天涯海角社区 / Walk a different path. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 19:54:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 天涯海角社区 Students Compete as Finalists in Statewide Marketing Competition /cairn-university-students-compete-as-finalists-in-statewide-marketing-competition/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:51:17 +0000 /?p=102224
photo credit: pacast.com

天涯海角社区 business students were finalists in the 2025 America250PA Direct Effect鈩 Innovation Challenge (DEIC). The DEIC is a multi-round competition that challenges students from Pennsylvania鈥檚 postsecondary institutions 鈥渢o design and develop integrated marketing campaigns that explore solutions to real-life challenges and questions.鈥

The 2025 DEIC consisted of three rounds, the final round held in person at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, PA, in October 2025. 天涯海角社区 was one of five colleges invited to the final round. Faculty member Janelle Curtis-Beaman accompanied students Philip Oo, Matthew Mika, Colin O鈥橞rien, and JiEun Oh to Harrisburg to present their campaign.

This year鈥檚 theme was “Miles of Impact: America’s First Superhighway.鈥 Students were challenged to 鈥渄esign and pitch original integrated marketing campaigns that bring the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s story to life.鈥 天涯海角社区 students presented their campaign, 鈥淲here did you come from, where did you go?鈥 to celebrate 85 years of the Turnpike connecting Pennsylvanians while looking forward to the future of travel. They pitched a user-generated marketing campaign that would employ a statewide scavenger hunt that would encourage users to share experiences that promote connection, heritage, and progress.

天涯海角社区 is proud to offer opportunities for experiential learning like this, giving students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom in tactile ways that bolster their resume and give them confidence as they enter the job market. 

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“My Pleasure!” Cairn Alumni at Chick-fil-A /my-pleasure-cairn-alumni-at-chick-fil-a/ Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:21:34 +0000 /?p=102161
Alex Crawford ’17/G’17 with his wife, Lindsey (McCulloch) 鈥17

There is a growing contingent of 天涯海角社区 graduates for whom 鈥淐airn Special” immediately evokes involving all five senses. It鈥檚 requested like a secret menu item with a flash of a Cairn student ID. Buy a large drink and a large fry, and get an original sandwich or eight-count nugget for free. Today鈥檚 students know the schedule: Monday at Oxford Valley. Tuesday at Langhorne. Thursday at Neshaminy.

The Cairn Special remains the cheapest meal a college student can buy off campus. And while that is attractive, it is not what keeps students coming back. The food is good, and it serves as the foundation for something even better. A Chick-fil-A booth has served as a mainstay for many Cairn students鈥 community building and cheap first dates. And for a select few, it introduced them to a future career as a Chick-fil-A owner-operator.

Chick-fil-A鈥檚 franchisee selection process is extremely competitive. It receives an average of 40,000 applications per year and from that accepts little more than 100, substantiating the claim that it is easier to get into Harvard than it is to be selected to be a Chick-fil-A operator. Despite these slim chances, 天涯海角社区 alumni still represent among the operator ranks. 2026 includes the opening of the fifth owned and operated restaurant by a 天涯海角社区 alumnus.

These four men who have been selected to lead come from various backgrounds and took vastly different career paths toward ownership. The common thread? Their 天涯海角社区 experience was a pivotal moment on their trajectory to Chick-fil-A ownership鈥攆rom business degrees and peer relationships to introducing them to their very first chicken sandwich.

Alex Crawford 鈥17/G鈥17
Rochester, NY

The Fall of 2013 is when Alex began to study Bible and business at 天涯海角社区. It鈥檚 also when he had his first Chick-fil-A sandwich. Chick-fil-A was a staple of his Cairn experience. While he was inspired by the culture (and the food!), he did not take a direct path to franchising. Alex interned with a local Geico office in his final semester at Cairn. He was then invited to join their Emerging Leaders program after graduation. This began a career that would require his family to move several times. Alex and his wife, Lindsey (McCulloch) 鈥17, moved five times as Alex moved up the Geico ranks. Their family eventually settled in Buffalo, NY, where Alex sat at the helm of the corporation鈥檚 customer service.

Alex is a lifelong New Yorker hailing from Long Island, but despite being back in his home state, the freezing temperatures of Western New York were a significant adjustment. The Crawfords did, how ever, quickly warm up to and fall in love with the people and culture of the area. Instead of seeing Buffalo as a transplant location for Alex鈥檚 career, they saw it as a place where they wanted to plant deep roots for their family.

While Alex wanted to stay in Western New York long term, that did not mean he wanted to stay with the corporation that originally brought him there. He enjoyed his work at Geico, but he ultimately decided to pursue a dream he had considered for several years: to own and operate a Chick-fil-A. He saw this career path as 鈥渢he clearest alignment of my MBA and Bible degrees.鈥

Deciding to apply was just the start. Over the course of two and half years, Alex participated in several phone interviews; flew to Chick-fil-A headquarters four times for in-person meetings; and participated in a stress test, where he was thrown into a Chick-fil-A during the lunch rush to see how he would react and adapt. Chick-fil-A has high standards for the character of their operators, so extensive interviews with applicant references are central to the selection process. Among his professional references were Dave Heffernan, the owner of two of Cairn鈥檚 local Chick-fil-As, and Dr. Tony Hurst, part-time faculty member at Cairn.

Many operator-hopefuls work full-time at a Chick-fil-A location for years before submitting a franchisee application. Alex was not in that position, but he understood the advantage of direct team member experience. In the midst of interviewing, he decided to get a part-time job at a local Chick-fil-A. He worked one, eight-hour shift before he got the call to open a store of his own.

Alex is part of the 20% of Chick-fil-A operators who were selected outside of the CFA leadership development program. This minority position has several somewhat obvious challenges: He was selected to be an operator with out an intimate knowledge of every part of the menu, without the experiences of running a shift during a peak mealtime or navigating the challenges of being short-staffed. But at the same time, his experiences at Geico translate directly to some of the most important qualities of any Chick-fil-A operator: excelling in customer service, leading by serving, and using data-driven approaches to innovate and adapt to challenges. And since he
did work one shift, he already had a name tag.

Chick-fil-A Citygate opened in Rochester, NY, on February 5, 2026. The business of selling chicken and waffle fries is still brand new, but his seasoned leadership has him well-positioned to lead his team to serve his community well.

Brad Burkholder WWC鈥06/鈥09
Harrisburg, PA

When Brad graduated high school, he decided to leave his home in Lebanon, PA, to commit to a year at Wisconsin Wilderness Campus. This year of studying the Bible in the great outdoors was what Brad describes as 鈥渢he best year of my life,鈥 and it set him on a trajectory that would give him a career and the opportunity to return to his Central PA roots.

Upon finishing his year at WWC, Brad chose to continue his studies on the main campus as a business major. It was here in Langhorne that he first became acquainted with Chick-fil-A. In his undergrad years, he attended three Chick-fil-A grand openings. These events combined two of his favorite things: camping out in a tent, and free food.

The hard-earned free meal coupons on top of the Cairn Special student discount meant that Brad had every reason to spend an above-average amount of time at Chick-fil-A Oxford Valley Road. Through these visits, he built a relationship with the store鈥檚 owner, Dave Heffernan. Seeing that Brad was a business major, Dave suggested the obvious: Brad should pursue a career with Chick-fil-A. Brad was not interested in that: 鈥淚 said, 鈥業鈥檓 not doing fast food.鈥 I just like eating it.鈥

This opposition did not last more than a few months after graduation. The summer after he graduated, Brad was ready to get married and needed a job. Dave connected him with a new operator at Chick-fil-A Exeter in Reading, PA. It was in this restaurant that he began to truly see Chick-fil-A as more than 鈥渇ast food.鈥 The turning point was a guest interaction with a grandfather and his grandson:

鈥淗e said, 鈥楥an you tell my grandson about the story of Chick-fil-A? Because it鈥檚 such an amazing story.鈥 So, I shared the history and core values of all Chick-fil-A restaurants. . . . That鈥檚 when I realized this is a different company. This isn鈥檛 just some fast food career. There鈥檚 more to it.鈥

It was after this interaction that Brad 鈥渓ocked in,鈥 studying CFA training videos after late-night closing shifts and personally committing to being the best employee he could be. His operator noticed this shift and鈥攍ike Dave did just a couple of years before him鈥攈e encouraged Brad to pursue a long-term career with the company. This time, Brad was ready to heed that advice. After 1.5 years at Chick-fil-A Exeter, Brad was selected to be the interim manager of the Chick-fil-A in the Berkshire Mall. A year later, he became its operator at just 25 years old.

Brad is quick to share that his time at the mall wasn鈥檛 glamorous. The Berkshire Mall location was one of the lowest volume restaurants in the entire chain. What this location did not offer in profits, it offered in what money can鈥檛 buy: a chance to be humbled at a young age, space to make mistakes, and an acute awareness that he was in the right career. It also offered the opportunity to work near his hometown, a non-negotiable for his growing family. If he were ever to leave the mall, it would be without uprooting his family鈥檚 life in Central PA. Four years passed. Then God opened a new door: Brad was selected to operate a new Chick-fil-A location in Harrisburg, just 20 minutes from his childhood home.

Brad celebrated ten years at Chick-fil-A Lindle Road in March 2026. Looking back over the past decade, one of the highlights has been the freedom he has to dynamically integrate his faith into his work. He has led devotionals in board meetings, prayed with his staff, and hosted Bible studies in his restaurant. 鈥淚f I were to create my own restaurant or business, I would build it on the same values as Chick-fil-A. I am passionate about Chick-fil-A because they align with my values and beliefs. That鈥檚 how I know I鈥檓 in the right place.”

Josh Maxwell 鈥06/G鈥12鈥14 and Luke Trader 鈥10
Egg Harbor Twp, NJ and Christiana, DE

By the time Josh graduated high school, he had been living out of his car for nearly two years. He left home at 16 because of his father鈥檚 addiction to drugs and alcohol. So, when he arrived at Cairn to begin the youth and family ministries program, he found a home鈥攂oth physically on campus and in the relationships he built with Dr. Matt McAlack and his future wife, Corrie. It was at Cairn that he also built a friendship with classmate Luke Trader 鈥10, who would later be the one to bring him into a career at Chick-fil-A.

Josh and Luke first met on a plane to Germany. They were seated next to each other on the initial flight to the University-sponsored Martin Luther tour over spring break in 2005. Luke was a full-time youth pastor completing his degree one course at a time, so their paths did not cross much on campus before or after this trip. But the friendship built on this trip would continue to grow through the years that Josh volunteered in Luke鈥檚 youth ministry.

A few years after graduation, Josh and Corrie were married and serving at a church in Nevada. It was there Josh decided that full-time vocational ministry was not where he wanted to be, but he didn鈥檛 know exactly what he should do instead. He moved his family to New Jersey, to be near Corrie鈥檚 family and figure out what to do next. That鈥檚 when Luke offered him the opportunity to work with him again, this time at Chick-fil-A.

Luke had recently left full-time ministry and was working for Chick-fil-A Corporate, serving as an interim manager at the Quaker Bridge Mall location. When Josh told him that he moved into the area and was looking for work, Luke offered him a $10/hour team member position, which Josh quickly accepted. Several months later, Luke transferred to another mall location in Wilmington, DE, and he invited Josh to come with him. That offer was much harder to say yes to, but he still accepted:

鈥淚 was driving an hour and 20 minutes each way to work in my 1992 Ford Explorer,鈥 said Josh. 鈥淚 was working 60, 70, 80鈥揾our weeks, but I didn鈥檛 feel I was competitive enough to become an owner/operator.鈥

To bolster his resume, he returned to school full-time. He transferred to a restaurant in Delran, NJ, and used the time he saved on his commute to earn an MBA degree from Cairn, graduating in 2014. Degree in hand, he felt prepared to enter the candidate pool. The following year, he accepted the offer to become the owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A in Jackson, TN.

Josh operated Chick-fil-A Old Hickory Mall for three years. In his first year, he earned the regional Rookie of the Year designation, Symbol of Success, and Champions Club鈥攊nternal awards for Chick-fil-A Operators who hit certain sales and profit quotas year over year. In 2018, he returned to New Jersey to take over as Operator of Chick-fil-A Egg Harbor Township. As for Luke, he became the Operator of Chick-fil-A Christiana in 2016 and, as of April 2025, Chick-fil-A University Plaza in Newark, DE.

You can look at Josh and Luke鈥檚 stories and see two youth pastors that left the ministry. In a sense that鈥檚 true. But if you think that means they are no longer doing ministry, you鈥檇 be mistaken. Service is at the center of Chick-fil-A鈥檚 culture; they call it 鈥渟econd-mile service,鈥 echoing Jesus鈥 call from the Sermon on the Mount. This happens every day, all day between Chick-fil-A team members and guests. But it has the potential for even more impact when the operator goes the extra mile for his employees:

鈥淲e want to have a positive influence on all guests who come through the drive-thru鈥攚hich is only two to three minutes a visit,鈥 said Josh. 鈥淏ut as an operator, I have six to eight hours a day, six days a week where I can make an impact on my staff.鈥

Both Josh and Luke have been very successful over the 10+ years that they have operated their restaurants. It is the result of hard work and a commitment to excellence. While this has sometimes been celebrated with accolades, it isn鈥檛 what is most important:

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about who has the most sales and who can be the best. It鈥檚 better to ask the questions, 鈥楬ow are we serving people, and how are we serving God?鈥 It鈥檚 an awesome opportunity to be a part of a business that asks those questions and to be able answer them faithfully.鈥

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天涯海角社区鈥檚 Golf Classic Celebrates More Than Three Decades of Impact /cairn-universitys-golf-classic-celebrates-three-decades-of-impact/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:00:17 +0000 /?p=102124 On Monday, June 1, 天涯海角社区 welcomed friends, sponsors, alumni and donors to Stonewall in Elverson, PA, for the Annual Golf Classic. The event benefits The Cairn Fund, Cairn’s annual scholarship fund, helping make a Cairn education more accessible to students. Through the generosity of participants and sponsors, the Golf Classic supports 天涯海角社区 students as they purposefully prepare for lives of service to Christ in the church, society, and the world.

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.

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JAM 2026 Helps Students Live Out the Gospel in a World of Uncertainty /jam-2026-helps-students-live-out-the-gospel-in-a-world-of-uncertainty/ Fri, 29 May 2026 15:47:04 +0000 /?p=102004

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). This summer evangelism event equips teens to share the good news of Jesus and immediately gives them an opportunity to do so. This year, 310 students and leaders from 17 churches attended and shared the gospel with the 240 children who attended Kids鈥 Day on Saturday.

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,鈥 said Dr. Matt McAlack, professor of youth and family ministry and JAM director. 鈥淔rom 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 .

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Class of 2026 Celebrated at Commencement Ceremony /2026-commencement/ Mon, 11 May 2026 20:33:44 +0000 /?p=101928 On Saturday, May 9, the 天涯海角社区 community gathered in the Mason Activity Center to celebrate the graduating class of 2026. We celebrated 130 graduates, awarding two associate鈥檚 degrees, 84 bachelor’s degrees, and 52 master鈥檚 degrees. The ceremony also recognized graduates from the Class of 1976, who celebrated the 50 year anniversary of their own graduation from Cairn. 

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.

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Why Spring is the Perfect Time to Visit a College Campus /why-spring-is-the-perfect-time-to-visit-a-college-campus/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:56:02 +0000 /?p=101618 Spring is here, and for those waiting for the perfect time to visit a college campus, there鈥檚 no better time of the year!  Most schools see spring as a prime window for students just like yourself to come see the college experience and gain invaluable perspective. We鈥檝e provided several of the biggest reasons to mark your calendars and schedule a trip to a college of interest.

Academic Excitement

By the time spring rolls around, most colleges have begun moving towards the final stretch before finals exams. You鈥檒l find students with their noses down studying and typing away on their laptops. Along with this, plenty of presentations, displays, and performances will be taking place around this time. These give an excellent view of student extracurricular activities and academic accomplishments.

Beautiful Scenery and Sports

Spring months also bring gorgeous weather to many campuses as the winter finally rolls away and trees begin to bloom again. You should see plenty of students and faculty walking around campus and enjoying the warmer weather. In addition, both professional and recreational sports will be underway, so you may be able to catch a baseball game or see students using various sports facilities.

Endless Extracurricular Events

For students at 天涯海角社区, spring is a busy but exciting time, filled with multiple productions, extracurriculars, and on-campus events. The Spring Gala is a fancy dinner party where students get to dress up and enjoy socializing over good food and music. Spring sports are also in full swing, with Highlanders showing their school spirit and working as God-honoring teams.

Students also look forward to various concerts throughout the spring, such as Opera Theater and Chorale productions. These are the culmination of months of hard work and practice from many passionate students, consistently being some of the highlights of the entire semester. Cairn鈥檚 art department also displays paintings, sculptures, and other forms of art throughout the halls of Cairn鈥檚 Biblical Learning Center, with individual senior art shows alternating every few weeks.  

天涯海角社区 invites prospective students and families to schedule a visit and enjoy the lively energy and exciting things happening on campus. Whether Cairn is sitting somewhere in your top college options or you want to gain personal experience that leads to a more informed decision, the spring is an excellent time to plan a visit.  

Take Your Next Steps (With Incentive!)

To make your spring visit even sunnier, Cairn offers a $500 tuition award to students who place a deposit before May 1. In addition, if you choose to visit campus before the date and submit your deposit on the day of your visit, you will receive an additional $500.  These extra incentives will hopefully aid you in making a confident decision after experiencing Cairn for yourself.  

Have we convinced you?聽Click here to view our calendar and lock in your visit: /visit/.

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Student-Led Mission Trip Shares the Gospel Through Soccer /soccer-peru-trip/ Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:19:50 +0000 /?p=101204

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. 

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Education Students Serve Global Workers in Hungary /hungary-mission-trip/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:34:57 +0000 /?p=100873 A team of 13 from 天涯海角社区, including 11 students and two faculty members, recently traveled to a small town outside Budapest, Hungary, to serve at a Family Education Conference hosted by SHARE Education Services. Led by Diana Schmell and Judy Severns, the group supported global worker families by assisting with the children鈥檚 program and engaging with parents throughout the event.

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

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2026 Church Leaders Conference Addresses 鈥淩ecognizing, Resisting, and Recovering From Gospel Drift鈥 /2026-church-leaders-conference/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:11:56 +0000 /?p=100660

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!

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Inside the Honors Program at 天涯海角社区 /cairn-university-honors-program/ Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:01:29 +0000 /?p=100122 Every student comes to college with different goals and expectations. Some are seeking a strong preparation in their field, while others are eager to ponder big questions and explore how faith informs every aspect of life and learning. The 天涯海角社区 Honors Program offers an environment for students who want both.

For students who love learning, value meaningful conversation, and desire in-depth study, the Honors Program provides an academic experience that is both challenging and formative. It invites students to engage ideas carefully and purse truth within a community guided by Scripture.

At its core, the Honors Program is about developing habits of thoughtful scholarship alongside a lifestyle of service. Central to this experience is the integration of all areas of students鈥 education, stretching them to think deeply while remaining grounded in a biblical understanding of truth.

A Distinctive Academic Experience

The Honors Program emphasizes the ongoing conversation between the Bible, great literature, and the ideas that have shaped the intellectual tradition. Through close reading and guided discussion, students develop the skills to analyze hard texts and engage in academic debate.

Rather than passive learning, students actively participate in discussion, analysis, and debate. This approach sharpens students’ reasoning skills and helps them develop strong oral and written arguments that serve them well in any major or career.聽

Dr. Adam Porcella, Director of the Honors Program and Provost at 天涯海角社区, describes the vision behind the program:

“We must also commit to creating classroom environments that are both rigorous and relational鈥攕paces where students can wrestle with hard questions, encounter new ideas, and receive encouragement and聽discipleship聽from trusted mentors. When done well, this kind of education not only informs students but transforms them.”

In practice, this vision informs the Honors Program’s emphasis on learning in community.

Learning in the Honors Program Community

Community is a defining feature of the Honors experience. Students form close relationships with peers who share a love of learning and a desire to pursue truth. Invested faculty members play an active role in the program, mentoring students both inside and outside of the colloquium environment.

Throughout the year, students gather twice a month for shared meals and discussions. These gatherings, along with frequent cultural outings, create space for thoughtful dialogue and lasting friendships. The result is a learning environment where students can engage challenging ideas while growing personally and spiritually.

Mentorship and Integrated Scholarship

A hallmark of the Honors Program is the six-credit capstone project completed under the guidance of a faculty member. This project allows students from any major to pursue a topic that interests them and aligns with their academic and professional goals.

Through sustained research, writing, and mentorship, students learn how to integrate their studies and produce meaningful scholarly work. The project culminates in a formal presentation and critique, offering valuable preparation for graduate study, professional work, and lifelong learning. For many students, this experience becomes one of the most formative elements of their time at Cairn.

In support of this work, the Honors Program includes an annually renewable $2,000 scholarship for participating students. This support reflects Cairn鈥檚 commitment to making deep, academic study more accessible throughout a student鈥檚 undergraduate experience.

Get Started Today with the Honors Program

At 天涯海角社区, the Honors Program is not about prestige alone. We seek to form students who pursue wisdom, love truth, and are prepared to walk a different path in their academic and professional lives. Our Honors students develop the ability to think deeply, communicate clearly, and live faithfully in a complex world. While the study is rigorous, the mentorship and community make for a worthwhile and rewarding experience.

Students interested in learning more about the 天涯海角社区 Honors Program can explore additional details and next steps here or contact honors@cairn.edu for more information. Interested in depositing by March 1? Students who do receive a one time $1,000 award! Take advantage of this offer here!

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