Community On Mission
Each year, a new group of faculty, staff, and students are welcomed to the Maranatha family. At the same time, parents and students are starting to think about college more intentionally. Usually, they are familiar with our community through the experience of alumni, pastors, or friends. So, becoming a part of this intricate machine, whether on campus or virtual has a relationship to thank for its beginning. This is the way we like it. In this edition of the Advantage, you are going to explore the heartbeat of the ministry. But before you immerse yourself in stories of God’s grace or alumni faithfulness, let us direct your attention back to why Maranatha exists. Dr. Davis, in his address to the faculty and staff at the beginning of the school year, announced the theme for the year to be “Community on Mission.” If you have been listening to our podcast, you’ll hear echoes of those conversations because it’s grabbed a hold of our hearts. Education is in constant flux for a variety of reasons but there are a couple of key ways it stays the same in our minds: community and mission.
A question we regularly receive is, “how big is Maranatha?” We love answering this because it allows us to show how wide our community is instead of focusing on numbers. You can’t think about Maranatha as just the amazing student body that assembles on campus for eight months a year. You must include the students that will never set foot in Watertown unless they choose to walk in commencement. This includes young parents coming back to finish their bachelor’s degrees, middle-aged professionals making a career switch, or chronic students in search of more education. And of course, you can’t forget the backbone of the ministry–the dedicated faculty and staff who serve selflessly to whomever God brings across their path.
But you must understand our definition of community to grasp its significance. Dr. Davis stated clearly, “community is not so much something we are but rather something we do.” Our relationships are crucial to our success. Why? Because human interaction is still the best agency for growth. Maranatha doesn’t have a reason to operate without the people we have forged longstanding relationships with. Whether it’s the faculty and student relationship or peer-to-peer relationships, the community is vital. We need each other! Sometimes, the shared experience of college establishes core relationships for life. That could be a mentor that you gravitate to while in class or an accountability group that grows organically through coursework or extracurriculars. Our community keeps us accountable.
Our community also provides a defense against discouragement. Working together allows us to keep our focus. And that’s what it means to be mission-focused.
What keeps an accountant, a medical doctor, and a piano instructor connected ten years after graduation? What keeps the veritable zoo of academic programs and staff departments on the same team though they might have competing needs and desires? The mission.
MARANATHA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS LEADERS FOR MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH AND THE WORLD, ‘TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.’
Mission statements are in vogue. More than ever before, mission statements are baked into public branding. They are on mugs, buses, and banners. At Maranatha, we put it on the walls. People of all generations can recite the mission statement with great accuracy. Why? Because without it, we wouldn’t have a way to relate to each other. We wouldn’t ‘know what way is forward. Our mission statement addresses our bond in Christ. We are pursuing a goal way larger than Maranatha. Maranatha’s mission is actionable. It tells potential students, students, and alumni alike what we do. Maranatha is in the business of developing leaders. But not just any leaders. We infuse church ministries with service-minded members, ready to lead with integrity. Every weekend, faculty and staff serve local churches. Every weekend, churches across the world have Maranatha alumni serving in every capacity imaginable.
Every once in a while, someone will roll their eyes and ask why we are always connecting a meeting or project back to the mission. It’s a fair question as we are busy and have important tasks to accomplish. But to accomplish our goals, we must keep our mission in sharp focus. To appropriately understand Maranatha Baptist University, you must understand our mission. There are 100 good ideas that will never be developed here because they are “off-mission.” We invest our time, money, and relationships around the mission of building servants for the cause of Christ. No matter what new academic program, what new technology, or what format “change” happens at Maranatha, “Mission-Accomplished” looks like faithful servants working, watching, and waiting for the Lord’s return in churches around the world. The goal is to hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
So, what is the Advantage? It’s about telling stories and platforming ideas that support the mission. The best way to show you what we want for our students and constituents is to tell stories. When you read of a pastor serving in a local church with no worldly recognition or fame, praise the Lord. The mission thrives. When you read of a new faculty coming on board to invest their extensive career wisdom in the lives of hungry students, praise the Lord. The mission is alive. When you read of churches that give students an outlet to develop their ministry experience, praise the Lord. The mission is being taken on by another generation. When you see the iconic faculty and staff leaving Maranatha and doing the work of the ministry elsewhere, praise the Lord! The mission lives on. And yes, when we see beloved members of the family go on to glory, praise the Lord. Their mission is accomplished.
DR. MATT DAVIS (’96) has been with the Maranatha family since 2010. An attorney by training, he has served as the Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, Executive Vice President & Corporate Counsel, and currently the Chief Executive Officer.
JONATHAN SHEELY (’16, ’19) serves as the Director of Communications. He is passionate about extending the impact of his alma mater through clear and effective communication strategies such as the On Mission Podcast that he co-hosts with CEO Dr. Matt Davis.