When he was 14 years old, Noah Meyer ’22 felt the Holy Spirit for the first time. Tearfully sharing their struggles and praying together, Meyer and a group of friends suddenly sensed tangible warmth, light, and uncontainable joy wash over them. This experience, combined with his upbringing in the church, stayed with Meyer, but his high school years brought nights spent at parties, judgmental thoughts, and puffed-up pride. He loved Jesus but lacked a foundation for discipline and spiritual maturity—that transformation began when he arrived at APU as a freshman.
From living in the dorms to joining a D-group, God quickly began turning Meyer’s life around through opportunities at APU, and he left the party scene behind. In May of 2019, Meyer traveled to Moldova on an action team, coming alongside people in poverty and spreading the gospel message.
Keep Reading: Tips from a Recent Graduate: Go on a Mission Trip
“My time at APU has turned my faith into a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus, and He has washed away my old feelings of pride and judgement,” said Meyer. “I learned how to hear God speak and follow His direction, with my friends encouraging me along the way.”
With a faith deepened through these experiences, Meyer hopes to lead his own action team next summer. Starting this fall, Meyer will co-lead a D-group to spur on freshman and sophomore young men in their own faith journeys. As he seeks God’s will for a future beyond college, Meyer would like to use his business management degree to one day own a sports company—pushing people to be the best they can be and sharing the love of Christ.
This article is part of a series that features the inspiring faith stories of APU’s students, faculty, and staff. If you are a member of the APU community and would like to share your faith story, contact Rachel White at rewhite@apu.edu.
These days, earning a degree no longer requires you to adjust your schedule to fit the designated times of on-campus courses. With a growing number of online degree programs being made available, it’s now easier than ever to advance your education—from almost anywhere—with flexible scheduling.
If you’ve never taken a course over the internet, you may be wondering how to succeed in an online class (and how much it may vary from a traditional classroom learning environment). Wonder no more! Here are five tips that can help you prepare for the unique learning environment of online classes.
1. Create a Schedule You Can Stick To
Although online courses offer the flexibility to work on class material on one’s own schedule, consistency is still an important success factor. It’s crucial for students to develop strong time-management skills to succeed in an online program.
One way to effectively manage your time is by creating a schedule that sets aside time to read, study, participate in class forums, and complete assignments. Designating these specific periods during the week can prepare you to keep up with new material throughout the term—and help you avoid having to cram last minute.
Don’t forget to factor in any other regular commitments or activities, such as sports practices or volunteering, and adjust your study schedule accordingly!
2. Designate a Distraction-Free Study Space
Learning outside a physical classroom environment is arguably the biggest adjustment for online students. Lectures are conducted digitally, and coordinating any group projects is done via email and group discussion threads.
This means you’ll be responsible for learning the material on your own, in a space that you create for yourself. Whether it’s at home, a local library, or a coffee shop, having a go-to place that helps you focus is key to succeeding in an online program.
Keep Reading: Online Graduate Degrees: 6 Reasons You Should Pursue One
Once you’ve found a suitable study spot, you’ll want to make sure you have the following:
A high-speed internet connection: This will make it easier to download materials or stream class content. This is one of the most important requirements for taking advantage of the educational support offered by online learning platforms.
Headphones: These reduce distractions from surrounding noise and allow you to hear course information and lectures without being a disturbance to others.
An organized system for keeping notes: Whether you’re using a notebook or note app, keeping the information you’ve learned throughout the term in a neat and tidy place can prove valuable when finals roll around.
3. Actively Participate in Class
Taking advantage of class forums allows you to connect with other students and meet potential study buddies. Partnering up with a classmate is mutually beneficial—you keep each other accountable, the information becomes more digestible, and course success may feel more within reach than if you had gone it alone. As an added benefit, you might make a few friends!
Online forums also allow students to participate whenever is most convenient for them. Due to their remote location, students on the more reserved side tend to speak up more often, creating profound class discussions and higher engagement overall.
4. Reach Out to Professors
According to Thomas Wilson, Ph.D., director of online learning at Azusa Pacific University, it’s beneficial for students to reach out and communicate with their instructors early and often. This way, he says, they’ll have an open line of communication that can be used to resolve questions and ensure they understand the course content.
Keep Reading: RN to BSN Online Programs: Why You Should Advance Your Career
“If you do not understand something or cannot find something online, email your instructor,” Wilson noted. “Notify your instructor immediately—she or he may be able to make the correction with a click.”
Whenever you have doubts about a course, don’t hesitate to reach out to your instructor or access helpful resources. Some instructors even offer virtual office hours, where they chat or video conference with students to answer questions one-on-one, just like during on-campus office hours.
5. Keep Track of Your Progress
At the beginning of the term, make note of important dates and deadlines, as this can help you measure your progress throughout the term. Once you’ve identified the major dates, keep them recorded somewhere you can reference regularly. This makes it easy to see if you’re studying properly or if you typically find yourself cramming at the last minute. Check in frequently to ensure you’re maintaining good study habits as the semester continues.
“Self-starters who have good time-management skills can thrive online,” Wilson says. With these five best practices, you’ll know not only how to succeed in an online class but how to make real strides toward earning a degree outside a traditional classroom setting.
Interested in learning more about the online courses offered through Azusa Pacific University? Explore the school’s online degree programs to begin charting your path today.
Just months after graduating from Azusa Pacific University with a commercial music degree, Moxy Anne ’19 released her first song as a solo artist. A visit to Hong Kong last summer with APU’s Chamber Singers opened her eyes to the plight of its people and served as her inspiration for “The Egg,” which debuted on August 30.
“Essentially, the egg is a metaphor for our souls and represents the ability of right to emerge victorious over wrong, over oppression,” said Moxy Anne. “Saying, ‘I stand with the egg’, means I’m with the people of Hong Kong. The phrase comes from a Japanese author who delivered a speech on human freedom.”
Moxy Anne’s lyrics feature the refrain, “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord, which has become an official anthem at the Hong Kong rallies. “Pray for us,” is also emphasized throughout the song. Days after releasing the single, she sang it live at a solidarity rally in Los Angeles in front of crowds of people, many of whom were from Hong Kong and still had family there. “Performing at the rally was an incredible experience,” she said. “The people were so gracious. Some did not understand English but they clapped for me anyway.”
The Christian Post featured Moxy Anne and her song as part of their coverage of the events in Hong Kong. As she launches her career as a singer/songwriter, Moxy Anne points to her time at APU in the School of Music, particularly the voice instruction she received with vocal coach Bill Cantos as pivotal. “I studied with him for two years. He helped me learn more about jazz, pop, and all these dimensions of music. He changed the course of my career.”
Moxy Anne said she can’t be tied down to just one genre of music. She currently performs covers of classic rock songs with her best friend guitarist Sydney Ellen in a band called Heartless the Duo, a take on the band Heart.
Along with a solid musical foundation, Moxy Anne said APU provided her with something far greater. “The best part of APU is its God First mission. I went to a college where people actually care about something bigger than themselves. This is the message I want to share.”
There’s no doubt about it: When you head to college, you’ll have all kinds of new experiences. You’ll explore new academic topics. You’ll meet new people who come from all around the world. You’ll tackle new challenges and stretch yourself in new ways.
Along the way, you’ll likely find a need for guidance and opportunities to explore and deepen your faith. Azusa Pacific University understands this, which is why a critical part of the student experience is regularly attending chapel on campus.
Shaping Your Future, Faith, and Character
College isn’t the time to put your faith on the back burner. In fact, it’s a time to further develop your faith.
Coba Canales, EdD, dean of spiritual life at APU, noted that the lessons taught in chapel aren’t peripheral to students’ lives—they play a vital role in shaping their faith and character. He said that regularly pausing academic study, work, and other activities to focus on spiritual matters brings the APU community together.
Keep Reading: The Value of a Christian College Experience
“Chapel is part of the co-curricular learning experience for students,” said Canales. “The curriculum that is designed for chapels serve as a significant component of APU’s mission to transform disciples and scholars who participate in God’s work in the world.”
Since 1899, APU has been committed to keeping God First. That means students’ spiritual preparation is an essential part of the university experience. Just like students must attend classes to meet academic expectations and grow intellectually, the chapel requirement is integral to a student’s spiritual formation.
To prepare students spiritually for their work in the world, the school requires all full-time undergraduate students to attend chapel on campus three times every week, offering several chapel experiences for students engagement:
Morning Chapel: Held on both the East and West campuses, these chapel services draw the largest crowds each week. APU invites speakers from inside and outside the university to deliver messages focused on students’ spiritual formation.
Kaleo: This is a reflective, visual, and open-ended chapel experience held on Wednesday nights.
Liturgical: These experiences focus on prayer and responsive readings. They offer students corporate worship opportunities that follow the liturgical calendar and the Revised Common Lectionary.
Evening Prayers: These chapel experiences allow students to focus on corporate prayer at the end of the school day.
Senior Chapel: Designed specifically for seniors in their final year of college, these chapel gatherings allow students to celebrate their impending graduation and focus on their continued spiritual development after college.
Regardless of which chapel experiences students choose to participate in, the Office of Spiritual Life designs each service to encourage them to grow spiritually through biblical, challenging, and diverse experiences.
Keep Reading: Thinking About a Christian Education? There’s a Christian College for You
“We desire that students engage in corporate worship together with an open-heart, open-mind posture of worship and a desire to be transformed into the likeness of Christ,” Canales added. “If that is the approach, students can find ways to be shaped through any speaker, chapel band, or theme that may be covered in any particular chapel.”
Interested to see what attending chapel at Azusa Pacific University is like firsthand? Explore the archive of past chapel services.
From playing on the football team to volunteering as an MC at nearly every event, David Do ’20 was well known at his high school. He knew about Jesus, but poured all of his time and worth into opportunities, people, and events—trying to boost his image. When Do tore his ACL his senior year, limiting his ability to participate in sports and other activities, he found himself at an all time low. In this difficulty, as people who loved him covered him in prayer, Do truly encountered Jesus for the first time. Do was filled with passion for his faith and felt called to become a pastor, but he had nowhere to invest that energy, until he began college at Azusa Pacific University.
When he arrived on campus as a freshman, Do leaped headfirst into every faith-related opportunity available: participating in worship nights, faith events, and ministry projects. As time went on, however, Do became worn out and stretched thin. He recognized he was struggling to form deep relationships with others. God tugged at His heart, encouraging him to find solitude and meet with Him—whether closing his dorm room door to read the Bible, seeking stillness in the Hartwig Prayer chapel, or observing the practice of Sabbath.
“I began living a life according to God’s will, planning my life with time to commune with Him,” said Do. “My time alone with the Lord equipped me to better serve and connect with the people on campus, providing a place of rest and rejuvenation.”
In the quiet, God gave Do a deep desire for one-on-one connections with others, leading him to become a D-group leader, Service and Leadership Team (SALT) representative, and truly invest in the people around him. These relationships proved powerful, and Do’s faith grew as he heard the stories of others. Today, Do serves as an intern in the Office of Spiritual Life, an experience which is constantly teaching him what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and love others.
As he begins his senior year, Do hopes to plant seeds of revival on campus, as he continues loving God and others. After graduating, Do will use his ministry major to follow God’s call to be His disciple, wherever that might take him.
This article is part of a series that features the inspiring faith stories of APU’s students, faculty, and staff. If you are a member of the APU community and would like to share your faith story, contact Rachel White at
You’re in ministry to make a difference in your community. You want to encourage others’ faith. You want to comfort the lonely, feed the hungry, and heal the broken. Being effective in ministry is about impacting people with the transformative work of the Gospel. That’s why you may want to look into pursuing a seminary degree.
As a minister, earning a seminary degree isn’t a matter of vanity—nor is it about adding a piece of paper to your office wall. A seminary education helps you deepen your community impact with a Christ-centered ministry. Here are five ways a seminary degree can support your efforts.
1. Sharpen Your Skills
A seminary degree can help you further develop your ministry skills. You’ll hone your approach in areas like preaching, counseling, biblical exegesis, and missional practices while getting constructive feedback from seasoned leaders and fellow students.
Keep Reading: What You Can Do with a Seminary Degree (An MDiv Isn’t Just for Pastors)
2. Develop Relationships with Ministry Mentors
All ministry leaders should have access to mentors who can provide guidance and help them succeed, yet it’s not always easy to find them. In seminary, you’ll be surrounded by experienced leaders with a unique calling to train and mentor others.
Keep Reading: Pursuing a Ministry Career? 3 Reasons You Need a Mentor
3. Prepare for Future Ministry Opportunities
Although the message of Christian ministers is timeless, their work must constantly change as society shifts. A seminary education can help you prepare for these changes as you minister within today’s context.
Keep Reading: How to Choose a Seminary Degree: Which Path Is Right for You?
4. Enable Networking with Other Ministry Leaders
As a seminary student, you’ll regularly meet future leaders who have a passion for developing their ministry skills. During your time in school, you’ll have an opportunity to build lifelong relationships with these peers as you support and inspire one another.
5. Access Ministry Resources
As a seminary student, you’ll be able to tap into resources you can’t easily find anywhere else. These resources will not only help you while in seminary, but they’ll also help you become more effective in your present ministry context.
Ministry Resources Available Through APU
Azusa Pacific Seminary is committed to helping ministry leaders succeed. Seminary programs—including the Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, Master of Arts (Theological Studies), and Doctor of Ministry (DMin)—are offered at Azusa Pacific University’s main campus, or San Diego.
The school provides a variety of tools designed to help ministry leaders be more effective in their lives and work:
Partners in Ministry (PIM): This relationship-based program is available to anyone working at local churches and parachurch organizations. As part of the program, ministry leaders get access to annual conferences, APU discounts, opportunities to audit courses, and more.
Center for Vocational Ministry: Through support from the center and its mentors, students get help clarifying God’s call in their lives as they learn to integrate their spiritual journey with their ministry path.
El Centro Teológico Hispano: Hispanic seminary students can tap into unique courses, guest speakers, and relationship-building opportunities through El Centro Teológico Hispano. It also provides a place where students and pastors can meet to discuss issues related to ministry in a Hispanic context.
HomeWord Center for Youth and Family: APU began partnering with HomeWord in 2009 in response to the overwhelming needs of parents and families. The school now hosts a number of seminars that strengthen families and prepare them for the growing challenges they face today.
Interested in learning more about the resources available to Azusa Pacific Seminary students? Check out the seminary’s resources webpage.
Working with veterans to help them build and maintain successful lives as civilians can be incredibly fulfilling—and part of a greater contribution to society. Military veterans face unique situations as they serve our country, and those experiences lead to specific strengths and needs as they transition from military to civilian life and continue on their personal journeys.
Those who feel a calling to work with retired servicemembers can build careers supporting them in a range of fields. Veterans may need guidance in finding housing, health care, and insurance. They may need to build financial plans or transition into new careers. They may need physical therapy, social support, or counseling to help them cope with their service experiences.
Degrees That Prepare You to Work with Veterans
Many undergraduate degree programs can prepare you for a rewarding career serving our country’s veterans, such as:
Kinesiology: The study of body movement, this major teaches students to care for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. With a career in kinesiology, you can help veterans improve their health, fitness, and quality of life. Kinesiology students typically concentrate in health professions, applied exercise science, or physical education. Graduates might work as occupational therapists, fitness and wellness directors, or strength and conditioning specialists.
Psychology: In this major, students learn to understand and analyze human behavior. A Bachelor of Arts in Psychology prepares you to work with veterans in social services and counseling, while a Bachelor of Science in Psychology focuses on equipping you for careers that require knowledge of the brain and neuropsychology, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
Social Work: With this program, students study human behavior in order to enhance lives. Studying social work prepares you to assist veterans in areas such as criminal justice, child welfare, health care, substance abuse, gerontology, and mental health. Jobs might include geriatric social worker, mental health case manager, or substance abuse counselor.
Educational Opportunities That Can Advance Your Career
Students who plan to pursue careers working with veterans often need to complete their bachelor’s degree and continue their education with an advanced degree. Azusa Pacific University can help.
If you have at least 15 units of transfer credit, APU’s bachelor’s completion degree in psychology might be a good fit. The program is available at several regional campuses and online, and up to nine units of coursework in your final year can be applied to certain APU graduate programs.
APU also offers several advanced degree options:
Master of Social Work: A program that includes strong clinical training as well as field internships to prepare you to meet the behavioral health needs of veterans and their families. Students take classes like Diversity and Social Justice, Adult Behavioral Health and Diagnosis, and Family Therapy in Context.
Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy: A path that gives students a solid foundation in professional counseling that they can use to help veterans and their families. Students benefit from the program’s interdisciplinary studies in theology, ethics, and psychotherapy. This degree meets the requirements for California licensure as a marriage and family therapist.
Doctor of Psychology: An APA-accredited program that emphasizes the integration of faith and spirituality into clinical practice. Students take classes like Christian Spiritual Formation and Psychotherapy, Legal and Ethical Competence for Psychologists, and Couples Theory and Therapy. Most graduates go on to become licensed psychologists.
Doctor of Physical Therapy: This curriculum integrates evidence-based critical thinking into clinical practice with a Christian worldview. The program prepares students for leadership positions in a variety of healthcare settings, or for post-professional work with veterans in orthopedics, neurology, cardiopulmonology, clinical electrophysiology, pediatrics, geriatrics, or sports medicine.
Doctor of Rehabilitation and Movement Science: A low-residency Ph.D., this program offers a curriculum that prepares professionals to improve patients’ health and rehabilitation outcomes through research and education. The program focuses on health care ethics from a Christian perspective, and students can specialize in acute care, movement science, orthopedics, neurology, performing arts, or pain science.
Are you ready to build a career helping our country’s veterans? Check out the full range of behavioral and applied science programs APU offers to find the best fit for your future.
Like many who grew up in a Christian home, Mary Browning ’21 always knew about Jesus and accepted Him into her heart in kindergarten. When she was a sophomore in high school, Browning traveled with APU’s Mexico Outreach to serve and was challenged by the Holy Spirit to step into a deeper, more personal faith. Although it wasn’t natural at first, Browning listened to the call, pursuing daily time with Jesus and plugging into a local church youth group.
Browning carried this obedience with her as she arrived at APU during spring semester, when the bustle of fall welcome weekend was in the past and most freshman were already settled in their dorms. One week into school, on a Tuesday night, God spoke. He told Browning to visit the Hartwig Prayer Chapel—a quiet space on campus for students to pray and reflect—and Browning reluctantly went. To her surprise, APU students were gathered in the chapel worshipping. These students, a revival group called Wildfire Worship, soon became Browning’s best friends, and she joined their leadership team.
“Entering the APU community as a freshman during spring semester could easily have been a challenging experience,” said Browning. “But on a quiet weeknight, God provided me with a faith community—people to learn from and grow with.”
Now a junior at APU, Browning’s faith continues to flourish. As a student employee in the Office of Spiritual Life, Browning trains action team leaders and learns from APU’s professional staff, as they live our their Christian mission. This coming year, God has called Browning to disciple women in leadership positions, providing a restful space for them to encounter Jesus. As an interdisciplinary studies major, which involves a blend of religion and teaching English as a second language, Browning hopes to teach and serve overseas.
This article is part of a series that features the inspiring faith stories of APU’s students, faculty, and staff. If you are a member of the APU community and would like to share your faith story, contact Rachel White at rewhite@apu.edu
Deciding to dive into a doctoral program is no easy choice. Regardless of your field, you’ll be committing yourself to at least three years of intense study. Getting a doctoral degree can be valuable both to your career and your personal growth, and the following advice can help you decide if it’s the right path for you.
How to Decide If You’re Ready
The best way to know if you’re ready to pursue a doctorate degree is by asking yourself a few questions. Here are some ideas you should ponder:
Do I have the time? When you start working toward a doctorate, you’re making a commitment for the next three to five years (likely 10 to 15 hours a week). You may need to let go of a few existing obligations to make your doctoral studies a priority.
Do I feel energized by the thought of reading, writing, and researching? A doctoral degree isn’t for everyone. It’s primarily for those who love to read, write, and research. If you have trouble envisioning yourself doing all three on a regular basis, you may want to reevaluate! Most doctoral programs aim to prepare students for professional roles where these three activities take center stage.
Am I interested in a new level of responsibility and leadership? Your doctoral program will prepare you for a host of new responsibilities. Understanding the gravity of the power that may be entrusted to you is crucial. You might someday find yourself in a position where you need to develop thought leadership and a deeper engagement with broad trends in your field—and you’ll want to rise to the occasion!
Once you’ve decided to tackle a doctorate, you’ll need to mentally prepare yourself for the next step. You don’t just wake up one day and decide to pursue a Ph.D.; it’s the culmination of much thought and deliberation. It’s important to get ready for the challenge.
Here are three strategies for getting started:
Have a candid conversation with the significant people in your life. Your doctoral work will take time—lots of it. Your other responsibilities will likely need to be adjusted for the next three to five years. Make sure your employer, family, friends, and other important people in your life understand the level of commitment and time a doctoral program takes and are willing to support you through the process. This support can make your experience much more successful.
Read as much as possible. When your program begins, you’ll likely have a number of reading assignments. Suddenly, a lot of your time will be spent reading books and journals. It’s a good idea to start reading broadly now, so you’re mentally and physically prepared for the coursework.
Double-check your commitment level. Being ready to pursue a doctoral program isn’t just about how smart you are; it’s more about how committed you are to reaching your goal. Times will get tough. When that happens, it will be your effort and persistence that will get you through.
You’re Ready . . . Now What?
When it comes time to choose a doctoral program, it’s helpful to find one that supports a cohort model. APU designed its doctoral programs with cohorts in mind, so students have support throughout their entire time as doctoral candidates.
Through a cohort model, you’ll go through your entire program with the same people. Anytime you have an issue, you may have a classmate in a similar situation who can provide help and support.
APU offers nine doctoral programs across disciplines, including ministry, educational leadership, nursing, and psychology. Most of them follow a low-residency model so you don’t have to be on campus and can more easily integrate your studies with your current commitments.
Are you interested in exploring one of the degree paths available at Azusa Pacific University? Explore its offerings to see which doctoral program is right for you.
Gentle harmonies mix with the babble of a baby as a husband and wife sing their young son a lullaby before bed—music weaves throughout the family of John Burdett ’01, Ed.D., assistant music professor, director of instrumental studies and bands, playing a central role in their lives. Then, a visit to the pediatrician’s office shook their world of sound and song: the doctor diagnosed their son, Cole, as profoundly deaf. When they received the news, shock flooded their minds.
“How would I tell Cole that I loved him, that we would take care of him?” said Burdett. “In that challenging time of uncertainty and fear, I cried out and asked God to speak those essential truths to my son. Even though Cole had never heard language before, I believed God could communicate these messages to him.”
With boxes still unpacked in their new house, the young family who had recently moved away from their community in the San Gabriel Valley to Illinois was following God’s call for Burdett to pursue a doctorate in music education. Still reeling from the diagnosis, God’s provision immediately began to unfold. The pediatrician assured them they came to the right place. It just so happened that the nonprofit hospital housed an entire branch dedicated to pediatric hearing loss and even funded a specialized school.
“My son experienced the best care possible in the journey of acquiring speech; it was all there for him at the opportune time,” said Burdett. “When I look back on my life, God clearly directed our paths.”
Cole received fully funded cochlear implants that allowed him to hear sounds—his father’s music, the chatter of friends, the melody of a violin—for the first time. He began speech therapy, still in the stage when his mind was most open to learning a language.
After helping his son access speech for hours each day, Burdett worked late into the night on his doctorate in music education, exploring the effect of music on students with hearing loss in his dissertation. Through interactions with the students at his son’s school, Burdett discovered music played an impactful role in the education and lives of the students: drawing in those who could potentially feel excluded because of their differences and fostering a sense of authentic belonging in a community of musicians.
“Relying on God along the way, we worked hard, and our son worked hard, and he has accomplished spectacular things,” said Burdett. “I take this mindset to my students, too. My journey with Cole has showed me persistence, attention, and guidance from experts can result in the desired outcomes—no matter what challenges my students face.”
When Burdett returned to Azusa Pacific as a music professor, he brought these discoveries with him. Whether guiding a composition major with writers block toward inspiration or helping a student master their most difficult piece yet, Burdett enables students to leap over hurdles while holding them to high standards—just like he came alongside his son.
While serving his students, Burdett uses music as a catalyst to change their lives and souls.
“I desire my students to live their most whole life possible,” said Burdett. “But my own experience has taught me that they first need to order their souls—what goes on inside them. This is where music can play a role.”
Burdett dives deep into this relationship between music and spirituality in Enlivening Faith, which features his chapter on incorporating spirituality into 21st century collegiate music curriculum. From pondering meaning behind lyrics to receiving God-given inspiration for musical composition, students undergo spiritual formation as they discover attributes of the Kingdom of God within their musical experiences.
The graceful notes of flutes and rich tones of trombones fill the rehearsal room as Burdett directs APU’s Wind Ensemble—they play with meaning and purpose. Their piece, “Give Us this Day,” alludes to the Lord’s Prayer, but Burdett guides them to reflect further on the meaning of the melodies. The composer drew inspiration from a monk who advocated for connectivity, or peace, among people. What does inspiring peace look like for Christians? Burdett’s students contemplate these ideas as they play the song, imbuing inspired thoughts and images into their music.
Just as Cole’s ears opened for the first time to a world of sound bursting with meaning, Burdett’s students unlock an entirely new way of listening to music—a cadence of sweet voices or a lilting melody of strings provide the musical context where eternal truths may be encountered, spurring students on toward holiness.
This article is part of a series that features the inspiring faith stories of APU’s students, faculty, and staff. If you are a member of the APU community and would like to share your faith story, contact Rachel White at rewhite@apu.edu.
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