2009-2010 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

2009–10 Cedarville University 11 Introduction Introduction OneVoice Gospel Choir OneVoice is a music ministry that is open to all students and uses various music styles including black gospel and contemporary Christian to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and encourage believers to celebrate the joy of the Lord. Selecting a Ministry All students participate in Christian ministries voluntarily. As a result of the large number of ministries available, deciding which way to serve can seem overwhelming. In selecting a ministry, students should apply the following: 1. Consider your interests. Select a ministry that allows you to do something you enjoy. 2. Consider your vocational goals. There are many ministries that are directly related to the majors offered at Cedarville University. A Christian ministry related to your chosen field can help you decide if you have made the right choice and in some cases may lead to an internship, reference, or employment. 3. Talk with upperclassmen. Find someone who has experience in the ministry you are considering. 4. Talk with the Christian ministries staff in the Dixon Ministry Center. The staff is available to answer questions you might have. 5. Attend organizational meetings, many of which occur during the first two weeks of fall semester. Guidelines 1. All students are encouraged to participate in the University’s volunteer Christian ministries program. 2. University-owned transportation or mileage reimbursement is provided for those ministries approved through the Christian ministries division. Student Life Cedarville seeks to maintain a culture that reflects the values of the Kindom of Heaven and the spirit of Jesus Christ. The student life program is designed to support this kind of environment and to contribute to each student’s growth intellectually, spiritually, socially, and physically. In each of these areas, the University recognizes the relevancy and authority of the Bible and accepts it as the final authority for faith and practice. Core values that shape the culture include love for God, love for neighbors, excellence in effort, and integrity in conduct. Spiritual Emphasis The University desires that each student grow in his or her relationship with Christ. Consequently, students are urged to regularly practice spiritual disciplines including worship, prayer, and Bible study. Daily chapel services provide spiritual encouragement and enrichment. Additionally, all students are required to maintain regular worship at a local church and to engage in other activities that enhance their spiritual formation. Spiritual growth is further encouraged through student prayer groups that meet regularly to pray for special needs. One day a year is set aside as a “Day of Prayer,” a time when the entire University family gathers to pray together. Community Covenant Cedarville recognizes and values the Bible as an authoritative guide for how Christians should live. It also recognizes that God uses community and relationships with other believers to encourage growth. The Cedarville family believes that behavior, as individuals and as a community, should bring honor to God and reflect obedience to His Word. At the beginning of each year, all students are asked to affirm their desire to abide by the following Community Covenant: • We covenant together to express our love for God through our obedience to the authority of His Word, our practice of spiritual disciplines, and regular expressions of worship and Christian service. • We covenant together to express our love for others through acts of kindness, wholesome and uplifting speech, redemptive expressions of confrontation and forgiveness, merciful acts to those in need, and loving proclamation of the Gospel. • We covenant together to be people of integrity and self control, truthful in our speech, honest in our conduct, and morally pure in both thought and action. • We covenant together to pursue excellence in all that we do as an expression of our gratitude to God and desire to be good stewards of all God’s gifts, including our talents, time, and resources. • As members of this community, we voluntarily submit ourselves to all of the guidelines in The Cedarville Experience and agree to uphold them with integrity and honesty. The student handbook, The Cedarville Experience, is designed to help each student be successful academically, spiritually, and socially. It includes specific prohibitions to behaviors that are either sinful or harmful to this community, such as sexual immorality, use of alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs, and racial or sexual harassment. It also outlines some of the values that define and shape the culture here, including a simple dress code that seeks to remind students to dress and behave modestly and to take their academic work seriously. The Cedarville Experience can be accessed online at www.cedarville.edu/studenthandbook .