CSER: Integration of Faith and Learning
Bethany Mays
ECON 213-001
Liberty University
Abstract
Over the past decade, as the job market has become more competitive - volunteering has become a way to show superiority when it comes to applying for positions in the work force. This influential change has encouraged high school and college level students to participate more in extracurricular activities. Most large corporations and firms are now looking to hire those individuals with outstanding GPAs, strong work ethic, and dedication of time and effort to other activities apart from their academic studies. Colleges such as Liberty University mandate that their students complete twenty hours of Christian service per semester.
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Most of the potential competition for jobs in the work force for graduates of Liberty are students from other colleges and universities. However, those students must be self-motivated to volunteer as many times it isn’t required for them to volunteer during their time as a student. While at Liberty, students are required to do so. Since, nowadays, more employers are looking for potential employees that have dedicated their time to activities outside of their college studies, CSER puts Liberty University students ahead of the competition. Many college students are overwhelmed by academics and a desire to maintain their social lives, so volunteering can often be pushed to the wayside and ruled out as not as important. This can also display that Liberty University students can balance academics, social life, and volunteer hours. This shows potential employers that Liberty University graduates have a strong work ethic, can multitask efficiently, and be dedicated to whatever the task at hand is. Also, biblically, God intends for his children to serve others. In James 2:14-17, the author discusses the importance of giving of one’s self for helping another. Christians are also instructed to serve others as God would have, as stated in Peter 5:2. CSER allows for Liberty students to not only fulfill biblical command, but also to be a vessel for God to reach …show more content…
Jerry Falwell, created Liberty University’s Christian service program to better equip graduates for the real world and for their intended careers. He implemented the system and it has shown to be very effective as many students have gone on to be put in leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies. Liberty University requires their students to complete a CSER requirement to make the curriculum action-oriented, providing Liberty students a better opportunity to be more highly demanded by potential employers over the competition, increasing their ability to have favorable, effective impacts on the economy and advance the Gospel in a larger, more secular setting.
References
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When applying for a position at a job, managers always check to see how much experience you have in order to check if you are qualified. When filling out a college application there are always questions that ask to write down any extra curricular activities you participated in or any clubs/service work you did and for how long. It is important to be a part of the community and to be dedicated to one or two locations for a certain amount of time to show commitment and effort. A student that has been a part of an organization for about three months and has not missed will be prefered at a college than a student that goes five times a month. Community service does not only help build relationships but allows students to spend their time learning new skills and it will benefit them in the future. Community service for high school seniors should be mandatory because it will teach the students how to be responsible, allow them to explore in depth something related to their career and improve their communication skills.
Often as we grow our schedules we forget to acknowledge the fact that our name does not read “volunteer needed”. It has been said, and I sincerely repeat, that if we fail ever say no than our yes loses its value. A resounding alarm greeted an early six o'clock sunlight that signaled the end of a sleep cycle. Pulling on clothes and a quick flash of vision directed at a schedule summed up the morning other than the arrival to a National Honor Society meeting, which would be followed by a Leo club lunch meeting and trailed by a Business Professionals of America after school practice. A typical day of a Stephenson High School senior displays in this way. They are involved in many activities, both school oriented and community involved. This leaves little to no time to develop personality traits other than ones that involve servitude. While it is important to be involved in the community, overinvolvement decreases the quality of the rendered services and overwhelms the individual performing these service
In “Serve or Fail,” Dave Eggers argues that a community service requirement should be set in place for college university students to graduate, thus creating “well-rounded scholars.” According to Eggers, university college students have “many hours in the days and weeks that need killing.” Students having extra time on their hands could easily volunteer for community service, positively impacting their respective communities, as well as gaining knowledge and experience of working with others in a professional setting. Eggers states that there are already some colleges and high schools with community service requirements in order to graduate. While this requirement could be a strain on the younger levels of education, Eggers believes a requirement set for university college students could work because they generally are not “boxed-in by family and after school obligations,” as well as being able to handle the extra task.
Advertisements are an important vehicle designed to promote or help sell a product, service or idea (Young, 2014, p.35). As a dimension of IMC, advertising is “…most often associated with offenses that attract attention from critics and regulators alike” (Young, 2014, p.34). This can be
7. Christian college education equips us to play a role in redeeming God’s creation to the way it was supposed to be. By studying the word of God and applying it to every aspect of our lives we are working hard to bring ourselves back to what God intended us to be. Ostrander points out that part of our task as cultural beings is to redeem
Ever since I was six years old, the year I was baptized, I have been on fire for the Lord. I attended a Christian school for eight years and have always been very involved at my church. My first experience outside of my “Christian bubble” was when I went to a public high school. For the first time in my life, I was out of my comfort zone. Being at a public school challenged my faith, strengthened my leadership skills, and forced me to branch out and meet people I would have never encountered otherwise. However, even though being at a public school helped strengthen my faith in ways I would have never guessed, I believe attending a Christian university—like Liberty—is the best choice to further my education. Going to college is new and exciting, but it can also be a demanding and intimidating experience. Being so far away from home, in a different environment,
The ethos of Southwestern Christian University is a wonderful blend of academia and solid Christian influence. Southwestern Christian University (hereafter referred to as SCU) unapologetically advances its "vision for a Christian liberal arts education pursued from the perspective of the Biblical Christian worldview" (Wenyika). In a world "swamped" with education that has been secularized to the point of "Godlessness", SCU stands as a beam of light shining through the darkness to educate and encourage students to be excellent both in Godly character and in daily living. As an online student of SCU, I am honored to be a "torchbearer" among those like myself who have chosen to make Jesus the "Lord" over both, life and education.
An application can only do so much to reveal someone’s character. I believe my application leaves much room for discussion, it does not fully describe me. As my resume indicates, I am actively committed to improving the community and helping others. What it fails to illustrate is my resilience, dedication, cooperativeness, and my confidence. I go into situations with an open mind, positivity and a dedication to build strong relationships with those around me. If there are obstacles stopping me from doing so, I try to overcome them. Recently, I was hired at a catering hall with absolutely no clue what to expect. Instead of being wary and apprehensive, I jumped right in; albeit some mistakes, I became increasingly confident as the evening progressed.
Target has a corporate social responsibility plan to show the legacy of giving and service. Rothaermel (2014) explains that Target embraces social programs, such as, promoting minorities and minority women into the supply chain. Target is fostering equality in society; this begins by creating a diverse workforce. Target is engaging the community to strengthen relationships and teach ethical treatment to others (Target, 2016). Rothaermel (2014) discusses corporate citizenship, where an organization philanthropic responsibilities are evident thorough ethical practices and giving back to society. Target encourages their employees to volunteer in local community programs. Target is interested in the community stakeholders and is committed to supporting communities by giving five percent of its profits, which has added up to more than $4 million each week (Target, 2016).
A continuous debate that is currently receiving much attention is whether community service should be a mandatory graduation requirement. Preparing students to effectively function in the real world is an important aspect of our education system. Today more than ever, there is an emphasis on having experience before beginning work. Most jobs are now focused on looking past your resume to see what you have given back to the community. Nevertheless, it is important that schools focus on preparing college students for the work force by mandating that they receive all of the necessary exposure and experience. Numerous schools across the country have mandated that in order for their students to graduate, they must complete a predetermined amount of community service. In Maryland, high school students are required to complete a minimum of 75 hours of service in order to graduate. However, this decision has resulted in a lot of mixed responses. Advocates of this decision stress that mandatory community service opens doors for students, while the opponents feel that it takes away valuable time from students who need to focus on their education. I believe that gaining experience outside of school is critical for future success in life. To ensure that students are prepared to transition smoothly from school to work, they need to be involved with the community while in school in order to build the leadership skills that are necessary to succeed.
It is a through a faith based education that one may discover the constant yearning of oneself and the purpose and meaning of their life. A faith based education mixed with a person’s spirituality can take an individual through a journey of faith and knowledge to a destination of self-actualization. A catholic education guides us to walk with Christ and develop love, hope and joy for God, which then assists an individual through challenges in their life. An Islamic education enables their followers to succeed in a constantly changing world, through the teachings of Allah. Often people come across challenges that question their meaning and purpose to the world, and the meaning and purpose of the world in general and life itself. Religion and spirituality combined guide a person to discover the inner-strength necessary to find oneself and their purpose, through transformative learning and an ever-longing yearning.
Although there is an important place for all types of student service experiences at the university level (e.g., community service, volunteering, civic engagement programs) where
Taking time to volunteer at the many nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, advocacy centers, philanthropic fundraisers, local schools and child care facilities in the inner city is not always at the forefront of young people’s minds while navigating through their college experiences. But, with a little push from student organizations, local nonprofits and passionate individuals, volunteerism and community change can start to take a front seat and become not just an opportunity, but also a priority in the lives of young people.
Presented with the task of assessing someone’s faith development required the answers to three essential questions. How has social learning played a part in the individual’s religious development? How has attachment played a part in the individual’s religious development? Upon answering these questions we must then evaluate the stages of faith development in which the individual is in according to James Fowler and David Elkind. After thorough evaluation has occurred the question pertaining to the role of doubt can then be answered. With these questions in mind, the theory that religious beliefs and adherence to spiritual faith are ultimately tested and proved during adolescence was the driving thought throughout the process of interviewing
Many people don’t understand how important serving is. I have found that at some schools, serving is important and is required to graduate. Service is the action of helping or doing work for someone. Serving can help others learn more about the world and help them position into a mature adult. Although service is required sometimes, people should serve by choice. Service hours are designed to help students grow in a relationship with God as well as discovering new ways to serve and help others.