Allison Oster
Senior Media Relations Specialist
(626) 815-4518
Tip Sheet: College Students’ Increasing Interest in Faith-Based Initiatives
October 5, 2005
AZUSA, Calif. –
A resurgence of interest in faith-based initiatives sparked UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute multi-year research program in 2003 examining the spiritual life of college students. According to findings based on a 2004 survey, today’s college students demonstrate high levels of spiritual interest and involvement, and expect colleges and universities to play a part in their emotional and spiritual development.
Institutions committed to Christ-centered higher education have a unique ability to deliver on student expectations in tangible and meaningful ways—where faith-infused learning takes place, spiritual growth and development permeates the living-learning environment, and issues of faith are discussed as matters of contemporary importance alongside other critical issues. Azusa Pacific, as the largest evangelical Christian university on the West Coast, stands at the forefront of this trend. As APU celebrates Christian Higher Education Month in October, take a look of the growing evidence surrounding this phenomenon:
APU Students Spend 7 Minutes with God
This year, Azusa Pacific University collaborated with NavPress to publish a short devotional, 7 Minutes with God: Daily Devotions for a Deeper Relationship. The book tackles such weighty issues as prayer, forgiveness, and meditation. This devotional is written for students, by students. Thirty-two APU students contributed.
“APU was a natural choice for me when looking at schools to participate in the project,” said Gabe Filkey, a publisher for TH1NK at NavPress. “They don’t spoon feed their students what they should or should not think about God, and therefore, students are more apt to their own faith. The education provided through APU allows the student to own their life with God.” Filkey acknowledges the best way to relate to a college student is through another college student. “The main goal of this book is to meet students where they are at in life,” said Filkey. “Most resources tell the college student what a relationship with God looks like. TH1NK encourages the student to think and understand what a relationship with God looks like for them self.”
A reception will be held on Oct. 19 from 4-6 p.m. at APU’s Los Angeles Pacific College (LAPC) Banquet Room on East Campus, 901 E. Alosta Ave., Azusa, to celebrate the students who contributed to the devotional.
7 Minutes with God: Daily Devotions for a Deeper Relationship
Edited by Mark Tabb, NavPress, 2005
English Professor Branches into New Genre with Devotional
Joseph Bentz, Ph.D., professor of English at Azusa Pacific University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and author of four nonfiction books, now addresses faith development in his newest book, When God Takes Too Long: Learning to Thrive During Life’s Delays. Through this devotional, Bentz uncovers for readers the underlying virtue found in the act of waiting. “One of my greatest frustrations as a Christian is that I am always waiting on God to act,” says Bentz. “I wrote this book to better understand God’s timing and see how He uses waiting in our lives.” Through his studies, Bentz found that God uses the act of waiting on many figures throughout the Bible. “From their stories, key principles emerge about how God’s timing and methods differ from our own.”
Bentz received a B.A. degree in English from Olivet Nazarene University, Kankakee, Ill.; an M.A. in British and American literature and a Ph.D. in 20th century American literature from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. Contact Bentz at (626) 815-3485, or jbentz@apu.edu.
When God Takes Too Long: Learning to Thrive During Life’s Delays
By Joseph Bentz, Beacon Hill Press, November 2005
Featured in TIME magazine and ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. Azusa Pacific’s main campus lies just 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, while its seven Southern California regional centers bring convenience and extend quality programming. The university offers more than 50 areas of undergraduate study, 22 master’s degrees, and 6 doctorates to a total student population of more than 8,100. For more information, call (800) 825-5278 or visit www.apu.edu.
