 |
 |
Events John Stanko, Assistant Director at CUBM, earns a John Stanko, Assistant Director at CUBM recently graduated from Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary earning a Doctor of Ministry degree. Many friends and family showed up to celebrate the evening with him. In addition to his duties at CUBM, he is Administrative Pastor of Discipleship at Allegheny Center Alliance Church. Below is an excerpt from John's Monday Memo 502 about his graduation expierience. You can read more of Dr. John's Monday Memos at http://www.stankomondaymemo.com "I am surprised by how relieved and excited I am as I approach that event. I began my studies in 2007, after I was confronted by the fact that the school where I earned my first doctorate had never completed their institutional accreditation. Now I am looking back on my last four years and I have some thoughts to share with you about the experience. First, I started in 2007 with no idea where I would get the money or the time to complete the program. The cost was in excess of $10,000 and the classes (eight of them) were held one week each from Monday through Saturday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM. In addition to the class time, there were gobs of reading and tons of writing. My final project alone was 265 pages! Yet my desire overcame the obstacles and God always made a way to finish with excellence. Second, my project was an exercise in confronting my fears. Many times I sat down to write and found every convenient excuse why I could not write that day - I was too busy, I didn't have enough time to do quality work, it was too difficult, the professors would not like it, just to name a few. I almost threw up my hands and gave up when I had to write my five page bibliography. It was a war to finish, and I wish I could give you some secret of how I did it. There was none. God helped me, but I had to sit down and fight through my fears to get the job done. Third, I grew tremendously through the whole project. I learned so much, not only in new material, but about myself. I began when I was 57 and now I am 61 when I graduate. I moved out of my comfort zone and confronted head on material, people and projects that I chose to confront. Fourth, my degree and experience has opened new doors for me. I now teach courses at a masters level in organizational leadership. I am helping to start what we are calling a Divine Design Team at my church to assimilate people not only into their role in the church but also into their life purpose. My class project, Back to the Garden: A Theology of Creativity and Productivity, will undoubtedly be a book one day. My confidence has grown when I discuss theological matters."
|
