When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 

Luke 2:15-16

MESSIAH 411

Office closing: Conference Services

The office of Conference and Event Services will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 20 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Summer student employment

If your department plans to hire student employees for the summer of 2018, please read the summer hiring information found here prior to proceeding with the summer hiring process or making employment offers.

In order to assist students with obtaining summer on-campus employment and to facilitate earlier placement of students, the Student Employment Office will be holding a summer job fair on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018 from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Hostetter Chapel. Departments hiring for one or more new positions and/or replacement positions are required to attend the job fair unless all summer workers are already actively working for the department or are being rehired from the prior summer. Please send an email to bconrad@messiah.edu by Feb. 2 to let us know if you will be attending the job fair.

All summer hires, including current student employees and prior-summer student employees, must be processed and approved for hire by submitting a hiring proposal via the jobs.messiah.edu system. Summer hiring proposals are due no later than March 23, 2018.

If you have any questions about summer student employment, please contact Belinda Conrad at ext. 2900 or bconrad@messiah.edu.

Save the Date – Retirement reception for Linda Blaine

Campus Events would like to invite you to join us for a retirement reception for Linda Blaine. Please come and help celebrate Linda’s 18 years of service to the College and wish her well in her retirement. The reception will be held on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018 at 6 p.m. in the lobby of Frey academic building.

Advise a J-Term break service trip

The Agapé Center for Service and Learning is pleased to offer employees an opportunity to participate in and advise a student service trip over J-Term Break 2018, which will take place Thursday, Feb. 1-Sunday, Feb. 4.

Advisors serve alongside students, assist student leaders in facilitation of reflection and devotions, and assist in any problem-solving that may arise. All costs are covered for advisors.

We are currently looking for advisors who may be interested in specifically serving with Children’s Bible Fellowship of New York (Carmel, New York), Priority One Ministries (Bronx, New York) and World Impact (Newark, New Jersey).

Children’s Bible Fellowship (Carmel, New York)
For nearly 75 years, CBFNY has worked with inner city, at-risk, and disabled youth through summer camp programs consisting of a variety of activities. Messiah students will have the opportunity to participate in outreach and discipleship ministries and will engage in team-building, evangelism and conflict resolution skills through an in-depth orientation that will introduce participants to the realities of urban life.

Priority 1 Ministries (Bronx, New York)
This service trip offers numerous ways to serve. Some students may be serving in a storehouse organizing food and other materials for distribution while others might be directly interacting with homeless communities. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to work with children in an after school tutoring program.

World Impact (Newark, New Jersey)
World Impact is a Christian mission organization dedicated to ministering God’s love in the inner cities of America. Its purpose is to honor and glorify God and delight in Him in the inner cities by knowing God and making him known through evangelism, follow-up discipleship and planting culturally conducive churches.

If you’re interested in serving as an advisor or have additional questions, please contact Shardé Hardy at shardy@messiah.edu by Wednesday, Dec. 20.

Saturday Science Programs at The Oakes Museum of Natural History

The OMNH Curator Club Saturday Science Programs begin again in January. There are six activities including weather prediction, local birds and dangerous plants! Curator Club provides educational science enrichment for kids in grades 3-5 and CC2 is for kids in grades 6-8. Program attendees receive a membership card for free admission to The Oakes Museum of Natural History, a t-shirt and a certificate for three free admissions to bring a friend. Each activity includes a craft or project to bring home. To sign up or find out more go to messiah.edu/oakes or contact us at ext. 2659.

Thank You!

Thank you for all the prayers, cards, meals and support my family and I received during my husband’s illness and death. It has been comforting to work alongside so many caring believers.
Blessings to you,
Cathy Poiesz

January 2018 Brown Bag Lunch Series with the CPDC

In Collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Initiative, the Career and Professional Development Center is pleased to offer the following informational sessions during J-term. We invite you to join us for coffee, dessert and conversation on these important topics! Feel free to bring your lunch.

Jan. 11: Cultivating Cultural Intelligence: Preparing Students to Thrive in the Global Workplace
Noon – 1 p.m. | Eisenhower Board Room
Session components:
• A brief presentation on the definitions and increasing value of cultural competence in today’s workplace
• Perspectives from campus educators on how to engage students in this conversation both inside and outside of the classroom
• Discussion of best practices for integrating cultural competency development in course outcomes

Jan. 18: LinkedIn: Why is it such a big deal, and how should I use it?
Noon – 1 p.m. | Boyer 102
Session components:
• Overview of the world’s most popular professional networking platform
• Components of a strong profile
• Highlights of useful functions for educators, including:
o Connecting with students, alumni and colleagues
o Joining professional learning groups
o Sharing and receiving professional recommendations

Jan. 25: StrengthsFinder: A Fresh Look at Your Strengths, How to Leverage Them, and How to Appreciate Differences
Noon – 1 p.m. | Eisenhower Board Room
Session components:
• Last year, over 300 students took the StrengthsFinder assessment to better understand their strengths and how they impact the way they learn, engage with others, and lead. See for yourself why this movement is catching on!
• Participants will have the opportunity to take a complementary assessment, get their results, and learn how they can be applied in many contexts of their personal and professional lives.
• Interested attendees should request a unique StrengthsFinder assessment code from Carol Hall (chall@messiah.edu), administrative assistant, Career and Professional Development Center, by Jan. 18.

Spring 2018 professional learning communities (PLCs) from the Teaching and Learning Initiative

The Teaching and Learning Initiative will be offering three traditional PLC groups beginning in late February/early March, in addition to the ever-popular classroom sharing opportunity. PLCs will cover a range of relevant topics, from fostering international student success and self-assessment in preparation for term-tenure and promotion, to the new book, Diversity Matters. In collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Initiative, Learning Technology Services will also be offering a PLC on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). More details, including dates and descriptions, will be shared in early January.

Titles of Spring 2018 PLCs:

• Teaching Squares
• Fostering International Student Success in Higher Education
  Diversity Matters – A Look at Race, Ethnicity, and the Future of Christian Higher Education  Preparing for Term-Tenure and Promotion in a Time of Transition
• Reach Your Diverse Students More Effectively with Universal Design for Learning

More information about these PLCs and the Teaching Tuesday programs will be coming in January. Any questions regarding these Teaching and Learning opportunities may be directed to Deana Baddorf at dbaddorf@messiah.edu.

Reminder – Employee Christmas Luncheon

Don’t forget! The Employee Christmas Luncheon is TOMORROW from noon to 2:30 p.m. in  Lottie Nelson Dining Hall. We’ll gather for this annual tradition to enjoy fellowship, a delicious meal, Christmas carols and door prizes! There will also be an opportunity to give in support of Academia Menonita Betania, a Christian, non-denominational school that was heavily damaged during Hurricane Maria.

CLASSIFIEDS:

For sale

House for sale by owner prior to Jan. 15, 2018 listing. Three-bedroom, 2.5 baths, 2,500 sq. ft., 2-car garage with large store room beneath it. Wintertime view of Roundtop, in summer enjoy vegetation easement at tree top level. Light, airy open floor plan. 2 miles from campus in Bowmans Hill development. Come have a look! Call Jonathan Lauer, ext. 3820 or 717-691-8341 jlauer@messiah.edu.

Concert tickets. Two tickets to Amy Grant/Michael W. Smith Christmas concert at the Giant Center in Hershey. The event is Dec. 17 at 7 p.m., section 110, row G, seats 1 and 2.  Face value of $100. Please contact Gordan Beattie 717-440-0408 or Karen Beattie 717-439-3405. First come, first serve.

Ping pong table. Rarely used and in great condition. Legs are on wheels. Table folds for easier storage. Includes net and 2 paddles, $75. Contact Tanya at tleppo@messiah.edu.

Spring Swings Inc. 75 foot Zipline for sale. Email pseibert@messiah.edu for picture and information. $25

Job opportunities:

The Experiential Learning Initiative has an opening for a faculty fellow in Service Learning for a three-year term to begin in the 2018-19 academic year. Information about the position, as well as application requirements, appear in the attachment.

Applications will be accepted until Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. Please contact Robin Lauermann and Christy Hanson with any questions.

We thank Don Murk for his good work as the inaugural fellow.

Free:

Free holiday gift wrapping. FREE holiday gift wrapping for anyone who is interested! If you don’t like wrapping gifts, don’t have time, or struggle to wrap gifts at home without others sneaking a peek, let us take care of it for you! A variety of wrapping paper is available (see designs here), as well as gift bags, ribbons and bows. All wrapping supplies are included in this free service. For those who wish to give, donations to charitywater.org will be happily accepted but are not expected. Gift wrapping is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16. Contact Cindy at cagoncillo@messiah.edu to coordinate drop-off/pick-up or for more information.