Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1495097
2022-2023 Student Handbook 11 conversations about many different areas of faith and life. At times we may disagree about the interpretation of particular passages, about theological issues of secondary importance, about the expression of Christian ethics in public life, and about the application of Scripture to ministry. At all times, however, we will be known as a community that relates to one another charitably, with a penchant to listen before speaking and a desire to learn that trumps the instinct to defend and to tell. The freedom and courage to think is only half the equation for a vibrant learning community; freedom and courage to listen completes it. Our conversation with those with whom we disagree, particularly outside the community of faith, must be marked by charity and respect. The apostle Paul described the manner we desire to relate to all people with these words, "speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15). Redemptive Relationships We are people of the Gospel, a community of humbled and broken people who have found life anew in its redemptive power. We come together knowing that Christ has rescued us from the bondage and the penalty of our sin simply through the death of his Son on the cross because he loves us. And we live like those for whom redemption, grace, and reconciliation are more than theological concepts— they are the breath of life that sustains us each and every moment of each and every day. We believe that redemption comes only through honesty with ourselves and through the truth of the gospel. So we nurture interpersonal mentoring relationships throughout the Seminary experience that drag us out of our hiding places so that we can move into the light of Christ's searing gaze of love. We are committed to an integrated learning process that redemptively addresses the needs of the whole person. We also believe that our redemptive relationships must go beyond the community of faith and reach into the lives of those who have yet to confess faith in Christ. We help one another develop and model a grieving compassion for the lost and, like our Savior, we seek their salvation (Luke 19:10). Global Concern We are people of the Kingdom, committed from our founding in 1950 to global mission because of God's concern for the redemption of all peoples. Our commitment to mission provides rationale and urgency to our task. We will make the uncomfortable realities of a blinded and broken world an abiding issue in our educational process and we will challenge ourselves to courageously face the indifference and self-indulgent tendencies that keep us from whole-hearted commitment to the mission of God in the world. Furthermore, we value and embrace the marvelous diversity of God's people and we will nurture meaningful partnerships with other like-minded schools and agencies in the work of the Kingdom around the globe.