What If … ? Those two little words are the stuff dreams and visions are made of. Last February, the Board of Directors and the Regents met to do a bit of “What If’ing” and build a map to the future. During those discussions, the role of BGU’s Alumni Association loomed large. High hopes were put on our alums as we dreamed about those two little words … What If … Regional Alumni strategized together city reaching and even nation transformation? Non-Western Alumni built training opportunities to share with church leaders in the … [Read more...]
Alumni Association News – April 2021
BGU’s newest program is 1-year old! – Reflections on the PhD in Innovative Urban Leadership.
In a recent blog from Future Shapers’ Richard Hames (https://thefutureshapers.com/the-ivory-tower/), he speculates on the future of higher education in the light of the monumental changes in education accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Reading this article, it became clear that the success of the new BGU PhD program illustrates many of his points. In our first year we admitted 25+ students, with our first learner already beginning their research. I want to reflect on BGU’s new PhD program using topics suggested by Hames, showing that we were … [Read more...]
Alumni Association News – February 2021
‘Tis true. Things have been a bit quiet here at the Alumni Association, but it’s not because we weren’t doing anything. In fact, we’ve been pretty busy expanding our networks, recruiting class representatives, and putting plans in place for an upcoming alumni webinar series, an Alumni Association Newsletter to help us connect and get to know each other better, and an end-of-the-year alumni conference. Lots to do and lots of plans. This month’s note is going to be short, but I wanted to let you know about the upcoming Refresher Webinar. It will … [Read more...]
Around the World in 8 Weeks
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman is undoubtedly my favorite reading resource during my many courses in BGU. I remember being greeted in 2009 by these lines on the introductory page “Why go through all the trouble of writing a second expanded and updated version of The World Is Flat only a year after the first expanded version was published and a mere two years after the original? I can offer a very brief answer: because I could and because I had to. Precisely because of the powerful technological forces detailed in this book (emphasis … [Read more...]
Love [Your City]: 5 Steps to Citywide Movements
What if the church in your city becomes known for its love? God is on the move and doing a new thing around the globe. Citywide movements and global urban mission are two merging trends turning the church inside-out. In cities worldwide, the church is becoming known for its love, like Jesus said. How can you start such a movement in your city, town, or community? Most urban mission textbooks are written from and for a Western context, but this book is different! Jacob Bloemberg shares the story of Love Hanoi, a campaign-turned-movement that has … [Read more...]