work with like photos and B-Roll.”

The most challenging part of the job? “A bunch of different things get thrown at you. Mr. McNair is sometimes. . . unpredictable with what he’ll throw at you next. Keeps it exciting, but also can be challenging.”

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Kaleb Johnson is the Staff Assistant who writes web content, works with Google Analytics, and assists with ongoing projects

Kaleb is a first year student who works only for the Living Education department. I perform—wait, I mean Kaleb performs many support tasks for projects that are ongoing in the Living Education purview, such as creating videos and slideshows for events and making scripture and quote indexes for new study courses (check out all the courses here).

Kaleb’s Roles in the Living Education Department: 
  • Writing/posting forum summaries and student life posts (like this one!)
  • Creating weekly Bible quiz (click here)
  • Using Google Analytics
  • Providing support in video editing 
  • Assisting with ongoing projects 

What does Kaleb have to say about:

His favorite part of the job? “It is a lot of creative work. You get the chance to write, to make storyboards for videos, and brainstorm ideas. It is quite different from engineering, almost more challenging as you have to be creative and think outside of the box.” 

The most challenging part of the job? “Interviewing myself. I am both a terrible interviewer and interviewee. Seriously though, it is difficult to manage all the different projects we have, only working four hours a day. Mr. McNair really does know how to keep you on your toes.”

Working: Part of the LivingEd Experience

Both first and second year students get the opportunity to work at the Living Church of God headquarters in many different departments; this post has only covered one. The Living Education department provides an invaluable experience for the students by challenging them to learn new skills and master ones they may already possess, and it gives students the chance to help out in the Church’s commission to feed the flock. 

Working is only one part of the Living Education program. If you’d like some more details, read this article: A Day in the Living Education-Charlotte Program

The First Ever Alumni Dinner 

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

Estimated reading time: 3 min.

Tucked away in the woods of Cane Creek Park, the Living Education program hosted the first-ever Alumni Dinner at the Lakeside Lodge, exquisitely adorned with a winter theme.

Choosing a peaceful location at a picturesque park by a lavish lake for the dinner, the ambience was perfect as faculty, students, and some guests gathered to commemorate five years of the program. 

The Alumni Dinner in a snapshot

On the day of the event, the current students flickered with excitement, and some stress. The time was here for this new event, and there was no precedent or previous experience. The students left from work early and loaded up the vehicles and left for the Lakeside Lodge. Alumni, too, were taking off and preparing to attend this innovative event.  

Some Backstory 

Plans were in the making for over a month before. A video of commemoration was being made. The decorations were being carefully curated and created. The refreshments and snacks were pondered, picked, and then prepared. Special Living Education-themed prizes were even ordered and organized into a raffle for the guests – all during finals, a busy time for students and faculty alike. But it was all worthwhile, as students and faculty paused to look back on the last five years of the program. 

The Alumni Dinner

The day of the Alumni Dinner, the students arrived at the lodge with an hour to prepare. Tables were rearranged, decorations adorned, and refreshments situated. The raffle prizes were bagged and ordered, with stickers being cut and mugs being set out even as the first alumni arrived. An hour turned out to be the perfect amount of time. 

Alumni and faculty came in and the event flew off. The various years mingled, discussing their different experiences in the same program. The faculty saw old protegees and again, and the alumni caught up with old compatriots. For some it was an opportunity to come into town. For others it was a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of Charlotte and engage with friends. The evening included reflective speeches by Mr. McNair and Mr. Weston, encapsulating the years of the program and the effect it was having. As Mr. Weston said, “the program is cumulative. Every year brings new students.” Every year expands that effect. 

The final piece to come together was the take down. The students—helped by some alumni—took down the decorations, stowed the food, and packed up the cars again. The tables were put back, and the floors cleaned. The take down took less than half-an-hour, and the event was a success, start to finish. 

Are Ceremonies Worth It?

Ceremonies, such as this dinner, can seem difficult, maybe impossible to arrange, but they are vital for establishing traditions. If we escape the inertia of daily life, resist that feeling of “not having enough time,” they can be done, and they leave a satisfied sense. The past did really happen, and it meant something; it still means something. For us current students, this Alumni Dinner gave us the chance to see all the years that came before us, that have crafted and refined this program. We got to see its “cumulative effect.”  

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

Walking on the Trail of Faith

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

Estimated reading time: 4 min.

In Valdese, North Carolina, lies a treasure trove of history hiding in plain sight: the Waldensian Trail of Faith.

This outdoor museum brings the Piedmont valleys of north Italy across the sea to Valdese and makes Waldensian history come to life with life-size recreation of critical monuments and buildings. The Living Education students walked on this Trail of Faith to learn more about the Thyatira era of the Church of God, hearing about the zeal and persecutions of the Waldensians and also seeing their slip into Protestantism that ended their era of God’s church. 

Arriving at the Trail

As the Living Ed students and faculty pulled in, they glimpsed the outdoor exhibits on the trail, and noticed there were Christmas decorations and crosses strewn about the outdoor museum in preparation for the holiday season. Mr. McNair was quick to comment on this. “You may be thinking,” he said, “What’s the deal with this? I thought the Waldensians were our Christian forerunners.” Well, as we were to find out, a lot happened on the Trail of Faith that the Waldensians walked, and not all of it was good. 

The group walking to the Barberi College Exhibit
Mr. Tlumak talking after the Student Leader’s Presentation

Beginning the Trail of Faith

The tour began with a replica barberi college. The Waldensian students of the thirteenth century studied in unimposing, cozy cottages that would not stand out, and this was intentional. Kezia, one of the Living Education student leaders, explained that these colleges served as secret sanctuaries for education where faithful students would memorize the whole new testament and the psalms (thankfully, we don’t have to do that). These colleges avoided attracting the attention of Catholic inquisitors at all costs. Often, they could not even risk having fires in the winter to stay warm. Kezia related the end result of a student’s studying at this college. Once that student left, equipped to preach the word of God, he had about a three-year life expectancy. Yet the Waldensians still studied through miserable conditions and trained to spread the true word of God. That’s true zeal. 

The students continued to the Church in the Cave exhibit. The cave in Valdese is a man-made duplicate of a grotto in the Piedmont valleys that features in a harrowing story. Nathan—another student leader—recounted how faithful Waldensians once hid in this cave for church services. It was small and cramped, and they had to crawl inside it; the only light inside came through a small crack at the top of the cave. The Waldensians could not even sing hymns for fear of being heard by Catholic inquisitors. Despite all this, they were discovered one day. The Catholic inquisitors did not want to crawl in, so they started a fire and cunningly directed the smoke into the small gap in the cave’s roof. Slowly the cave filled with smoke until it was unbearable for those inside. One by one, the Waldensians crawled out—and, one by one, they were killed. What else did these Waldensians endure on their Trail of Faith? We continued on to find out. 

A student leader gives his presentation on the Church in the Cave
A student peers through the tiny entrance of the grotto

Leaving the Trail of Faith

The students came to a memorial commemorating the Waldensians’ entrance into the Reformation. They conformed their doctrines to match the greater Protestant movement, but they would pay the price. The students continued on the Trail of Faith, but the Waldensians had fallen off. The next exhibits recounted the persecutions they faced, and, in a replica church, Ellie shared with us the intense wars and struggles the Waldensians faced in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. The Waldensians were captured and removed from their villages in the Piedmont valleys, with little help from any Protestant countries. Though the Waldensians did fight their way back in their “Glorious Return,” they were no longer the same Waldensians who had put God and His Gospel above fighting and “homelands.”

The group piles into the church exhibit
The Waldensian War Memorial near the end of the trail

The later exhibits on the Trail of Faith show us the early Waldensian colony in Valdese, and relate the stories of those who left the then-overcrowded Piedmont valleys to come to America. One of the last exhibits is a war memorial that commemorates all the Waldensians who have served in the United States’ armed services. Mr. McNair noted the irony. The Waldensians were once Christians completely unconcerned with war and politics and focused on spreading God’s word, but they came to embrace war with pride.

Takeaways

The students left the tour filled with good memories, powerful stories, and a little deeper knowledge of God’s Church through the ages. The story of the Waldensian Trail of Faith is fascinating. It is full of zeal but also tragedy, especially after the majority of those in that Church era fell from the faith and faced horrible persecution. Despite the heaviness of the topics, we all enjoyed the tour immensely and shared many laughs and smiles throughout the day.

Students, guests, and Faculty at the Waldensian Trail of Faith

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

A Need for Speed II [NASCAR Hall of Fame]

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Estimated reading time: 3 min.

In December of 2020, Living Education students visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame and published a compelling student life post: A Need for Speed. Two years later, the sequel is finally here.

A Need for Speed II races through the 2022 student’s experience at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Buckle up. 

This year the students, and faculty, strapped into their seats—in some highly aerodynamic minivans and SUVs—and motored to downtown Charlotte, to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The group was directed by Mr. Ruddlesden, joined by his wife. Other faculty and guests were also there including Miss Ross, Mr. Braddock—who brought his family to add to the fun—and Mr. and Mrs. Tlumak. 

Walking on Legendary Lane

The academic associates formed a pack as they funneled into the NASCAR museum and checked in. They moved up Glory Road, which features 18 cars, hand picked by Dale Earnhardt Jr, and saw iconic cars like Herb Thomas’ Hudson Hornet and Dale Earnhardt’s Chevy Lumina, the car he won his last championship with in 1994 (read about this car here). 

Living Education Students walking up the Glory Road

In retrospect, the drift up “Glory Road” is one of the most impressive for any sport: these 18 cars tell the tale of 15 drivers who won 46 of the first 72 premier series championships. It is a dense display of the most dominant drivers, and rivals any sport with its concentration of greatness. 

Pit Stop Competition 

After crossing the finish line there, we analyzed the complex designs of racing stock cars exhibited and dived into aerodynamics and chassis design. But things really got fun at the Pit Crew challenge. The students and faculty went head to head in competition for the fastest time. The old people, I mean the faculty, found their groove and flew through the pit stop. Mr. Braddock flexed his familiarity with an impact wrench, and the students just couldn’t keep up. 

Living Ed students do the Pit Stop Challenge
The Braddock family prepares for battle

Simulating a NASCAR Race

We moved onto the simulator section (NASCAR HoF Simulators) after being embarrassed, and slipped into the advanced racing simulators—a screen, steering wheel, pedals, and paddle shifters set up in a full-sized stock car—and raced each other repeatedly. Chaos ensued. On the first run, several drivers, including me, passed the pace car on the first lap. In almost every race, some disastrous crash in the last few laps completely changed the race leaders, much to the chagrin of those who were in first or second place. 

Inside the advanced simulators at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Go Faster

We learned that we weren’t Chase Elliots or Danica Patricks. Our NASCAR results put us closer to taxi drivers than professional racers. Even compared to 2020, our numbers don’t measure up. The 2020 top speeds were around 194 mph, and ours were only 184 mph. But this fueled in us an even stronger, deeper need for speed. The students and faculty relentlessly played those simulators, perfecting their passing and side drafting, seeking to go ever faster.

Eventually, some migrated to the displays and trophy cases further along in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, but most kept at it on the simulators. I can only say this: a stock car experiences a lot of drag at 184 mph. That must have affected us because we had to drag a few of the students out of those simulators. 

Living Ed students giving two thumbs up
Living Ed students….reading I guess

Go Big or Go Home [we went home]

The drive back to the dorms was  suspiciously shorter than the drive there. The NASCAR Hall of Fame was only a short pit for the students, and they slingshotted straight into their assignments. It turns out, the students from 2020 had similar feelings as us it seems. 

“Deadlines are approaching and soon,” one of the 2020 students writes in A Need for Speed, “unless the students shift into high gear, they will find themselves with a need for speed.” That’s truth right there.

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

How Do Students Fare at the Faire?

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Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

Vibrant colors, costumes, and teeming crowds—the Living Ed students visited the Carolina Renaissance Festival and had a medieval time!

In Huntersville, NC, is one of the largest Renaissance Faires in America. This 25-acre Faire draws a yearly crowd of around 200,000 people, and the students set out to explore the festival. With 140 different vendors, stage shows, and even jousting three times a day, the Faire offers more than enough to keep one exploring for a full day, if not multiple days.

A Student’s Experience

Ever wonder what it would have been like to live in Europe 600 years ago? Well, a Renaissance Faire may not be the most realistic example (I’m pretty sure Darth Vader wasn’t in the real renaissance), but it is its own unique experience! This year’s Living Ed students adventured into new memories—for many of them it was their first time—and enjoyed the shows, the activities, and the unique shops, boasting an assortment of perfect gifts and trinkets.

Fowl Shows

The Festival held a fowl show, and it was anything but poultry (OK, I’ll stop now). The falconry exhibited was marvelous and involved both a hawk and an owl. But that wasn’t it. There was juggling in shows, magic tricks, knife throwing, acrobatics, and kids doing something with plates and broom handles (I wasn’t present for that show). Not to mention the jousting. Nothing like watching knights in full armor horse around a little.

Camels, Throwing Knives, and Paintball

Ever wanted to ride a camel, go throw knives at a wooden target, and then go shoot a paintball gun? If yes, you have oddly specific plans in life and you’re probably going somewhere big with that. But if you thought no, then you’re like me and see no connection between any of those things. However, Living Ed students did all of those things (hopefully not at the same time). Now that’s having some new experiences!

An Apish, Bald-Pated Dissambler

In case you’re wondering, that is an insult I received, and it’s absolutely marvelous. Would you like to be insulted and/or insult others in Shakespearean English? Of course you do; it’s an absurd question. You need a Shakespeare Insult Generator book. And one fellow found this book at the fair and gifted it to one of the Living Ed students. This is a perfect example of the trinkets and novelties the Living Ed students found exploring the diverse shops, peddling products ranging from homemade, everlasting candles to swords crafted with a not-accurate-to-medieval-or-renaissance-time-period smelter and forge system (still mildly upset about that). But still, these are shops you won’t find anywhere else.

What Did We Get Out of All This?

The students got more than just a handy insult generator out of this visit: they got a whole new memory. They also saw outlandish shows, rode camels and threw knives, and got a few nice gifts along the way. It was a p(l)easant day!

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

How to Host a Dinner

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Estimated Ready Time: 3 min.

While certainly stemming from contemporary nihilism, “Why bother?” can be a justified question to ask. So, why do we bother hosting events like dinners, barbecues, or activities?

Because, somehow, they are worth it every time! This week, one of the LivingEd students—not me, that’s for sure—organized a “welcome back from the feast” dinner for everyone, and though it faced challenges, it was spectacular in the end. 

Life Is Challenging 

To the uninitiated, hosting a dinner may seem easy. You cook some food, people show up, and, voilà, there’s a dinner party! Somehow, though, it gets complicated. “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong,” according to Murphy’s General Law.

The plan for this particular party was to grill lamb chops—not just because lamb chops are amazing, but also because it should have been easy. The hosting student had brought some back from the Feast, so they were already purchased, waiting—even begging—to be cooked. Easy money! Well, not quite. The number of invitees was beginning to outnumber the lamb chops. So, in the midst of classes, essays, and assignments, the host had to go get more, and lamb chops aren’t exactly available at the Dollar General up the street. 

Propane’s a Pain

Gas grills are fantastic. But highly compressed molecules in the gaseous phase have a tendency to seek a lower energy state by migration to a lower pressure system. Such a physical phenomena sounds fun on paper, but is annoying when it happens to your propane; thus, we found our grill’s gas tank empty after the Feast. Murphy strikes again. Yet our host was not to be deterred and refilled the tank.

Asparagus Evades Us

Asparagus—some people hate them. Some people love them. Some people insist they must be “prepared right” or some cryptic nonsense like that. Regardless, it is apparently hard to find them in stores. Fortunately, the girls’ RA managed to obtain some before the night of the dinner. Thus, we had asparagus. 

So, why bother? When Murphy throws challenges at you, it is tempting just to let it all go and not bother. Yet if you can survive getting the lamb chops, refilling the propane, and finding the asparagus, you may just find yourself having a pretty good time, and a great dinner. 

Work Hard, Eat Hard

Somehow, when the day of the dinner showed up, it felt like the hard part had been done, at least to me—and I didn’t do anything but stress vicariously. The actual host had a lot left to do, but now that he had overcome these other obstacles, like the whole asparagus ordeal, he was not to be stopped by a little cooking and food preparation. It all came together marvelously, and with help from a few of the girls cooking and procuring drinks, everyone had a fantastic dinner. There is an odd lesson to be learned from this: Hosting a dinner is actually quite challenging! Yet the best things in life are often the hardest to get. How do you host a good dinner? You do the hard things, like getting the lamb chops, propane, drinks, and, of course, that essential asparagus.

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

A Day in the Living Education-Charlotte Program

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Estimated Reading Time: 5 min.

Are you curious what a day in the Living Education-Charlotte program is really like?

This post is going to explore an “average” day—not a day with an activity or something exceptional going on. Why? Because a lot of thought has gone into creating a routine that encourages students to take care of themselves, learn, work, and even to have fun—and, to do this even on a “boring” and “average” day. Even if the program doesn’t interest you or is not practical for you to attend, this post is still useful as it highlights principles and actions that can be applied in anyone’s lives.

Wake Up and Go!

No day really begins until you wake up, even in the LivingEd program—although word is that Mr. McNair is coming up with some assignments for the students to do while sleeping. The students have to be at the classroom (about a 15 minute drive away) by 8:15, but a lot of preparation needs to happen before they leave, so they have to get up early! The students are encouraged to keep their beds made and their room clean—there are dorm inspections once a week to ensure the houses are in tip-top shape—and they have to be well-groomed and in dressy casual clothes for classes and work. On top of this, preparing breakfast and lunch is encouraged to save money and improve the quality of meals. Students get up at the latest of 7 am (unless they forget to set their alarms), and many are up earlier than this. While this time of the day is not exactly anyone’s favorite, making a routine that promotes good habits is critical for being productive. 

Classes Every Day 

Every day, our classes begin at 8:30 and go all the way to 12:30. Each class period is 55 minutes, allowing for four class periods every morning. With classes on all five days of the week, the 9-month program gets as much quality class time in as possible without being overwhelming. Three days a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—the program features fundamental classes on doctrine, surveying the Bible, and Christian living. On Tuesday, there is a music class (from a Christian perspective) and a writing workshop to help students develop writing and musical ability. On Thursday, the students have a class on personal finance, speech, and applying the fruit of the spirit in life. On both Tuesday and Thursday, the curriculum has one class period devoted to presentations from ministers at Charlotte and in the field. With this structure, we learn the fundamentals of biblical truth, develop musical and public speaking skills, and even get practical life advice from true followers of God’s way of life. 

Work-Study Program 

The students have the chance to work for the Church from 1:30 to 5:30. We get to work in a positive and Christian environment, allowing us to get to know the people behind the work a little bit better and to help out ourselves. The students can also get some unique job experiences. For instance, the Living Education department has students write forum summaries and Student Life posts (like this one) in addition to other intricate tasks. The Editorial department even lets some transcribe sermons. And there are more positions with more possibilities than just these available, but I am too lazy to talk to people about the details (and it’s not part of my average day anyway). 

Evening 

The “average day” so far has included four hours of class and four hours of work. But our day is not over yet. Once the students head home, we are encouraged to cook ourselves dinner to save money and to be healthy—some of us (me) don’t always do that, though. But it is not all work and grinding. After class on some days, we get together in the evening and watch a movie, play games, and do homework together. Other days, we simply collapse into a blob of animate matter and sleep. But even being exhausted is good because it means we had a productive and long day, and the average evening is quite eventful with some studying or fun going on for whomever wants to join in. 

Takeaways

The LivingEd program gives four hours of instruction, four hours building experience working and applying God’s word in a workspace, and free-time to build quality habits and have fun. And this is just an average day! This everyday flow is meant to reinforce a foundation of godly knowledge and habits that will serve the graduates for the rest of their lives. And, it’s also just pretty fun to be in.

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

Student Life: This post might be corny…

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

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

On a brisk and gray November day, families from Charlotte came with their kids to “Aw Shucks Farm” to enjoy a bonfire, relish some homemade food, and perambulate the corn maze.

This year, the Living Education program opted to host this autumn-themed event to provide a fun activity for local families with children, and the students were there to serve in whatever ways necessary. 

Morning preparations

It’d been a long time since I’d been to a corn maze, so when Mr. McNair mentioned the activity, I was all ears (yes, there will be a lot of corn puns). I’ll freely admit that I woke up that Sunday morning more excited for this childrens’ event than a grown man really should be. The activities didn’t start until 2:30 pm, but I arose to find the Living Ed dorms already bustling. Ellie (the women’s RA) was getting all the food together for the event. Rachel Price and Rachel White (whom we affectionately call “the Rachels” when they work together) were preparing snacks and drinks apropos of autumn.

At about 1 pm, we loaded all the food and supplies into my car; there was so much that my minivan was completely full except for the front seats. Nathan (the men’s RA) loaded his car up with students, the leftover students went with Rachel White, and we all set off for the corn maze-containing farm (there was also a point in this morning when I crawled through the crawl space examining the gas lines for corrosion, which I found. But that is irrelevant). 

A-maize-ing Activities

The farm had so much more than just a corn maze, and the corn maze itself, as Mr. McNair so eloquently stated, “had more exits than actual corn.” Yet the animal barns, the wagon rides, the fishing pond, and just the Church members there made the whole event so much fun, and the families found plenty to keep them busy for three or more hours. 

To prevent anyone from getting lost in the vast Corn Maze, the Living Ed students divided the attendees into groups and ventured in as well. This, perhaps, was overkill, as the maze resembled more of a crop circle in many places, but it was a fantastic experience by all accounts.

At 3:30, we started serving the food. The barbecue boasted many options: chili, hotdogs, hotdogs with chili, chili with bits of hotdog, and whatever combination thereof you can imagine. The Rachels also supplied apple slices with caramel, chocolate, and peanut butter toppings (I’ll let you calculate the permutations of those items). All 80 people were fed, found a nice warm seat, and fellowshipped by the bonfire pit. 

The gray November sky finally betrayed us around 5:30 and began to drizzle. This was almost precisely when the event was to end, but no one wanted to leave yet. I suppose that even great events have to end at some point. 

But It Wasn’t Over Quite Yet

The drizzle had begun and all the students meandered to the parking lot. Then, there was a stark announcement: We had a half-hour until the farm closed, and we could stay until then if we wanted. The Rachels had been serving food the whole time and had not been able to go through the corn maze. I had not been able to go see the goats in the animal barn. Many of the students had not had the chance to mercilessly barrage one another with the chicken slingshots. So, when we heard this, we literally ran back into the farm, and we relished those last thirty minutes to the maximum of our physical ability.

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.