A PLACE FOR PREPARING CHRISTIAN SOCIAL WORKERS FOR SERVICE Reflections From the Chair of the Department of Social Work Christian social workers come alongside people who are facing some of life’s toughest circumstances — poverty, loneliness, abuse, neglect, and hardship — and find ways to offer healing and hope. They are ambassadors for Christ on the frontlines of sin-wrecked communities. The heart of Cedarville’s social work program is helping these students embody both professional skill and a Christlike compassion in their work. We have a uniquely relational approach to learning in the social work program. Faculty work closely with each student to help them develop the deep, resilient sense of purpose and emotional intelligence they’ll need in their practice. It’s in the offices and classrooms in the Bolthouse Academic Center that our students will grow in their faith and empathy. These are the spaces where our students will learn to be present and serve with humility, pointing each other toward hope. This is where they will learn to embody the principles of social work and embrace their distinct calling as Christian social workers. The Bolthouse Academic Center is also going to be a rich space for our faculty to research and build partnerships with faculty in other disciplines. Our whole department will benefit from the guest speakers, workshops, and conferences we’ll be able to host here. And that research and learning will turn into service projects with real-world impact far outside our campus. The center is more than a physical space — it’s a place where students will grow into compassionate social workers who shine out the love of Christ to a hurting world. Every brick, room, and interaction in this building will be a part of our story of transforming students who are called to serve in the most challenging and rewarding areas of social work in the world. Michael Sherr is Associate Dean in the School of Education and Social Work, Director of the Social Work Program, and Professor of Social Work. He earned his PhD from the University of South Carolina. The center is more than a physical space — it’s a place where students will grow into compassionate social workers who shine out the love of Christ to a hurting world. 17
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=