Daily scripture readings to the tune of “I Owe the Lord a Morning Song” (played on old-school synthesizers) bump up against jokes, riddles, contests, and “isolation reports” on Rosedale Bible College’s novel Morning Show.
Masterminded by Hans Shenk, director of enrollment services, the show aims to foster community and connectedness during this time of dispersion.
“Since I’m not involved in academics it’s been a fun challenge for me,” Shenk said. “It’s not a PR thing with wide circulation, but is geared specifically for the RBC community.”
President Jeremy Miller and Dean of Students Matt Showalter have also started a twice-weekly podcast, Here’s What I Think, with episodes like “Habits” and “Lament.”
Shenk sees the potential for broader reach in these new initiatives—the Morning Show and the podcast are publicly available on YouTube and Spotify, respectively—but right now he’s pleased to see the positive role they’ve played for the RBC diaspora.
Students and teachers will find each other.
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about who we can now be as a ‘broadcasting company,’” Shenk said. “When student life moves online, I also spend more time there.” He says this stay-at-home season is a great time to email and call students and prospective students. “But it’s hard to talk about the future when there are so many uncertainties. Sometimes it feels like sprinting on tiptoes!”
Academic Dean Phil Weber, who helped transition faculty into online teaching with only a weekend and two days’ notice, said things have gone much more smoothly than he anticipated. He attributes this to the assistance of Rich Peachey, an adjunct faculty member.
“Rich has served as an increasingly involved expert technical consultant for years,” he said. “He brings a skill and responsiveness I’m pretty sure would be the envy of many employers of technical consultants.”
Other factors contribute to the success of the transition to online classes. “We were really helped by the experimenting we did in online teaching several years ago,” said Weber. “And we were already using Moodle, a Learning Management System, to post assignments and collect projects digitally.”
“We’re holding classes synchronously and have been able to maintain good attendance and participation,” Weber said. “Students are doing remarkably well.” The Webex platform allows students to participate in class discussions and also connect with teachers and each other both before and after class.
Matt Showalter reported that most students were able to return home. The dorms have been closed and the six remaining students are living in empty apartments on campus.
He is wary of online-only education, but said “it’s been working well—especially since the students already had a strong sense of community before they scattered.”
Once a week, Showalter hosts an 8 AM time of worship and spiritual formation online, replacing the daily prayers and regular practice of anointing, foot washing, and communion that had marked spiritual life on campus.
Librarian and faculty member Reuben Sairs said that he has been amazed at the irrepressible desire of students to learn. The abrupt transition to online learning was tough on everyone, but the desire to teach and learn is universal, he said. “Students and teachers will find each other.”
Sairs especially misses the opportunity to take field trips, which were an integral part of his World Religions class. But his Biblical Preaching class has given participants the unusual opportunity of learning how to function in an online format—a vital skill given the reality of modern church life.
“They’re digital natives and have not been intimidated by the need to preach online instead of in front of a live audience,” Sairs said.
“Hitting ‘pause’ is difficult on an institution like RBC,” said President Miller. However, it is clear to him that we need to know how to navigate these times effectively and with grace. RBC is committed, he said, to its vision of preparing students to do just that.
