Seven Young Harris College students engagedwith five local United Methodist churches lastyear through the Jones Ministry Scholarsprogram. The interns were mentored byprofessional ministers and participated inweekly on-campus conversations with peersabout their experiences.

Named in honor ofthe L. Bevel Jones family,longtime ministers andYHC supporters, theinternships wereprovided through agrant for young adultministry and vocationalexploration by theSmoky MountainDistrict of the WesternNorth Carolina AnnualConference.

“Spiritual explorationon a college campus isvital to a liberal artseducation because ithelps form a robust andwhole self,” said Dean ofthe Chapel and Ministerto the College Rev. Dr. TimMoore. “This program isjust one effort by YHC’sreligious life community totake the role of spiritualexploration to that nextstage, directly linking whowe are and whose we are with what we do.”

Seniors Trent Jones, of Lakeland, Fla., andLaura Grace Tarpley, of Little Rock, Ark., served in the youth and college ministry atSharp Memorial United Methodist Church inYoung Harris.

“My experience taught me patience andflexibility,” said Tarpley, who led activities likehiking excursions and movie nights. “I believethe kids I worked with had their minds stretchedin their understanding of God and His word.”

Juniors Sarah Beth Tankersley, of Gainesville,Ga., and Alexandra McCollough, of Augusta,both interned at First United Methodist Churchin Hayesville, N.C. Tankersley worked inchildren and youth ministry, while McColloughserved as a music and worship intern.

“Sarah Beth is areal role model forour children,” saidYHC alumna MyraO’Connor, ’81, whoserves as director ofstudent ministriesfor the church. “Shehas shown them thateven as you growolder, your faithnever fades—nordoes the impact youhave on others.”

“I felt like thechurch community

became my family,” said McCollough, who alsojoined the chancel and handbell choirs. “Ilearned way more from them than they learnedfrom me. Watching God work in the churchwas incredible, and it was really great to seethings happen and be a part of the changes.”

Juniors Andrea Simmonds, of Suches, LouRoland, of Woodstock, and Hunter Good, ofSharpsburg, all had the opportunity to impactyoung minds through their internships.

INS IDE TH I S I SSUE :

Message from theCampus Minister

Student Reflects on Faith in Award-Winning Video

Students Attend“Imagine What’s NEXT”and “Coming Together6” Conferences

Students Participate in Alternative Spring Break Trips

YHC Participates inOperation ChristmasChild

YHC Works to “Stop Hunger Now”

Continued on page 3

FALL 2013

“Connexion” is a traditionallyMethodist word and importantChristian practice. Connexion speaksboth to how we organize ourselvesand the penetrating significance ofour shared life, witness and work.

Where Faith Seeking Understanding Connects with Life

A NEWSLETTER OF THE YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Y O U N G H A R R I S C O L L E G E

Students Make A Difference in Local Churches

Above: AlexandraMcCollough, LouRoland, AndreaSimmonds, HunterGood, Sarah BethTankersley and LauraGrace Tarpley

CONNE IONFALL 2013

1 College Street | P.O. Box 97 | Young Harris, GA 30582(706) 379-3111 or (800) 241-3754

A publication of the Office of Communications and Marketing at Young Harris College

Young Harris College is endorsed by the University Senate of TheUnited Methodist Church as an affiliated United Methodist institution.

© 2013 Young Harris College

SCAN TO WATCH LOGAN’SAWARD-WINNING VIDEO.

As I reflect on the 2012-2013academic year, I am amazed at thespeed at which it went by and thevolume of activities and experiencesit held. To begin each academicyear, new students gather at thetop of Brasstown Bald for aninaugural hike to campus. Thistradition is meant to providebalancing symbolism to thegraduation hike each May.

Following a short devotional service on top of the mountain,incoming students hike down the Old Wagon Trail, signalingthe beginning of a year filled with many new religious lifeopportunities for our campus—new experiences coupled withour enduring traditions that help define the unique witnessthat is the YHC spirit.

Last year, we continued to redefine the work and breadth ofthe YHC student ministry groups, expanding to more than adozen active student faith-based groups. We helpedcoordinate a volunteer day on campus in which more than120 students, faculty and staff worked together on a singleproject to help eradicate hunger. We inaugurated special on-campus programming like Project Growth, a spiritual andreligious literacy campaign intended to engage the campusbroadly and deeply in conversations about faith and life. Weworked with the Student Government Association to start anannual Martin Luther King, Jr. lecture, bringing a speaker tocampus to address the intersection of faith, politics and civilrights. We organized two transformative spring break tripsand sent students to religious life conferences in St. Louis,Chicago and Washington, D.C. We launched an internshipprogram in local congregations for students interested inexploring calls to ministry. We did all of these things—andmany others—while continuing our already establishedtraditional and enriching programs.

None of this could have been accomplished without greatstudents. The leadership they provide is robust, offering aseemingly inexhaustible supply of dedicated energy that ismatched only by faithful sincerity to press themselves and theCollege they love deeper into a genuine exploration of whoand whose they are.

Hundreds of first-year students recently kicked off the2013-2014 academic year by taking part in a volunteer day atthe Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville, N.C., as part ofYHC's S.E.R.V.E. (Service, Empowerment, Responsibility,Voice and Engagement) program. It looks like anotheramazing year in religious life is underway—and I can’t wait tosee what else our students will accomplish.

Rev. Dr. Tim Moore Dean of the Chapel and Minister to the Colle ge

Young Harris College sophomoreLogan Gray, of Edwardsville, Ill., wasawarded third place and a $200 cashprize for the National Association ofSchools and Colleges of the UnitedMethodist Church’s (NASCUMC)2012 “UMCYes!” video competition.

The contest was an effort for highschool and college students at UnitedMethodist-affiliated institutions toexpress why their school’s connection to The UnitedMethodist Church matters. Gray’s video offered reflectionson his faith and his college experience at YHC.

“I entered the contest not realizing how big it actuallywas,” explained Gray. “When I found out I had finished inthird place among so many entries, I was shocked. Godblessed me throughout the entire experience.”

Gray’s entry was selected as a finalist by a panel ofqualified judges comprised of sponsors’ trustees, advisorsand colleagues based on various elements includingcreativity, level of entertainment and production quality.First, second and third place overall contest winners werethen selected by popular vote.

“Logan’s video is a great expression of his faith and hisexperiences at YHC, and his willingness to make the video isa small embodiment of the larger effort we strive to cultivateat YHC,” said Dean of the Chapel and Minister to theCollege Rev. Dr. Tim Moore. “As a college of the churchdedicated to connecting a trained mind and a warmed heart,Logan’s faith experiences and expression demonstrate one waythat this balance may be achieved. I cannot wait to see whatthe next three years will bring for Logan and the College as weshare in this academic and faith journey together.”

Y H C S T U D E N T R E F L E C T S O N

Faith in Award-Winning Video

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E

Campus Minister

2

Vice President SarahBeth Tankersley, ajunior psychology majorfrom Gainesville, Ga.,Public RelationsDirector Taylor Davis,a junior religious studies major from Kennesaw,Sophomore Class Representative Jesselyn Armstrong, a sophomorebusiness and public policy major from Hoschton, President Laura GraceTarpley, a senior communication studies major from Little Rock, Ark.,Secretary Hana Kudela, a junior biology major from Moultrie, Junior ClassRepresentative April Hobbs, a junior communication studies major fromThomson, and Sergeant-at-Arms Jared Lee, a sophomore history major fromLula (Not pictured: Senior Class Representative Alyssa Lowery, a seniorreligious studies major from Conyers, and Treasurer Emily Hornsby, a seniorEnglish major from Nashville, Tenn.)

Young Harris College’s Office of Religious Life and Inter-Religious Council (IRC)kicked off 2013 with “Project Growth,” a new campus-wide initiative that promotesfaith-related dialogue by informing students about various aspects of different religions.

The IRC utilized “table tents” in Grace Rollins Dining Hall on campus to inspireconversation by providing interesting data about other religions and examples ofvariations in Christian doctrine.

“Project Growth was important to me because I am a strong supporter of religiousdiversity,” said IRC Public Relations Director Taylor Davis, a junior from Kennesaw. “Ifreligions merely coexist with one another, dialogue and a chance to learn from oneanother are cut short.”

“This collaborative project not only made students more aware of the IRC, butalso enlightened students about the diversity of religious life in the world,” addedAustin Thomas, ’13, of Kennesaw. “The theme of growth was reflected in ourstudent body’s desire to seek and learn.”

Y O U N G H A R R I S C O L L E G E S T U D E N T S

Develop Through Project Growth

Four Young Harris College students attended“Coming Together 6,” a national interfaithstudent leadership conference held in Chicago,Feb. 14-17. Students attended workshops andworship services, enjoyed new culturalexperiences, and reflected on individual faithwithin an increasingly complex society.

Seniors Alyssa Lowery, of Conyers, AshleyCross, of Murphy, N.C., Katie Earle, ofBlairsville, and Laura Grace Tarpley, of Little

Rock, Ark., (pictured left to right above) experienced religious traditions of other worldcultures such as a Jewish Shabbat dinner and Jumu’ah, a congregational Muslim prayer.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to attend such a diverse and informative conferencethat allowed us to explore the potential difficulties and possible triumphs of interfaithwork with so many like-minded college students,” said Lowery.

“I’ve had very little opportunity to leave home and experience different cultures andreligions,” added Cross. “By learning about various religious practices, I was able torelate and share my own story in return.”

Y H C S T U D E N T S E X P L O R E D I V E R S E R E L I G I O N S

Through “Coming Together 6”

3

“I loved leading devotionals andtalking with the kids,” saidSimmonds, who worked at FirstUnited Methodist Church in Murphy,N.C. “Working there on Sundays wasdefinitely the highlight of each week.”

Roland coordinated activities atFirst United Methodist Church inFranklin, N.C., for studentsparticipating in World Vision’s 30Hour Famine that sheds light on theglobal hunger crisis.

During his time at Andrews UnitedMethodist Church in Andrews, N.C.,Good helped develop a new Sundaymorning children’s program and Biblestudy. “I am proud to say that I hadthe opportunity to impact childrenand share the love of Christ withthem,” he said.

Under the direction of Dr. Mooreand their ministerial mentors, theJones Ministry Scholars advancedtheir faith while positively affectingthe congregations surrounding theCollege.

“These students see how their livesof faith connect in practical ways tothe world,” said Dr. Moore. “Theyalso enrich the YHC community’sfaith expressions by bringing thoselearning experiences back to campus,strengthening the link between thechurch and College.”

Students Make A Differencein Local ChurchesContinued from page 1

“Young Harris College has a variety of options forstudents interested in different religions. Our Inter-Religious Council aims to bring these groups together sothat students with different beliefs can unite to learnabout each other and from each other. The council alsoprovides assistance to each group so that all students canknow that their beliefs and interests are valued. When weare united, we can work together and make YHC an evenmore wonderful place to live and study.”

LAURA GRACE TARPLEY, IRC President

MEET THE 2013-2014 INTER-RELIGIOUS COUNCIL

O F F I C E R S :

This March, Young Harris Collegestudents, faculty and staff took part in anAmish immersion ministry experience inLancaster, Penn., and completed serviceprojects with Interfaith Appalachia inHarlan County, Ky. The two alternativespring break trips were facilitated byS.E.R.V.E. (Service, Education,Responsibility, Voice and Engagement).

Eight students spent a week in America’soldest Amish settlement to learn about thelife and ministry of the local community.The group participated in service projects,engaged in cultural experiences andparticipated in faith-based discussionsfacilitated by the Center for LeadershipDevelopment at Lancaster TheologicalSeminary.

“I learned more about the Amish in aweek than I had previously accumulated in alifetime, which shows the invaluableimportance of direct cultural engagementand travel that is vital to an educated life of

discipleship and faith,” said Dean of theChapel and Minister to the College Rev. Dr.Tim Moore. “I hope students learned tobreak down preconceptions and realized thatdoing so is essential for a faithful life in acomplex, evolving world.”

The students attended worship services,toured the seminary and spent time with

community members inan effort to discover howAmish perspectives onfaith influence theirexpression and ministry.Students also engaged incross-cultural

conversations regarding the Amish wayof life as well as relationships betweendifferent faith communities.

“I will always remember playing one oftheir popular card games called DutchBlitz and singing everywhere we wentwith the wonderful people we met,” saidjunior Kristen Dippold, of Thebes, Ill. “Ilearned so much about the Amishthroughout the week. I was able to lookpast stereotypes and realize they are justregular people who have chosen to live adifferent lifestyle.” A small group from YHC traveled to

Kentucky to work with InterfaithAppalachia, an organization that offers livelyservice learning programs for collegestudents that focus on communities in theAppalachian region. The group attendedlocal church services, repaired homes,prepared meals for local families and tookpart in interfaith activities organized byHeritage Ministries.

“My favorite part of the week was makingand delivering food with a retired couplewho decided to use their free time to start afood pantry. I got to spent a day with thisinspirational couple hearing about thecounty and meeting people from the area,”said senior Laura Grace Tarpley, of LittleRock, Ark. “I found that I could learn a lotfrom the people I met. It was definitely ahumbling experience and a reminder tofocus on my commonalities with others.”

Y H C S E R V E S A M I S H A N D A P P A L A C H I A N C O M M U N I T I E S

During Alternative Spring Break Trips

Students volunteered atthe Mennonite CentralCommittee.

4

YHC Students “Imagine What’s NEXT”D U R I N G N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E

Young Harris College students and facultytraveled to St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 9-11, toparticipate in “Imagine What’s NEXT,” a newbiennial collegiate conference sponsored bythe General Board of Higher Education &Ministry (GBHEM).

“This event provided an excitingopportunity for students to experience aleadership development and spiritualformation event unlike any previously offeredby the church,” said Rev. Bridgette YoungRoss, GBHEM assistant general secretary forcampus ministry and college chaplaincy.

“Imagine What’s NEXT” draws on the

resources of leadership development,community organizing, innovation andsocial entrepreneurship as well as dynamicpreaching, worship and service. Attendeesare challenged and inspired to faithfullyconsider and plan the next steps for theirvocations, communities and church.

“The event reached a wide variety ofstudents, and the speakers addressed topicsranging from building churches to assistingvictims of sex trafficking,” said senior LauraGrace Tarpley, of Little Rock, Ark. “We werealso presented with original approaches toideas for interfaith exploration.”

Elizabeth Land, a senior from Thomson,added, “The conference provided a great wayfor us to meet fellow college studentsinterested in furthering their passion forChristian ministry.”

Nathan Hughes and Alec Housholderinstalled drywall at a home in Hiram, Ky.

YHC Volunteer Director of StudentMinistries Lauren Neal and students LauraGrace Tarpley, Elizabeth Land, Corey Helton,Matt Wilmer, Don Bracewell and Trent Jones

Seventeen Young HarrisCollege faculty, staff andstudents visited The MartinLuther King, Jr. Center forNonviolent Social Change andThe Carter Center in Atlanta onJan. 19 to celebrate MartinLuther King, Jr. Day, which wasnationally observed on Jan. 21.

“This marked the secondtime I was a part of this trip,and I came back even more

inspired this time around,” said Karen Rodriguez, ’13, ofSpringfield, Mo. “It was a very humbling experience to learnmore about these two amazing men and all that theyaccomplished.”

In addition to the excursion, YHC also hosted aninspiring lecture by Senior Vice President of GlobalCommunity Connections and Chair of The Coca-ColaFoundation Lisa Borders titled “Faith, Politics and CivilRights” on Jan. 22 in honor of MLK Day. She shared lessonslearned from her grandfather, the Atlanta civil rights leaderRev. Dr. William Holmes Borders, as well as her personaljourney through the integration of schools and breaking ofother civil rights barriers in Atlanta.

This new annual lecture is part of an initiative by YHC’sInter-Religious Council and Student GovernmentAssociation to raise the level of conversation on campusregarding topics essential to becoming informed andengaged members of the global community.

YHC Celebrates MLK Day

Young Harris College contributed 83 shoe boxes filled withChristmas presents and a check for $245 to OperationChristmas Child, an international outreach project facilitated bySamaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational, evangelical Christianorganization that aims to provide worldwide spiritual andphysical aid.

Each year, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to makeindividual contributions or participate in group service projectswithin organizations or teams. The shoe boxes were presented

during a special service inSusan B. Harris Chapel onthe YHC campus.

According to YHCBaseball Head Coach RickRobinson, participating inOperation Christmas Childis an annual tradition for theYHC baseball team. Thisyear, 38 of the team’s playersprepared shoe boxes andutilized an EZ Give barcodeon the label that allowed theteam to receive e-mailsrevealing the destination ofsome of their gifts.

“It is with great pleasure that the baseball team prepares boxesfor Operation Christmas Child each year,” said Robinson. “Wejust wish we could actually be there when the child opens theirbox with all the goodies from YHC.”

“I really enjoy putting together the shoe boxes because itallows us to step back and see the importance in the things wefill the boxes with that will benefit children in need,” addedTaylor Topping, a senior from Virginia Beach, Va. “It also bringsus together as a team, and it’s a perfect time for us to give backto the global community during the holidays.”

Y H C P A R T I C I P A T E S I N

Operation Christmas Child

Members of the YHC DorcasSociety and Inter-ReligiousCouncil organized the OperationChristmas Child initiative.

Members of the YHC baseball team were instrumental in thecollection of shoe boxes filled with Christmas gifts .

Young Harris College’s Office of Religious Life and Inter-Religious Council cohosted the third annual Interfaith andMulticultural Thanksgiving Celebration last November.The event represented different faith traditions,nationalities and cultures, allowing attendees to learnabout many different ways of giving thanks.

“Each year, I look forward to this time where people ofdifferent faiths and ages gather as members of onecommunity to share varied rituals and expressions ofgratitude for all the many gifts we have received duringthe course of the year,” said Rabbi Zvi Altman, founderand director of the Teshuvah Institute in Hayesville, N.C.

The gathering is intended to celebrate diversity arounda common civic holiday, building understanding andfostering a better sense of community. Rabbi Altmanexplained, “Living in gratitude is central to all religionsand faiths, and the opportunity to do so consciously in acommunity is especially precious.”

Y H C H O S T S T H I R D A N N U A L

Interfaith ThanksgivingCelebration

Lisa Borders

5

Young Harris College hosted a food-packing event last November inwhich more than 100 faculty, staff and student volunteers packed 14,000meals in one hour and raised $3,500 to assist Stop Hunger Now, aninternational hunger-relief agency that coordinates the distribution of foodand other lifesaving aid aroundthe world.

According to Dean of theChapel and Minister to theCollege Rev. Dr. Tim Moore,the challenge for the event wasbrought to all Methodist-affiliated colleges anduniversities in Georgia as afriendly statewide competitionto highlight this internationaleffort to eradicate hunger.

“Each year, nearly onebillion of our brothers andsisters go hungry, yet there is plenty to go around. In a world of plenty, noone should go hungry,” Dr. Moore said. “As it turns out, hunger is rarelyan agricultural or production problem. Most often, it is a distributionproblem, and we can do something about that.”

Stop Hunger Now has been fulfilling its commitment to end hunger formore than 15 years, and the meal-packaging program was created in2005. The program perfected the assembly process that combines rice,soy, dehydrated vegetables and a flavoring mix including 21 essentialvitamins and minerals into small meal packets. Each meal costs only 25cents, stores easily, has a shelf life of five years and transports quickly.

“YHC came together for one common goal—to help those who arehungry,” said Austin Thomas, ’13, of Kennesaw. “We are so privileged tobe somewhere like YHC, and hopefully this event gave students thechance to appreciate what they have.”

Y O U N G H A R R I S C O L L E G E H O S T S

Food-Packing Event to “Stop Hunger Now”

Young Harris College recognized studentsand faculty involved in religious lifeprogramming during the 2013 HonorsCeremony.

The Christian Service Award waspresented to Emily Espy, a senior theatreand music education major from Cumming,for her exemplary Christian service andleadership. The Interfaith Award waspresented to Laura Grace Tarpley, a seniorcommunication studies major from LittleRock, Ark., for her involvement in thepromotion of interfaith work andcooperation on the YHC campus. TheReligious Life Outstanding Senior Awardwas presented to Austin Thomas, ’13, ofKennesaw, in recognition of his cumulativecontribution to religious life programmingat YHC.

The Inter-Religious Council AppreciationAward was presented to Chair of theReligion and Philosophy Department andAssistant Professor of Religious Studies EricDickman, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor ofBiology Andrea Kwiatkowski, Ph.D., fortheir dedicated support of and leadership inreligious life programming at the College.

Y H C R E L I G I O U S L I F EC O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S

Recognized at Honors Ceremony

S TAY C O N N E C T E D

Young Harris College Office of Religious Life | 1 College Street | P.O. Box 97 | Young Harris, GA 30582 (706) 379-5166 | tsmoore@yhc.edu | yhc.edu | ichapel.wordpress.com

Young Harris College Religious Life @YHReligiousLife

Dr. Andrea Kwiatkowski, Austin Thomas, Rev. Dr.Tim Moore, Emily Espy, Laura Grace Tarpley andDr. Eric Dickman