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For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. —Ecclesiastes 3:1 I want to share a story about the beauty of this unique community of missionaries, church leaders, and research scholars from around the world who, since 1922, have gathered annually for sustained spiritual, physical, and intellectual renewal. Those of […]

The emotional and spiritual hurts and habits that come with living in a fallen world and the deep wounds that some people carry with them each day were the focus of attention October17–20 when Harriet Hill, director of the Trauma Healing Institute of the American Bible Society,led a seminar on “Healing the Wounds of Trauma:

When Renat and Anya arrived at OMSC in August, they left behind their busy lives in Central Asia and the accompanying ministry stresses to spend a few months in New Haven. The couple and their three daughters have already become important members of the Center’s residential community. In 2008, Renat and Anya led small groups

Allison Howell of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission, and Culture in Ghana, who was a Fall 2009 resident senior mission scholar, proudly wore her OMSC T-shirt this fall when she was in New South Wales, Australia. “I am grateful to God for my time at OMSC and for the opportunities it gave me to

It is an early August morning in Ghana, where the daily temperatures will average a warm 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Although students are on summer break, today they are walking to the local public school to attend Vacation Bible School. The children, most of whom range in age from 10–12 years old, arrive early to help

It had been a really frustrating time for Executive Assistant Pamela Sola. As the person responsible for preparing visa papers for OMSC’s international visitors, she took visa denials personally. Most of those who applied for the study program had received visas and were already attending the seminars. But there was one application that had been denied. At community worship Pam asked everyone to pray that the visa would be granted. After making this request, a missionary from Guinea-Bissau pulled her aside and said, “I don’t think you should have made that prayer request.”

Could friendship be a Christian witness in a Muslim community? For Martins, a 2008-09 resident at OMSC, that question came out of a real life situation. Martins is a Christian missionary living in a predominantly Muslim community in Nigeria. He applied for a sabbatical at OMSC in order to have an opportunity to become both physically and spiritually invigorated for his ongoing work, and to meet new friends who challenged his Christian life. Blessed with a personality that radiates joy, he makes friends easily. But, was befriending the son of a very wealthy Muslim chief testing the bounds of friendship? 

It was the Fall of 2008 and Professors Sherwood and Judith Lingenfelter had been invited to be Senior Mission Scholars at OMSC. In this capacity they would act as mentors to a group of international missionaries and teach a one-week seminar on Leadership. During their four-month sabbatical they were also planning to do some research and reflection. So, how did their seminar for church leaders from Nigeria, Uganda, Madagascar, Palestine, India, Indonesia, Burma, and Korea lead to the birth of a new course in a doctor of ministry program?