Everyone is here—the thought often brims with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Students from across the States and around the world have arrived on campus to usher in PCC’s 45th school year.
Along with faculty and staff, upperclassmen sporting bright yellow lanyards were dotted across campus, ready to assist new students and their families. They knew that there were bunks to claim, classes to register for, and books to purchase, and they guided new students throughout all the firsts. While new students tried out the combinations of their PCC mailboxes, returning students reunited with old friends in the Commons, quickly asking each other, “Have you seen the new Varsity Terrace?”
Everyone is challenged. On August 26, the hum of excited conversation filled the Crowne Centre before the start of Opening Meetings. Campus Church pastor, Dr. Jeff Redlin, opened the services with prayer saying, “We oftentimes pray and ask that this will be the greatest year that Pensacola Christian College has ever seen. Lord, we hold fast to that prayer, but may we personally, individually, be able to say ‘This is the greatest year that I’ve ever seen personally in my walk with God.’”
Pastor Rusty Smith of Mikado Baptist Church (GA) opened the semester with sermons covering the Bible as the “Textbook” of life and the deceitfulness of sin, encouraging students to take advantage of PCC’s spiritual atmosphere to grow closer to God.
“[College] could be some of the most incredible years of your life as God uses it as a foundational period and a sounding board for the rest of your life,” Pastor Smith said.
Everyone is invested. Students headed to their first classes on August 28 with well-packed bags and class schedules in hand, navigating the campus to find the classrooms that they would be returning to for the semester. Soon, the New Student Connection in the Sports Center will bring students together for some camaraderie-made-easy with pizza and group games.
Greek Rush will be held on September 7, giving members of the men’s and women’s collegians the opportunity to don their colors and show their spirit. The event will take place on Main Drive in front of Varsity and the MacKenzie Building. Students will be able to visit collegian booths to ask questions while enjoying snacks and carnival games. During the Greek Rush Parade, each collegian will work competitively to make a lasting impression on new students.
When describing the excitement about the great potential on campus, President Troy Shoemaker said it best. “My confidence is that God has a perfect and great will for each one of you personally,” he said, “and my prayer as the next generation of leaders is that you’ll be trained and equipped and empowered to influence the world for Christ.”
Everyone is here, and the 2018–2019 school year has begun.