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Top News |
Men's Soccer Showcase March 8-9During the Soccer Showcase, students will have the opportunity to participate in a training session with other prospective players under the direction of our coaching staff, and seniors who plan to attend CIU also will be trying out to make the official roster. Learn more... First Intercollegiate Athlete Signs to Play for CIU Rams SoccerClick here to read the full story. 30 Days of Prayer for Rams AthleticsAs our hearts are focused on creating an athletics department which will glorify God, we desire that all at CIU are a part of the building of the program, starting with prayer. If you can or feel lead, please join us in prayer as we develop CIU Rams Athletics and dedicate our work to the Lord; asking for His guidance, direction and wisdom. For more information please email KAbbott@ciu.edu First Annual Discover CIU 5kFor the results from the First Annual Discover CIU 5k check out the Cross Country Page. |
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.
Click here for more information on becoming a founding member of the CIU Rams Club!
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.
Adrian Despres
Master of Divinity, 1992, Columbia International University
Vice President of Kingdom Building Ministries
Columbia, SC
I didn’t know what God had in store for me when I first visited Columbia International University. I was pursuing a Master of Divinity degree, and had significant scholarships to do so at other universities. But as my wife and I walked around campus, we knew something about it was different. From our observation of several classes, we could tell that God’s Word was taught with reverence. His Spirit was present and active in the classroom. Though we didn’t have much money at the time, we knew I needed to study at CIU.
I’m grateful for God’s provision in allowing me to continue my education at CIU because God used the professors’ knowledge of the Bible to change and influence me spiritually. I gained a deeper understanding of the Bible in my classes and a sharpened sense of God’s call on my life. During my first semester at CIU, my mentor, CIU President Emeritus Robertson McQuilkin, grabbed my arm and told me that I should be an evangelist. Surprised at first, I was hesitant, but the next morning I heard the Lord say the same thing louder and clearer. Twenty years later I am still preaching.
The classes I took at CIU were invaluable to my ministry training. I learned how to correctly study and interpret the Bible, as well as how to communicate it with both passion and integrity. God has used the passion He has given me to make an impact for His kingdom in 18 countries and 48 states as I’ve had the privilege of sharing the saving message of Jesus with hundreds of thousands of people. I also serve as a guest chaplain to the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team. For the past 11 years, I have had the thrill of seeing the lives of young football players changed by Christ.
The effects of my CIU education are still evident. My passion for God and His Word continue to grow, as I strive to maintain a solid grounding in the accurate, bold teaching of biblical truth.
Download a printable version of this Impact story here.
This graduate of Columbia International University is like 17,000 other alumni around the world making an impact every day. If you want an undergraduate, graduate or seminary education that equips you to make a real difference, we need to meet.