Page 5 - CC Life 14 2015 Fall
P. 5
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Christ’s College Taipei:
A Community of Grace
Dr. Quentin Nantz
The theme of this issue is “grace” and how CCT can our way of life. Encountering God's grace is a
be a community of grace. Our mission statement says formative, creative moment as a result of which
that one of our purposes is to evangelize and disciple a person is not only graced by God's love but
students “in a loving and nurturing environment” (1). also becomes gracious because of God's love."
The CCT vision statement lists as one of the values of If that is true, then a grace community should be
the college an “environment which encourages gospel characterized by God's love flowing through the
transformation” (2). Why do these two foundational speech and behavior of all its members.
statements both focus on the environment in which the
educational programs at CCT are offered? Perhaps, it is What would that look like? At our faculty and
because, as Bruce Hekman (3) has written, the context staff retreat earlier this year, we were reminded
of education is an important and often overlooked part that as members of the CCT community of
of the content of education. Hekman goes on to say that grace the faculty, staff and students should
“Christian schools should be known as communities of be characterized by gratefulness. We should
grace-places where visitors clearly see God at work in constantly remember and celebrate God's
the way relationships are conducted.” blessings of salvation and the power of the Holy
Spirit which enables us to overcome our sinful
CCT is, in fact, known just that way. In describing nature. Secondly, we should be accepting of
their educational experience at CCT, we often hear others remembering how much we need to be
students and alumni refer to it as being “part of a big forgiven and in turn being willing to forgive
family”. One student, who is now an alumnus with others again and again. The CCT community
her own ministry, said it this way, “In order to protect of grace should be an inviting community. Our
me and give me freedom to grow and learn in Him, college should be an open, hospitable place
God brought me to Christ’s College. During these where students, parents and guests are gladly
four years, I often felt that my family abandoned me, welcomed and made to feel at home. Finally,
but God kept bringing teachers from Christ’s College as members of the CCT community of grace we
and friends from church to encourage me, walk with should be focused on our work, which is defined
me, and love me and to be my family.” This “sense of by our mission as “providing quality education…
family” is not accidental. It is the way it is supposed
to be in the family of God. God is making Christ’s
College Taipei just such a community.
Scott Hoezee (4) describes God's grace as... that
power of God, rooted in his abiding Love, by which
God forgives the sinful, accepts the unacceptable,
revives the spiritually dead, and so enables a reunion
between the Creator and his wayward creatures....
Beyond forgiveness, grace also aims to transform
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