Church News
What a whirlwind of a week it has been as we celebrated with our Heartland Christian College graduates, then welcomed around 40 international visitors to the campus for Heartland Community Church’s annualmissions gathering!
HCC faculty gathered with the ten graduating students along with their families and guests at noon on Saturday, May 4th for baccalaureate—a time to pause, reflect on what God has done in the students’ lives, and pray over each student. After a short break, everyone returned for commencement at 4:30pm, held at the Church sanctuary.
HCC President Dr. Kris Palmer welcomed those gathered, then the student chapel band led worship. Class speakers Taya Rihanek and Brandie Brown summed up their two-year experience, “We’ve created lifelong friendships,” said Taya, “and we’ve learned how to love God through it all. Just remember that wherever you may be in life there will be good times and bad times…but if it’s where God wants you to be, it will never be wasted time.”
Brandie is one of four graduates who began their journey here in the Heartland Recovery Program and made the decision to pursue higher education at HCC. She recalls, “These past two years have been a blessing. He has given us each other… He has shown us how we are to live for each other and not ourselves, because Christ lived for us and not for Himself.”
As an active alumnus and friend of HCC, guest speaker Scott Squires has often been a guest lecturer in HCC classes, chapel services, and special events in the Heartland community. He was born and raised in Pittsburg, Kansas, where he serves as a teacher in Covenant Academy. He holds a BS in History from Pittsburg State University, and a MA in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from the University of Birmingham (UK), is an Assistant Instructional Professor of Philosophy at Pittsburg State University and is the faculty sponsor of the Pittsburg State Philosophical Society. Scott exhorted the graduates, “It’s not just about you and where you end up after you graduate. It’s about a Kingdom message… you are ‘prepared for life’ to bring the Kingdom to wherever you go. God wants to move on behalf of people who are broken and suffering.”
Heartland Christian College offers a two-year Associate Degree in Biblical Studies, as well as a Certificate program. Many of this year’s graduates plan to continue their education at other colleges, pursuing a bachelor’s in psychology, music, elementary education, English, IT, and worship studies. Congratulations, grads!
