“Each One Reach One” is the theme for this school year, prayerfully chosen by our Associated Student Body (ASB) leadership team.  The idea of individuals working together to share Jesus with everyone they come in contact with has been demonstrated in various ways in the past few months since school started.

At the Handshake event on the first night of school, several of the ASB officers shared their personal vision for making the theme a reality.  It was echoed as our students led out in the Agape Feast on the first weekend of the school year, setting the tone for the coming months.   Dale Goodson, a missionary who spent many years in Papua, New Guinea, spoke for our fall week of prayer, and his stories reiterated the idea of ministry to others.

While it’s true that the ASB officers set the tone as they plan for the year, but evidence of students embracing the concept is not hard to find.  Each week at Assembly, Principal Jeff Deming honors two “students of the week” for going the extra mile to show Jesus’ love, and there is never a shortage of nominations to choose from.  Students and teachers praying together is a common occurrence, whether in the dorms, the classrooms, or the playing field.

Ministering to those closest to us is very important, but the ripples of blessing extend beyond our campus, as well.  Student leaders organized a trip to a nearby nursing home to sing and pray with the residents.  The entire UCA family took a break from their regular classes and activities and participated in two HOPE days, spreading out into the surrounding communities to volunteer for neighbors and organizations that need a hand.

Even during recreation, the theme of blessing others is foremost in our minds.  The UCA Lions Soccer Team had an impact all the way to the state championship, where they won the trophy.  Our coaches and administrators received many comments about how our players’ sportsmanship and Christianity showed in their conduct throughout the season. You can read more about the soccer team’s accomplishment here.

As we look toward the remainder of the school year, it is with grateful hearts. We praise God for the privilege of being involved in what He is doing at UCA, and we thank you for partnering with us in prayer and support as we “Each One Reach One.”

LOOKING AHEAD to Alumni Weekend 2024

Mark your calendars for our next Alumni Homecoming Weekend — September 27 and 28, 2024.  We will be honoring the classes of 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014.

Pioneer Reception — Save the Date

If you graduated in 1974 or before, we want to honor you at our Pioneer Reception.  Plan to join us at 5:30 pm on Friday, September 27, in the Historic Cafeteria at UCA.    Light refreshments will be served.  Registration will open early fall of 2024.

It’s Christmas again!  For me, this season is about connecting.  Cherished faces come to mind with each decoration I unpack and each time-honored recipe I bake. Cards from friends arrive in my mailbox with the years’ stories of graduations, weddings, new babies, travels, joys and sorrows.   My family gathers, participating in our unique traditions and creating new memories.  I hold these moments in my heart all through the year.

In the lull between preparations and celebrations, thoughts of that first Christmas come to mind.  When Jesus was born in a manger so long ago, earth was desperately disconnected from Heaven.  It was a dark and terrifying place, utterly without hope.  And then, the trip to Bethlehem, the angels’ song, and Immanuel–God with us!  It was Heaven’s ultimate offering of grace and reconciliation, light in the darkness, the way back to connection with our Father.  There are no words to describe the significance of this gift.  God wants to bond with us!

As you celebrate this season, it’s my prayer that your heart will truly connect with those close to you, with Jesus, and with the hope and joy that is possible because of His gift.  From all of us at UCA, Merry Christmas and many blessings for the New Year!

Warmly,

Kris

Krista Mikkelson, Director
Alumni and Enrollment Services