Greetings from Bryan College.

What an exciting start to the school year we have had this year. God has blessed us with another record enrollment, Dr. Daryl Charles challenged us during Convocation to consider the examples of four small but extremely wise creatures, and work continues on the new entrance.

In the next few weeks Bryan will host a concert by The King's Brass and a symposium on Christ and Culture. A week later and it's time for Homecoming 2009.

We believe God has great things in store for Bryan College this year, and we encourage you to be part of life on The Hill as much as possible. Make plans now to attend as many of the special programs and concerts as possible, and visit us often!

11 a.m., Chapel, featuring Operation Mobilization Arts, a new branch of Operation Mobilization with a vision to empower artists to engage their creative gifts in exalting God and extending His kingdom.

Sept. 30
4 p.m., Repertoire, Rudd Auditorium, featuring vocalists Harv Wileman and Michael Mays.

6 p.m. Rhea County High School (Evensville, Tenn.) Financial Aid Night. Rick Taphorn, Bryan College director of Financial Aid, will present an overview of the financial aid process.

E-Lumine

Year opens with record enrollment

“Something's happening” just might be the unofficial motto for the 2009-10 academic year at Bryan College, as speakers' encouragement, construction, and record enrollment combined to create an air of expectation as school opened in August.

As new students arrived on Aug. 22, environmental services staff members had to add beds to rooms in Robinson Hall to accommodate more students than had been expected just the day before. And less than a week later the work plan for the new entrance was modified to include building a new parking lot for student vehicles.

When the official count was made, Registrar Janet Piatt reported that traditional enrollment stood at 793, with 305 in the Aspire program, and 50 in the MBA program. Total enrollment of 1,148 compares with 1,079 a year ago.

Dr. Livesay said of the enrollment report, “We are so blessed during these days of recession to have such a great enrollment and such a quality class of students! To our God be all the glory, and may this be our greatest year in living out our mission and motto of 'Christ Above All.'”

The academic year formally began with the convocation program Aug. 25, featuring an address by Dr. Daryl Charles, new director and senior fellow of the Bryan Institute for Critical Thought and Practice.

Dr. Charles challenged the college family to consider the examples from nature mentioned in Proverbs 30:24-28, illustrating the concept “small but significant.” He pointed out that the creatures mentioned are “exceedingly wise,” and that they underscore the notion of community, corporate dependence, and collective effect, qualities important for the college today.

Symposium to examine Christ and Culture

“Christ and Culture,” integrating the hearts and minds of Christians to better understand the interaction of their faith with culture, is the theme of the next Bryan Institute symposium, Sept. 25-26.

“I have always had a burden for unity in the body of Christ, and that burden also applies to the Christian academy.” said Dr. J. Daryl Charles, director of the Bryan Institute for Critical Thought and Practice. He said he hopes the symposium will give students a wider appreciation of different Christian points of view and callings, enabling them to “go in to the marketplace and penetrate the public sphere” with a broadened sense of their personal callings and an understanding that “every calling is sacred.”

Dr. Charles said speakers for the symposium are creative thinkers reflecting Christian diversity. Each is an expert in his particular discipline. Speakers include T.M. Moore, a prolific writer and dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum; J. Budziszewski, a Roman Catholic political and moral philosopher and professor at the University of Texas in Austin; historian Wilfred M. McClay, professor at the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga and research fellow at Pepperdine University; and Kelly M. Kapic, associate professor of theological studies at Covenant College.

Exploring the relation of Christ and Culture, session topics will include “Render to Caesar...Render to God” and "Culture Matters: Advancing the Kingdom on the Front Lines of the Culture.”

King's Brass to open concert series

The King's Brass will present a concert of original arrangements of sacred music for brass instruments at Bryan College Sept 18.

The King's Brass, an ensemble of professional musicians from throughout the United States, has been performing for more than twenty years. Although their usual performance venues are churches, this year's tour included the Midland Center for the Arts in Michigan and The Tassel Center for the Performing Arts in Nebraska.

Dr. Mel Wilhoit, head of the Bryan music department, said the group offers an “interesting program, interactive, fun, and involves the audience. We are fortunate that we were able to schedule them.” In addition to a concert that will lift hearts and spirits, The King's Brass offers a performance that showcases top-quality musicianship with a variety of musical styles.

The concert, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Rudd Auditorium, is free, and will include a performance by the Bryan Brass Ensemble. For more information on The King's Brass, visit their web site, www.kingsbrass.org.

Bryan introduces Children's Choir

Bryan College will extend its musical outreach this fall as the music department develops a Bryan Community Children's Choir.

Mrs. Kimberly Keck, assistant professor of music, said the group will have the opportunity to sing in concerts throughout the area as well as at the college.

“There is nothing like this in Dayton as far as I know,” Mrs. Keck said. “Even in the schools there is more of an emphasis on instrumental music. This will be like a class where students who are selected will work on sight reading skills, vocal production, blend, balance and learning and memorizing music for concerts.”

After auditions in August, Mrs. Keck selected 23 children in grades five through eight for the initial choir. Rehearsals, which will be held twice a week, are to begin Sept. 14. The choir will sing a repertoire of classical, spiritual, and traditional sacred music.

“Over the past 25 years, hundreds of piano students have benefitted from the Community Music School,” Mrs. Keck said. “I believe there are many children in our community who would love to learn vocal skills and have the opportunity to perform for their families and friends.”

For more information or to schedule a performance in the Dayton area, contact Mrs. Keck at 775-7464 or by email.