Voices
Fall 2005
Worship Leadership – Justin Stanton
Conducting an orchestra and leading worship may be an idealistic yet far-off goal for many music education students, but for one such student at Evangel University, the opportunity came during the fall of 2005. Justin Stanton, a junior at EU, was given the chance to grow as both a leader and a worshipper through the worship leadership program developed through Project Envision’s Service-Learning Program. As Justin says, “My internship at Central Assembly of God has challenged me in many ways. It has molded my ways of thinking in situations I’ve never dealt with and opened my eyes to new methods I’ve never been exposed to.”
“Especially with the opportunities I received as an intern this semester, I have been given not only the chance to refine my skills, but refine my spirit.” — Justin Stanton
Worship Leadership – Joseph Dutko
As Joe Dutko, a Biblical Studies and Biblical Languages double-major at Evangel, learned while interning in the worship leadership program on Evangel’s campus during the fall of 2005, worship leadership is not just about leading worship: It is learning to live the lifestyle. Joe states that, “I came into this internship not knowing what to expect or even why I was doing it or how I fit in. I have no musical talent, ability, background, or knowledge, and I felt early on like I might have little to contribute to the program. The experience, however, has been extremely beneficial.” Joe had the opportunity to lead weekly meetings with the other worship leader interns, and he maintained interaction with a worship mentor, Dr. Gary Martindale, which Joe states was “vital to developing these understandings.”
“One of the dominant understandings I gained from my experiences this semester is that all of life is worship. This concept has radically impacted my own personal life and my sense of calling… My internship brought greater understanding of my callings, strengths, and gifts and how they fit into the body of Christ.” — Joe Dutko
Photojournalism Internship – Joshua "Gunnar" Larson
While most students are relaxing over their Christmas break and spending time with family, Gunnar Larson had the exciting chance to experience a student research program first hand by spending a month long international photojournalism internship in South Africa. As Gunnar says, “[it] was a great experience that really expanded my horizons and made me grow as an individual. My experiences not only changed my outlook internationally but also made me appreciate what we have here in the United States.” Gunnar not only had the rare opportunity to photograph various parts and lifestyles of South Africa, but he was also able to stay with different types of people whether in hostels or with rich families in four star resorts or with the poor who live in townships. Gunnar was able to sell several of his photographs while in South Africa and even received some compliments from a professional photographer. Gunnar says that “Over all, the experience is something I would never have dreamed of actually happening… To experience and photograph wild life first hand from elephants to hippos and to see the people of South Africa from the wealthy to the poorest of poor was a wonderful opportunity.. I feel that this is just a stepping-stone to a possible career within photography and visual communication.”
“After going on this internship, I really saw some strengths in me that I did not see before… I feel more empowered now that I can handle the task in front of me because I can look back and see how faithful God was to me while traveling in South Africa and keeping me safe and giving me awesome opportunities to photograph so much of the country of South Africa.” — Gunnar Larson
Stephanie Walters – Education Internship
As part of a 12-week internship with Becky Spain of Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Stephanie Walters, an Education major at Evangel University, had the chance to learn first-hand about the educational system during the fall of 2005. Walters was able to be a part of the School Board Candidate Endorsement Task Force, and as part of her tasks, was able to be a part of meetings and offer input on ideas such as how to create collaboration between the community and schools.
“My immediate career goal still remains the same, teaching elementary. However, this experience opened doors for how I can get involved in connecting the community with schools. Furthermore, I have always thought about going into school administration. In serving on the School Board Candidate Endorsement Task Force, I became more informed about the political aspect of administration… I now understand both the teacher and business outlook on partnerships. I learned to value the businesses desire to receive advertisement and recognition for their involvements. By seeing ‘the other side’ I feel more equipped for God’s calling on my life.” — Stephanie Walters
Internship – Sarah Pinho
Sarah PinhoDuring the fall of 2005, Sarah Pinho had the opportunity to have an internship with the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) through the American Studies Program. Sarah says that “the WOLA is an advocacy group/think tank that focuses on human rights and social justice issues in Latin America.” As one of seven interns, Sarah had numerous responsibilities throughout the WOLA, all lending a hand to social and civil justice within Latin America. Some of her tasks involved opening all newspapers delivered to the office, clipping the articles, and distributing them to appropriate staff. She also had a hand in specialized projects such as researching the criminalization of social movements, particularly the landless worker movement, researching negative effects of market-based land reform on Brazil, performing administrative duties, and serving as a receptionist.
“The people at WOLA are passionate about what they do, and it was an honor and a wonderful experience to intern there this semester.” — Sarah Pinho
Humanities “Drama Department” Mentorship Church – Theatre Field Trip
During the fall of 2005, twenty drama students from Evangel University traveled to Smyrna, Tennessee, to experience an Assembly of God church’s production of The Man in La Mancha. The musical, for some students, was going to be a stretch; others expressed angst at the mere fact that such a theatrical musical could take place within a church setting. However, as every single student expressed after viewing the production, the show was a success, and very skillfully and tastefully produced. Still, the intention of the show-to be an outreach to the community- did not go unnoticed by the students, nor unmentioned by mentors like David Smith, Associate Professor of Theatre who fueled conversation between the senior pastor of Smyrna First Assembly of God and the Evangel students. Many students, like Samuel Inman, were largely impressed by such dramatic effect and the tools through which they minister: “When I was sixteen years old, my interest was sparked in the theater… My passion for the theater has continually grown since then. The trip to Smyrna Assembly of God and the Lamplighter Theater was fuel for that fire that has been burning in me... [The pastors] don’t want to use theater as a gimmick to attract more constituents to their church. Their desire is to do theater that is redemptive to those who are in it and those who see it.” The students were also able to attend a typical church service at Smyrna Assembly of God and gain insight into the differences and similarities between a theatrical performance and a worship experience.
“This trip really changed my views about the roles of Christians in the theatre. Until now, I thought that our only job was to be the salt and the light among those we’re working with. Now, however, I realize that it is the job of Christians everywhere not to just participate in art, but to be leaders in the field. We should be the visions behind the shows, not just the actors reciting lines. We gave the arts to the world quite some time ago. I believe that we, as Christians, have the responsibility to take the arts back.” - Kate Lux
“This trip renewed my faith in the body of Christ. My experiences in the past have led me to believe that the church does not support theatre as a valid profession or ministry. The example of Smyrna Assembly’s cast, crew, and pastoral leadership helped me to see an amazing example of Godly love for the arts and the great Artist.” — Amy Miyamoto