User talk:ConsortiumofChristianStudyCenters

January 2013
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Consortium of Christian Study Centers
Overview

The Consortium of Christian Study Centers (often abbreviated CCSC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that exists to advance the growth and effectiveness of Christian Study Centers at colleges and universities around the world. CCSC sponsored events include an annual meeting in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion, and the Society of Biblical Literature, and educational yearly symposia open to its member and partner organizations.

History

Though the Consortium of Christian Study Centers (CCSC) has only been in existence as a legal entity for a little over four years, its history stretches back fifteen years. In 1998, when Dr. Drew Trotter, then President of the Center for Christian Study in Charlottesville, Virginia, was to deliver the Francis Schaeffer Memorial Lectures at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, the Francis Schaeffer Institute at the seminary decided to invite staff from like-minded institutions to attend. From those meetings, four heads of different Study Centers in California, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Virginia—Rev. Randy Bare of Westminster House, Berkeley, CA; Dr. David Mahan of the Rivendell Institute, New Haven, CT; Dr. Robert Osburn of the MacLaurin Institute, Minneapolis, MN; and Dr. Drew Trotter of the Center for Christian Study, Charlottesville, VA—with two other interested parties from Colorado and Missouri—Mr. Steve Webb of Centers for Christian Study International, Inc., Boulder, CO. and Mr. Luke Bobo of Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO.—began meeting together for prayer, mutual encouragement, and vision building. These met together for several years, adding new members, as some dropped off, last meeting informally in the spring of 2007 in Ithaca, NY at the Chesterton House at Cornell University with fourteen people representing nine different Study Centers in attendance. On July, 25-27, 2008, representatives of six of these Centers—Rev. Randy Bare of Westminster House, Berkeley, CA; Dr. Richard Howe of the Dayspring Institute, Boulder, CO; Dr. Karl Johnson of the Chesterton House, Ithaca, NY; Dr. David Mahan of the Rivendell Institute, New Haven, CT; Dr. Robert Osburn of the MacLaurin Institute, Minneapolis, MN; and Dr. Drew Trotter of the Center for Christian Study, Charlottesville, VA—met at Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN and officially formed the Consortium of Christian Study Centers (CCSC), agreed on a mission statement, drew up by-laws and appointed Dr. Trotter as full-time Executive Director of the Consortium, to begin Jan. 1, 2009. The plan at that time was to become a corporation in the Commonwealth of Virginia, but also to act as a subsidiary corporation of Centers for Christian Study, International (CCSI) in Boulder, CO. Since April 1, 2009, the Consortium has operated on its own as a free-standing not-for-profit organization. CCSC achieved 501(c)(3) status with the IRS in July, 2009, and Dr. Trotter spent most of his time in 2009 and 2010 fund-raising, developing infrastructure for the Consortium and visiting numerous sites from Boston to Los Angeles, gathering data and input from Study Centers, churches and third party organizations, about how best to accomplish the four goals of our mission. An example of the results of that work is our website, www.studycentersonline.org, which launched in February, 2011. In September of 2011, the Consortium sponsored its first Symposium in Charlottesville, Virginia with representatives from nine Christian Study Centers in attendance. Over two days, 18 Study Center staff and board members discussed James Davison Hunter’s book To Change the World with the author. In November of 2011, the CCSC held its first Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California between the Annual Meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society and the American Academy of Religion. 22 different representatives from various Study Centers and Partner Organizations engaged in a panel discussion and two workshops. Drs. Johnson, Mahan and Trotter led the panel discussion, sharing insights on what they had learned in a combined fifty years of Study Center experience. Mr. Kenneth Leonard of Seattle, WA led a workshop on fundraising and Mr. R. Craig Wood of Charlottesville, VA led a workshop on legal issues in higher education. In December of 2011, the CCSC sent out sits first monthly email, informing members and anyone who would like to receive the email of Consortium news, of events of interest at member institutions, and providing brief notes on books, articles, movies and outstanding programs at member institutions, which are useful for consideration by those involved in a Christian Study Center. Two Symposia for member Study Centers took place in the spring of 2012. The first took place April 13-14, 2012 and featured Dr. Gregory K. Beale and a discussion of his book A New Testament Biblical Theology. This Biblical Theology Symposium was co-sponsored by Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. Eleven representatives of Study Center Members and Partner Organizations were in attendance. The second Symposium occurred on May 3-4, 2012 with Dr. Amy Sherman on her book Kingdom Calling. This Church and Society Symposium was held at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia and had twelve in attendance. The second Annual Meeting of the CCSC took place November 16-17, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois, just prior to the Annual Meetings of the AAR/SBL. Drs. Richard Horner, Executive Director of the Christian Study Center of Gainesville in Gainesville, FL and William Wilder, Executive Director of the Center for Christian Study in Charlottesville, VA, led a panel discussion on what they feel are the successes and the failures of their tenures at their respective Study Centers. Rev. Michael Woodward of Christ Church Lake Forest, Lake Forest, IL conducted a workshop on strategic planning. A spring Higher Education Symposium is planned for April 26-27, 2013 with Dr. Dallas Willard on his book The Disappearance of Moral Education. It will be held at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton in Santa Monica, CA.

What is a Study Center?

Study Centers vary widely in their practices, but all of them affirm the usefulness of the mind for Christian life and witness. Three activities form the core of the work in which Study Centers are engaged: 1) the formation of individuals who are transformed by the truth in their individual lives, as well as in their corporate lives as members of society, the family and the Church; 2) full participation in the life of the University, serving it by taking part in the formation of its institutional structures and patterns as well as its teaching and research; and 3) serving as a bridge between parachurch campus ministries, Church and community.

Mission & Vision

In pursuit of this mission, CCSC has the following goals: 1) To promote collaboration among Study Centers and with other organizations committed to the spiritual health and well-being of the university; 2) To provide mutual stimulation and resources to existing Study Centers through consultation, speaking, networking and the development of resources such as meetings, internet resources, and knowledge bases among others; 3) To encourage and support the development of new Study Centers by providing advice and consultation to groups who wish to start new centers; and 4) To raise awareness of the Study Center movement by any means available so that the public can be more knowledgeable of this Kingdom work.