by Jamin Craig | Mar 5, 2015 | News Slider
Student Life dove into sexual purity from a Biblical viewpoint at Wednesday night’s “Unfiltered” series – a study that allows students to discuss difficult topics. Sam Smith, Dean of Student Life, came up with this series from a conversation he had with Josh Roberts, Dean of Student Development. “Josh Roberts and I went to a conference with some of our sister-school deans, and we were talking about what our campuses should look like, what our students are struggling with and how we can address those issues,” Smith said. “We realized there was this void on our campus when it came to these types of discussions, and instead of trying to avoid it, we’re going to do our best to address it.” “Unfiltered” is a four-part series, and each meeting covers a different topic. The topics include: online identity in social media, pornography and faith, sexual purity and substance abuse. Smith and Roberts decided to purposely not make the series available for chapel credit or a requirement for any Bible classes. They didn’t want students to feel forced in any way to attend the meetings because they knew they were difficult topics to confront. This week, the topic was sexual purity. Dr. Earl Lavender, a bible professor, led the discussion for the evening. He focused on maintaining a Christ-centered identity in a world focused on self-interest and sexual pleasure. “[Students need to] believe that God wills for you to flourish,” Lavender said. “He’s not giving you laws to frustrate you and tell you what you can’t do. He’s created you for His glory, and His teachings on appropriate sexual behavior are...
by Brianna Langley | Mar 25, 2013 | News Slider
Growing up is hard. Growing up in the mission field is harder. Children of missionaries often go through unique difficulties and experiences most people never encounter. “The mission field was difficult for me because I felt very lonely not knowing the language,” said Lipscomb freshman Mary Katherine Avrit. “Relationships were difficult.” Mary Katherine, along with her brother, Lipscomb sophomore Christopher Avrit, grew up in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Their parents were traveling missionaries in Southeast Asia. “At the same time, it was really good,” Mary Katherine said. “I would not be who I am today if I hadn’t been over there.” Her brother echoed his sister’s thoughts on the matter. “I would definitely raise my own kids in the mission field,” Christopher said. “Yes, there are challenges that come about, but the experiences you gain, the things you get to do and see… they stick with you.” Lipscomb’s own Dr. Earl Lavender, a Professor in the Bible department and the Director of Missions, spent his childhood in Trieste, Italy. “Italian was my first language, so English was the language I had to learn,” Dr. Lavender said. “When I moved back in elementary school, I had to repeat an elementary grade because I didn’t speak or write English well enough.” Dr. Lavender spoke openly about the bittersweet experience of growing up with two culturally different homes. “I’ve never really felt at home in American culture, but I don’t see that as a negative,” Dr. Lavender said. “I think it’s made me much more aware of a sort of global worldview that I wouldn’t have otherwise...
