Handbook for Community Life

Letter from VP for Student Development

Dear Asbury Students,

Welcome to the Asbury University community! We are thrilled that you have considered entering into this community where Christ is central and our mission is strong. This Handbook for Community Life is an excellent guide to help you enter into and contribute to life at Asbury.

We are interested in your development as a whole person and have developed programs, support systems, guidelines and principles through which to operate that will challenge you to grow into the person God has called you to be. A community cannot exist unless members demonstrate a concern for one another which results in a maturing of both the individual and the community as a whole. Asbury promotes a community which is characterized by three interdependent functions: Caring, Cooperating, and Correcting.

Caring: As we follow in the steps of Jesus Christ and His teachings, we will demonstrate a love for those around us which is evident in our caring, “carrying” and comforting of one another. Practically speaking, our concern for others will go beyond the obvious spiritual and physical realms into the emotional, mental and social realms. This concern for the development of the whole person emphasizes our commitment to develop whole people who are wholly prepared to be wholly used of God.

Cooperating: Any effective organization is distinguished by the way in which its component parts work together to achieve the ultimate mission. Asbury’s mission is to provide students with the opportunity to learn in a Christian, liberal arts environment and to prepare them to make a significant contribution in their world for Jesus Christ. A team approach where there is a collegial and collaborative effort between administration, faculty, students and staff results in a cooperating community where the whole is greater than and more important than any of its component parts.

Correcting: The heritage of the University has always held high expectations for its members and expected them to maintain both their own character and the University’s character. Our love for one another motivates us to encourage and, when appropriate, correct each other as we strive together to achieve God’s purpose for our lives. Redemptive correction brings one to repentance, forgiveness, accountability and growth.

It is our hope and goal that your time at Asbury University will be pivotal in helping you to grow in your relationship with Christ and to find what God has for your future.

Paul Stephens
Interim Vice President for Student Development