Thomas B. Grosh IV shares with us good news from the recent launch of the Central Pennsylvania Christian Scholars Network.

On April 19, 2009, over 70 people from 11 different campuses gathered to consider "Culture Making on Our Campuses."  Why?  Because faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, pastors, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff, and those interested in higher education desire to connect with one another, share ideas, and develop partnerships.  *Andy Crouch*, former InterVarsity staff at Harvard and a senior editor at Christianity Today International highlighted themes from his award winning InterVarsity Press book Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling.  In addition, Crouch shared from his own life in relationship to higher education, even sharing insights regarding the delicate nature of visiting his wife’s Physics laboratory at Swarthmore College. Byron Borger of the Hearts & Minds Bookstore also attended and provided his own write-up of the event.

How did this event come together? The passion of Steve Lane, Senior Pastor of Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ, to engage Elizabethtown and the world with the love of Jesus.  From where does his enthusiasm to partner with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in hosting Andy Crouch for the launch of the Central PA Christian Scholars Network come? His involvement with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship as a student leader at the University of New Hampshire and his stirring recollection of Andy’s leadership not only among Harvard students, but also Urbana 93’s where he played keyboard for a stirring version “O For a Thousand Tongues.”

Through extended conversation, the details came together for Crouch to share “From the Garden to the City” (Genesis 1-11, Revelation 21-22) (mp3 download) during the worship service and “How to be a Culture Maker” (mp3 downloadduring the adult elective time. Over lunch Andy more specifically engaged a growing community of scholars in central PA.  How is this community of scholars growing? Through campus visits which identify followers of Christ, reveal existing connections between scholars, and provide opportunities for new relationships which not only encourage and equip followers of Christ, but lead to creative avenues for whole campus engagement with the whole Gospel.

Campuses represented at the event included Bucknell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Elizabethtown College, Franklin & Marshall College, Johns Hopkins University, Lancaster Bible College, Messiah College, Millersville University, Penn State University - Harrisburg, Penn State University - Hershey Medical Center, and the University of Delaware.

What did Steve think of the morning with Andy?

Followers of Jesus struggle with culture.  Sometimes we try to escape the culture and other times we ‘consume’ culture too readily, to use one of Andy’s terms.  To partner with InterVarsity’s Graduate & Faculty Ministry and host Andy Crouch offered our church a unique opportunity to delve deeper into questions about culture.  It also provided a chance to facilitate great discussions between graduate students, informed laypeople and Christian scholars in the area. Thanks to Tom Grosh for making it possible.

What did members of the academic community think?

The InterVarsity event on April 19th was quite enjoyable due to the fact that it enlightened Christians on how to apply faith in Jesus to our work and allowed people from different fields to learn from each other like a family. — Sergey, a first year Spanish Major at Millersville University

Once when Martin Luther was reportedly asked what he would do if he found out the world was ending tomorrow, he answered that he would go out and plant a tree.  The Bible speaks both of the imminence of Christ's return and the importance of doing our own vocational jobs well; short-term alertness and long-term planning, "wartime Christianity" and "peacetime Christianity".  Andy is one of the foremost current expositors of our "peacetime" mission of fulfilling the creation mandate.  It was great to hear Andy in person explaining the proper rationale for why we do work (academic research in particular, but applicable to all work): to glorify God by exploring His world and by creating cultural artifacts that showcase His worth.  It was also nice to fellowship with the other local Christian academics.  This was the first time I had attended one of the Central PA Christian Scholars Network events, and I like the idea behind this group. — a Penn State graduate student

I'm very excited about the opportunity to participate in The Central Pennsylvania Christian Scholars' Network. I've found that very few things deepen my understanding of Christ and His callings on my life as much as participation in thoughtful Christian community. It can be very difficult to find that sort of community among academics, so having a local organization which fosters such community is very exciting. The opening event with Andy Crouch helped me to think through some of the issues facing me right now. — a PhD student from the University of Delaware

Events like those area extremely valuable for at least two reasons.  First, it provides an opportunity to get Christian scholars in a larger region to come together for fellowship and encouragement in a way that meets their distinctive needs. Second, Tom was able to bring in a speaker who could address issues that are of distinctive importance and relevance.   Because of the specific nature of the event, it allowed the speaker to address issues that would not be appropriate for a general church audience but which is keenly relevant to Christian scholars. — Michael Murray, Philosophy Professor, Franklin & Marshall College, InterVarsity Franklin & Marshall College Alum

It was helpful to have the combination of students, faculty and people like you there, as well as the interested people from places like Messiah College who were part of the Grantham Church. I was encouraged by Andy Crouch. When you bring in people like him you further the discussion. — Bob Ives, retired Senior Pastor of Grantham Brethren in Christ, InterVarsity Drexel Alum

What are next steps for the Central PA Christian Scholars Network?  Planning has begun for a follow-up event at Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ and for one event each term involving creative partnerships with centers, institutes, speaking series, and study centers on campuses in central PA with overlapping areas of interest.  In addition, Tom will be writing an article to explore the question of "Culture Making in the Brethren in Christ Tradition" for "Brethren in Christ History and Life." The information for this will be gathered from some follow-up discussions of “Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling" (2008) and the Intersect I Culture video series. The Network will also be promoting an illustrated lecture series on "A Short History of Science and Religion" by Ted Davis, sponsored by The Central Pennsylvania Forum for Religion and Science

If you would like to connect with the Central Pennsylvania Christian Scholars Network, contact Tom Grosh to learn about future events and activities.

Table settings: Arrangements by Doneen Dourte, and photos by Tom Grosh