Spiritual Benefits of Cross Registration

Friends:

This past Monday the Deans took a look at cross registration statistics--and will do so again at the next Deans meeting. The previous week the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees indicated the great importance of encouraging cross registrations.

I think a great benefit of taking a course in another institution is spiritual.

Most think that the benefit of cross registration is in learning from a distinguished professor or fulfilling a degree requirement. The obstacles are traffic and where to park and an unfamiliar campus.

The spiritual benefit is that cross registration forces us to 'dig deeper' in our faith--to open ourselves more to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

• We meet good people and build relationships.
• We see that others--often in different ways from ourselves--have been called by God.
• We learn from the gifts that God has given to others.
• We begin to see--through class learning and formal/informal discussion--that our theological worldview might need to develop more fully.
• We learn from the example of others' dedication to following Christ.

All of this requires a bit of humility and modesty on our part.
The experience of cross registration, can, in its way, help us to be more like Christ 'who humbled himself' for our salvation.

Peace,
John