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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.
April Hatten
Master of Arts, 2008, Columbia International University
Department of Juvenile Justice of South Carolina
Columbia, SC
I’ve had some big dreams in life. After college I knew where I wanted to go; what I wanted next. But God had other plans for me. After earning my bachelor’s degree from a small university in North Carolina, my plan was to continue my education and pursue a career in the medical field. I wanted to be a doctor.
But while on a mission trip to El Salvador, God started changing my plans. As I saw the spiritual neediness of those who had never heard the gospel, I realized God was calling me to invest my gifts in an area other than medicine. I took a year off and taught in a high school located in a high-poverty area. It was there that God changed my desires from healing people medically, to healing them spiritually.
I met representatives from Columbia International University at a Christian conference, and they introduced me to the heart of the school. I decided to enroll, and it was at CIU that God put within me a longing to see His truth shared with “the least of these.” Through my classes and the guidance of my professors, I began to realize the impact I could have in the lives of young people, as I share with them the lasting transformation found in the eternal truth of God’s Word.
That led me to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) where I disciple and mentor incarcerated youth. It’s a joy to watch God’s redemptive work become a reality in their daily experiences. Two success stories come to mind as I consider the youth at DJJ. One young man, after being released, obtained his high school diploma and is attending college. Another male is beating the odds in Charleston, aiming for his GED and maintaining a steady job. These two represent countless others whose lives are being influenced by staff members at DJJ. Although it looks different than I expected, I am following God’s dream for my life and am privileged to see people transformed by the power of the gospel in the process – and I can honestly say I wouldn’t trade His plans for my own!
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.