The Celebration of Service event (formerly the President’s Spring Forum) is Thursday, April 30, at 11:10 a.m. in Royal Brougham Pavilion. Join us as we celebrate the years of service of our colleagues across campus and recognize the Faculty of the Year, Exempt Staff Member of the Year, and Non-Exempt Staff Member of the Year award winners. There will be a reception following the ceremony and offices will be closed so everyone can attend.

Dr. Jenell Paris, professor of anthropology at Messiah College, is the guest speaker in Chapel on Tuesday, April 28, 11:10 a.m. in First Free Methodist Church. She will talk about Christian approaches to sexual orientation and our call to be reconcilers. Her talk is part of “Let’s Talk About Sex, Faith, & Relationships Week” sponsored by the Office of Student Life.

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Doug Koskela, SPU associate professor of theology and the associate dean of undergraduate studies in the School of Theology, will give the annual Paul T. Walls Lecture on Wednesday, May 6, 7 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church. This lecture will explore the place of spiritual perception in John Wesley’s understanding of how one comes to embrace the Christian faith.

Doug will consider “Can an experience of the heart enable us to know God?" and “How can we relate the intellectual claims of the Christian faith to the dynamics we experience on the way of salvation?” In his sermons and other writings, John Wesley articulated a carefully defined and crucial role for such experiences. Communities in the Wesleyan tradition have tended to follow Wesley in valuing both the head and the heart, yet many believers sense a tension between them. The lecture will also consider the contemporary relevance of Wesley’s vision in the particular settings of congregational ministry and Christian educational institutions. The response will be given by Rob McKenna, chair and associate professor of the Department of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. The event is free and open to the public. 

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Tuesday, May 5, is a BIG day for all who know Seattle Pacific University best. May 5 is GiveBIG, a 24-hour fundraiser made possible by the Seattle Foundation and its charitable partners. In 1,440 minutes, the more money that is donated to SPU, the larger the portion of matching funds SPU will receive from the Seattle Foundation. On GiveBIG day last year, SPU received more than $70,000 in gifts and matching funds. Faculty and staff members, you know the difference our students make in the world. Show you support for SPU by visiting the GiveBIG website on May 5. Note: Please use the comments box to designate your gift to your program of choice. If you have questions, contact annualgiving@spu.edu.

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The Office of Safety and Security is offering a women’s self-defense class for staff and faculty on Wednesday, April 29, 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Demaray 353. The class will cover basic mental and physical techniques designed to apply to day-to-day lives and experiences. No RSVP is required. The class is part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a national campaign to bring awareness and education to communities about the realities of gender-based violence. For more information, contact Jenna Fejervary, safety and special investigations officer, at fejerj@spu.edu.

The SPU Theatre Department presents “As It Is in Heaven,” April 30–May 2, at 7:30 p.m. in E.E. Bach Theatre in McKinley Hall. There will be a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, May 2. This dramatic musical set in a Shaker community in the 1830s revolves around a nonbeliever’s ecstatic experiences, which leave the believers questioning their faith. Soon, a spiritual revival sweeps through the community and everyone begins sharing their spiritual “gifts.”

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What does it mean to be an Asian American Christian? How can Asian American Christians engage the ministry of racial justice and reconciliation today? On Tuesday, May 5, SPU’s Asian American Ministry Program, in partnership with the Office of University Ministries, will join Asian Pacific American (APA) communities from across the nation to commemorate APA Heritage Month. It will be an inspiring time of worship, prayer, theological reflection, and discussion on these important questions and more. Faculty and staff are invited to attend.

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A message from Advancement Services: “Join us in celebrating what Seattle Pacific means to each of us and the people who make our dreams possible. Alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and others fund everything from scholarships and new residence halls to awesome student programs such as Welcome Week and University Ministries. Join us May 4-7 for "I Love SPU Week" as we come together to celebrate the legacy of this place, say "’thanks for giving,” and pay it forward!”

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, to have stationery order(s) delivered on May 15. Stationery orders are now delivered once a month. Stationery orders made after 10 a.m. on May 5 will be delivered June 12. To see deadlines and delivery dates for the remainder of the fiscal year, visit the “Create an Order” stationery page in Banner. For more information, contact Hope McPherson in University Communications at hmcpherson@spu.edu.

Dining Services thanks the SPU community for the 689 responses to the Preference Survey, which officially closed April 22. There was such a large response to the survey that a second $500 airline voucher was awarded. The winners of the vouchers are students Skyler Muchmore and Aleksandr Kharchuk. Congratulations!

If you live on the Eastside, drive across the 520 bridge, and would love to save more than $300 per month on tolls, gas, and car maintenance, we want you! Our Eastside vanpool needs more riders. Van pools are 100 percent paid for by the SPU Commute Trip Reduction program, so it won’t cost you anything. We currently meet at the South Kirkland Park and Ride (right off 520) at 7:20 a.m., and arrive at SPU by 7:45 a.m.; we leave SPU at 4:50 p.m. and arrive at the Park and Ride by 5:20 p.m. or so. Beginning in June, these hours can be flexible depending on the riders in the vanpool. If you are interested (even part-time), email Lynn Anselmi in University Communications at lynnnanselmi@spu.edu.

A message from University Services: “As you begin to hire students for summer employment, remember that on-campus summer housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications, including location and price, are now available in the Office of University Services and must be received by Friday, May 8, at 4:30 p.m. Please advise your student employees to complete an application if they are hoping to live on campus during the summer. If you have any questions, contact University Services at 206-281-2188 or housing@spu.edu.”

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every week during the academic year. If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible to Bulletin Editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity. The next deadline is Thursday, April 30. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, May 4.

Assistant Professor of Education David Denton shared research at the recent annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. The roundtable presentation focused on the theme of “Technology as an Agent of Change in Teaching and Learning,” specifically the use of screen capture technologies for delivering feedback to assist students with revising written assignments.

Professor Emeritus of New Testament Gene Lemcio edited A Man of Many Parts: Essays in Honor of John Westerdale Bowker on His Eightieth Birthday, (Wipf and Stock, 2015). Rowan Williams, former archbishop of Canterbury, has written the introduction. Gene also wrote a chapter in the book titled “Daniel & The Three (Principally in the Old Greek): ‘Historical’ Signs of the Eschatological Son of Man and Saints of the Most High: A Paradigm for Gospels Christology and Discipleship.”

The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to join us in welcoming Doug Dinkelo, microsystems analyst in Computer and Information Systems.

From Archivist Adrienne Meier: “In this photo, students practice for the Spring Festival, circa 1920. The annual Spring Festivals held in the 1920s included a maypole, a 'May Queen' and court, musical numbers performed by student groups, and pageantry." Select the link for a larger picture.

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