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Top News |
First Intercollegiate Athlete Signs to Play for CIU Rams SoccerClick here to read the full story. |
History In The Making
We are embarking on one of the most exciting chapters in the history of CIU. For the first time in 89 years, CIU will field our first intercollegiate athletic teams in fall 2012. Why athletics at CIU? It fits with our purpose of educating people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ. Imagine the outreach that student-athletes and coaches can have both at home and abroad using the platform of athletics to share the good news of Jesus Christ
Our Sports
Fall 2012 marks the beginning of an aggressive five-year plan introducing intercollegiate athletics at CIU.
Our League
CIU will compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), whose mission is to use athletic competition as an integral component of education, evangelism, and encouragement.
Our Mascot
The ram was chosen as the CIU mascot for its strength and its biblical significance. Not only are rams known as ferocious defenders of their territory and their flock, the ram is a symbol of God's provision - a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
CIU Rams Club
Click here for more information on becoming a founding member of the CIU Rams Club!
Moore Fitness Center
Cheryl Guinther is the communications coordinator for the Alumni Ministries Office of Columbia International University. She serves alumni with genuine personal care and a professional approach developed over years as an executive administrative assistant and missionary. Cheryl worked over six years for a Christian financial management company providing client-care to seniors. As a missionary with Brethren in Christ World Missions in Zambia, Africa, Cheryl managed a mission guesthouse, served with a church team taking the “Jesus Film” to outlying villages, and started a “Reading Room” ministry to help street children return to school. For the last five years, she has been a mentor in the Missions Development Program for Brethren in Christ World Missions. Cheryl and her husband, Peter, moved to Columbia from Mechanicsburg, Penn. in August of 2010 so that Peter could complete his Master of Divinity degree at CIU. She enjoys reading, gardening, volunteering at a women’s shelter, and the close fellowship with her neighbors in the CIU Village.
Cheryl’s favorite Scripture verse is Romans 13:8.
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
Intercultural Studies (Missions)
Description:
The purpose of the Intercultural Studies program at CIU is to prepare students for ministries in cross-cultural situations. The courses and requirements are therefore designed to provide a professional program of study for those expecting to participate in some aspect of world evangelization in cross-cultural situations.
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| Bible and Theology (32 semester hours) | General Education (36 semester hours) |
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For the Intercultural Studies major, the following courses are required as part of the General Education Distribution:
a.) Humanities/Fine Arts:
ICS 3110 Introduction to World Religions
b.) Natural Science/Information Science
(Choose one course for this section)
c.) Social/Behavioral Science:
ICS 3140 Cultural Anthropology
Leadership Development & Christian Service Learning (11 semester hours)
| Leadership Development | Christian Service Learning |
Intercultural Studies Major Courses (37 semester hours)
| Intercultural Studies Major | |
Designated Electives
Ministry Skills Package
Students in the Intercultural Studies major must design a Ministry Skills Package consisting of at least 12 semester hours. This package will contribute to the development of a professional skill in ministry appropriate to their individual gifts and ministry objectives. If the student completes a minor along with a major in ICS, the requirement for the Ministry Skills Package is waived. If the student does design a Ministry Skills Package, at least two courses (6 semester hours) must be related to a single field of endeavor. The package is subject to approval by the Intercultural Studies program faculty. The following possibilities are representative of the areas in which a Ministry Skills Package may be developed:
- Bible Teaching
- Biblical Languages
- Camp/Recreation Ministry
- Communication
- Counseling
- Cross-Cultural Communication
- EduVenture, Indonesia
- Ethnomusicology
- Evangelism
- Family and Church Education
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Music
- Pastoral Ministry
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
- Youth Ministry
Practical Skill Development
Three semester credits of field experience serve as the minimum requirement for the professional majors. Students are encouraged to develop their professional skill in either the marketplace, the ministry or in a mission context. Consult with your program director for additional requirements.
Open Electives (12 semester hours)
Opportunities:
- Governmental service: various diplomatic positions in various US embassies overseas.
- Military service: chaplaincy in the various branches.
- Church service: mission pastors; ethnic outreach coordinators.
- Mission service: short-term to long-term missionaries in any cross-cultural service anywhere in the world; mission agency office support person; mission mobilizer.
- Business service: entry level positions in non-governmental organizations or transnational corporations; tentmakers/business as mission or any other creative access type of platform overseas; marketing specialists to specific groups.
- Educational service: international TEFL teacher; K-12 TEFL teacher (with ACSI certification); cross-cultural sensitivity consultant in educational environments.
Faculty:
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Mike Barnett Dean of the College of Intercultural Studies Dr. Barnett teaches courses on church planting movements, leadership and teams, creative access (business and missions), and the history of global Christianity. He and his wife, Cindy, enjoy spending time with seminary and university students. They are active members of Hill of the... |
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David G. Cashin Intercultural Studies Professor Dr. Cashin is professor of intercultural studies at Columbia Biblical Seminary and School of Ministry. Dr. Cashin obtained his bachelor of arts degree in history from Gordon College and his master of arts and doctor of philosophy in indology from Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.... |
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William Lindsay Hislop English Professor Lindsay Hislop was raised in southern Scotland and southern Ontario and now lives in the southern United States. He worked in the engineering field for 15 years (mostly in Canada) before pursuing an academic career. He serves as an elder in his church, where he teaches regularly and... |
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Warren F. Larson Professor of Muslim Studies Warren Larson is the director of the Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies at CIU's Seminary & School of Missions. He also teaches courses related to ministry among Islamic peoples. He joined the CIU-SSM faculty in 1996. Due to his understanding of radical Islam, he has been quoted widely... |
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Joe LeTexier TEFL Minor Program Coordinator Joe is a native of northwest Minnesota who enjoys the game of ice hockey and playing the guitar. He met his wife Susana, a native of Spain, while serving there as a missionary in 1991. Joe and his wife are fluent in both English and Spanish, and are raising their children in a bilingual... |
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Christopher Little Intercultural Studies Professor Christopher R. Little has over eighteen years of cross-cultural missionary experience on four different continents with five different mission organizations. He served in Kenya among the Luo tribe with Campus Crusade for Christ, in Europe and the Asian sub-continent with Operation... |
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Kevin McWilliams Bible and Intercultural Studies Professor Having grown up in Ohio, Kevin has spent his adult life thawing out in Florida, the West Indies, and South Carolina. His ministry has included discipling some awesome young people as a youth pastor in Orlando, Fla., helping churches in the West Indies to train their leaders, and church... |