Inspire, Spring 2004

10 Spring 2004 Romantic Help on Valentine’s Weekend On Valentine’s Day weekend, more than 2,400 people found plenty of relationship advice at Cedarville University. The “advice” sprang from the Song of Solomon Conference with speaker Tommy Nelson. Tommy expounded on the Old Testament’s Song of Solomon to show attendees what the Bible has to say about attracting a quality mate, fighting fair in relationships, and maintaining a healthy, happy commitment for a lifetime. About half of those in attendance were CU students. One Cedarville student who attended said, “I was blessed, encouraged, and challenged by what Tommy Nelson had to say. I have been realizing lately how much of my perspective on relationships and sex comes from the world and not from God’s Word, and I am so thankful for the new biblical insight I have which will help me gain a better understanding of what those things mean to God.” This is the second time that the Conference has been held at Cedarville University. The first was in 2002. All Rapped Up Rock music, movies, and television shows flood our entertainment-obsessed culture every second. How can we be in the world but not of the world? In a three-day chapel series in February, Eric Holmberg of Reel 2 Real Ministries shared how young people and families can be discerning of the “entertainment” that surrounds us. An ordained minister, Eric has written and produced more than 25 videos on topics ranging from revival to rap music. His videos include “Hell’s Bells,” “All Rapped Up,” and the latest video, “The Sounds of War: Rock, Rap, and the Spiritual World.” For more information about Reel 2 Real, visit http://r2rministries.com . Photo courtesy of Eric Holmberg In 2002, the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio decided to encourage their churches and all Southern Baptists to recommend Cedarville University to their young people. Their decision has sparked discussion within the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC) concerning real and perceived changes at Cedarville and within the Southern Baptist Convention. Cedarville’s new relationships mark no departure from our history of doctrine or practice. Because many misunderstandings are circulating about Cedarville and the GARBC, we recently produced a brochure, “Cedarville University and the GARBC, Frequently Asked Questions,” and we mailed a copy to each GARBC church. That brochure is now available on our Cedarville University Web site for all alumni and other friends of Cedarville. We are very thankful for a half century of fellowship with the GARBC and for many newer relationships with churches and church groups — including the Southern Baptists — who have come to appreciate the University for our doctrinal stand and spiritual distinctives. A high percentage of alumni came to Cedarville from GARBC-affiliated churches, and many hundreds of alumni serve faithfully in these churches today. Cedarville has also served students from Southern Baptist-affiliated churches for decades, and many alumni serve faithfully in these churches as well. During its decades as a Presbyterian college and its years as a Baptist institution, Cedarville has been enriched by students from a variety of evangelical churches. We delight in alumni who serve the Lord with integrity and passion wherever God leads. You can find the brochure mentioned in this article at the following Web address: http://www.cedarville.edu/dept/pr/garb_faq.pdf .