Keeping Your Balance

Have you ever thought much about a pendulum? They swing all the way to the right, stop for just a moment, only to swing in the opposite direction, all the way to the left, where they stop for another moment, only to swing right again. They only stop at the extreme right or at the extreme left. They never stop anywhere in the middle.

One of my instructors at Heritage Christian University blessed me with a little piece of information. He encouraged me to always aim to stay balanced. He uses the illustration of a pendulum swinging. It seems that when we are raised believing one way, and ultimately study to discover that our beliefs were not entirely correct, we tend to react in a way that we swing the opposite direction. Often, if we are not careful, we can swing too far in the opposite direction.

I've found, as I've learned more about the Bible and how to study it and what I believe, that it is very easy to swing like that pendulum. It takes a lot of effort to try and maintain balance in everything. It's easy to develop a bitter attitude when I realize that something I have always believed is not entirely correct. And I have to work to try and maintain balance. And I have to work to maintain a Christ-like attitude and mindset, as I strive to become who He wants me to be.

In my time at HCU, I feel like everything I have always believed has been questioned and stripped away from me, as I have learned not to just accept everything without studying it. There are a lot of things that have led me to think, "is that really Scriptural?" And as I've studied, I've found that a lot of things I've believed were clear are actually not so clear. I regret that I may have developed some bitter attitudes that were not always what Christ would have me to be. And I am sorry for that. My husband and I have always firmly believed that if people know you love them and if you tell them in the right way, you can tell them anything. And we have seen that proven true in numerous situations. I want to seek to have an attitude so that people know I love them and I want to have the wisdom to approach people in the right ways so that God can, though me, reach more. I pray that God will mold me into that type of person.

I want to encourage you to think about the pendulum as you grow in your walk with Christ. Try not to be like the pendulum, stopping only at the extreme right or at the extreme left. Instead, seek to be in the middle. Strive to be balanced and to be as much like Christ in your approach as you possible can.

I am not an advocate of the "liberal" and "conservative" distinctions that Christians make between themselves and their brothers and sisters in Christ. I think making those distinctions is not Christ-like and I believe it only harms the impact that we can have on the lost. However, I believe that if we were all aware of this pendulum effect, and we all sought to try to control it better, rather than letting ourselves react in an erroneous way, more people would land closer to the middle. And the church would result in being more united. And since God longs for his people to be in unity, that result would bring a smile to His face.

Heritage Christian University--The "Best Kept Secret in Town"

It’s the only career where the work you do carries on past this life on earth. It’s ministry. Real-world ministry. And Heritage Christian University can prepare you for exactly that.

Are you the type of student HCU is designed for? Are you a diligent Christian who wants to make a difference in the kingdom of God? Are you self-motivated, hard-working, dependable and mature? Do you have defined goals while at the same time being open to God’s will and going where He guides you in your life? Do you want to know more about the Bible and about theology? Do you want to dedicate your life to God and His kingdom, and prepare yourself to make a difference in eternity?

There is a school that is specially designed for this kind of person. It is a school that is created to attract a certain audience in order to “provide a biblically based education, promote spiritual growth, and prepare communicators of the gospel.” Since its establishment in 1971, Heritage Christian University has offered four-year Bachelor’s degrees in Biblical Studies. It began with the purpose of providing only Biblical degrees so that the program could have sole-focus and therefore be the best Biblical studies program available. Higher degrees in Biblical studies have been added since.

Why choose Heritage Christian University?

Design. If you are the type of student HCU is designed for, you need to be there. The audience that HCU targets has a good personality, but knows when to be serious. He or she is more interested in evangelism and ministry than in wasting time on trivial things. This student is not seeking a school that provides the “fun, college life” but rather school where he or she can stretch and grow. The student would become restless and frustrated in a place that wasn’t designed for him or her. This student would flourish best at HCU.

Academics. The education at HCU is one of excellence. The school offers a “balanced, comprehensive, practical education.” Students are challenged academically, their passion for ministry is enhanced, and their skills for service are strengthened. HCU offers a variety of programs to fit the needs of each student. Degrees offered are: AA in Biblical Studies, BA in Biblical Studies, Master of Arts, and Master of Ministry.

Faculty. HCU is blessed to have the best faculty around. Instructors at Heritage have degrees from schools including Brite Divinity School, Hebrew Union College, and Brandeis University, among others. With instructors specializing in everything from general education to practical ministry to Old Testament to New Testament to Counseling, and more, HCU instructors are a tremendous asset to the school and will not disappoint you.

Finance. Because HCU is a donation-driven school rather than a tuition-driven school, the supreme education it provides can be offered at about half the cost other schools offer Biblical Degrees in. Heritage is blessed with a hard-working President, Dennis Jones, who travels and works hard to make and maintain relationships with people and churches who see the students HCU turns out and desire to make financial contributions. There is also a donations office dedicated to making sure the school stays in good financial order. Besides those working on the donations side of things, a financial aid office is run by Mechelle Thompson who can help you with scholarships, grants, loans, etc. She will make sure you are getting the best deal for your education that can be provided.

Real-World. Not only does HCU give you the head-knowledge you need to be prepared for ministry, but the school also is a hard believer in hands-on learning. Part of the curriculum asks the student to always be involved in some form of Christian Service. This includes anything a variety of things: Bible-class teaching, preaching, door-knocking, jail ministry, etc. There are always new opportunities in this area. Besides the Christian Service program, HCU also organizes opportunities for students to go on campaigns each Spring and each Fall to “get in the field” and use the skills and knowledge HCU is providing. The real-world aspect of HCU ensures that the student will not graduate and go into the field without knowing what to do. It ensure success in ministry.

Distance Learning. Because ministry is so demanding and time-consuming, HCU offers the opportunity for students to get their education online. Students can watch their classes through Tegrity and communicate with instructors and submit assignments through Populi. This allows flexibility in the students at HCU. Michael Jackson is in charge of this department and he keeps things running smoothly for these students. No need to worry about “technical difficulties.” Michael Jackson and Alana Marks know the system backward and forward, and will always have an answer to your question. And if not, they will find the answer.

Students. The students at HCU will relate with you. They share your passion for God. They share your passion for seeing souls saved, learning more about God, and making a difference in the kingdom. Students at HCU work together to make the world and the school a better place. They have a family-like relationship with each other that can be found no place else.

The bottom line: I grew up in the Florence area and graduated from Mars Hill Bible School. I was actively involved in my youth group and in all of the area teen events. And I never knew that Heritage Christian University was designed for me. I had plans to attend another school, but God intervened. He brought my husband into my life through at HCU campaign and that’s how I learned that I was the type of student HCU was designed for. I changed my plans and came to HCU. And I want to get the word out. Because I am so thankful everyday that I decided to continue my education at Heritage Christian University.

Here is a link to the HCU website if you are interested in finding out more:
Heritage Christian University

-Hannah Burleson