Our first meeting of the academic year is set for September 3, 12-1:30 p.m., in Taylor 303. The subject: “Introductory discussion about faith-learning integration.” Here’s a description from the program chair, Anthony Tongen:

How does your faith impact your vocation?  How does a student’s faith impact how he or she views his or her subject matter?  Does it matter?  We are going to focus on these types of questions this year.  Whether you are a faculty member who can contribute your insight on faith-learning integration in your field, a faculty member who has never thought about faith-learning integration or a staff member who daily interacts with students who may struggle with these concepts, you are invited to come and help us consider these issues.  Please go to http://www.virtualsalt.com/int/ and read either “Defining the Integration of Faith and Learning” or “The Integration of Faith and Learning” for our first discussion.  Please come even if you do not have time to read the articles for a time of fellowship and discussion.

Fall 2010

September 3^rd – Faith-vocation integration #1 (Taylor 303) 12:00 – 1:30 pm

October 1^st – Christian ministry #1: C.J. Goeller, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (Taylor 303)

November 5^th – Faith-vocation integration #2 (Taylor 303)

December 3^rd – Christian ministry #2: Dan Flynn, Campus Crusade for Christ (Taylor 309)

Spring 2011

January 14^th (Taylor 303)

February 4^th – Anthony Tongen (Taylor 303)

March 4^th – location TBA

April 1^st – location TBA

(Note: Brian Augustine will lead a discussion in the spring  on Faith and Chemistry)

This from Brian Augustine about the upcoming presentation by Ken Myers of Mars Hill Audio on Friday, May 14th at 7:30 p.m. at Massanutten Presbyterian Church: “He will be speaking on the topic, ‘Growing Up in a Digital World: Modern Technology in the Lives of Our Children’. Ken is an insightful and thoughtful person and will probably really challenge most in the audience to think about how technology is shaping the lives and attitudes of our children.”

Here’s a downloadable flier for the Myers presentation

We will meet next Friday, April 2, at 8 a.m. in Taylor 200 (the interfaith chapel) to join in a Holy Week observance on Good Friday. Here are details from Mike Deaton:

The Christian calendar has long referred to the week before Easter as “Holy Week.” This offers a wonderful time to pause briefly in God’s presence to remember the great sacrifice Jesus made by joining with us, sharing in our own brokenness and suffering, and taking on Himself the price for our own rejection of God…all so that we could experience new life…resurrection…in Him.

Hence, I’ve reserved JMU’s Interfaith Chapel (room 200 of Taylor Hall) every morning next week at 8 a.m. for a 15 minute period prayer, reading of scripture, and silent reflection on the work of Christ during the momentous week leading up to his death.

If you’d like to come, we’ll start promptly at 8 a.m. and finish by 8:15 (or 8:20). There will be no sermons, no editorializing…just a period of listening to scripture readings from the Revised common lectionary and a brief prayer led by different people each day.

Jesus said “Where two or more are gathered in My name, there I will be among them.” So, whether we have two or twenty present each morning does not matter. What matters is that we let God speak and that we silence our hearts to let the power of His story shape us during this week.

So, if you are willing to do a brief reading or lead a prayer, let me know which days you are available. I’ll provide the printed scripture text. None of these readings will be very long.

Hope you can join us for one or all five days.

Feel free to forward this to anyone that you think might be interested.

On Friday, March 5, at 7:30 a.m. at Mr. J’s Bagels on East Market Street, our fellowship’s topic will be “Christianity and the Sports Culture.” The resource article is at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/february/3.20.html. The theme of this article is “Sports Fanatics: How Christians have succumbed to the sports culture—and what might be done about it.” With March Madness coming right up, the theme should generate timely discussion.

Meeting moved to February 12 because of winter weather

At our Feb. 12 meeting at 7:30 a.m. at Mr. J’s Bagels on East Market Street, we will be meeting with some of the students organizing the 24-hour prayer service set to start Feb. 27 at Grafton-Stovall. Their letter to our fellowship is posted below. The group’s mission statement is “to see the body of Christ at JMU unified and its community transformed by cultivating a heart of prayer.” Let’s give these students our enthusiastic support!

From our member Larry Roller comes this notice of an upcoming event of interest at the JMU Festival Conference & Student Center on Monday, May 24 at 6 p.m.: “The featured speaker will be David Barton, the author of numerous works on the original intent of America’s Founding Fathers. Barton speaks to hundreds of groups on our country’s religious roots and the role individuals can play in reclaiming America’s spiritual heritage. This should be of interest to all faculty and students alike. I will provide you with more details when the date gets closer.”

Dear Christian Faculty Fellowship,

We are a group of believers on JMU’s campus that have come together in prayer from different parts of the body of Christ. Our mission is to see the body of Christ at JMU unified and its community transformed by cultivating a heart of prayer. “Yet, prayer can often be overlooked or seem intimidating, but prayer is a vital part of our spiritual lives and something the Lord calls us to. Intercession is God’s brilliant strategy for including the saints in ruling with Him in power. But it also has a great impact on us as it draws us into intimacy with God, it protects with humility, transforms with holiness, anoints with power, unifies in community, releases revelation and increases our inheritance while it trains us to rule with His wisdom” (Mike Bickle, International House of Prayer). We want to encourage a heart of prayer and promote a prayer room on our campus. We are excited about the prayer that has already been happening on JMU’s campus! Agape prays on Tuesday nights, Campus Crusade prays on Friday nights, and there have been joint efforts by Intervarsity and Impact to pray on Sunday nights, Catholic Campus Ministry prays several times throughout the week, and Chi Alpha and Fellowship of Christian Athletes to pray together at different times of the week. And we’re sure there are many more we haven’t yet heard about! Because there are so many prayer efforts, we would love to see believers from all over campus gathering together in prayer. On February 27, 2010, we plan on doing just that. The goal of the event is to unite the campus to join in 24 hours of prayer. The kickoff will include worship, a speaker, and corporate prayer. We are also looking for individual leaders within your ministry who would be interested in leading a prayer. More information will be given and sent out four weeks prior to the event. Attached is a rough outline of the event with contact information. If you are interested or would like to get more involved please contact us by Friday, January 15, 2010.

Blessings,
JMU-HOP (JMU House of Prayer)

Prayer Outline (attachment)

We will kick of our spring meetings on Friday, January 15, at 7:30 a.m. at Mr. J’s Bagels on East Market St. Our session will be based on Charles Gilmer’s “Let’s Give the Dream New Life.” Gilmer writes in part: “Are you discouraged about the prospect of us never overcoming the racial divisiveness that permeates this nation? Or are you frustrated by your inability to genuinely love others who are different from you? Martin Luther King recommended faith in Jesus of Nazareth as antidotes for both maladies.” The article is located at http://www.everystudent.com/features/dream.html.

Other dates for spring meetings are:

• February 5, 7:30 a.m., Mr. J’s Bagels
• March 5, 7:30 a.m., Mr. J’s Bagels
• April 2, 8 a.m., Taylor Hall 200 (note change)

If you’d like to be on a list to get e-mail reminders during the semester, send a note to the webmaster.

Our final fellowship meeting of the semester is set for Friday, December 4, at 7:30 a.m. at Mr. J’s Bagels on East Market Street. Our discussion topic is “Keeping Christ in Christmas,” and the advance reading is by Mary Fairchild: “Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas.” Come join us as we approach this special season, as academics and as Christians!