At the heart of Redeemer’s mission is the acknowledgement that Christ is sovereign over all of creation. Thanks to the amazing grace of the cross, we can bring the good news of his Kingdom to all areas of life. For students today, the possibilities of career and calling may seem endless, while at the same time next steps can be difficult to discern. We continue to focus on ensuring that a degree from Redeemer prepares students well to serve God in all areas of life and work.
This issue’s feature story, Redeeming the Body: Restoring the Crowning Jewel of God’s Creation, provides a great example of this. The story highlights faculty research and expertise on the ways we can partner with God to honour and redeem our bodies, temples of his spirit. Through appropriate exercise, nutrition and rest, caring for our mental and spiritual health and using our bodies to carry out God’s calling for our lives we bring glory to him. Redeemer students studying to become physiotherapists, physical education teachers, recreation therapists and more can know with confidence their role in redeeming God’s creation and helping others to do the same.
… a degree from Redeemer prepares students well to serve God in all areas of life and work.
It is comforting to know that the God who created us continues to hold all things together. This past fall, the Redeemer campus experienced tragic loss with the death of student Bekett Noble. Many at Redeemer were impacted by this loss and will continue to grieve in the coming months. I have taken great comfort in receiving so many messages of prayer and condolences from those who care about Redeemer and I know that God has been with us throughout the past months. Please continue to pray for Redeemer as we commit to significant investments in mental health and to living out the university’s Reformed Christian mission faithfully with love, compassion and respect for every student, staff and faculty member.
This May, Redeemer will be hosting the 2023 Kuyper Conference. This annual conference was founded in 1998 at Princeton Theological Seminary to acknowledge the stream of neoCalvinist thought represented by Abraham Kuyper. Makoto Fujimura, winner of the 2023 Kuyper Prize, will provide the keynote address. We look forward to hosting speakers and guests on campus.
As he holds all things together, including Redeemer, we continue to thank God for the privilege of educating and sending out Kingdom-centred, innovative graduates to make a profound impact in a rapidly changing, complex, digital world.
The conference is part of an overall effort to continue to engage in critical thought and research from a Reformed Christian perspective. The Albert M. Wolters Centre for Christian Scholarship has helped prepare for the Kuyper Conference and has also orchestrated other thought-provoking events and speakers through the fellowship program. As part of this, a faculty member from each academic area of the university, through mentorship and speaking, is helping to increase Reformed Christian worldview integration in scholarship and teaching, a key strategy of the university’s strategic plan.
In this issue, you will also find an update on the 2025 Learn. Forward. Strategic Plan. Many key initiatives have been completed and a number of others are slated for completion in coming months. In particular, investing in contemporary, sustainable facilities continues this year with a number of renovations in Founders Hall, Redeemer’s main building. This summer, the reception area will be reconfigured and refreshed to provide a welcoming first impression to visitors and the dining hall and commons area will be opened up to provide a bright and inviting space for gathering and dining. We look forward to seeing the completion of these projects so students can enjoy them next fall.
As he holds all things together, including Redeemer, we continue to thank God for the privilege of educating and sending out Kingdom-centred, innovative graduates to make a profound impact in a rapidly changing, complex, digital world. We give God praise for the way in which he continues to provide for Redeemer and ask for your continued prayers as we engage in Christian university education.