Mailbox Letters From You
“Refreshing and Inspiring”
I am writing about your summer 2013 edition of Response. After a day of studying “at home” with SPU (I am a current doctoral student living 60 miles north), I checked the mail. I received my copy of Response.
I sat outside after a busy day and glanced at this collegiate magazine. Even after a quick glance, I knew I wanted to read almost every written piece.
I want to take the opportunity to express how inviting and attractive the articles and excerpts from
SPU events, accomplishments, and people were. It was extremely refreshing and inspiring. I believe you are doing a great job writing about diverse issues, people, components of the University and beliefs in your tri-yearly journal.
I am not done reading the entire magazine but have thoroughly enjoyed it thus far and will finish.
My compliments to SPU and the Response staff for your work and publication.
Patti Hayes
Mount Vernon, Washington
A Voice for Homeless Kids
I am a 1978 alum and a church planter/lead pastor in Lacey, Washington. I was taken with “Empowered by Hope,” the article about Brandy Sincyr in the latest Response, as we are engaged in a growing ministry to homeless students at Timberline High School, where our church meets.
Jim Hays ’78
Lead Pastor, Life Pointe Church
Lacey, Washington
How often does an article about a graduating senior overshadow the lead article on the inauguration of a university president? Never. But Response managed to do so with its incredibly engaging article, “Empowered by Hope,” about Brandy Sincyr. It will find its way into one of my sermons, I can assure you. Please tell Brandy Sincyr that the homeless kids in California need her. They need her as their voice in the state capital.
Warren Barnes ’64
Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church
Sacramento, California
Thank you for your recent excellent feature on Brandy Sincyr, one of our scholarship recipients. She is an amazing young lady!
Barbara Duffield
Policy Director
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Moving Minds
My daughter Victoria attends SPU, and we received the newest Response in the mail at our home. I was excited to read the article on page 9 (“Engineering Team Wins Social Venture Plan Competition,” Summer 2013) that talks about your engineering students who worked on the wheelchair that moved by Clarence Rieu’s thoughts. Clarence is a 2009 alumnus from our school.
I remember the conversations with Clarence as he contemplated where to attend, and I was quite
pleased that he chose SPU. We are also sending four of our best students to you this year.
Jody Speck
Administrative Assistant/Registrar, Cedar Park Christian Schools
Mountlake Terrace, Washington
From This Place
A note I wish to add to the SPU timeline (included in “Sent Out From This Place,” Summer 2013): In 1978, the Lord spoke to me about creating a student-led worship service on Sunday nights called “Celebration.”
President McKenna allowed a group of us to use Gwinn Commons for this gathering, which grew to over 1,000 students attending each week.Out of the Celebration service a renewed movement for student missions grew — specifically among the urban poor. It is my understanding that this same
student-led worship service continues on campus to this very day under the name “group.”
I thank the Lord for using SPU to launch me into the past 35 years of Christian ministry. May the Lord continue to bless Seattle Pacific!
Craig W. McMullen ’79
Senior Associate Pastor,
The Potter’s House
Denver, Colorado
In the photograph on page 24 (“Sent Out From This Place,” Summer 2013), Wilber L. Crook, my wife’s father, is in the fourth row, extreme left, in front of the man with the bowler hat on. The Crook family name is on the clock tower on Demaray Hall, as they made a donation when it was built.
Gerald “Jerry” Merrill ’55
Wenatchee, Washington
Warm Beach
You’ve probably heard several times by now that one of those pictured in your story “A Warm Beach State of Mind” was not actually the “Ray Miller ’56” you thought he was. Although there
was indeed a person with that name in our class, he’s not the guy in your photos.
We sure love the Warm Beach Ray and his wife, Rosemary, anyway, in spite of the fact that they
are not alums of our cherished alma mater.
Bill Hart ’56
Stanwood, Washington
Editor’s note: Apologies to all Ray Millers concerned for the misidentification!
Looking Back
Was I surprised. I had yielded the latest issue of SPU’s Response magazine to my wife, Carol Easton Grant ’68. She was reading it through from cover to cover. Had to wait my turn. We had friends to dinner, Jim Plett ’65 (my former roommate) and Linda Fredericks Plett ’65 (Carol’s cousin). Linda asked if I’d seen my picture in Response magazine. We pulled it out and was I surprised to see myself looking back from the picture on the page.
I have to say, that beyond marrying my wife and accepting Jesus, that summer had the biggest impact on my life.
Even in 2006 while I was officiating at a wedding, one of the attendees heard me speaking and said, “Fuzzy!” that was my camp name. Sure enough, we had a mini-reunion at the reception. Me a camp counselor and her a camper from Thetis Island where we spent a week in that unforgettable summer of 1966.
The follow-up gospel team extended the experience, and God used that to draw me into the pastoral ministry where I've been involved for more than 43 years. Still remember George Scranton preaching! And, I actually sang — first lip synching in history!
Two of our 3 children attended SPU (Amy Grant Scherrer ’95, Matthew D. Grant ’01)
Thanks again to the University (then college) that God used to send me on a life-changing summer. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was life-changing. And God provided in a miraculous way, as when I decided to go to wherever God sent, my senior year at SPU was looming financially on my horizon. By the time I left that summer, all my expenses for the year (tuition, room, and board) were covered!
David Grant ’67
Marysville, WA
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