A vice president from Fuller Theological Seminary will address a group of sophomores this weekend at the first annual Sophomore Leadership Conference. The conference, hosted by the Vocational Opportunities and Career Advancement (VOCA) office, will host Tod Bolsinger, Vice President for Vocation and Formation and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology, who will deliver two lectures to the group. Bolsinger, a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), has worked at Fuller since 2014, and has written three books and numerous articles, according to the seminary. His areas of expertise include community building, organizational leadership, and strategic planning.
Aside from Bolsinger, men’s soccer coach Matthew Webb, and alum Noel Habashy ‘03 will also address participating students. Several other college staff members will facilitate breakout sessions throughout the weekend.
The conference was offered to sophomores interested in “learning about their own leadership styles and strengths, and applying them to group settings,” according to VOCA director, Kim Pool. Twenty-nine students registered for the conference at a cost of $50, though the conference was partially funded through a grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, Pool stated.
Sophomores were sought for this conference because the VOCA office often “loses touch” during students’ second year of college. “We are able to touch base in their first year, while juniors are looking for internships and seniors are asking ‘what’s next,’” Pool said. The VOCA office hopes this conference will become a continual avenue through which it can “provide support” earlier in students’ undergraduate studies, according to Pool. Some juniors did choose to attend the conference as well, Pool noted.
Pool also stated the students will be divided into teams with the task of formulating a strategy for implementing some specific positive change at Houghton. The teams will present their plans on the final day of the conference.
James Mclean ‘18, a theology major focusing on pastoral ministry and Biblical studies said he signed up for the conference because he “like[s] to take every opportunity that is offered to grow spiritually and better equip myself for ministry.”
In regard to positive change at Houghton, Mclean said he thinks “more campus wide initiative towards prayer is long overdue. I believe there needs to be more opportunities to pray together as a community. Due to the state of this nation and even the world, the church needs to unite now more than ever in prayer.”
Prayer and communion will also be included at the conference, according to Pool, who also stated that a goal of the conference is to “help students get a grasp on what God is calling them to”.