Cedarville Magazine, Spring/Summer 2016

Cedarville Magazine 251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH 45314 1-888-CEDARVILLE | magazine@cedarville.edu cedarville.edu/magazine Last year at this time, I had two graduating high school seniors in my family. Because of my itinerant ministry and recent church plant, Brooke ’19 and Zac ’19 had experienced every type of schooling imaginable. Homeschool, private Christian school, public high school, technical school, and community college were all part of their experience leading up to choosing their final college destination. I am proud to say they graduated with strong convictions and made an impact for Christ in high school, even when teachers and students were hostile toward their commitment to biblical authority. When it was time to choose a college, we were looking for one that would reinforce those convictions, not erode them. I have given my life to elevating the authority of God’sWord in an agewhen toomany churches and educational institutions are giving into the pressure to compromise foundational truth. I have watched too many students enter college (even Christian colleges) only to exit doubting the Bible’s authority. By God’s grace, I was determined not to allow that sad phenomenon to happen to my kids. I first stepped foot on Cedarville’s campus in February 2015 when I had the honor of meeting Thomas White, Cedarville’s President. What impressed me most was Dr. White’s courage to lead with conviction. Under the leadership of Dr. White, Cedarville has boldly embraced an uncompromising commitment to the authority of God’s Word in every discipline. Beyond that, I found a faculty and student body overflowing with spiritual vitality, uncommon community, and vertical worship. This was not some stale institution concerned with creating Bible fat- heads or stellar academicians.This was a place designed to engage the heart, exalt Christ, and to connect the next generation to His mission, all without compromising academic excellence. I know of no other educational institution that is more closely aligned with my church’s pillars of unapologetic preaching, unashamed worship, unceasing prayer, and unafraid witness. Brooke and Zac recently came home after their first semester filled with stories of God at work in them and their peers. In fact, I have never seen them more excited about getting back to school and taking as many of their friends as possible with them. Today, my kids are thriving in a robust academic environment while being challenged to pursue Christ passionately in their vocational calling. We’re glad we chose Cedarville! Trent Griffith serves as Senior Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Granger, Indiana. He and his wife, Andrea, have five children, including Brooke ’19 and Zac ’19, who recently finished their f reshman year at Cedarville. Education with Courage and Conviction In Closing 48 | Cedarville Magazine