Torch, Spring 1980

Mold ind A Henri For l1issions liberal arts education and missions? How can a college like Cedarville help in the great missionary outreach to a lost world? There is certainly more than one answer to these questions, but let me try to answer them. The most obvious response is to point to the number of Cedarville graduates serving as faithful missionaries throughout the world. Some recent visitors to Asia saw this direct influence of the school when they commented, "It is obvious that Cedarville College has been here." Cedarville is a great place to prepare and/or be challenged for missions. Not only is the Bible department strong and solid but, as a liberal arts college, we provide an excellent foundation for many aspects of service on the field. Educating many young missionaries for a lifetime of service is not our only contribution to missions, though it may be the most readily recognized. Students come to Cedarville to prepare for careers in business, education, medicine, law, counseling, coaching, and many other fields. Some will have opportunity to use their abilities on foreign fields, but most will stay in this country where they will marry, have children, and be vitally involved with mission-minded local churches. We want them to have a heart for missions so that they, their families, and their churches will pray and financially support God's work around the world. With this in mind, we endeavor to instill an interest in missions in our students through various means. We carefully plan our chapel schedule to include missionary speakers each quarter. In addition, the faculty believe in missions and they reinforce the chapel effort in the classroom, not only in the regular Bible and missions courses, but in every area of study. One of the highlights of the year is our annual missionary conference, held at the beginning of each Winter Quarter. We feature outstanding mission leaders and invite many boards and fields to be represented. Through these conferences we aim to instill a strong, positive image of today's missionary movement in the minds of our college family. This many-sided emphasis has produced an interest in missions in our students. Last summer alone 70 of our young people served in fields from Africa to Venezuela. Many will 3 be going out this summer, including a team to the People's Republic of China to witness to Chinese students. These are all part of the reason why the liberal arts education at Cedarville has a vital role to play in missionary outreach.