It has become a common practice of mine to spend time wandering around our campus, just paying attention to the trees, the paths and the water. Last week, on our snow day, I was doing just this, enjoying the freshness of the snow and the crispness of the air. As I walked, I began considering the many reasons I am thankful for this place. It is that time of the semester when brains become weary and hands become tired. The late nights become more frequent, and sleep becomes a distant memory for many. This being said, I thought it would be a good idea to remind myself, and the community, about the many things we have to be thankful for here. As we consider the people we love at this school and the many things we have learned, we would be remiss not to consider the words that have made that possible. I was perusing Eastern’s website the other day and began reading through our mission and vision statements. It had been much too long since I paid any attention to our formational statements, and I found them to be encouraging and formative. May you also find them to be words worth being thankful for.
Our Vision Statement:
“Eastern University is dedicated to ideas, inquiry and the development of people of faith who will enhance the quality of society and the church. Toward that end, Eastern will continue to expand its formative role in the world as a university in which knowledge and wisdom are imbued, Christlike engagement is inspired and stewardship is modeled.”
Through this, our school has promised faithful dedication to the following foundational commitments:
To excellence in scholarship and teaching:
“We maintain a high priority on excellence in teaching within the context of exemplary scholarship and research. Guided by our faith in Jesus Christ, who is ‘the way, the truth and the life’ (John 14:6), we believe in the unity of God’s truth, whether supernaturally revealed or humanly discovered; we value the search for knowledge and understanding in all areas of life.”
To the whole Gospel for the whole world through whole persons:
“We recognize the Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments, as inspired of God and as the supreme and final authority in faith and life. We submit ourselves to carrying out our mission under its authority and seek to apply biblical principles to all facets of human aspiration and action, including the centrality of personal transformation. We affirm the importance of calling all persons everywhere to personal faith and faithful discipleship in following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, including living out the whole Gospel in a needy and lost world.”
To justice, reconciliation and transformation:
“In our commitment to sharing the whole Gospel to the whole world, we acknowledge with sorrow the brokenness of the world at personal, national and international levels. Thus we seek to work for Christian transformation, justice and reconciliation in all areas of life as these are grounded in our understanding of Christ’s calling to us. We particularly seek to work with and for the poor, oppressed and suffering persons as part of our Christian discipleship.”
Grace Nealy 
Jason Karch 
Josh Steen