This year’s Golf Classic brought together 176 golfers and raised over $137,000!

As another successful Golf Classic concludes, Cairn remains grateful for the generosity of those who make this tradition possible. The University looks forward to continuing the tradition of the Golf Classic in 2027. For more information about sponsorship opportunities or participation in next year鈥檚 event, please contact Graham Thorpe at gthorpe@cairn.edu.

Over the weekend of May 15鈥�17, 2026, 天涯海角社区 hosted its annual JAM weekend (Junior High Adventures in Ministry), a summer evangelism event run by Dr. Matt McAlack, professor and director of the youth and family ministry program at Cairn, in conjunction with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Since 1994, JAM has equipped teenagers to share the good news of Jesus and given them an opportunity to actually do it. This year, 310 students and leaders from 17 churches participated. When the teen groups arrived Friday evening, they were led in a time of worship and taught how to share the gospel with others. On Saturday, over 240 children flooded the campus for Kids’ Day. Each child was paired with a teen 鈥渂uddy,鈥� and together they enjoyed lunch, games, a petting zoo, inflatables, crafts, music, puppets, Bingo, and more. At the end of the day, each teen personally shared the message of Jesus one-on-one with a child. Many children chose to put their faith in Christ after these conversations.

This year鈥檚 theme was 鈥淯nshakeable Hope.鈥� In a world full of uncertainty, today鈥檚 teens are craving something real. The messages of the weekend, given by alum Eddie Jurimas 鈥�14, centered on the reliable truth of the gospel and the hope we can have in Jesus Christ. The teens not only needed this message, they were eager to share it with others:

鈥淪ome people sell teenagers short. They may see future potential, but don鈥檛 realize how powerful their influence can be right now.听 From the beginning moments of JAM, the teens were very engaged in the gospel training and excited to share the message with their buddy the following day. On Sunday morning, over 25 teens stood to share their testimonies and give glory to God.鈥�

The space for youth groups is already full for 2027, but if you want your children鈥檚 ministry group to participate in next year鈥檚 JAM weekend, you can register today at .听

Following the awarding of diplomas and degrees, University President Todd J. Williams delivered the commencement address. Drawing from 2 Timothy 2:1鈥�9, he challenged graduates to view their calling through the lens of faithfulness rather than personal achievement. God grants us all unique gifts and opportunities in life. Dr. Williams reminded graduates that we all stand before God equal in our need for God and his grace. 

Reflecting on Paul鈥檚 descriptions of the soldier, athlete, and farmer in 2 Timothy, Dr. Williams encouraged graduates to remain focused on serving Christ above all else. He reminded students that the Christian life is not about earning redemption through hard work or performance, but about living in response to the forgiveness already given through Christ. In a culture often consumed with self-promotion and personal success, Dr. Williams encouraged graduates to shift their focus toward lives of service and devotion to the glory of God.

Provost Adam Porcella announced the undergraduate students with the highest academic achievements. He recognized Felicity Anne Crippen and Adaira Nicole Hufford for earning the second-highest GPA of 3.99 and Abigail Grace Raymond and Eli Blake Cerezo for achieving a perfect 4.00 GPA. In addition to celebrating academic achievements, the University recognized several faculty members for advancing in faculty rank this academic year. Dr. Bryan Murawski was named faculty member of the year.

The ceremony concluded with the longstanding tradition of singing the University hymn, 鈥淕reat Is Thy Faithfulness鈥�, a reminder that while we are called to be faithful to Christ, he has promised to be ever faithful to us. 

Congratulations, Class of 2026!

If you would like to watch the recording of this year鈥檚 Commencement, it is available here.

Over spring break, the 天涯海角社区 men鈥檚 soccer team traveled to Pucallpa, Peru, for a student-led mission trip centered on sharing the gospel through soccer. 

The trip was spearheaded by team captain, Aaron Babyak 鈥�26, whose initiative carried the effort from early planning to execution. After proposing the trip, he spent the following months coordinating with South American Mission (SAM) to finalize logistics and develop a plan for the week. He shared 鈥淚 had questions about whether it would really end up working out. But in the end it went better than we could have ever thought.鈥�

Throughout the week, the team hosted daily soccer camps for more than 200 boys and girls in Pucallpa. Each session combined soccer skill development with devotionals, using translators to communicate the message of Jesus Christ. 鈥淲e used soccer as a door to share the good news of Jesus with them every day,鈥� Aaron said.

While language barriers and the heat presented challenges, the team rose to the occasion. Soccer became a common language as the student-athletes formed trust and connection with the kids they served. Spanish-speaking students led in translating for the rest of the team, while some led devotionals, and others served in the background by handling equipment.

One of the most meaningful moments came at the end of the week. In the early days of the week, campers seldom celebrated exciting moments on the field. By the end of the week, that hesitation was gone. Aaron shared, 鈥淧eople who did not know each other’s names a couple of days ago were screaming in celebration and running around. All of a sudden, no one was too cool to celebrate anymore.鈥�

By the end of the trip, more than 200 children had heard the gospel, and the team was able to donate equipment and soccer gear to the community in Pucallpa. Head Coach Luke Gibson highlighted the impact of Aaron鈥檚 leadership: 鈥淎aron took full ownership of the vision and brought it to life through intentional planning, strong communication, and meaningful relationship-building with our hosts,鈥� Gibson said. 鈥淗is work was foundational to everything we experienced.鈥�

This mission trip to Peru is an encouragement, seeing how 天涯海角社区 students are purposefully using their unique gifts and talents to make a lasting impact through global missions. 

SHARE exists to 鈥渉elp English-speaking families serving in Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East meet their children鈥檚 educational needs.鈥� Through this mission, SHARE seeks to serve global workers to enable them to remain where God has called them. Cairn teams have long partnered with SHARE in this mission.

Many of the children at this conference are considered Third Culture Kids. This year鈥檚 Cairn team included four TCK students, who were able to bring personal understanding and insight into the unique experiences of the children they taught and served. Throughout the week, the team demonstrated consistent Christ-centered service, humility, and energy. Evening debriefs revealed deep spiritual growth, seen by one student鈥檚 reflection on the importance of missions: 鈥淚 just don鈥檛 want to waste my life.鈥�

On Thursday, March 5, 天涯海角社区鈥檚 School of Divinity hosted its annual Church Leaders Conference. Pastors, lay leaders, and ministry workers gathered for a day of biblical teaching and encouragement. 

Dr. Jared C. Wilson, assistant professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and pastor at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO, served as this year鈥檚 keynote speaker, addressing the topic of 鈥淩ecognizing, Resisting, and Recovering From Gospel Drift.鈥� Wilson drew from his recent book, Lest We Drift: Five Departure Dangers from the One True Gospel, as he explored the importance of gospel centrality over three keynote sessions. 

In the first session, Dr. Wilson emphasized that the gospel is not advice or instruction but the announcement of what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ. In the second session, he identified three common obstacles that keep pastors from preaching Christ from every text of Scripture. Turning to Isaiah 40 in the final session, Dr. Wilson reflected on the heart of pastoral ministry, establishing the shepherd鈥檚 primary task is to proclaim the good news of Christ鈥檚 finished work. Together, the sessions encouraged church leaders to remain anchored in the gospel as the central message, confidence, and hope that sustains faithful ministry. Times of worship, fellowship, and a Q&A session rounded out the day鈥檚 schedule and provided refreshment for all attendees.

Dr. Keith Plummer, Dean and Professor of Theology for the School of Divinity shared, “We enjoyed a day of making new friends and reconnecting with old ones, singing heartily to our Savior, and being nourished by sound biblical teaching. A major takeaway for me from what Jared shared is how easy and perilous it is to assume that we are so well-acquainted with the gospel that we no longer need to hear it. It was refreshing to be reminded that we will never outgrow the message of salvation by grace through faith.”

Dr. Wilson鈥檚 conference sessions will be made available on Faith & Truth Media. You can watch the first session here: .

Be sure to mark your calendars for next year鈥檚 conference on March 4, 2027!

Following the awarding of diplomas, President Dr. Todd J. Williams delivered the commencement address, drawing from Ephesians 6 and Paul鈥檚 teaching on the armor of God. Dr. Williams noted the personal nature of Paul鈥檚 letter to the church in Ephesus and how that same relational approach shapes Cairn, as faculty and staff guide students toward truth in love.

Dr. Williams emphasized that Christians live out their faith through two key postures: walking humbly and standing firmly in truth. Referencing Cairn鈥檚 commitment to 鈥淲alk a Different Path鈥�, Dr. Williams charged students to continue that walk beyond graduation while remaining steadfast against spiritual opposition and cultural pressures. He reminded graduates that believers face a real spiritual battle; however, God has already provided everything necessary to stand firm. He equips believers with truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Dr. Williams called graduates to depend on the Lord through continual prayer on bended knee as they depart from 天涯海角社区 and enter the next chapter of their lives.

After Dr. Williams鈥� remarks, Senior Vice President and Provost Dr. Adam Porcella announced the graduates with the highest academic achievements. He recognized Jacob Michael Gossel for earning the second-highest GPA of 3.96 and Julia Linda Carver for achieving a perfect 4.00 GPA.

The ceremony concluded with the longstanding tradition of singing the University hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness.

The 天涯海角社区 commencement livestream is available here.

Congratulations, class of 2025!

鈥淭o have a heart for the nations, one must first have a heart for the lost.鈥�

This is what Kevin King 鈥�90 shared with me, as he sat next to his wife, J*, in the office of their Brownstone apartment building in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. It is a singular sentence that serves as an effective summary of what they shared over the two interviews I had with them. Among the whos, whats, whys, wheres, and hows that the Kings shared regarding International Project鈥檚 30-year history, it is evident that 鈥渁 heart for the lost鈥� has driven every decision.

A Campus Love Story

Kevin and J met as students at 天涯海角社区 in 1989 while running on the cross country team. J, a freshman, chose to study at Cairn because she had desired to be a missionary since she was a young teen. Kevin was a more recent believer, and in his senior year, he was looking to attend seminary after graduation to become a pastor. The two began dating shortly before Kevin graduated and continued while he earned his Master of Divinity from Missio Seminary in Philadelphia. Over the course of those three years of biblical study, it became clear: Kevin and J were both called to be full-time missionaries, and they were called to do so together. The day after J鈥檚 last class at the University, they were married on campus in a pond-side ceremony off of Pine street鈥攖he last ceremony to be held there, as construction of the president鈥檚 residence began immediately after.

An Unmet Need and a Timely Mission

Kevin and J both had a strong desire to be missionaries among an unreached people group. They began praying and asking God where he would have them serve in the 10/40 window. It was during this same time that a friend invited them to see the ministry potential in New York City. What they found shocked them: Over 90,000 international students, 100,000 West African Muslims in one neighborhood, 80,000 Bangladeshi Muslims in another neighborhood, and 60,000 Arab Muslims in yet another neighborhood. Rather than living among one unreached people group across the ocean, the Kings realized the potential to live among the dozens of unreached people groups that were already converging in NYC. While, thankfully, many missions organizations have recognized and are participating in this diaspora ministry in the US, that was not the case in the early 鈥�90s. The Kings had a vision for a new kind of missions that didn鈥檛 follow the typical playbook of crossing saltwater. Rather than moving halfway across the world to establish themselves in an entirely new culture, the Kings wanted to minister to the stranger next door. To be full-time financially supported missionaries who stayed stateside was nearly unheard of, which made it difficult to find an organization to support their work. They prayed and patiently waited for God to bring them to an organization that would support them鈥攁nd that鈥檚 exactly what he did. The Kings found stateside missionary support from WorldTeam, giving them the opportunity to lay the foundation for what would become International Project.

For the first 10 years, they focused their efforts on campus ministry. English conversation groups, discovery Bible studies, and invitations to leave cafeteria food behind in exchange for a home-cooked meal were the order of the day. They built relationships with international students, shared the gospel, and discipled those who could then return home to share that same message with their families and communities. They were amazed at what God was doing. Over a five-year period, they saw seven house churches start in other countries as students returned home to make disciples.

As they continued to build relationships and establish themselves in the city, they expanded their focus to more broadly cover diaspora, including international students but also immigrants, refugees, and diplomats. Their vision with immigrants and refugees was the same as that on campus: To see the gospel spread through these new diaspora believers and see the gospel carried through relational lines to start churches in closed countries. Through International Project teams, they have seen churches begin in Iran, West Africa, and Bangladesh.

A Sending Agency of Their Very Own

For years, Kevin and J were International Project鈥攖wo supported missionaries with a heart for internationals living in New York City. They were eager to add more missionaries to their team, but that process was slow-going. They started to host missionary trainings while they waited for full-time team members. The Equip Missionary Training Program, a one-year program focused on training cross-cultural church planters to start simple multiplying churches, is something they began in 2010 and continue to do today. Missions organizations from all over the country would send their new missionaries to the Kings for training鈥攂ut then they would leave, continuing on their journey to do missions across the globe. The Kings came to the realization that as long as they were missionaries sent by a larger agency, they would never have the focused support they needed for their unique missions strategy of reaching diaspora communities in the US. They needed all of the resources 鈥渋n house鈥� to recruit, train, and retain a team of missionaries committed to their same mission.

In 2012, International Project officially became a sending organization. This move brought renewed focus to their diaspora ministry and streamlined their ability to serve these communities in the ways in which they felt the Lord leading.

This decision opened the door for incredible opportunity and growth, but it also came with considerable challenges. Training, mobilization, HR, finances, and pastoral care are just a few of the time-consuming and weighty responsibilities that must smoothly run behind the scenes in order for missionaries to be well-supported to do their jobs well. The Kings鈥� schedules were already full with the ground work of missions, so in order to succeed as an independent ministry, they needed a lot more help. But where the workload increased, God provided the workers. International Project grew from just Kevin and J to about 40 missionaries in an eight-year period. In addition to these missionary workers, they have a ten-person operations and mobilization team to support this work.

Opportunities to Expand

Campus ministry is still a significant part of International Project鈥檚 strategic plan to reach unreached people groups in NYC and, by extension, around the world. They have an average of 15 different discovery Bible studies every week across two college campuses. But the campus ministry team, led by J, is only one of eight teams that International Project now sends out. They have five teams in New York City: the campus team, two teams reaching Arabs, a team reaching South Asian Muslims, and a team reaching South Asian Hindus. They have also expanded their ministry footprint past NYC. They have a team reaching the Hindu population in Dallas, TX, and they have two teams in Rome and Central Asia to minister to the immigrant and refugee populations entering Europe.

In addition to the missionary teams, International Project also runs two thrift stores and community center in Brooklyn, staffed with another 35 employees. Both of these locations offer practical resources to the community while serving a greater, spiritual purpose. They provide a no-cost public space for ministry to happen. They offer specially designed groups and programs for immigrants and refugees, as well as a wider number of services to the broader community such as food distribution and various communal groups like kitting and art groups. Physical space in New York City is costly, but this ministry platform has proven to be a worthy investment in the extension of International Project鈥檚 presence and impact in the city.

Serving as International Project President, Kevin works with all of these teams鈥攕etting organizational vision and goals and providing training and support to the workers. For a time during their ministry expansion, Kevin was running most of the internal operations of International Project, which pulled him away from the direct ministry. But now a 10-person operations team has taken up the majority of this work, allowing Kevin to lead the organization while continuing to do the work of ministry that he desires to spend his time on鈥攎issionary training, dinner table conversations, and walking side by side with those who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Challenges to the Mission

International Project has had many causes for celebration in its three decades of operation鈥攂oth in terms of organizational growth and its participation in the spread of the gospel throughout the world. They have also faced significant challenges. Attrition is one of these challenges. This challenge is not unique to International Project but one which all missions organizations face: Missionaries leave. The work is hard, expectations are not met, family dynamics change priorities, and the list goes on. What makes attrition for International Project especially difficult is their location. Choosing to minister in a city means choosing to live in a small apartment with a lot more noise, a lot more trash, and a lot more people鈥攁ll at a lot higher of a cost.

鈥淩eaching unreached people groups used to mean going to live in a jungle or a village,鈥� said Kevin. 鈥淲hile these situations still exist, that paradigm of missions has quickly changed because the majority of people鈥攊ncluding the unreached鈥攏ow live in cities. The new sacrifice of missions is being willing to be stacked on top of each other.鈥�

Politics have also proven to be a continuing challenge to International Project鈥檚 mission. The Kings believe that God, who sovereignly rules over all things, is 鈥渄ivinely orchestrating global migration.鈥� But too often, the politics of immigration cloud the conversation of gospel ministry to the foreigner among us鈥攐ccasionally resulting in angry emails from those who conflate International Project鈥檚 mission to minister to the foreigner with their endorsement of any particular border policy. International Project鈥檚 focus is not on lobbying immigration policies but effectively building relationships and sharing the gospel with those God has brought to their neighborhoods, no matter what policies are in place. As Kevin said, 鈥淭his is an opportunity to reach the nations, regardless of politics. Our focus is not on one鈥檚 government status in the country but one鈥檚 spiritual status in the Kingdom of God.鈥�

A Continuing Work

It is hard to tell the story of International Project apart from the Kings. In many ways, it is their story. It has been 32 years since their pond-side wedding on Cairn鈥檚 campus, and for 30 of those years, they have worked side-by-side in a ministry that they built from the ground up. It鈥檚 a story they get to share, a legacy that deserves to be celebrated. But at the same time, we recognize that this is, ultimately, God鈥檚 story. Lord willing, International Project will continue to reach unreached people groups around the world long after the Kings are gone. And even if International Project, the 503c, were to end before the Lord鈥檚 return, the International Project鈥攖he Great Commission of bringing the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth鈥攚ould continue, because the Lord has said it to be so.

If you are interested in serving with International Project, visit .

*Identity hidden due to the sensitive nature of her ministry work.

Dr. Keith Plummer, Dean of the School of Divinity, opened chapel by sharing from John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. He highlighted John 6:23, where the apostle notes that the people returned to the place where they had eaten after the Lord had given thanks. Rather than first drawing attention to the miracle itself, John points to Christ’s thanksgiving. As Dr. Plummer reminded us, Jesus shows us what it looks like to live a life marked by gratitude and thankfulness.

Dr. Plummer then shared what he is thankful for, followed by seven other School of Divinity faculty. 

We are thankful for opportunities like this to reflect on how God continually keeps His promises. In the smallest moments, and the biggest milestones, we can always rejoice and give thanks to God! Happy Thanksgiving!

Words have the ability to build up and tear down. They can inspire and demoralize. They can turn away wrath and also incite the most visceral responses. Words are just one of the many things that separate humanity from animals. They give us the ability to think and express our thoughts; to imagine and create; to expand our understanding; and to direct our sensibilities. They give shape to ideas, fire to our souls, and unction to our actions. Consider the impactful oratory of great statesmen, the poetry of great bards, and the sermons of great preachers. Printed or spoken words carry weight, force, and impact, so they should be chosen carefully with the knowledge that they will carry consequences. Words are organic to our humanity and to the faith of Christians who believe God 鈥渟poke鈥� the world into existence (see Genesis 1鈥�2). The Bible is replete with teachings, exhortations, and examples of the power of words. The book of Proverbs alone contains approximately 45 verses speaking to the power of words. In that book, words are inextricably tied to wisdom and understanding. The New Testament book of James refers to the tongue as a fire. The Bible itself is called the 鈥淲ord of God.鈥� And Jesus is presented as the 鈥淲ord made flesh鈥� in John鈥檚 gospel.

The tone of our language matters a great deal, but I think there is a need for us to consider the technical meaning of words as well. Words are only powerful because they carry meaning鈥攎eanings that we agree to as a culture and meanings that make language efficient and effective. We catalog these meanings, learn vocabulary, and use words skillfully. At least, we used to. Today, there is a general sloppiness around language. And it is not simply a matter of becoming less formal. It is dangerous. Dictionaries, which unfortunately have fallen out of favor, have been supplanted by subjectivism and relativism even when it comes to the definitions of terms. This is dangerous. And not so simply because it undoes conformity to a standard, but because it unleashes irresponsibility. I remember learning in school that words carry denotation and connotation. The former refers to the technical definition of a word. The latter is associated with the cultural significance of a given word and the feelings evoked. This is part of the beauty of words. But it means using words on purpose鈥攚ith a knowledge of what they actually mean and the effect they have.

Consider the looseness with which people are throwing around the word 鈥渇ascist.鈥� This is a technical term, associated with a particular political philosophy, but also one with historical associations with those who killed millions of Jews, in the most horrific of conditions, simply because they were Jewish. If we allow ourselves to use that term to refer to those we disagree with because it effectively associates them with some of the starkest manifestations of brutality in modern history, we should consider the potential impact of that choice. The term has a very efficient denotation and a very effective connotation. The entire free world decided that those forces of fascism spreading like darkness across the globe in the middle of the last century needed to be stopped at all costs for the good of humanity and the preservation of civilization. Even theologians and pastors found themselves involved in the assassination plots of that time. Consider also the degree to which the word 鈥渉ate鈥� has overtaken our social, political, and cultural rhetoric today. We refer to people we disagree with as 鈥渉aters鈥�, those who spread hate and incite hate crimes. At the same time, we hate those we consider hateful. It is not difficult to see that irresponsibility with language is evidence of irresponsibility with our thoughts and emotions.

Finally, consider the word 鈥渧irulent.鈥� This word adequately describes much of our world today. Technically, this word refers to a dangerous and destructive disease, injury, or poison. It also refers to hateful and violent opposition. The irony here is that the second definition refers to something that has the figurative effect of the first. What we are experiencing as a society today is hateful and violent opposition to those with whom we disagree. This has an injurious impact. A free society requires disagreement without the threat of harm. It requires citizens to act responsibly, both in terms of their actions and their words. Opinion, passion, and conviction should be tempered and used to strengthen a good and free society. This is wisdom, and wisdom is inextricably tied to words. So, we should choose them wisely.