Tradition and heritage evolve from honorable actions that create memories within the life of an organization. These memories are recreated time and again, becoming part of the fabric of a family, a college or a company.  Tradition creates pride and a specific character that distinguishes one place from another.  On occasion, tradition or heritage can be an obstacle for healthy change, but tradition most often is a strong link that binds us to our purpose and to our past. 

I am particularly impressed by one of our traditions carried forward through our 68 years of existence: caring faculty.  If you read anything about our history, you see the remarkable strength of our dedicated teachers.  For decades, our faculty have honored God, served students, and carried out the mission of this institution.  These faculty are remembered fondly, often decades after students leave.  Among the names we continue to regularly hear are Jacque Schweiss, Daniel Bloomquist, Don Fladland, Jean Wahlstrom, Jane Prestbye, and Lowell Stime.  Too many to mention in this short space!  Today, the tradition continues with Professors Mallinson, Elness-Hanson, Grigsby, Jackson, and Houglum – just to name a few. 

The other day, I caught a glimpse of this tradition from a visitor to my office.  Professor Emerita Josee Jordan (1984-1998) came by with a massive three ring binder in her arms.  Inside, page after page told stories of former students with whom she had been staying in touch, praying for, and maintaining friendships.  She shared many her favorite stories with me, which was a special treat as I continue to learn about this wonderful college, its traditions and the amazing heritage found in  the faculty.

This dimension of Trinity continues. Students lives are transformed by the love, faith and mentoring they share with students.  Take Lance Green, Theology & Philosophy major as an example.  Lance came to the college eager to learn about God, but disconnected from his Lutheran roots and unsure of his calling.  Over his time at Trinity, he found a love for the theology of the cross.  He had the chance to have coffee and advising sessions with Dr. Mallinson, advice about connection to the church from Dr. Ellingson, and discussions with Campus Pastor Erik Samuelson about the concept of vocational discernment.  Today, Lance is student body president, concerned for the importance of theology within the context of good preaching, and applying to seminaries and graduate schools.  Just a couple weeks before he graduates, Lance will have the honor of presenting a professional paper to the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature regional meeting on the connection between the doctrine of justification, styles of preaching, relevance of a church’s mission, and the philosophy of language. 

Lance is one of many students who are connecting their rich education to the issues our world faces today.  I thank God for our faithful supporters, who allow us to carry forward life changing education for our students.  It is through your faithful financial and prayerful support that we continue this tradition of faculty excellence that shapes lives for decades to come. 

In His service,

President John Reed is visiting alumni, donors, and friends in Chicago and Minneapolis for a week in mid-March.  He is accompanied by Dr. David Ellingson, Professor of Children, Youth & Family Studies, along with board member Barbara Andrews (while in Chicago) and alumna Kris Bjorke (while in Minneapolis).

Here are some photos of the president’s Midwest tour (mouse over photo for caption):

This is an exciting time to be Trinity. In February, the Board of Directors adopted “Light on a Hill,” a strategic plan to guide the college from 2011 to 2014.

Trinity’s history has emphasized Christ-centeredness, spiritual renewal, and preparation for service in the Church and the world. For nearly seven decades the college has necessarily adapted to its most present realities, often taking risks in the face of uncertainty, yet moving deliberately and with boldness in carrying out the compelling mission to empower faithful servant leaders.

Now in our 67th year, Trinity faces a defining moment. We must honestly acknowledge our realities, squarely face our challenges, and create effective strategies for propelling the college into the future. Our heritage equips us well and we commit ourselves both to our biblical center and to solid academic preparation of our students.

The 10 objectives in our new strategic plan are generally built around the following emphases:

• Vocational & Spiritual Discernment
• Innovation
• Enrollment Growth
• Strengthen the Fundamentals

Learn more about the strategic plan at www.tlc.edu/strategic.

God’s people have never had the luxury of settling in and staying put.  We are people on the move, spurred on by the Spirit to address each day creatively, and—by God’s grace—faithfully.  Sometimes the pace of change is almost overwhelming.  But it isn’t new.  In Genesis 12 alone, Abraham was on the move, from Harran, to the land of Canaan, to the “hills east of Bethel” where he built an altar and called on the name of the Lord.  But he didn’t stop there; verse nine says starkly: “Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.” He doesn’t rest with his altar, though.  A famine drives him to Egypt.  This is only the beginning of God’s amazing story with the saints.  They gather around a tabernacle, build a temple, lose a temple and go into captivity, return to the land and build another temple, and disperse from Jerusalem to embark on missions to the east and west.

Even in my short time as president of Trinity, I can tell that this is a college on the move, in that long tradition of God’s people.  For the last decade, my predecessor and faithful counselors to the college led us through two moves.  One was from Issaquah to Everett, of course.  But the other move was from the model of a Bible institute to a unique four year, accredited college.  I occasionally hear from people worried that we are slipping from our identity as a Bible school.  This causes me to wonder whether we’ve communicated clearly enough over the last several years.  Trinity has the Bible at its center, but it is not a Bible school in either form or function.  Nonetheless, it is not just another church related college.  Our size and unique history allow us to be a rather unique kind of Christian college.

In our strategic planning process, we have developed a working identity statement to help us stay clear as we support our continuing mission.  It’s unofficial, but perhaps helpful as a way to understand how the staff and faculty see ourselves here at Trinity, day to day:

Trinity Lutheran College is a biblically-centered, four year, accredited college, where students engage rigorous academic study, seek ways to serve the world around them, and wrestle creatively with tough questions, in a way that is faithful, intellectual, and engaged.  At our foundation is a living-learning community model that integrates faith, academics, and service into every aspect of a student’s formation.

If you are a longtime friend of LBI/Trinity, do you recognize this?  It may represent startling new territory.  But I’m not asking if you recognize the exact landscape.  I’m asking whether you recognize the call to be biblical in a changing world that needs biblically-trained leaders.  I hope you do, because I am convinced that this is precisely what our world (and our churches) need right now.

Allow me to share just a few examples of ways in which some of the new things we are doing are making a difference in people’s lives along faithful, old lines.

· A Discovery Program student has encountered the role of prayer in his life, despite coming from a nominal Lutheran background in Norway.

· New soccer players discovered the joy of service this Thanksgiving, as they collected and distributed Thanksgiving essentials to 20 single mothers in Everett.

· A student attracted to our new Communication program who had previously fallen into a life of drug use, but at Trinity, encountered God’s call on his life and is now attending and ELCA seminary.

· Another student, after discovering academic abilities in the context of the Dean’s Circle, realized that an LCMS seminary was the place to which God was calling him.  He is now getting ready for a life changing move.

· A student who came interested in ministry but also wanted a broad degree found, in the midst of her studies in our new Business Leadership & Management, that there is important ministry to be done in the general world of commerce, especially if a leader goes out equipped with biblical understanding and a moral compass.

Students’ lives are changing as they encounter Christ in our various new curricular and extracurricular programs.  The key question for Jesus’ disciples isn’t “are you the same person you were back in the day?” But rather, “have you remained faithful to Jesus above all things as you’ve grown, travelled, and changed over the years?” As people on the move for God, we don’t boast in staying close to the altars we erect throughout our lives.  Rather, we beg God to keep the Spirit illuminating Jesus, who is reason enough for us to get up out of our comfortable places and move!

May God bless you and us as we journey together, ceaselessly praying for faithfulness!

A central dimension for those who call themselves Christians is that they have chosen to accept the concept of faith. They understand that in order to receive what God might have for them, they must trust, live, and act in the absence of certainty. The author of Hebrews writes in 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” An exciting aspect to following Christ is dwelling within the mystery of faith. We live not knowing what’s waiting around the bend.

Over the years, those who inspire me the most, and those who have the greatest impact on others, are the ones who say yes to bold risks! They understand that living a life of yes allows God to use their talents and gifts to fulfill the call that we are God’s workmanship.

Since coming to Trinity, I have been inspired by a person who generously volunteers her time to lead, challenge and change Trinity. Eighteen months ago, I met Deborah Squires during a visit to campus to interview for the interim Executive Director position. I was immediately impressed by Deborah’s clarity, her leadership, her experience, and her wisdom. Moreover, I was impressed that the new board of directors vice chair, who is also vice president of Snohomish County United Way, had only been involved directly with the college since the move to downtown Everett.

Deborah Squires lives her life finding ways to say yes. In the last 12 months, she said yes to serve as board vice chair, she said yes to serve as a member of the Celebration of Service committee, she said yes to providing leadership as chair of the Presidential Search Committee, she said yes to participating on the Inauguration Committee, and, finally, she said yes to being a member of the new Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Wow! What would we do without her? How is God using her presence, insight and leadership in the future of Trinity? I know as the new president that I could not be more thankful for her involvement and her willingness to serve both Trinity and God by saying yes.

Likewise, I want to thank so many of you for saying yes to Trinity/LBI over the years. We are blessed to have so many faithful supporters. Yet, I have to be honest: In order for Trinity to thrive, we need more people to pray and seek ways to say yes to the learning and the ministry happening here on a daily basis.

Give me a call if you, too, want to say yes!

Mighty Trinity…

This phrase came to me from our new Head Women’s Soccer Coach, Daniel Hicker. Several weeks ago, as he was describing his team and the challenges that lay ahead for the season, he noted what great people were on his team, and that he knew it was going to be an exciting year. He knew that “Mighty Trinity” was going to make history.

That same afternoon, our first-ever soccer team took the field against The Evergreen State College (enrollment 4,000) at Everett Memorial Stadium (seating for 3,500) and we assembled our enthusiastic crowd of 25! Earlier that day, I had to tell Daniel the nine players he hoped to have for the match was being cut to eight, due to an eligibility requirement. We all knew it would be a challenge to demonstrate our quality, but we did.

It was amazing to watch Mighty Trinity in action: 8 playing against 11 -no subs- in our first collegiate match ever! Final score: Trinity 2-Evergreen 0. What made Trinity mighty was not the score, but the attitude of our team working together, with the occasional extra burst of energy from one individual or another to carry the rest of the team. Each player set aside the odds and circumstances, focused on what we could do, and ultimately got the job done!

Mighty Trinity…

This scrappy women’s team is a microcosm of our little college: For 67 years, the little underdog college; others have given up even against better odds; of the original 16 Lutheran Bible Institutes, only Trinity remains in the game. Mighty Trinity, bowing to God’s faithful hand over us, remains and in many ways thrives!

We are so humble and grateful for this new academic year in which we renew our commitment as a community to learn, work, worship, and serve together. We start the year with over 70 new students, the most we have had in nearly 15 years. As a community, we still have many challenges facing us, but we will do like the Mighty Trinity soccer teams and focus on what we can do, rely on God, and get the job done.

For a long time, one of my favorite verses of scripture has been Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able … to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think (imagine) according to the power that works within us.” We are mighty in a unique way. Trinity is mighty because of the grace, mercy and power we receive from Christ as we find practical, authentic ways to live by faith. We stare down tough odds with peace and joy because we can trust that GOD IS ABLE.

On occasions, the greatest teachers are often overlooked. They are out there ready to teach us, but for some poor learners, like me, they are somehow hidden from our sight. These dynamic “hidden teachers” are named adversity and affliction.

Why is it that so often our greatest learning moments come in pain, despair, trouble, disappointment and hardship? Why is it that I am I so sure of myself I don’t seem to learn until the teachers of adversity and affliction take over the class? Dang it, I wish we sat in the front row during prosperity and affluence, but that is NOT the way we are made. We love to be self-reliant and when things go well, we don’t seem to attend class at all. I guess we hope one of the smart ones attend class and takes good notes.

“How gracious He will be when you cry for help. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more, with your own eyes you will see them” Isaiah 30:19

In order to be sustained physically we need bread and water, so too, in order to learn, accept the good bread of adversity and the sustaining water of affliction.