In the News

Bib Lit impacting in the classroom and beyond

How do you appropriately celebrate the 30th year of a college course that has had a significant impact on the life and faith of nearly 6,000 students who have put in hours of hard work and come away with a broader worldview and greater biblical understanding?

A brand new, first-time-ever textbook for the course seems like a great start.

This fall, students in Hesston College’s famous Introduction to Biblical Literature class received copies of the first print run of The Bible as Story: An Introduction to Biblical Literature as their textbook. Fittingly, the book is co-authored by former and current Hesston College faculty members Marion Bontrager, Michele Hershberger and John Sharp, who have more than 45 years of combined experience teaching the course.

From its start in 1986 to August 2016 when the book first came off the press, Bib Lit students remember the course manual as loose-leaf sheets of paper contained in three-ring binders. That content was rich with biblical insight and a unique way of presenting the biblical story and its inspiring concept of Heilsgeschichte – salvation history, which is more than just history “but a kind of confession of faith and proclamation of Yahweh and salvation,” as Bontrager writes in the book’s introduction. The book contains the same wisdom and innovation, just in a different format.

“The binder was more notes, and our lectures filled in the gaps,” said Hershberger. “We took what was in the notebook and refined it into this single resource, which better solidifies for our students this very unique method of teaching the Bible. We took the time and effort needed to really make this a fine, well-researched book that ties together well what Bib Lit is.”

A Bib Lit book had been an aspiration for the faculty authors for several years, but the time needed to make it a reality was difficult to find with already busy teaching, speaking and other writing commitments for each of them.

It was the encouragement from fellow faculty member, published author and owner of the independent Workplay Publishing, André Swartley, that inspired them to move ahead. The fact that it was published in time for the 30th anniversary of the course was coincidence.

“One of my motivations for getting [the authors] together to do the book was as an academic advisor to the international students who have to take Bib Lit to graduate,” said Swartley, who teaches English as a Second Language courses at Hesston. “Many of them have never even seen a Bible and Bib Lit is difficult for them, so I thought, ‘How can we make a more user-friendly resource for these students, which will, in turn, benefit everyone?’”

In his role at Workplay, Swartley helped walk the authors through the process of writing, editing and publishing the book, which was published in cooperation with Hesston College.

Bontrager’s brainchild, Bib Lit was started as a way to ensure that students would receive biblical teaching from an Anabaptist perspective as part of their core curriculum. It is now an iconic part of the Hesston Experience as well as a required class for graduation.

The approach to teaching the Bible is unique when compared to many other Bible classes, and consists of three parts: story, method (inductive study) and hermeneutics (interpretation). It reveals the Bible as a narrative of God and the people of God instead of a compilation of stories.

“Bib Lit is focused on story rather than on book,” said Bontrager, who retired from teaching in May 2014. “It’s not so much about the Bible as the content of the Bible. It is Christo-centric with Jesus connected to the Old Testament story, and with a historic Jesus who is integral to daily life. It provides foundational context. It also builds a foundation for critical thinking and analysis when studying the Bible or in any area of life or academics.”

“We are realizing that even our Christian students come in not really understanding ‘the Big Story,’ added Sharp. “They know individual stories, but they do not understand the big story and how all the stories work together to create the big story. That’s what makes this a very unique class.”

While the book was created as a teaching tool, the authors are hopeful and expectant that it will have an impact beyond the Hesston College classroom. Both Bontrager and Hershberger have presented the Bib Lit curriculum in congregations across the United States for several years. The advent of the book will make the presentations more convenient and succinct and offer the opportunity for congregations, small groups or individuals to explore the content on their own.

In summer 2016, Hershberger used an early print version of the book to present Bib Lit at Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust in Philadelphia, Pa., to 15 people from 10 congregations throughout greater Philadelphia.

“That Philly class was the inaugural class with the book, and it went really well,” said Hershberger. “We know it works with an adult audience, and they really appreciated it. I think what they will do now is they’ll take it and adapt it to their own context in their Sunday school classes and in their preaching.”

While the many possibilities with the new text remain to be more fully realized, it’s clear that Bib Lit will continue to be foundational and impact the lives and faith journeys of students in the college classroom and beyond.

“It’s so rewarding to see students make new connections with the Bible,” said Bontrager. “If it also contributes to more storytelling in the church, that will be a very nice spin off.”

The Bible as Story is available for purchase through the Bookstore.

Vocalists invited to sing in 2016 Thanksgiving Masterworks concert

Local musicians are invited to join student choirs for the annual Thanksgiving evening Masterworks concert at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 24, at Hesston Mennonite Church. The 2016 concert will be A Downton Abbey Christams and will consist of holiday music by English composers themed around the popular British television show, along with full orchestra accompaniment.

Rehearsals will be on Thursday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus, beginning Oct. 20. A detailed list of music and the complete rehearsal schedule can be found online. Community choir participants are asked to contribute $20 to cover the cost of music, payable at the first rehearsal.

To participate or for questions, contact Russell Adrian at russell.adrian@hesston.edu or 620-327-8143.

Hesston College to present a fall performance filled with laughter

The Hesston College Theatre Department will present four public performances of the fable “Fools,” directed by Rachel Jantzi, Oct. 27 to 30, in the Helmuth Studio Theatre in Keim Center on the Hesston College campus.

“Fools,” by Neil Simon, set in the small village of Kulyenchikov, Ukraine, during the late 19th century, tells the story of schoolteacher Leon Tolchinsky who accepted an assignment to instruct the village doctor’s daughter. He quickly discovers Kulyenchikov is a village noted primarily for the stupidity of its residents, due to a curse placed on the villagers generations earlier.

The village has grown accustomed to the unintelligent events, like not knowing how to open a door, but change is imminent when the young Leon arrives at the Zubritsky home and carries out his first lesson with Sophia.

The 2016-17 theatre lineup is centered on “a season of laughter,” and the cast of 11 students, with a tech crew of eight additional students, will be sure to have the audience full of laughter.

“The best comedy is taken very seriously,” says director Rachel Jantzi. “I want our student-actors to experience the challenge of pulling off a comedic show, and not just comedic, completely ridiculous. We are all witnessing a different breed of ridiculousness right now as we watch this current political circus. I thought it would be nice to engage in some foolishness without risk or the maliciousness that we have been exposed to recently. I want the audience to feel free to laugh together and enjoy a show with no real agenda, other than to entertain.”

Show times are at 7 p.m. Oct. 27, 28 and 29, and 2 p.m. Oct. 30. The play is rated G, running 90 minutes excluding intermission, and is suitable for the whole family.

Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students and children. Tickets can be purchased through the Hesston College Bookstore in person, by phone at 620-327-8105 or online. Purchasing tickets in advance is recommended. Tickets will also be available at the door 45 minutes prior to show time and are subject to availability.

Photo release - Campus comes together for Cultures Fair 2016

Hesston College sophomore Kaho Yanagidaira (Chino-shi, Japan) (right) and English faculty member Donovan Tann (left) give a lesson on using chopsticks to sophomores Morgan Leavy (Telford, Pa.) and Emily Griffioen (Belmond, Iowa) at the college’s annual Culture’s Fair Oct. 10. After learning to use chopsticks, participants test their new skills by moving peas from one bowl to another. The Culture’s Fair is a chance for international students to share their customs, culture, music and food with the campus community. This fall, 39 international students representing 16 countries are part of the Hesston College community.

Photo release - Author of 2016 community read speaks at Hesston Mennonite Church

Joshua Davis, author of the fall 2016 community read “Spare Parts,” shared with about 500 people the process of writing his book and immigration in the United States.

Photo release - Home Sweet Hesston homecoming 2016

Adele Hofer (sophomore, Greenwood Village, Colo.), performs a soprano solo from Mozart’s “Regina Coeli, KV 108,” along with the Hesston High Singers, the Hesston College Bel Canto Singers and the Gala Concert Orchestra Saturday evening.

(left) Troy Jantz (Hesston), Hesston High 1999, Hesston College 2001 and 2002. Jantz, a pilot with Executive Airshare, spoke along with two other aviation presenters Sept. 30; (right) Former Bible faculty member Marion Bontrager and current faculty members John Sharp (Bible and history) and Michele Hershberger (Bible) sign a copy of their book “The Bible as Story” for alumnus Andrew Horst (1997).

(left) Lonnie Voth, Jane Litwiller, Karen Terry and Beth Hostetler review a yearbook at their Hesston College class of 1976 gathering; (right) Noted conflict transformation author and international conflict negotiator, Notre Dame professor and peace practitioner John Paul Lederach ’75 presents the keynote address on the topic “Compassion and integrity in an age of fragmentation.” Lederach arrived to homecoming weekend off a plane from Colombia where he oversaw the peace deal between Colombia and FARC rebels.

(left) Several inflatables and face painting was available to community members for entertainment as part of Kids Fest on Saturday evening, Oct. 1. Kids Fest was part of a full evening of free activities that included a picnic dinner for alumni and Hesston community members, men’s and women’s soccer games and a Gala Concert featuring musicians from Hesston High School and Hesston College as well as community members; (center) Dr. Andrea (Weaver) Herrera responds to an audience member’s question during a Go Everywhere seminar. Herrera, a family practice physician at Great Plains Family Medicine (HHS 1995, HC 1997) presented along with Dr. Greg Sawin (right), program director for the Tufts University Family Medicine Residency at Cambridge (Mass.) Health Alliance (HHS 1991, HC 1993) and Dr. Josh Suderman (center), private clinic pain management specialist (HHS 2001, HC 2003); (right) Goalkeeper Luke Hertzler (freshman, Harrisonburg, Va.) warms up for the Larks match with Garden City Community College.

Bel Canto singers to perform at Hesston Mennonite Church

A 21-voice mixed chamber choir, Bel Canto Singers, under the direction of Dr. Russell Adrian, will perform at 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

The group’s fall tour program, “Mend the Sky,” is inspired by the college’s 2016-17 theme verse from Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord…” and the Hesston community read Spare Parts by Joshua Davis.

Bel Canto, Hesston College’s premier choral ensemble, is part of a rich tradition of performing arts at Hesston College where students access an assortment of venues including biennial tours to Europe. The 2016-17 academic year marks the group’s 33rd season. While combining high artistic standards with unique performance opportunities, Bel Canto Singers provide first and second-year college musicians an experience typically reserved for third and fourth-year students.

The group’s home concert is a prelude to a fall break tour to Colorado Oct. 14 to 17. Tour stops include:

• Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. – Rocky Mountain Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale, Rocky Ford, Colo.
• Oct. 16, 10:30 a.m. – Peace Mennonite Community Church, 13601 E. Alameda Ave., Aurora Colo.
• Oct. 16, 4 p.m. – Beloved Community Mennonite Church (at Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church, 6724 S. Webster St., Littleton, Colo.)
• Oct. 17, 9:30 a.m. – Liberty High School, 8720 Scarborough Dr., Colorado Springs
• Oct. 17, 7 p.m. – Beth-El Mennonite Church, 3625 Ranch Dr., Colorado, Springs

Community read author to visit Hesston College and Hesston Public Library

The author of the fall 2016 community read, Joshua Davis, will share with the community about his work in a 7:30 p.m., presentation, Tuesday, Oct. 4, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. Another opportunity for interested people to connect with him will be at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the Hesston Public Library. The presentations are free and open to the public.

Davis’s “Spare Parts,” this year’s community read, was named one of the best new books by Amazon and the BBC in 2014. It is the true story of four undocumented teenagers from Mexico and living in Phoenix who were inspired by their high school science teachers to be greater than their adversity and be successful in building an underwater robot to compete against corporate-sponsored collegiate teams. The book was developed into a major motion picture by Lionsgate and released in 2015 with well-known actors George Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Although “Spare Parts” has been a major hit for Davis, he has many other accomplishments. Davis is the co-founder of Epic Magazine and has been a contributing editor at Wired for a decade. He has also written for The New Yorker, GQ, Outside, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, Maxim and Food & Wine. He was a finalist for the 2014 National Magazine Award in feature writing and he has numerous works in the 2012 edition of “The Best American Science and Nature Writing, as well as the 2006, 2007 and 2009 editions of “The Best Technology Writing,” Davis also makes documentary films and television projects.

The 2016 community read is again engaging the wider community as well as Hesston High School, Hesston Middle School, Hesston Public Library (HPL) patrons and a Newton Public Library book club. Anyone interested in reading the book prior to the presentations can find it at Hesston Public Library in hard copy, as an audio book and in the eLibrary.

Home Sweet Hesston Homecoming gala to feature students, alumni and community musicians

The music programs at Hesston High School (HHS) and Hesston College (HC) as well as guest performers – many of whom are dual alumni of both HHS and HC – will present “The Promise of Living” Gala Concert at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. Pre-concert entertainment will feature the Hesston High School Jazz Band beginning at 7:40 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert features a wide variety of genres and performances groups in both vocal and instrumental mediums. Other featured ensembles from Hesston High School include the Singers, Chorale and Concert Choir. Hesston College’s featured ensembles include Bel Canto Singers, Orchestra and the Men’s and Women’s Choruses.

Alumni and community member musicians are invited to perform “The Promise of Living” piece by Aaron Copland along with the college and high school student performers. Chorus members and instrumentalists will rehearse from 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 1. Go to hesston.edu/promiseofliving to register to perform, or contact director Russell Adrian at russell.adrian@hesston.edu.

Guest performers include:

• Talashia Keim Yoder (Goshen, Ind.), a graduate of HHS in 2000 and HC in 2002, she is in her 13th year as theatre director at Bethany Christian High School (Goshen), and she is also pastor at College Mennonite Church (Goshen).
• Joel Garber (Norman, Okla.), a graduate of HHS in 2002 and HC in 2004, he is a D.M.A. candidate in choral conducting at the University of Oklahoma (Norman), and serves as administrative assistant for choral activities and conductor of the OU Chamber Singers.
• Jordan Brunk (Kansas City, Mo.), a graduate of HHS in 2004 and a member of the Hesston College class of 2006, excelled as a member of the Hesston High School Singers and Hesston College Bel Canto Singers, earning multiple scholarships at HC and the University of Kansas (Lawrence), and placing first in freshmen men’s classical division in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Central Regional Competition in 2005.
• Tara Hershberger (Portland, Ore.), a graduate of HHS in 2004 and HC in 2006, teaches acting classes at the Northwest Children’s Theatre and School (Portland).
• Ken Rodgers (Hesston), a graduate of HHS in 1983 and HC in 1985, he has been on the Hesston College music faculty since 1988 where he conducts the Men’s and Women’s Choruses and teaches organ and music appreciation classes.
• Anthony Brown (Pittsburgh, Pa.), is a former Hesston College social science faculty member and artist in residence. He is an internationally acclaimed baritone and promoter of peace and goodwill around the world.