Inspire, Winter 2003

In addition, William supervises a team of volunteers from the community and local churches. He is responsible for recruiting, training, and overseeing the volunteers who serve with him. In the two years William has served, the number of volunteers has increased from about 30 to more than 150. None of the responsibilities, however, can distract William from his primary vision/burden: to give men and women the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. When Christ changes the heart and life, not only will recidivism be reduced, eternal destiny will be permanently altered! William’s work week is 12 hours per day, Monday through Friday. He is on call 24/7. Such a burden without a vision would be drudgery. But not for William. His dream became a vision. Through ministry while at CU the vision was blended with a burden. The opportunity in Mobile is his mission — not a “Mission Impossible,” but a “Mission Impassioned,” touching and changing lives for the eternal glory of God. Inspire 17 Say Hello to the New Guy! Michael Thigpen One of this year’s new faculty members is Michael Thigpen, assistant professor of Bible. Michael came to Cedarville from New Life Community Church in Cincinnati, where he served as the pastor of spiritual formation. Michael and his wife, Bonnie, met at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and have been married for 14 years. They have two children, Abigail (9) and Hannah (6). From Chapel Hill, the Thigpens moved to South Carolina, where Michael attended Columbia Biblical Seminary and earned his M.Div. while Bonnie worked in the local school system as a pediatric physical therapist. Following seminary and the birth of their first daughter, the Lord led the Thigpens to Cincinnati. There Michael attended Hebrew Union College for doctoral work in Hebrew and Old Testament. Currently, he is working on his dissertation on the covenant lawsuit pattern in the Prophets. Michael’s passion is to help people understand the Old Testament and the richness that Old Testament study brings to our understanding of Christ and our relationship with Him. Within the Old Testament, the Prophets hold a special place in his heart. There he sees the great plan of God unfolding and impacting the lives of people who are helpless and often hopeless. Although we often only see judgment and discipline in the Prophets, there is a great message of mercy, grace, and redemption to be found there as well. Michael teaches Hebrew, along with Old Testament literature and studies of the Prophets and Historical Books. Amy-Hope Dyson, assistant professor of philosophy at Cedarville, and Tom Guisleman were wed on June 7, 2003 at a small church in Spring Valley, Ohio. From the clear testimony of Amazing Grace as the ushers lit the candles to the congregational singing of Grace Alone just before the presentation of the couple, the theme of the ceremony was God’s amazing grace as the basis for a life and marriage spent pursuing Him. As a representation of God’s place at the foundation of their love and marriage, Tom and Amy-Hope exchanged copies of God’s Word in lieu of traditional wedding rings. The ceremony was also designed to emphasize the importance the bride and groom place on their relationships with their families and the key role those relationships have played in their lives. The wedding was performed by Rev. Tom Dyson, father of the bride (after a brief introduction by Dr. Tom Hutchison to allow the bride to be given away by her father). The groom was attended by his father, Robert Guisleman, and the bride by her sister, Amber Glasscock. The mothers of the couple also had a role to play as mother and father together lit the candles that Tom and Amy-Hope used to light their own unity candle. Tom and Amy-Hope spent their honeymoon in the Smoky Mountains and currently live in Xenia. Tom is pursuing an education in fitness, while Amy- Hope continues to serve in the department of biblical education. Amy-Hope has been at Cedarville since 2001. A Wedding Dream Come True