Fall 2003 - Northwestern College

N o r t h w e s t e r n C l a s s i cA l u m n ie w sP r a y e c ro rn e rThe Rev. HarlanVa n O o rt ’82C h a p l a i nassistance by Paul Lubbers ’70 andSarah Yoder ’02. Tim Poppen ’76n a rrated the film.Scholars pray. Nort h w e s t e rn College is adistinctively Christian educational institution,dedicated to the life of the mind. It isbold to assert that the teacher is Godt h rough the reign of Jesus by the power ofthe Spirit. There is a connection betweenl e a rning and praying.Simone Weil, the brilliant German mysticf rom a few decades ago, uses the word“attention” to get a handle on the task ofstudying. In her book Waiting for God, sheexplains that to learn anything, one mustpay attention. Because prayer is deep attentionto God, it becomes the beginning for learning in twoways. First, it puts us initially in touch with the One whoowns everything we learn. Second, prayer induces humility tomake us teachable.The author of Psalm 71 understood this connection: “OGod, from my youth you have taught me, and I still pro c l a i myour wonderful deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, OGod, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all thegenerations to come.” The psalmist seems to be saying thre ethings about education: First, it is connected to faith. Second,it is lifelong. Third, teaching is mostly proclaiming what Godhas done.N o rt h w e s t e rn College connects learning and prayer, payingattention to God, alert to the reign of Christ in the world,listening to the Holy Spirit. When a college lives by prayer, asN o rt h w e s t e rn does, scholarship forms the lines of a prayer.Those who study and serve at NWC, with attention to God,a re learning to pray.Scholars who are not at Nort h w e s t e rn are asked to prayfor those who are. Together with Christ’s disciples in Luke11:1, let us say, “Lord, teach us to pray.”’ 4 9B e rnie Nibbelink, Sioux Center, andhis wife, Hazel (Sprik ’52), will celebratetheir 50th wedding anniversa ry in October. They are among sixcouples of the Sprik family whoheld a family reunion in PrairieVi e w, Kan., this summer. All sixcouples have been married for atleast 50 years. Included in the gatheringwere Alvina (Sprik) andC o rnie Keunen ’48, ’50 of OrangeCity and Leona and Stanley Sprik’50 of Wo rthington, Minn. Both ofthose couples have been married 52y e a r s .’ 5 4C a rol (Onken) Spiering, Biloxi,Miss., has been a widow since1995. She has a daughter in LittleRock, Ark.; a son in Pass Christian,Miss.; and three grandchildre n .’ 6 5Dean Reevert s, Colchester, Ill., iss e rving as pastor at BlandinsvilleFirst Baptist Church. His daughtergraduated as student of the yearand valedictorian of her high schoolclass, and is a freshman at HopeCollege this fall.’ 6 6C l a rence Kry g s h e l dis retiring fro mthe Chicago Public Schools on Oct.31 as the assistant principal of theRay Graham Training Center, whichs e rves severe to profoundly cognitivelydisabled students from ages15-21. In his 36 years in education,C l a rence taught regular classes andspecial education, coached numeroussports, served as a counselor atthe elementary and high school levels,and worked in various administrativecapacities.’ 6 9Ron Van Berkum re t i red from teachingin June. He taught two years atSioux Center and spent the last 32years teaching junior high socialstudies and 10th grade world historyand coaching junior high sport sat English Valleys School District inN o rth English, Iowa. He and hiswife, Kathy, have three childre n :Matt, Chrissy and Joni.’ 7 0Junko Nagao, Tokyo, Japan, ise n rolled in Nort h w e s t e rn s ’ one-yearEnglish as a second language programto brush up on her English.The Rev. David Schutt, pastor ofChrist Community Church inC a rmichael, Calif., is serving as pre s-ident of the Reformed Church inA m e r i c a s ’ General Synod for 2003-04. He was vice president last y e a r.’ 7 5The Rev. Dr. Tom Smith and his wife,Peg (Hofmeyer), have moved toRock Va l l e y, Iowa, after 17 years inBloomington, Minn. Tom is ministerof church life at Faith Reform e dC h u rch, and Peg is the secre t a ry forthe superintendent of the Boyden-Hull School District.The Rev. Paul We rn l u n d, Bro w nD e e r, Wis., was appointed chairm a nof the mission committee for theRegional Synod of Mid-America inJ u n e .The Rev. Bruce Wi l t e rd i n kis serv i n gas minister under contract at ElimR e f o rmed Church in Kings, Ill. He’salso doing outreach ministries innearby Davis Junction.’ 7 9D r. Timothy We s t c o t thas beennamed interim dean of underg r a d u-ate studies at Park University inParkville, Mo. He is an assistantp rofessor of history.’ 8 0D r. Rhonda Pennings is the newdean of arts and sciences/businessand health at Northwest IowaCommunity College (NCC) inSheldon. She taught communicationsat NCC for the past 11 years.’ 8 2Rebecca (Vander Laan) Koster,M o rrison, Ill., taught an English asa second language course atBlackhawk Community College inMoline this summer. She is teachingF rench part time in Geneseo thisf a l l .’84D r. James Kennedy is a professor inm o d e rn history at Free Universityin Amsterdam, the Netherlands.’ 8 7Laura (De Geest) Magg received herm a s t e r ’s degree in education fro mDoane College in May. She teachesfifth grade at West Park ElementarySchool in Columbus, Neb.Te rry Meier, Lincoln, Neb., is dire c-tor of community development forthe Southeast NebraskaDevelopment District. His wife,2 5 ▲ F a l l 2 0 0 3