Labour Day Monday was a day of welcome at Heritage College. After months of prayer, planning and preparation, we welcomed a wave of new college students into the residence halls. Student Leaders, who had spent the previous week in training, greeted arriving new students and families, helping them carry boxes and furniture into their dorm rooms.
Just before lunch, we held a Parent and Student Dedication Service in the gym. While wearing masks and sitting at safe distances, we offered up prayers for God’s help as we launch this new school year.
Tomorrow marks the first day of classes. I (Rick) have the privilege of speaking to the incoming college students, giving them an overview of the Five Big Themes we emphasize at the college:
- Learn to Know God
- Lead Yourself First
- Love Others Well
- Lift up the Church
- Live on Mission
I also have the joy of teaching the first Homilietics (Preaching) course in the afternoon. Linda begins her teaching semester next Tuesday evening in a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) course.
Here are several important prayer requests for the school I’d ask you to remember in prayer:
1 Pray for the physical and spiritual safety of our students, faculty and staff. We are taking COVID precautions seriously and have instituted wise protocols. Still, we need the Lord’s protection to remain a physically and spiritually healthy campus.
2 Pray for our faculty and students as we begin classes tomorrow. College classes are being offered “live” on campus (also by livestream). All seminary courses will be online. Our faculty would much prefer to be in the classroom for every course but have worked hard to make our online offerings effective and enjoyable. Please ask the Lord to use the courses (on campus or online) to prepare men and women for serving Christ.
3 Praise the Lord with us for a strong enrolment this fall. At this point, enrolment has surpassed last fall! That’s an evidence of God’s grace in the midst of the pandemic.
Rick and Linda Reed 