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Volume 121: September 2010
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Professor Receives Honor from Children's Magazine |  Rev. Dick Gruber, Church Ministries faculty member specializing in Children's Ministry at Valley Forge Christian College (VFCC), has been named one of the 20 most influential Children's Ministry leaders in the United States. Children's Ministry magazine is celebrating 20 years by awarding this honor to 20 individuals. According to the magazine, Professor Gruber has long been a voice in the realm of Children's Ministry offering wisdom, practicality, and encouragement to those ministering to children. Through local church ministry, leadership as the National Director of Children's Ministry for the Assemblies of God, and Christian higher education, Rev. Gruber, who is affectionately known as "PG" has dedicated most of his life to equipping effective children's ministers.
Since arriving at VFCC in 2001, he has shaped the Children's Ministry program to be one of the most respected and dynamic children's ministry preparation programs in higher education. While at VFCC he collaborated with Dr. Philip McLeod, VFCC Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dr. Jason Rhode of Northern Illinois University to establish the Children's Ministries University Online (CMUO), which is an accredited educational program offered through Valley Forge Christian College. He has authored two books, Children's Church: Turning your Circus into a Service and Focus on Children; is a contributing author to the 2010 release of Collaborate: Family + Church; as well as numerous articles on ministering to children. Dick and his wife Darlene have four adult children and seven grandchildren.
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Next Generation Grant Reminder | The Next Generation Grant Deadline is  September 15, 2010. All VFCC graduates from 2007, 2008, or 2009 who have a sizeable school debt hindering them from entering the ministry are encouraged to apply for the grant. The AG Trust and the Alliance for AG Higher Education are working together to provide this crucial help for as many qualifying alumni as possible. Grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis and are only available to those graduates who agree to provide at least five years of full-time service in the AG through pastoral, missions or parachurch ministry. The grants are disbursed in the form of monthly payments to school loan holders on behalf of the grant recipient. For more information or to download a form visit http://www.agtrust.org/
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VFCC Hosts Fall Events | 
On October 26, 2010, in concurrence with the AGTS Graduate Course, VFCC presents Dr. James O. Davis, Founder of Cutting Edge International and co-founder of Billion Soul Network. Dr. Davis will present 'Gutenburg to Google' as he discusses how Christ-centered communication has changed in light of the past to meet our contemporary culture. Registration is available online at vfcc.edu/ministryforum beginning September 13. A registration fee of $20 per individual or $15 for groups of 5 or more will be charged.
On November 9-11, 2010, Church Multiplication Network will present the START Event. Packed with passionate speakers offering first hand experience in church planting, powerful worship and workshops geared to help you, the START Event will challenge you to start something new! Primary Pastor/Staff Day is November 10. Registration is available online at vfcc.edu/ministryforum beginning September 11. The registration fee of $25 per person and $20 for groups of 5 or more includes lunch.
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New Athletic Website
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 The Athletic Department launched a new and improved website with a number of innovative features. Some of the distinctive features implemented on vfcc.edu/athletics include on demand video, live video streaming of select games, player stats, news headlines, score boxes, interactive polls, photo galleries, social media integration, mobile text alerts and game recaps. These features bring The Patriots in line with many of the top NCCAA Division II college athletic websites. Through a partnership with Sidearm Sports, a leading provider of tools and resources for collegiate athletic programs, VFCC's Athletic Department's website is now powered with Sidearm's integrated technology solutions and features a custom design. |
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Leadership Tools |  by Dr. Don Meyer
Chand, Samuel R. Who's Holding Your Ladder? Mall Publishing Company: Highland Park, 2003.
No matter the field, we all are encouraged to climb the "ladder of success." Dr. Samuel R. Chand watched a painter, high on a ladder, and in that pivotal moment wondered out loud, "I wonder who's holding the ladder for him?" The thought stuck with him throughout the day, and soon, a leadership book was born. That initial question is the primary thrust of this book which argues that the people in support roles are actually as important as the leaders themselves. Success, in reality, is only the result of people working together. The rest of the text is dedicated to discussing people in leadership, recruiting quality volunteers and even developing those holding the ladder to move up the ladder themselves. Lastly, he turns the metaphor around asking instead, "Whose ladder are you holding?" Especially for those of us in the Body of Christ, we need to be reminded again that we vitally need each other. Adding this book to your collection will give excellent leadership help.
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