The 2015-16 figures were released by the registrar鈥檚 office following the university鈥檚 official census date of Sept. 14. The data is collected as a traditional 鈥渟napshot鈥� of enrollment trends, according to university registrar David Detrow.

贰惭鲍鈥檚 incoming traditional undergraduate first-year class, numbering 257 students, is the largest in several decades. From 2001 to 2010, EMU averaged 205 first-year students, according to past records.

As for diversity, a record-high number of students who are ethnic minorities or come from other countries is reflected in 37 percent of this fall鈥檚 undergraduate students. That number is up from 36 percent a year ago and 29 percent the year before.

Graduate programs, excluding the seminary but including students from the, enrolled 450 students in comparison to last year鈥檚 356. Seminary enrollment was steady at 133 students.

鈥淭he continual increase in enrollment numbers at EMU creates a genuine university feel on campus,鈥� said , vice president of enrollment. 鈥淚 am excited that students are discovering that we are a world leader in areas such as sustainability, medical school preparation, faith development and social justice. We are so diverse that everyone can find another who shares a commonality.鈥�

First-year class grows in diversity

Diversity data and other statistics related to the composition and demographics of the first-year class is compiled by the admissions department, under Director of Admissions .

鈥淭his year鈥檚 class has brought a contagious and positive energy to campus,鈥� said Good. 鈥淭hey have impressed me with their academic abilities and their ambitions to be catalysts for positive change in their communities. With overall enrollment growth, new facilities and new academic programs including a new engineering major anticipated to begin in 2016, it is an exciting time to be at EMU.鈥�

In-state students continue to increase, with 61 percent compared to 57 percent last year.

The university continues to be an attractive draw to local residents. This first-year class saw a doubling of enrollment from , increasing from 13 students in fall 2014 to 25 in fall 2015. Graduates of attending EMU numbered 13 out of a graduating class of 53.

Good noted this first-year class added more students admitted to the , and came in with higher SAT scores and grade-point averages than the previous class.

Nearly a third of those new students plan to study or 鈥� a reflection of 贰惭鲍鈥檚 highly respected and sought-after graduates of both programs. 贰惭鲍鈥檚 are housed in the .

Restorative justice program highlights overall growth

Much of 贰惭鲍鈥檚 enrollment growth in the last 20 years 鈥� since it took the 鈥渦niversity鈥� name 鈥� is due to the establishment of graduate programs and the .

The growth rate across all nine graduate programs was 26.4 percent this fall. The total number of students is 450, compared to last year鈥檚 356.

鈥淢uch of the growth in our graduate programs have been fueled by a very entrepreneurial-minded culture among program directors, faculty, and staff,鈥� said , vice president and dean of the 贰惭鲍鈥檚 . 鈥淚n my two years here at EMU, I have experienced a very innovative group of people with a 鈥榗an-do鈥� spirit who are working in mission-driven ways to expand our educational distinctives to a growing audience.鈥�

Seven of the nine programs gained students, with the , offered at EMU and at the Lancaster site, showing the most growth 鈥� a rebound from last year鈥檚 decreasing numbers. The program for working teachers has the largest number of part-time students (197 at both Harrisonburg and Lancaster campuses).

After a significant broadening of program offerings in 2014 鈥� three debuted in , and a 鈥� EMU began offering just one new concentration, .

That program, , has been a significant draw, says Sara Reed, associate director of marketing and recruitment. Restorative justice in the school community, which has been endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, can potentially improve student behavior, improve school and classroom communities, and lower suspension and expulsion rates.

贰惭鲍鈥檚 development of the program is an outgrowth of its pioneering role in teaching restorative justice practitioners through the and the , co-directed by professors and .

The , 贰惭鲍鈥檚 oldest graduate program, has been operating at full capacity, with a wait-list for admission, for several years. It was the only program that enrolled the same number of students as in fall 2014.

Seminary numbers steady

Eastern Mennonite 鈥檚 enrollment held steady this fall, with the total number of students at 133; however there was a decrease in the full-time-equivalent number due to fewer full-time students.

鈥淪ince graduating a near-record 2015聽class, we鈥檝e recognized that we would face several challenging years in rebuilding our full-time student numbers,鈥� said , vice president and dean of the seminary. 鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased that a strong recruitment season allowed us to maintain the same headcount across autumn 2014 and 2015. And fewer students departing in 2016 gives us a promising foundation for future enrollment increases.鈥�

One source of rising enrollment are three innovative dual degree programs offered in conjunction with the seminary, said , director of admissions. 鈥淭hese programs offer an attractive prospect to many who see professional benefit from inter-disciplinary connections.鈥�

The can be paired with graduate programs leading to a master鈥檚 degree in , , or .

The increase in part-time students can also be traced to the successful inaugural offering of a hybrid program, which combines distance learning with one-week residential sessions. 鈥淭his program has opened up the possibility of seminary studies to more students with various life circumstances,鈥� Amstutz said.

Seminary students include 57 Mennonites, but also 25 students from the United Methodist Church. In the summer of 2014, the United Methodist Church re-approved EMS 鈥� for another four years 鈭� for the training of its pastors.

Other Anabaptist groups represented include Church of the Brethren, Brethren and Brethren in Christ. Students of the Baptist and Southern Baptist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Church of God, Seventh Day Adventist, and Unitarian faith traditions are also represented. Some students claim no particular faith tradition.

University community meets diverse educational needs

A total of 1,908 students registered for class at the beginning of the fall semester.

This number includes statistics from all of 贰惭鲍鈥檚 programs, from traditional undergraduate students to non-traditional students in Adult Degree Completion Programs; part- and full-time students in graduate programs at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and in 贰惭鲍鈥檚 School of Graduate and Professional Studies; and students in the , as well as those taking non-credit courses in conflict transformation.

Among the total enrollment figures are students at , Pennsylvania, and those who study online.

The overall number of students enrolled through 贰惭鲍鈥檚 Lancaster campus in Pennsylvania increased slightly this year. That includes teachers seeking a master鈥檚 degree in education, nurses who want to complete their undergraduate degree, and pastors and future pastors who aspire to a .

The at EMU continues to attract strong interest from international students and local immigrants. IEP prepares them for entrance into American colleges and universities. This fall鈥檚 student number is slightly lower than last year鈥檚 at 75, with the highest number of students coming from Saudi Arabia and China. A total of 15 countries are represented.

While fall semester brings a new burst of energy to campus, the summer included significant activity of its own. Well over 900 persons enrolled for one or more summer courses through EMU. This included approximately 433 for credit in graduate programs, 40 for seminary credit, and 242 for undergraduate credit including 60 Adult Degree Completion students taking general education courses. Also included are 53 students in the Intensive English Program, more than 80 non-credit participants who joined 70 graduate students (included in the total above) for 贰惭鲍鈥檚 Summer Peacebuilding Institute, and many additional participants in non-credit courses offered by the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.

鈥淭his data is indeed a valuable 鈥榮napshot鈥� that shows our two campuses are part of a thriving academic community that draws students of all ages from around the world for study and engagement during the year,鈥� said Provost . 鈥淚’m very pleased to see continued growth in the size and quality of our incoming classes in both our undergraduate and graduate programs, and other programs as well. I’m even more pleased to see the increasing diversity in our student body and faculty, which will enhance the educational experience of our entire community of learning.鈥�

All of 贰惭鲍鈥檚 first-semester, first-year students are required to attend the festival 鈥� surely one of the most fun 鈥渞equirements鈥� a student could have. The university is providing free shuttle transportation from the Campus Commons to the festival site at every half hour, from the time the festival opens at noon to its 6 p.m. closing. (On-site parking is restricted 鈥� check the for more details.)

鈥淲e believe your hearts will be enlarged with the love you will find here, where smiles and hugs and beats that set your feet to dancing will re-energize your spirits in the beauty we share together,鈥� say the festival co-chairs, Vauna Brown and David Kreider, on the event website. (Kreider, who has been a festival organizer for a number of years, holds three degrees from EMU.)

In this, its 17th year, the festival is recognized as an annual tradition in Harrisonburg, perhaps the most ethnically diverse city in Virginia. Harrisonburg is also one of the most harmoniously livable cities in America by . Festival organizers believe this is not a coincidence.

鈥淲e have a lot of refugees in our community because of the Anabaptist movements and the responsibilities they feel to help refugees settle here in our community,鈥� explains Brown. In the early years of refugee re-settlement, 鈥渟ome of the churches had monthly potlucks and during those potlucks they would sit around and have a brainstorming about what they could do to [further] help.” From this brainstorming came the idea of a festival.

Local civic leaders 鈥� from the hospitals to the educational systems to city government 鈥� have not only endorsed the festival, they have stepped up to help create a hospitable climate in Harrisonburg. This year鈥檚 list of reads like a business and non-profit 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Who鈥� of Harrisonburg, with two of the top eight sponsors being EMU and the , founded and directed by EMU alumni.

鈥淭his year we are really focusing on unity and on the richness of our differences, which bring us together into a whole,鈥� says Heidi Jablonski, an 2014 EMU grad who is assisting Brown and Kreider. 鈥淭hese differences draw people together to make the valley such an interesting and dynamic place.鈥�

贰惭鲍鈥檚 with a renowned children鈥檚 performer, Jose-Luis Orozco, at 2:15 p.m. This is one of the eight musical performances of the day, which wraps up with the dance-rhythms of a new Eritrean band, Zara.

of 贰惭鲍鈥檚 is coordinating the making of unity flags, which are somewhat akin to Tibetan prayer flags. 鈥淭his is a community art project for anyone 鈥� children, teenagers, adults 鈥� anyone is welcome at the 鈥榩eace and justice area鈥� close to Pavilion 12,” she said.

鈥淧articipants will get a blank square of fabric and they will be able to put on symbols or prayers or poems that talk about unity,鈥� said Amstutz. 鈥淭hen, if they want, they can take them with them. Or they can pin them on pieces of string, which will be hung around the pavilion.鈥� She noted that this activity fits with 贰惭鲍鈥檚 focus on .

The festival also provides opportunities for fledgling entrepreneurs to get their start, says Brown, pointing out that at least three restaurants 鈥� the , , and 鈥� got their first exposures at past festivals.

Though the setup isn’t immediately indicative of a church service, that’s what makes The Table different.

The service, which started as week night get-togethers around town seven or eight years ago, has transformed into a regular Sunday morning gathering where individuals meet in a space to worship God in a creative and meaningful way. It’s a smaller group comprised of typically 25 to 30 people.

Although The Table is connected to and , the service hosts a variety of denominations every week.

Kris Shank Zehr, who started attending The Table not long after it was founded, says it was a new and refreshing experience.

One of the aspects about The Table that Shank Zehr enjoys the most is being a part of a smaller group and sitting in a ring among her fellow attendees.

The idea of sitting in circled chairs is done so everyone can see all present. Shank Zehr said that this creates “more meaningful interaction” where everyone can sit and “[engage] each other and the texts together.”

There is no appointed pastor at The Table, so the founding principle is the concept of “multiple voices,” , director of admissions at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and participant of The Table, said.

Sitting in a circle encourages participation, creating an open and inviting space where people can learn from one another and freely ask questions.

“I think [sitting in a circle] reflects the shared leadership model,” , assistant professor of Preaching and Practical Theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and fellow participant, said. “Leadership can come from anywhere around the circle and not from one particular spot.”

Daniel Miller, an Eastern Mennonite Seminary student who attends The Table, values how the service encourages everyone to share and lead as each individual deems appropriate.

“I appreciate that it asks something of everyone that attends. You become a participant, you’re not just a passive attender,” he said.

He referred to the adage, “you get out what you put into something,” explaining that “In the case of The Table, you get out a lot more if you put in a lot and you’re invited to put in a lot.”

Amstutz agreed. “When someone is up front, you’re paying a lot of attention to that person.

“I think [sharing leadership roles] does help us pay attention to each other more broadly, she said. “It really is a communal idea.”

Lectionary keeps group on track

Although services at The Table are typically “informal,” according to Amstutz, they do use a Lectionary, which is a book of designated portions of scripture that runs in a three-year cycle. The group chose to do so as it requires covering a variety of scripture, even the “hard ones,” Amstutz explained. And because each attendee is invited to share and lead as the group collectively sits in a circle, the floor is always open for questions and discussion.

In all that it does, The Table strives to do so creatively, even when it comes to approaching scripture. The group engages texts in different ways than just through a sermon – meaning that no two Sunday mornings are the same. The scripture designated for a Sunday service is complemented by some sort of creative activity, such as a skit, artist rendering, or even a children’s story.

“[Service is] always somehow original, [and] allows us to engage with more learning styles than just auditory,” Miller explained. “So, if you’re more artistic or musical or you want to talk to people or you just want to be silent – there’s so many more ways of engaging each other.”

Although there is no designated pastor, there is a Leadership Team, which Amstutz facilitates. Other members, including Shank Zehr, Sancken and Miller, take turns planning services.

Sancken explained that the focus on creativity originates with a creative God.

“We understand God as dynamic, as changing, as moving, as reaching out to connect with us in a variety of ways. A God who is a creator, who has created diversely and so there are a lot of ways that we can reflect that in our worship,” Sancken said.

Shank Zehr encouraged a reflection in the word “creative,” which at its root has the word create – a reminder of the Creator Himself.

Come for the diversity

Amstutz encourages anyone who visits The Table to come multiple Sundays because of the diversity in services, but one Sunday activity can be expected: The Table concludes service with a shared meal.

“Jesus shared meals with his friends; clearly eating was a part of Jesus’ ministry,” Shank Zehr explained. “That’s an integral part of how The Table started and what we continue: sharing in communion and for the noon meal after worship.”

“It’s been one of the things that holds us together, a place where we can connect with each other; a chance for us to be together in an informal way,” she added.

Another integral part of The Table is making sure the group creates a hospitable environment and maintains a flexible outlook, Shank Zehr said.

“From the beginning, one of the founders would say to us: If someone has energy for a particular task or project or aspect of church life, let’s do it; if someone doesn’t have energy, it is not sustainable and we let it go,” she said.

The Table strives to remain a group that isn’t too heavily focused on a five-year plan, but they are focused on listening to where God wants them to be.

In addition to planning services, the Leadership Team also deals with administrative details of The Table and “thinking about the mission and the vision and who [they] are and where [they’re] going,” Amstutz explained.

“What we’ve been talking a little bit about is really just making sure we’re listening to what God is telling us, where God is moving for us,” she said of the team’s goals, adding that “God is in some ways a mystery,” so they can’t know exactly where The Table will be heading.

What they do know for sure is that The Table is a welcoming place for anyone.

“If you’re looking for relationships and deeper connections, that’s something that’s provided at a church like this.” Sancken said.

“It might be really different than what people are used to,” Shank Zehr added. “It’s a small group, it’s very informal, it’s intimate but it might be surprisingly refreshing.”

Courtesy Daily News Record, Nov. 9, 2013

Concern over college affordability in the United States is nothing new. The inflation-adjusted average annual cost of tuition, room and board for the country鈥檚 colleges and universities has more than doubled over the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

While the cost of attendance has actually been increasing faster at public universities over the past decade, private institutions are in general still more expensive. The National Center for Education Statistics puts the average annual cost of tuition, room and board at private, not-for-profit American universities at $36,300 for the 2010-2011 academic year.

While the -affiliated colleges and universities aren鈥檛 quite that pricey, they鈥檙e not cheap either. According to online 鈥渟ticker price鈥� figures, the average full cost of attendance this year at the five colleges/universities is $33,714. (The full cost of a 90-credit hour M.Div. degree from the two Mennonite Church USA-affiliated seminaries is currently just over $41,000.)

Price or best fit?

鈥淗igher education as a whole has had to defend its worth and value in today鈥檚 society,鈥� says , director of retention at 草莓社区 (EMU), Harrisonburg, Va. 鈥淲e see more and more students making their choice based on price instead of what鈥檚 a best fit for them.鈥�

When it comes to paying for an education, however, officials at Mennonite educational institutions note that scholarships and financial aid almost always mean that the actual cost of a student鈥檚 education will be less than the sticker price.

Dan Koop Liechty, director of admissions at , notes that cost and affordability decisions are best made after prospective students have applied, been admitted and received financial assistance packages. At this point, students can make decisions based on the bottom-line cost of their educations, which are often much more comparable to attending a public institution than it first appears.

Directly related to the price of higher education is the issue of student debt, which has also been increasing. According to the , 2011 graduates who borrowed to finance their educations finished with an average debt load of $26,600. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, some consider this an unreasonable burden to place on graduates entering an uncertain job market. Others characterize it as a reasonable investment鈥攁bout the cost of a new Toyota Prius鈥攖hat sets college graduates on the path to a much larger payoff.

College degree as an investment

鈥淚t鈥檚 not debt that you鈥檙e using to buy consumables and putting on a credit card with a 21-percent interest rate,鈥� says Ron Headings, vice president for enrollment management and marketing at . 鈥淚t鈥檚 buying you a college degree.鈥�

Headings adds that with prior planning and hard work during college鈥攖o maintain academic scholarships as well as earn income鈥攕tudents and their families can find it 鈥渇airly easy to get out of Bluffton University debt-free.鈥�

Cost and debt aside, getting a college degree clearly remains a smart financial investment for young adults. While estimates vary, many sources now place the average increase in earnings over a 40-year career at or near $1 million compared to workers without a college degree.

Furthermore, faculty, staff and alumni of the five colleges and universities say a degree from one isn鈥檛 just any garden-variety bachelor鈥檚 degree.

Engaged profs, small classes

鈥淎t a larger school, many of the foundational classes are taught by teaching assistants,鈥� says Matthew Schmidt, a 1994 graduate of , North Newton,鈥圞an. 鈥淎t Bethel you have full professors teaching these same classes.鈥�

Schmidt, who lives in Newton, Kan., and is interim director of a clinic providing health services to medically underserved populations, says the small class sizes at Bethel created an interactive environment ideal for collaborative learning.

Additionally, engaged faculty invested in students鈥� well-being and emphases on critical thinking and cross-cultural skills prepare them particularly well for the future.

Strong outcomes

Two of many indications are these:

鈥� From 2006 to 2010, 91 percent of EMU graduates who applied to medical school were accepted, almost double the national acceptance rate of 46 percent.

鈥� At Bethel, 95 percent of social work graduates pass their licensing exams on the first attempt, compared with a national pass rate of 78 percent.

鈥淚n a rapidly changing and highly specialized job market, a liberal arts college degree provides an essential foundation for the basic skills that are needed in a dynamic economic environment,鈥� says John D. Roth, the author of Teaching that Transforms: Why Anabaptist-Mennonite Education Matters and a professor of history at Goshen College. 鈥淪o education at Goshen College is 鈥榳orth it鈥� for straightforward economic reasons alone.鈥�

But the financial case for the value of a Mennonite college, university or seminary education only tells part of the story.

Education that transforms

Back on the financial aid page: 鈥淭he key is to think of [education] in terms of value. While the cost of college may initially be a bit of a shock, step back, take a deep breath and think about the experiences and lifelong advantages a Hesston education provides.鈥� This appeal to the value of a Mennonite education is an extremely important part of the argument.

鈥淎s Anabaptists, we are part of a tradition that measures worth in more than monetary terms,鈥� says Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, vice president of admissions and financial aid at Hesston. 鈥淢ennonite colleges and universities not only offer course credits and degrees, we provide transformational opportunities for our students to fully discover themselves and their place in God鈥檚 mission in the world.鈥�

Graduates of these schools frequently point to impossible-to-quantify personal growth as one of the most important parts of their educations there.

鈥淎ttending Goshen College was a seminal time in my development,鈥� says Peter Eash-Scott, a 1999 graduate, now a stay-at-home dad in Newton 鈥淚t probably is one of the most influential things that has informed who I am, what I value and who I strive to be.鈥�

Shared, reinforced values

Spending four years in a learning environment surrounded by people who held similar values, Eash-Scott adds, provided 鈥渁 safe place to explore my faith and challenge my understanding of God, myself and the faith community,鈥� both in and out of the classroom.

Close, caring relationships between students and faculty often are another important aspect of an education at a Mennonite institution.

鈥淭he faculty and staff here are part of our community,鈥� says Clark Oswald, associate director of admissions at Bethel. 鈥淲e care for our neighbors. That鈥檚 something as Mennonites that we learn in church growing up, and at Bethel we do that. 鈥� There鈥檚 just kind of this underlying sense of 鈥榳e鈥檙e in this together.鈥� 鈥�

Michelle Roth-Cline, a 2000 graduate of EMU, called the mentoring role of faculty 鈥渁bsolutely invaluable.鈥� Now a pediatric ethicist for the , Roth-Cline says her education at EMU prepared her for medical school as well as her classmates coming from Ivy League and other prestigious schools. At the same time, what she learned about building relationships has served her equally well.

Learning to care for people

鈥�I learned more about how to care for other people at EMU than I did in medical school. Simply knowing how to care for other people in this way has opened all kinds of doors both personally and professionally that I never would have imagined possible when I was choosing a college,鈥� Roth-Cline says.

Leah Roeschley, a 2011 graduate of Bluffton, says her education there set the stage for her own spiritual growth. The opportunity to explore Mennonite faith and spirituality, combined with 鈥渟pace to ask questions [and] space to access and receive counsel鈥� allows students to 鈥渃laim a faith that is truly their own,鈥� she says.

鈥淢y Mennonite education was worth it because my college experience was bracketed with values that resonated with me,鈥� says Roeschley, a registered dietitian in Bloomington, Ill. 鈥淭hose values were in the background of everything I did at Bluffton. 鈥� I left not only fully equipped for the field of dietetics, but I also left with 鈥� a deeper understanding of who I was.鈥�

A related role played by Mennonite higher education is the development of future church leaders and members.

Developing leaders

鈥�There is strong and long-standing research that shows that students who graduate from a Mennonite college are far more likely to participate after college in a Mennonite congregation, our denominational service agencies and leadership positions in the denominational structures. Mennonite higher education is not only a great value for students, we are of great value to our denomination,鈥� says Koop Liechty, the admissions director at Goshen.

, director of admissions at (EMS), says that study at a Mennonite seminary puts Anabaptist 鈥渢heology, history, polity and biblical understandings鈥� at the center of the curriculum. At a non-Mennonite school, she adds, these topics鈥攌ey in the development of church leaders鈥攚ould often be relegated to electives.

Ron Guengerich, a 1974 graduate of (AMBS), says his education gave him a lifelong love of scholarship and the church while bringing the Bible alive as 鈥渁 challenging and transforming 鈥榳ord.鈥� 鈥� Now the pastor of Silverwood Mennonite Church in Goshen, he says he left well prepared for work within the church and eager to continue advanced study of the Old Testament.

Given the relatively low pay offered to people entering church leadership and ministry positions, Amstutz says EMS is concerned with the growing cost of attendance and believes all levels of the denomination need to 鈥渇ind ways to help support students financially.鈥�

There is also a converse question of worth to consider: What would be the price of not having strong educational institutions?

鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to put a money value on effective and visionary leadership for the church,鈥� says Sara Wenger Shenk, president of AMBS. 鈥淢ost of us don鈥檛 get it that healthy communities thrive 鈥� because they have compassionate, competent and confident leaders.鈥�

Building community

鈥淭hank God for those who remember that the cost of ignorance and immaturity given full sway in local congregations is far greater than an investment in those who are ready to become masters of the craft,鈥� she says.

According to those interviewed for this article, the sum of an educational experience at a Mennonite educational institution is greater than its individual parts, with academic growth and personal development building upon and informing each other.

鈥淲e feel very strongly about our value and the high quality of education that we provide to our students,鈥� says Good. His statement is echoed by his counterparts at other institutions. 鈥淎t EMU, students receive an education in which they are challenged to move beyond their comfort zone, to think critically about the world around them, to strengthen their core values and beliefs and to be leaders and forces for change and justice in their communities.鈥�

Courtesy The Mennonite, Jan. 1, 2013

Eugene, in fact, is often in the sky Sunday mornings, piloting his United Airlines CRJ-700 from Dulles International Airport 鈥� a job he enjoys and plans to continue indefinitely. Ministry, for him, is 鈥渘ot 鈥榓 calling鈥�; it鈥檚 life.鈥�

鈥淲e really feel called to be workplace ministers,鈥� adds Christina, who often accompanies her husband on flights, along with serving on the ground at Dulles, where both are volunteer chaplains.

They enrolled in in Harrisonburg, Va., in the fall of 2010. In a Sept. 22, 2012, service at the airport, they were licensed 鈥� a step toward ordination, which they hope will occur in 2014. Balancing study with work, they anticipate earning master of divinity degrees in perhaps 15 years.

Eugene has flown for 25 years, the past 12 with United and affiliates. The couple have been chaplains at Dulles for four years since relocating to Virginia from Pennsylvania. First they lived in Herndon near Dulles, operating a guesthouse for pilots and flight attendants, before moving in 2011 to Berryville, 40 miles east of Dulles and 80 miles north of Harrisonburg. Prior to EMS they trained with the .

After approaching Dulles senior chaplain Ralph Benson to offer much-needed office-organizing skills, Christina became the first woman among the airport鈥檚 15 chaplains 鈥� including Eugene, the group鈥檚 only airline employee. All chaplains, excepting Benson, are volunteers, including an imam and a Catholic priest.

Christina鈥檚 social-work background proves helpful. 鈥淲e often see passengers who have arrived and have nowhere to go,鈥� she says 鈥� and penniless travelers who take free shuttles from D.C. to the airport. Other times, employees request prayer 鈥� including a woman anxious about her troubled teenager.

Christina鈥檚 a native of Pennsylvania. Eugene was born in Vietnam to a Mennonite medical missionary family and spent some of his formative years in Ethiopia.

The couple made the nearly hour-and-half trip to Harrisonburg weekly together for their first two EMS courses, while separating for small-group class discussions. Sometimes they stayed overnight with relatives or in their cabin in Mathias, WV. Eugene benefited when some courses shifted to meeting for longer periods once per week. Christina took the fall 2011 semester off to renovate their 1875 railroad-worker home in Berryville. Last month she opened a Fair Trade store, , from their house.

EMS has enrolled 11 couples over the past decade, says , EMS associate director of admissions and communication coordinator. The seminary now has 140 students.

VMC overseer Luke Schrock-Hurst and EMS professor gave testimony at their licensing ceremony, where Christina shared a poem she鈥檇 written, 鈥淎irport Chaplains Walking.鈥� It was inspired by Luke 24: 13-35, in which two disciples, on the road to Emmaus, are joined by Jesus 鈥� whom they invite to dinner before recognizing him. She remembers that story when 鈥減eople ask us to meet their family, or attend a party.鈥�

Close friends the Kraybills have made among Dulles鈥� international community include a ramper (who moves planes into position) and his wife, who are Muslims from Tunisia. Eugene discourages attempts at 鈥減rofiling鈥� passengers. At the airport chapel, where Christina conducts Bible classes, she also sometimes watches children for Muslim women while they pray.

When hosting employee dinners, the Kraybills included invitations to mechanics, who had previously felt excluded.

They have yet to experience a disaster. (Asked about prayer in moments of danger, Eugene replies he tries to always have 鈥渁n underlying mode of confidence. I鈥檓 praying in my spirit.鈥�) They鈥檝e helped conduct memorial services for two workers killed in accidents on the ground. After such tragedies, Christina notes, the work 鈥渟tops briefly to address the emergency, and then it has to continue.鈥� Yet the chaplains remain.

鈥淲hen I was a student here in 1995, I knew I wanted to return some day as faculty or staff,鈥� said Horning. 鈥淎s a student here I felt like a balloon that had lifted off the earth. Suddenly my horizons seemed endless. I have always wanted to help other students have that experience.鈥�

Horning is responsible for both seminary fundraising and recruiting of students. He aims to grow the seminary annual fund and build a $2 million dollar scholarship endowment.

鈥淭he current economic situation makes it a challenging time to raise money,鈥� he says, 鈥淏ut I see great possibilities for strengthening small givers and broadening our base of supporters.鈥�

Actually, Horning says hard times prompt many people to focus on what is really important, including a strong seminary preparing much-needed church and community leaders.

鈥淧eople are looking for things to believe in and to belong to,鈥� he says.

In his admissions duties, Horning is working in tandem with Anita Fonseca, a new seminary student and admissions assistant, from Chile, both will work under the leadership of Laura Amstutz, MDiv 鈥�06, director of seminary admissions.

Horning earned a BS from EMU in 1986, majoring in biology and chemistry. He completed an MDiv here in 1998. He and his wife Crystal have two daughters, 20-year-old Anya at EMU and Alanah, 18.

By Tim Chapman, Daily News-Record

Before the Internet, one of the more public ways for a church to communicate to members and nonmembers alike was on its roadside sign. Today, though, pastors can tweet or update the congregation’s Facebook page.

Some churches are learning how to balance these diverse media, and Brian Gumm, an 草莓社区 student, believes a few principles apply to both the old and new ways of spreading God’s word.

“A big part of it is to know your audience, but also know the technology, to know the medium you’re using, but also to know yourself,” Gumm said Tuesday at the , an annual convention for Mennonites. The leadership school began Monday and ends today with a closing celebration at 7 p.m.

Gumm and , a communications coordinator at the , advised a group of 12 local and out-of-town ministers on how to effectively use everything from social media to the church bulletin.

“I think the idea of critically looking at each one of the pieces of technology and understanding what are you trying to do, and does this really do that, was valuable,” said Tom Kauffman, the Ohio Mennonite Conference minister.

Find The Right Talent

The pair took turns explaining the basics of different media, while stressing the importance of finding members of the congregation best suited to and most interested in helping manage the flow of information and technology.

, EMS communications coordinator

“Know who likes to take photos in your congregation,” Amstutz said. “And don’t discount the youth. They really like to take photos and find interesting angles. It’s part of their culture.”

But Amstutz and Gumm also reminded the ministers to be wary of temptations that lead to an excess use of any medium.

Ministers should encourage families to develop guidelines for Facebook, Twitter and other Internet platforms.

“In a short amount of time, Facebook has deeply penetrated American culture,” Gumm said. “If you get sucked into Twitter, you can get stuck reading or tweeting like crazy.”

But if used in moderation, social media can be beneficial for churches to reach out to younger members about events or upcoming sermons.

Not Too Social

Gumm also discussed the benefits of churches or leaders regularly blogging with sermon brainstorming, pictures from church events, and video and audio from services.

He was quick to discourage allowing comments on blogs and Facebook pages because of the vitriol often found in comments all over the Internet.

“Comment sections … are often such a wasteland,” he said. “They can be really combative.”

Gumm also discouraged churches from trying to be too “cute” or political on their roadside signs. His PowerPoint presentation said “Please, PLEASE say No” to cheesy messages on signs, but Kauffman and others disagreed with strictly putting clerical information on the signs.

“There’s a church in our neighborhood that’s doing this and they love it,” Kauffman said. “People have really identified that church with that sign.”

Gumm worries about neighboring churches getting into arguments and trying to make points with their signs. He acknowledged that if catchy sayings on a sign do well in a certain community, a church should stick with something that works.

He also doesn’t want churches to become lazy and rely too much on this older form of communication.

“This is not a replacement for outreach,” Gumm said. “This can be an important way to communicate something, but you have to understand the limits of it and put some thought into it.”

Two Eastern Mennonite Seminary alumni have created a blog and web magazine to provide a forum for young adults who are committed to staying in the institutional church but want to discuss what that means.

"Work and Hope: Finding Christ in the Church" was created by Jeremy Yoder, a 2010 graduate currently living in Baltimore, Md., and Laura Lehman Amstutz, a 2006 alumna, a Harrisonburg resident. Both completed the three-year master of divinity degree program.

Perspectives on faith, heritage and more

Their blog and quarterly online magazine will attempt to bring together various young adult perspectives about the church.

The first issue of the magazine was launched July 20 and focused on the theme, "Why am I [still] Mennonite" or in the case of one writer "Why am I [still] Brethren."

Six contributors address this question, citing family connections, ethical understandings and a commitment to a heritage and theology that makes sense to them.

Work and Hope

"We chose ‘Work and Hope’ for the blog’s title because are the words in the inscription on many editions of the ‘Martyrs Mirror,’ the historical account of Anabaptist martyrs," said Yoder. "It also signifies the perseverance we believe the church needs to survive."

"We feel like there’s been much emphasis on that segment of our generation who is leaving the church," Amstutz added. "We wanted to create a place for those of us who are staying to discuss what that means for us."

About the editors

Amstutz and Yoder are hoping to attract a wide cross-section of writers for the quarterly magazine from across the Anabaptist-Mennonite faith tradition and perspective.

The editors, Yoder and Amstutz, will also be blogging regularly about other topics related and tangential to their commitment to the church.

Yoder is currently looking for a ministry position within a Mennonite congregation. Amstutz is admissions associate and communication coordinator for Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

Two months ago, Laura Amstutz completed her education at Eastern Mennonite Seminary with half of what she needed for a profession in the pulpit: Amstutz, 25, had her calling card, a Masters of Divinity, but not a calling.

“For me, it was just not the right time,” said Amstutz.

With pastoring plans on hold, Amstutz took a job at EMS as the seminary’s communications coordinator, a post which allows her to use her bachelor’s degree in communications from Bluffton (Ohio) College.

The detour Amstutz took from traditional seminary training mirrors alternative paths followed by many of her peers. With many young adults questioning church customs, including worship styles, rising ranks of seminary grads are eyeing other types of Christian service.

A recent Associated Press story on the Fund for Theological Education Conference held last weekend in Austin, Tex., referred to a 20-year decline in the number of clergy younger than 35 in mainstream denominations.

According to the AP report, the average age of students at seminaries in the U.S. is falling and fewer graduates of seminaries are heading to the pulpit.

The AP account states that, in a survey conducted by the Association of Theological Schools, 50 percent of men and 40 percent of women who earned Master of Divinity degrees last year said that pastoring a church was their first choice after seminary.

The AP article cites seminarians’ growing preference for alternative Christian service and, on a deeper level, declining church attendance among the nation’s younger populace that reduces the number of potential pastors for the future.

Promoting The Pulpit

The wire story also refers to efforts by congregations to make preaching appealing to as many people as possible, with promotions that range from clerical robes on American Girl dolls to cost-free semesters at seminaries. The latter perk, according to the report, gives candidates a glimpse of seminary life.

Ervin R. Stutzman, vice president for 草莓社区 and dean at EMS, won’t concede that prospective pastors are getting cold feet. Stutzman, 53, admits that today’s young adults are challenging church values and more reluctantly link themselves with what they sense as mutually leery congregations. “In my opinion, adults trust young people less today than they did 30 years ago,” said Stutzman. “They’re afraid that the church doesn’t want them [as leaders], since they’re not ready to promote the same things.”

Earlier youth fought wars, says Stutzman, while current editions seem less likely to leave home, much less lead a church. Stutzman refers to the latest generation, children of mid-20th century-born ‘baby boomers’, as ‘boomerangs’: children to come back home to live after college.

“I think that staying at home [after graduating from college] was a lot more unusual 30 or 40 years ago,” said Stutzman.

Changing Climate

Educators see social change as part of an historical shift in prevailing thoughts of today’s churches. Sara Wenger Shenk, 53, associate dean at EMS, believes the church environment is changing: specifically, that socializing is moving outside the church.

“It’s not that people are less religious, or less spiritual,” Shenk. “They’re meeting at cafes, bars, coffee houses and at work rather than going to established churches. There is a general sense that the church, perhaps, has missed the revolutionary power of the Gospel.”

Young adults, Amstutz says, want more than a weekly religious routine.

“The current perception is that church is something you do on Sunday, it makes you a good person and then you go on with your lives,” said Amstutz, whose husband Brandon sells cars for a Harrisonburg dealership. “Young adults want their spiritual lives to be consistent – they don’t want to be ‘Sunday Christians.’”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact Tom Mitchell at 574-6275 or mitchell@dnronline.com