I believe the world we interact with daily is evidence of God’s unlimited creativity. Our ability to experience, question and be instruments of change is an extension of His creativity through us. If we claim to be made in the image of God, we acknowledge that He is a creator and sustainer and has passed these characteristics on to us.

IN THE BEGINNING. My first experiences with teaching and learning were the same as most – being informed little by little about the surrounding world through observation and interaction. Language skills develop, questions are asked and answered. This is how it goes for a while: we learn one answer and move on to the next. While this is an essential piece of the educational process, it is by no means the definition. We come to a point where the answers aren’t so clear and possibly absent. It is at this point where we learn that teaching is about asking the right questions. The pursuit of these questions, which may never reveal satisfying answers, fosters personal growth and provides opportunities for self-awareness and empathy. I find it challenging, but necessary, to continually question my own thinking to avoid putting my mind on cruise control. This is not an exercise to find answers necessarily, but an act of becoming comfortable with the unknown or unfamiliar. As I mature in my faith, more questions come to the surface as God seeks out my heart and leads me through discipleship.

PERSONAL JOURNEY. My journey with Christ continues to grow more interesting, and I feel like more of a seeker now than ever before. I grew up in a small Church of Christ congregation and was surrounded by a loving community, but much of the teaching I received was about rules, traditions and judgment. As I’ve matured, I’ve begun to understand the radical call and claim of Jesus, and the tremendous love and acceptance He shows us. I’ve also come to fully realize, and take to heart, that I am an active part of the Kingdom of God. This was an incredible revelation for me – I am a collaborator, co-conspirator, artist and designer with God in his Kingdom. What an incredible privilege and responsibility. I am no longer just along for the ride waiting for the day to come when all that we know is gone and I’m sitting on a cloud singing hymns forever. (That never sounded like a way to spend eterninty.) Here and now, I can see the Kingdom of God. It’s not a complete and perfect vision, but it is being revealed in many ways and engages all of my senses.

SACRAMENTAL. Ideally, there should be no distinction between the different aspects of our lives – spiritual, familial, social and professional. The same holds true in education. Our faith and call to discipleship should permeate our teaching; as Christians, that is our mission and primary purpose in life. While I’ve found this concept to be very attractive, it seems difficult to implement at times. This struggle is as much a part of the educational process as the victories. We have to be able to ask the questions that call us to a deeper commitment. What are the social implications of what we do? What are our responsibilities to those we serve? How can our mission lead us to our vocation? How can we glorify God day to day – even as we study in school?

In my classes, I attempt to communicate that the work we (Christians) produce should be comfortable with any other work being produced. In other words, the work should stand on its own with or without the “Christian” descriptor. Most likely, the students will find themselves working in an office with people from all walks of life and with different beliefs than theirs. The work they do, and the way in which they do it, should be a reflection of their values. Wendell Berry says we are practicing our religion when we work. Work is holy. Work is worship. I am not suggesting we need to worship work as our contemporary culture seems to indicate. Rather, I want my students to understand that they are reflecting what they hold true by the work they do and the manner in which they do it.

JUSTICE. As an educator, my hope is to prepare students to be socially responsible and pursue restorative justice through the use of their talents, gifts and the faith with which God has blessed them. I want to encourage them to continually ask how they can submit their will to the will of God. I also want them to realize they are professors too! Their lives in a home, office, church or school should be an affirmation of their faith in God. The world of art and design is just a portion of God’s beautiful creation and only a piece of our lives here on earth. The products of fine art and design aren’t just handsome buildings and pretty pictures on a wall. The real products are the questions, inspiration and revelations unveiled by the presence of the work. This is the journey we are all on; our lives have substance and meaning beyond what we “do for a living.”

A few years ago, Haley (Buffington) Powell (B.S. Interior Design 2012), a smart, focused and thoughtful young woman, expressed interest in using her abilities as an interior design student to serve the community in some way. Haley had been in several design classes of mine and, at the time, she was the Peer Leader for my Cornerstone class so we had several opportunities to discuss ideas and dream of potential projects. With the help of a core group of classmates and me serving as advisor, Project Merge was born. The idea was simple – renovate a deserving family’s house over the course of a weekend. (Think small-scale “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”) Project Merge is a student-led initiative that is fueled by a deep passion for serving others, and a fair amount of coffee. This past spring (2013), we finished our second Project Merge with plans to continue the project annually and focus on community-based projects in the future. The video below, produced by ACU, recaps the inaugural Project Merge in 2012.

Through my friendship with the executive director of Connecting Caring Communities, a local non-profit that exists to build meaningful relationships that foster safe, caring, whole communities, I was able to partner the organization with an architectural design class I was teaching during the fall of 2009. The class was given two assignments related to a proposed mixed-income residential development CCC was involved with: 1) develop a master plan for the development and 2) design an energy-efficient single-family house for a low to moderate-income family. Through both projects, the students were able to engage with CCC, the neighborhood/neighbors and the site. CCC selected one student’s master plan to implement for the development and gained several useful ideas for the house design. The following year, I assigned the house design project again and those students were able to participate in the construction of a compressed earth block house on the site. This proved to be a great way to connect the students to the broader community, and provide them with unique and meaningful learning experiences.

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