News Stories Archive

In an effort to better accommodate campus visitors, two departments that specifically serve prospective, as well as current, students will be changing locations as of the Spring 2015 semester.

Key admissions and financial aid staff will move to the Welcome Center, formerly the “pro shop” that housed the Student Development office. Campus Visit Coordinator Emily Mitchell and Executive Director of College Enrollment Adam Asher are two admissions staff members who will move from the Administrative Building to the newly appointed welcome area.

“This makes it easier for guests to connect to the admissions office, because it’s the first building on campus once you park in Lot A,” said Jeremy Klyn ’02, director of admissions. “It’s a starting point for their day when they visit and will allow us to also navigate other guests on campus to the proper location.”

Student Development is experiencing two changes, including a name change to “Student Life” and a relocation to the Administration Building. This involves a move for staff members, including Vice President of Student Life Becky Starkenburg, Dean of Students Mark Hanna, and Coordinator of Student Services Celeste DeBoer.

“I’m grateful to be part of a college that is deeply committed to cultivating the kind of community where students flourish– even when that means making what seems like a small, mid-year office change,” said Starkenburg.

Klyn said the change will allow Student Life personnel to be in a higher student traffic area and closer to co-workers and departments that also serve current students.

A major benefit of a Trinity education for students is the College’s proximity to Chicago.

Discover how Chicago becomes your “classroom”

While Trinity is located in the quiet suburbs of Palos Heights, Illinois, students are only 30 minutes away from a truly global city with endless avenues for experiencing art, culture, music, and dining, in addition to research, internship, and job opportunities.

To help our prospective and current students learn more about how Trinity’s many connections to Chicago support and enhance their college education, we have created a new Chicago web page.

The Chicago web page features:

Student internships
Alumni successes
Student activities in the city
Chicago Semester

A visit to the city is part of our Destination Trinity visit day. Sign up for an upcoming visit day!

The Worship Scholars Program started several years ago to demonstrate Trinity’s commitment to worship on campus. Today, the program does much more than that.

Students who are part of the program identify themselves with a group that shares the same goals and are continually learning and growing in their capacities to lead worship.

Worship Coordinator Nicole Saint-Victor ’12 meets regularly with first-year scholars in order to broaden their understandings of worship in general and the culture of worship here on Trinity’s campus. Scholars also connect weekly with Trinity’s wider Campus Ministry Leadership Team in order to meet and enhance the broader context of campus worship.

Each scholar participates in any or all of the worship programs on campus, including Chapel, Sunday Night Worship, and Outcry. Together, the group of scholars visits several worship locations throughout the year. Through events like these, the scholars grow intentionally as a spiritual team and in basic leadership skills.

Junior worship scholar Kristen Folkertsma ’16 of Lynden, Washington, said, she has been blessed to be a part of the program. “Little did I know that a program I thought I would be forming would, in turn, work to form and shape me in my walk with the Lord and my role as a spiritual leader on campus.”

The program recognizes a Reformed theological tradition, but is enhanced by the diverse denominations represented in the student body.

Chaplain Bill Van Groningen said, “All of our worship services participate in the holistic learning experience that we cherish here at Trinity. So we will incorporate into our campus worship the gifts of God’s people from across the ages and around the world.”

Worship Scholars

Third-year scholars:

Kristen Folkerstma ’16 of Lynden, WA; Brian Haak ’15 of Zeeland, MI; and Alexandra Otto ’15 of Brandon, Wisconsin

Second-year scholars:

Jordan Ghiglia ’17 of Wenatchee, WA; Ruby Gunderson ’15 of Elk River, MN; and Nathan Piersma ’17 of Wyoming, MI

First-year scholars: Adalys Crespo ’18 of Chicago, IL; Tre Davis ’18 of Olympia Fields, IL; Ryan Hesslau ’18 of Mokena, IL; Cara Horstman ’18 of Sioux Center, IA; Rebecca Loenen ’18 of Zionsville, IN; and Jason Walters ’18 of Zeeland, MI

Trinity Christian College has been named once again to the President’s Honor Roll for General Community Service. The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes colleges and universities that practice exemplary community service and help to teach that education and service go hand in hand.

In 2014, with over 84% of the student population participating in service, students logged over 10,000 hours of service. Students completed volunteered time to partnering organizations through courses, projects, and sports.

Students like seniors Emily Lucas of Hobart, Indiana, Joshua Edwards of Chicago, Illinois, and Heather Slocum of Manhattan, Illinois got involved in service by volunteering at Roseland Christian Ministries (RCM).

Slocum, a psychology major, saw the opportunity to serve at RCM as a way to do what she loves.

“My goal has always been to work with kids,” Slocum said. “I have absolutely fallen in love with the kids at RCM and will forever cherish our memories in my heart.”

But serving has been more than just a work of love for Slocum, it has become a life-giving and life- shaping tool by which to see the work of the Lord.

“Serving the students and families in Roseland has absolutely changed my perspective on the helping profession,” Slocum said. “The students at RCM are pure examples of the Lord’s loving and accepting nature, and I have been extremely blessed to serve them for the past three years.”

Other students like senior Cynthia Coffey of Robbins, Illinois volunteered at Restoration Ministries. Coffey also had the opportunity to complete a work-study project with Tabitha Matthews, coordinator for Community Services and Pre-College Programs, where Coffey was able to see first-hand the work that goes into providing students with opportunities to serve.

The volleyball team claimed the title of champions at the NCCAA National Championship in Kissimmee, Florida. The Trolls, who were the No. 1 seed in the tournament, defeated No. 3 Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, Colorado) in four sets (23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-15) in the championship match to earn their first place finish. It is the volleyball program’s first national championship title.

In the tournament the Trolls were a perfect 3-0 in pool play with three-set victories over Houghton University (NY), Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and Southern Wesleyan University (SC). Trinity made their way to the championship match with a three-set victory over McMurry University (TX)in the quarterfinals and five-set win over No. 2 Grace College (IN) in the semifinals.

“I am extremely pleased with the team and how we played throughout the tournament,” said head coach Bill Schepel. “After taking care of things in the pool play, we knew that the final day of competition would be tough. The team rose to the occasion and met the challenge.”

In the championship match the Trolls dropped the first set, but came back and in each following set progressively took control. The score was tight in the opening set until a five point run by Colorado Christian left Trinity with a 15-10 deficit. The Trolls fought back to tie the score at 21-21, but could not get the top spot.

The Trolls started strong in the second set strong and jumped to an 8-3 lead. They held off the Cougars and with a 20-18 advantage, the Trolls scored the final five points for the win.

Trinity again took an early lead in the third set and kept the lead throughout. Ahead 14-11, the Trolls rallied off five points on four kills to build a sizable gap. It was that eight-point difference that held at the end of the set.

With momentum and set count in their favor, the Trolls controlled the fourth set. Midway through the set they extended a two point lead to a 17-9 edge. Trinity kept attacking and increased the lead to 11 points. At 24-15, Danielle Oeverman registered a kill to give the Trolls the win and the championship title.

Trinity ended the match with 20 more kills than Colorado Christian. The Trolls had 65 kills and a .322 attack percentage and the Cougars had 45 kills with a .187 attack percentage. Defensively Trinity also posted 10 more digs than Colorado Christian.

In the kill category Rachel Verhage led the team with 18 kills while Courtney Samudio had 17. Verhage also had 11 digs and four blocks. Also in double digits in kills were Lauren Macadlo with 12 and Danielle Oeverman with 10. Erynn Schuh handed out 53 assists and picked up 14 digs. Karliegh Krchmery had 12 digs and Brittany Dykstra had her hand in four blocks.

Danielle Oeverman was named to the All-Tournament Team and Erynn Schuh received the honor of Most Valuable Player.

The Trolls end their season with a 38-10 overall record, which ties Trinity’s record for most season victories. Under the direction of Coach Schepel the team has made four NCCAA National Championship appearances in the past five years. They have been in the final four, runners-up, and now national champions.

The words from Handel’s “Messiah” ring true:

Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
… and He shall reign forever and ever.

Celebrating with you the birth of our Lord and Savior,

Liz Rudenga, Ph.D., Interim President

Each year, student teams in the Organizational Consulting course put their classroom learning into practice as they consult with various business and nonprofit “clients.” As the capstone course for business majors, the course offers students experiential learning through interacting with real business issues and businesses.

Dr. Rick Hamilton, assistant professor of business, teaches the course.

Over the course of the semester, students presented project updates to a panel of business professionals. The final meeting on December 4 gave the students the opportunity to present final outcomes to their clients, mentors, and the broader Trinity community.

“Working with a local business as a part of the organizational consulting class was a great experience,” said Taylor Boice ’15 of Hudsonville, Michigan. “I was able to learn about leadership and teamwork firsthand. The lessons and connections I gained from this project are something I will use the rest of my career.”

Stephanie Reichert ’14 of Alsip, Illinois, gained insight into working with a team on a long-term project. “As a future auditor, it was important for me to become acclimated to ongoing group work as I will be working along with many other coworkers.”

This year, some business students also collaborated with English students to assist the Chicago Semester with key projects.

“The financial model that the team created far exceeded my expectations,” said Chicago Semester Director Mackenzi Huyser ’98, Ph.D. “The expertise they offered through collaboration with other classes at Trinity gave us very helpful data and wonderful alumni stories to share as we celebrate our 40^th anniversary. I was impressed with the professionalism of my team and the creative ideas they offered in their work with our program.”

I was impressed with the professionalism of my team and the creative ideas they offered in their work with our program.
Dr. Mackenzi Huyser ’98

Senior Courtney Samudio of Surprise, Arizona, said she enjoyed the support shown by the Trinity community in regard to her team’s project.

“I worked with the Bootsma Bookstore Café, and it became so evident at my final presentation that the recommendations I provided my client were not only heard but well received and sincerely appreciated.”

Partnering businesses and projects included:

Back to God Ministries International: Students assisted with the development, coordination, and evaluation of services provided through ReFrame ministries.

Calumet Country Club: Students assisted with developing a membership retention and expansion plan.

Chicago Semester: Students assisted with developing a strategic financial planning model to assist in programmatic evaluation and development, improving the understanding of why students are attracted to the semester experience and what they gain from it, and developing materials for the celebration of the 40^th anniversary of the program.

City of Palos Heights: Students developed a comprehensive plan and framework to assist the client with implementing the rebranding recommendations for the city.

Elmhurst CRC: Students assisted with the evaluation and training of the management information system supporting church staff and congregational communication, budgeting, and coordination activities.

K Hoving and Co: Students assisted with assembling an integrated marketing resource and plan to help with securing city street sweeping contracts.

Meyer Eye Care: Students assisted with a range of operational and strategic issues including developing a mission/vision/values statement, a refined marketing message and presence, projects to assist with computer integration, an operating budget and accounting improvements, and overall client service improvements.

Monroe Transportation: Students assisted with assembling and evaluating information related to fleet maintenance costs, approaches to leasing or buying new tractors, and integrating several different information sources.

Trinity Admissions: Students assisted with the development of themes and protocols for attracting and retaining students from legacy schools and local community colleges.

Trinity Bootsma Bookstore Café: Students assessed the current structure and function of the BBC and developed three visions that would both improve the current operational structure and answer selected strategic questions.

At the annual ceremony on Saturday, December 13, 2014, the Trinity community celebrated the commencement of 84 baccalaureate, Adult Studies, and graduate students.

The Counseling Psychology Graduate Studies program recognized its first graduating class with eight students receiving their master of arts degrees.

“I have long imagined and prayed for this day, and I am so very proud of each of these eight students, their professors, administrators, and staff who took this vision and made it a reality,” said Dr. Michael DeVries ’74, long-time Trinity professor and director of the Counseling Psychology graduate program in his Commencement address. “This is a great moment in Trinity’s history and a highlight of my career as a Trinity professor.”

Families and friends of all the graduates gathered in the Ozinga Chapel Auditorium to witness the presentation of the diplomas. The invocation was delivered by Rick Riddering, director of Adult Studies Business.

The song of response was sung by the Gospel Choir with solos performed by Ciara Deal and Elizabeth Jones, accompanied by Tre Davis and Otis Bowden.

The Commencement litany was led by Bonnie Rauch ’14, an Adult Studies Business graduate.

Alumni greetings were offered by Bill DeRuiter ’09, director of alumni relations, and the benediction was given by Rev. Willis Van Groningen, Ph. D.

Don’t Leave Trinity without Your Imagination

Commencement, December 15, 2014

Dr. Michael DeVries ’74

Trinity Christian College

Thank you Provost Robbert for that gracious introduction. Board of Trustees, President Rudenga, Colleagues, Family and Friends, I am honored to stand before you today at this Commencement Ceremony. And to the students graduating today I say–Congratulations on your achievement! You have run the race, you have finished the course. Praise God!

Graduation is always a special time. I am grateful I am able to share this wonderful celebration with you. I am especially thankful for the opportunity to see a dream come true—the first class of graduate students in the Counseling Psychology program will be awarded master’s degrees here today. Congratulations to this great group of students at this historic moment. I have long imagined and prayed for this day, and I am so very proud of each of these eight students, their professors, administrators, and staff who took this vision and made it a reality. This is a great moment in Trinity’s history and a highlight of my career as a Trinity professor.

On a lighter note. I am also thrilled along with others here today to have one time this semester I can dress up in academic garb like Pastor Bill does every day here at Trinity. I have not noticed others picking up the fashion, but I applaud the effort to raise awareness of our academic identity. Right on Pastor Bill!

Before I share with you a few remarks this morning, I want to be mindful of the importance of keeping my speech short. In all my years attending Commencement ceremonies I have yet to hear anyone say I wish the Commencement speaker had gone on longer. But it is important to begin with a little background of my time here at Trinity. I will skip over the first 25 years of my life, eventful as they were, and start with the year I first began my teaching career at Trinity. It was 1977, and each year was something special, so let’s take the time to review year by year up to the present. Let’s see, after 1977 there was 1978. Oh, that was a great year. And then 1979 came along and 1980. Wow this may go on for a while. Reviewing my 38 years ago may take longer than one of those three or four-hour Adult Studies classes. Well, just summarizing then…

It has been a long strange and wonderful journey these last 38 years and four years as a student. So much has changed at Trinity. I have met and worked with so many wonderful colleagues and students. I have grown up here, taught much, learned much and really loved the journey. There have been great joys but also a few tragedies and heartaches as well. Like a long-term marriage (which I am also blessed with), my love for Trinity has evolved and deepened through the good times, the struggles, and the successes. But this day is really about looking forward with hope and vision for the future-your future as graduates, beginning your journey into greater participation in our society and greater responsibility. With that in mind, I want to make just a few remarks on a theme I hope you will find inspiring as you look back and as you look ahead toward your future.

To set the stage I do want to tell you one Lake Wobegon-like story of a Trinity long ago—unlike Garrison Keillor’s stories this one actually happened. The events of this story took place before 1977 to when I was a student here at Trinity in the early 70s. Back in the early seventies Trinity was caught in a financial squeeze and a philosophical crisis. Enrollment was down, inflation was rampant, money was scarce and students and faculty were uncertain about the “direction” the college should take as a Christian institution of higher learning. There was considerable tension between administration, faculty and students. Being president of Trinity has never been an easy job, but it has probably never been more difficult than during that time.

Needless to say there were strong opinions and strong personalities on campus during this time. We were a much smaller community, and students as well as faculty were often frustrated by the gap between their expectations and the reality of this fragile flower of a liberal arts college. Back then, it was a college custom at the beginning of the academic year to have a campus-wide picnic. It was a casual affair, an opportunity to mix and mingle held up on the hill above the creek behind what is now Tibstra Hall. Soon after the picnic began, the president of the college arrived in his best suit, looking stiff and out of place in the crowd who were dressed in flannels and jeans. At some point during the festivities, the president wandered a little too close to the creek. Maybe you can guess what happened next. As the president turned his back, a swarm of male students snuck up behind him, picked him up by his limbs and proceeded to throw him into the creek, polished suit and all. I will never forget the look of shock on his face as he sunk into the shallow and muddy waters of the creek. The crowd turned to the source of the ruckus and roared its approval. The president was not pleased, in fact he was downright angry as he climbed dripping wet out of the creek looking like drenched cat. He stormed off. Unfortunately, his inability to take the prank in good humor and laugh at himself did not endear him with the students and it was not long after he left the college.

Now we are in the process of looking for a new President here at Trinity, but something tells me the Search Committee will not share this story as they interview potential candidates for the position of Trinity’s next president.

So why tell this story? As a warning to future presidents not to go near the creek dressed in your best suit and tie? Not really, but the story may show something I hope, graduates, you will take with you. When you leave Trinity with your degree, remember to take your imagination with you. It took imagination for students to seize the moment and execute a symbolic action that revealed the character of the president and his staid and aloof relationship to the college community. Who wears a suit and a tie to a picnic anyway? Now graduating students you may not have done anything quite so extreme as throw your president into the creek, but I hope you have experienced the power of imagination here at Trinity. Let me share with you why imagination and education are so closely linked and so vitally important for the world we live in today.

What is imagination? Simply put, imagination is our capacity to link perceptions and thoughts in meaningful ways. Imagination is productive not merely fanciful. Images are the outcomes of that capacity–some of which are purely psychological as in dreams, and others take on material form as in symbols or actions. There is much talk today in and out of Christian academic circles about imagination, symbols and images. One can turn to philosopher Charles Taylor and his concept of the social imaginary. Christian philosopher, Jamie Smith, speaks of Imagining the Kingdom of God. Walter Brueggemann, Reformed theologian, has highlighted the value of a “prophetic imagination”.

All of these thinkers regard imagination as central to our humanity and to our vocation as followers of Christ. Images gather and compress meanings in ways that extended discourse, sermons, lectures, and the like seem to miss. Today we find ourselves awash in a world of information, but it is images that capture the meaning of our lives. We rely on images when propositional notions of truth often described in terms of principles, rules and procedures fail us. As Jamie Smith has pointed out, the formative power of images shapes how we think and act pre-intellectually, pre-rationally. Images keep us close to the emotional and spiritual heart of things. You will forget much soon after leaving Trinity, but your education at Trinity has been successful if you have been deeply formed by a Christian imagination, expressed in foundational stories, legends and images taken from Scripture, the history of the church and the lives of the saints.

We here at Trinity, in the Protestant wing of Christianity, have been suspicious of visual images of our faith, but once in a while we get it right. Stop and look carefully perhaps for the last time at the stained glass images in this chapel. They tell the story of a world and its creatures, revealed in the images of Creation, Fall, Redemption and New Creation. Don’t leave Trinity without inscribing these images within your heart. Furthermore, keep in your memory the images of professors who go with you as a cloud of witnesses inspiring and guiding you. Hang onto to the vision of a faith that can move mountains of despair, injustice and corruption. Cling to the image of a servant Christ who invites you to be co-workers with him–busy forming and re-forming this world until he comes again.

Finally, let me charge you to go forth today from Trinity and imagine a world where all children have enough to eat, imagine a world in which unarmed black men need not fear white policemen, imagine a world where gay, bisexual and transgendered persons feel loved and accepted in our churches and schools, imagine a world in which women can walk the streets alone without fear of assault, imagine a world where drones deliver mail and not missiles, imagine a world where the gifts of women and girls flower into leadership roles in the church and state, imagine a world where every prisoner, terrorist or not, is treated with human dignity, imagine a world in which the old and the sick can die in peace, imagine a world in which workers make a liveable wage, imagine a world where every pregnancy is celebrated and every child loved, and finally imagine a world without concussions due to violence of football. I had to throw that in there. Sorry football fans.

Graduates–take the images of God the Father, the risen Christ your Redeemer and the Holy Spirit with you and imagine a new heaven and new earth promised to us by a God who cares for this very earth and its starry firmament. On this day you deserve to rejoice at what you have accomplished. You have earned your diploma, but I say to you new graduates: don’t leave Trinity without your imagination. Go, imagine and dream. And may all your dreams of Shalom come true.

Thank you and God bless.