Stark College & Seminary will launch a new Bachelor of Arts in Ministry Counseling Track. This program is designed to meet the growing demand among prospective and current students for a Christian counseling-focused education within the Bachelor of Arts in Ministry degree. Much like a pre-med bachelor’s degree offers students the opportunity to gauge interest in medicine and ensures prerequisite courses are taken before medical school, Stark’s new counseling track will serve as a preparatory path for students interested in pursuing a Master of Arts in Counseling or LPC certification. The 24-credit hour track includes specialized courses such as foundations of counseling ministry, pastoral counseling, marriage and family counseling, and counseling children and adolescents. For more information about Stark and the Bachelor of Arts in Ministry Counseling Track, please visit stark.edu or contact@stark.edu.
Hardin-Simmons University’s newest residence, Prichard Hall, was dedicated on July 30. Located at the corner of Ambler and Simmons Aves., the building contains 42 student living suites, totaling 164 beds. Each suite has two full bathrooms and four bedrooms that share a small living room. Each student in residence will have a private bedroom in the unit with a twin bed, study desk, dresser and walk-in closet. Construction began in May 2022 with a groundbreaking ceremony, and finishing touches are currently taking place to allow students to move in mid-August for the start of the 2024 fall semester. To read more about the building and view floorplans, click here.
Houston Christian University’s Center for Christianity in Business will host Advancing the Kingdom in the Workplace: A Hands-on Workshop on How to Be an Effective Influencer for God in the Workplace, a full-day executive training seminar, Sept. 28, on the HCU campus. This evangelism workshop is designed for marketplace professionals who want to learn how to share their faith in the workplace in today’s culture. Participants will see examples of how God is at work in the business world today and learn and practice time-tested principles of winning others to Christ without jeopardizing friendship and camaraderie. The workshop is led by Jerry Wiles, president emeritus of Living Water International, ambassador-at-large with the International Orality Network and mission advisor with Missio Nexus. For more information visit HCU’s Center for Christianity in Business website. RSVP deadline is Sept. 18.
Donna Hedgepath, 14th president of Wayland Baptist University, will make her Amarillo debut on Aug. 30, as one of two featured speakers at the university’s Blue and Gold Social. Hedgepath, the first woman to lead the 115-year-old institution, will share the spotlight with 1993 Wayland alumnus Kevin Carter, president and CEO of Amarillo Economic Development Corp. The gathering, sponsored by Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association, begins at 6:30 p.m. at Hoffbrau Steak & Grill House. Registration for this limited-seating event is required. The cost is $25 per person until Aug. 16. If seats still are available after Aug. 16, the price goes up to $30 per person. To register, visit the Alumni Events Page and fill out the registration form.
Thirteen members of North Side Baptist Church in Weatherford concluded on July 26 a mission trip to Brazil to work with P70, in conjunction with some additional Baptist churches from Texas and the United States. Jim Thomas, senior pastor of North Side Baptist, reported the evangelistic trip included 60 Americans and over 350 Brazilian partners in ministry in two towns over 8 days. As a result, 584 people committed their lives to Christ, with plans for follow-up through local churches. Two churches will be planted in these towns. Thomas’ team saw an additional 100 to 150 come to Christ in the school where his team worked.
Volunteers from First Baptist Churches in Hempstead and Melissa raised funds to drill a water well in Peru, then traveled to help dig it through Texans on Mission’s Water Impact ministry. The team also helped the regular drilling crew dig trenches and operate equipment. Mitch Chapman, director of Texans on Mission Water Impact, expects to drill 12 wells in Peru this year. The Texas team drilled the well in a village called Munich. Five minutes after the team hit water, women began bringing pots to capture the water. It wasn’t pure yet, but it was better than what they had been drinking. Before the well came in, the team had watched villagers draw water out of the river. The team also installed a well casing and cemented it for sustained use, where people will come to fill containers. Chapman said Texans on Mission has worked hard to create an effective and sustainable water well drilling operation in Peru that emphasizes sharing the gospel.
Anniversary
The Church at Quail Creek/San Jacinto Baptist Church in Amarillo will turn 100 years old Dec. 7. Originally named San Jacinto Baptist Church, the church was an outgrowth of First Baptist Church in Amarillo. The anniversary will be celebrated Sept. 21 to 22—at the church’s original location on Sept. 21, at 501 S. Carolina St., from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with a church history display and food trucks. The celebration on Sept. 22 will be held at the current campus, 801 Tascosa Rd., beginning at 8:15 a.m., with breakfast for attendees. For more information about the anniversary celebration, visit www.tcqc.org/100.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.