CIU Today Summer 2016

Farnsworth Addresses

FCA on the “Messiness” of

Athletics and Life

Columbia International University Women’s

Soccer Coach Kara Farnsworth admits to having

a “messy” team. It has nothing to do with the

appearance of the locker room after practice.

She’s talking about athletics and life, and how

God saw her and the Lady Rams through the

first women’s soccer season in CIU history.

Farnsworth made the comments to dozens

of high school soccer coaches at a January

breakfast sponsored by a Columbia-area

chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes

(FCA).

Farnsworth encouraged the coaches to

continually make themselves available to God

and to allow Him to work in their weaknesses.

“We, from the outside, all look white and

shiny clean because that’s what we want the world to see,” Farnsworth said. She

went on to list some of the successes of CIU’s inaugural women’s soccer season:

a 7-7-1 record, receiving an at-large bid to the National Christian College Athletic

Association (NCCAA) National Championship, and receiving a sportsmanship award

for finishing the 2015 season without any red or yellow penalty cards.

However, for all of their successes, Farnsworth revealed that the season was full of

pain and messiness, including injuries, family troubles, personal trauma, and more.

However, in the pain, God still worked through them.

“[This team is] messy, and I looked at them, and thought, ‘How am I supposed to lead

them when I’m messy too?’” Farnsworth said. “Every day, we were in survival mode.

Can we get through today? Can we get through a practice without anyone crying?”

Farnsworth encouraged her fellow coaches to bring painful life situations to God, and

to allow Him to work through their weaknesses.

“We aren’t asked to be successful,” she said. “We’re asked to show up. We’re asked

to bring our strengths, weaknesses, and limitations, and step out of the way to let

God do the rest.”

Spring Musical: Little

Women

CIU Players presented the classic, “Little

Women” in April featuring Kyle Neal as

Professor Fritz Bhaer, Emily Calder as Jo

March, and Bethany Stewart as Mrs. Kirk.

Women’s Cross Country

Team Recognized for

Scholarship

The Columbia International University

women’s cross country team has been

recognized as a National Christian

College Athletic Association (NCCAA)

Scholar Team.

The average GPA for team members

for the 2015 fall semester was 3.69. The

minimum requirement is a 3.4 average

GPA, something only 30 teams across the

NCCAA membership accomplished.

Alexis Zwilling, Raena Hannink, and

Karina Andreas were honored at the

national championships with individual

NCCAA scholar-athlete awards,

reserved for juniors and seniors who

meet academic and participation

requirements. It was the second such

award for each lady, having also won as

juniors.

Honorary Doctorate

A CIU delegation travelled to

Jacksonville, Florida in April to confer

an honorary doctorate on a longtime

CIU friend. Raymond A. Ross Jr. was

awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters in

recognition of his distinguished service

as a Christian business leader and

philanthropist for Christian ministries.

Ross and his wife Jan co-founded a large

weekly home Bible study for retired

business and professional leaders and

their wives. They also established the

Ross Family Scholarship at CIU that

enables qualified students from Florida

to attend CIU.

Coach Kara Farnsworth speaks to

fellow coaches at an FCA breakfast at

Brookland-Cayce High School

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