Clarion 1991-11-01 Vol. 67 No. 04

              Date Rape
Issues
p. 9
Stress
>. 6
I X vrJL H. &±A S/  vFJl   %jLJLM.
Artist
p. it
Chicago Retreat Yields Ministry Insights
by Josh Freed
Staff Writer
Over FalIBreak, Assistant Campus
Pastor S teve Young led a group of 22 B ethel
students to Chicago to leam how students at
other schools minister to the world around
them.
This "Chicago Retreat" was an
activity of Bethel's World Christian Fellowship, a group of about 40 students who
meet regularly to do outreach. The trip was
partially subsidized by the Campus Minis-
BETHEL COLLEGE
ST. PAUL, MN
VOL.67, NO. 4
NOV. 1,1991
tries office and partially by the participating
students.
In Chicago, Young "targeted
schools that I knew had effective programs
in the area of outreach and missions." The
group studied programs at North Park College, in northern Chicago, and Wheaton
College, in
Wheaton, Illinois. Young said
that Oak Park, in
particular, has a
successful, student-run volunteer service outreach program.
The
team went to
these schools
with some questions about ministry. Young said
that they wanted
to know "what
those colleges are doing, why they are doing
it, and who is leading it." Rather than copy
existing programs at these schools, however, Young wanted to use these programs
as a "tool of learning" to help them create
their own programs.
Although one purpose of the trip
was to study outreach, Young said thai another purpose was simply "get away and
have some fun together." The Fellowship is
only about one month old, so Young wanted
to give the group a chance to get to know
each other and build team spirit. Activities
in this area included eating at Giordonno's
Pizzeria, taking in the John Hancock build-
Sludents experience Chicago firslhand. Pholo couriesy of Sieve Young.
ing, carriage rides, and, of course, visiting
the legendary Hard Rock Cafe.
Students on the trip gained valuable insight into the world around them.
Young wanted them to be in an environment
where they would experience cultural diversity. He said lhat one area they stayed in
contained about 22ethnic and cultural groups
in a two block area. Riding Ihe "L,"Chicago's
public-transit system, was also a new experience for many students.
Young felt that the trip was successful, saying that "it did what I wanted it
to," which was giving these Bethel students
a chance to see other students in leadership
positions.
Young emphasized that, like the
schools they studied in Chicago, the Fellowship is designed to be student-led. "I'm
interested in students working with me to
create a vision for what the future of Bethel
outreach and missions is going to be," he
said. "I want the students to have ownership," he added.
The World Christian Fellowship is
beginning to shape its plans for the future.
While they will continue to meet as a whole,
Young said that they are also going to break
down into smaller, more specialized ' 'task
forces." Areas to be covered include world
missions, a Twin Cities outreach, and an
urban development ministry. In the future
they might research neighborhoods in which
they plan to work, possibly even buying a
house in the area, to allow them to work
directly with local residents.
Young invites any Bethel students
with a hean for ministry to attend World
Christian Fellowship meetings. They take
place every Tuesday morning at 10:20 A .M.
in FA 314, and are sure to be an exciting part
of Bethel's outreach and ministry future.
Boyd Serves God on the Run
by Lisa Lawson
Contributing Writer
Greg Boyd is a man whose Christian walk takes him running.
Students may know him as the
professor who wears jeans. Or they may
think of him as the prof whose unique and
creative style can bring to life such killers as
CWC or Christian Theology. But many
students may be unaware of who Boyd is:
the runner of ultra-marathons, the pastor,
the professor of theology, the soon-to-be
published writer, the h usband and the father.
While in high school Boyd belonged to the cross country team. He says he
was never very fast, but he did discover his
endurance to be of great strength. "If the
race was long enough, I'd win," Boyd says.
In the ten years following high
school, Boyd was consumed by college and
graduate work, at the end of which he held a
Bachelor's Degree at the University of
Minnesota, a Master's Degree from Yale,
and a Doctorate from Princeton's seminary.
But having done virtually norunningthrough
his years of study, was "unhealthy and inactive." He greatly missed running and
wanted to get back into the sport.
This hope became a reality about
fiveyears ago upon hisemployment at Bethel
when Boyd resumed training, and ran the
Twin Cities Marathon in 1987—a 26-mile
first. Perhaps unsatisfied with the mere 26-
mile distance, he dove head-on into the
"longer" long distance running scheme, and
began to run the Ultra-Marathon. Scoping
any such distance of 30 to60miles, the ultra-
marathon brought well-earned success for
Boyd. Usually placing first or second, Boyd
claims he did "pretty good," and reiterates
the principle that his performance heightens
with the greater the distance of the race.
Greg Boyd s faith serves as a foundalion for
his many lalems and accomplishmenls.
Pholo by GJ Harper.
making Boyd's style and stamina the root of
his success.
In running the ultra-marathon,
Boyd faces two main problems. First, he has
very little time to train. His weekly workout,
which has him running only three times a
week, is comparable to that of a runner who
trains for three to five mile races. This is the
equivalent of about 40 miles a week as
opposed to the weekly average of 100 miles
covered by marathon/ultra-marathon racers. Secondly, at almost every major race,
Boyd inevitably gets injured and spends up
to the following two months in recovery and
restoration. In addition to a constant general
soreness caused by his running, the recent
diagnosis of having acute tendonitis in a
knee has temporarily terminated all running.
Since then, he's taken up race-walking, and
took second in a recent state championship.
Among his many accomplishments
in running, Boyd participated in the Edmund
Fitzgerald 100 kilometer World Championship. Competing against teams from all
over the globe, Boyd finished first among
the Minnesota participants, seventh in the
nation, and twenty-third in the world.
Last July, Boyd ran in the Family
Advanced Network Systems annual fundraiser to aid needy kids with college tuition.
The participants can run for as iong as 24
hours or up to 100 miles. When Boyd had
reached 70 miles, his knees were completely
shot. With only 13 hours having passed,
Boyd spent the remainder of the race icing
his knees for an hour, running five miles,
then icing again. Upon the twentieth hour of
the race, Boyd hit the 100 mile maximum.
Pledged at $10 per mile, he alone raised
$1000 for the organization.
But transcending the ultra-marathons, marathons, and other running competitions is Boyd's Christian expression and
worship of God, One of his most enjoyable
training runs is a 4-5 hour run in Aften State
Park in which "the whole thing," he say s, "if
oriented rightly is an act of worship."
He goes on to call it a celebration of
health. "In the woods you feel so much a part
of nature and the environment. You get
atuned to the sights and sounds and smells,
and can really feel God's presence. And
there's also a feeling of harmony—an inner
unity you can acquire that is really profound."
While the runs in Aften are the
most enjoyable and uplifting, a race can also
mean a journey into his spiritual depths and
an intimate communion with the Lord.
"Some of my best times of prayer
were during really long runs-especially to-
Boyd, con't. on Pg. 14.