Wednesday 29 July 2015

An article from Aiste

“What does the process of ‘becoming a graduate’ mean for a university student?, what are the graduate attributes and how to get them?“  This is what I was asked to present at a recent interview for the scholar position for the Greenwich Graduate Student Network (GGSN).

Maybe 10 years ago it was enough to get a University degree to secure yourself a very good job, but nowadays there are nearly two million undergraduate students going to university each year! Therefore, having even a 1st class honours degree will not necessarily secure you a job.  Employers are looking for graduates with a bunch of other skills; skills that are not usually developed as part of their degree course, but from various other activities, such as volunteering, part time work, even belonging to a society or sport club may give you a lot of skills, if you know how to recognise these skills and are able to present them to others.

But for me the first example coming to my mind of an activity giving the most experience and skills is TABLEtalk.  It is not just a meeting happening every Tuesday night; it becomes part of everyone’s life.  You always meet the same people on campus, during the World Café, you go together on trips, gather for the Bring & Share in Lynne's house or for Sunday lunch in other local people’s homes.  If you still have energy, you are always welcome to volunteer in local community events!  All these people become not just your friends, but they become your family.

And all this is not just about having fun.  By learning about British and other cultures that the different students represent, by playing games together and sometimes even going out of your comfort zone when presenting your opinion or delivering a talk on the specific subject you are given – you develop skills such as team work, communication, public speaking, critical thinking.  We become more tolerant and open minded, we learn to distinguish cultural differences and adapt to them, we improve as people and it definitely contributes to the successful future, if … you want it.

So if you want to become an exceptional graduate, develop a lot of skills needed for your future job, if you want to meet an army of new people from countries you might have never heard of, if you want to find a new family here, at Medway, while being away from your own – TABLEtalk, World Café, Bring & Share lunches are the events that should never be missed.

Tuesday 28 July 2015

On a personal note ...

Who says that church isn't relevant??!!
This weekend we started a new series of teaching in our morning services.  We have five weeks of Superhero Sundays covering just some of the Old Testament Superheroes; starting this week with Joshua.
I even got some sweeties for wearing a superhero t-shirt (church rocks!!)
Pauline's t-shirt was an especially big hit!!
Why not have a go at our Superhero quiz 
(just remember this is in a church context) ...
 1.  Which hero vowed to fight crime when he lost his parents as a child?
2.  Which Old Testament Bible hero nearly missed out on his calling because he was looking after sheep?
3.  Which hero became both man and monster after an experiment with gamma radiation went wrong?
4.  Which Old Testament Bible heroine was Queen of the Persian Empire?
5.  Which hero was an Air Force pilot who received an alien ring he controlled with his willpower?
6.  Which heroine was a Princess from a secret island of Amazons?
7.  Which hero gained super senses after being blinded by toxic waste as a child?
(see answers below)

Thanks go to our resident artiste extraordinaire, Wayne Hickmott, who produced some excellent art work.

Every superhero has a point of calling; either an event or experience which significantly shapes their life and their future.  

Spiritual Gifts  ...  What has God supernaturally gifted me to do?
Heart  ...  What do I have passion for and love to do?
Abilities  ...  What natural skills and talents do I have?
Personality  ...  Where does my personality best suit me to serve/work?
Experience  ...  What spiritual experiences have I had? What painful experiences have I had?  What educational, ministry/work experiences have I had?





Quiz answers ...
1.  Batman
2.  King David
3.  The Hulk
4.  Esther 
5.  Green Lantern
6.  Wonder Woman
7.  Daredevil.  

Monday 27 July 2015

Hever Castle

Gustavo, Anne-Helene, Vicky, Me, Shukurat
Medieval Jousting at Hever Castle  ... what a fantastic day!  Me thinks this needs to go in to our annual calender.






Many thanks Gustavo (Brazil), Anne-Helene (France), Vicky (UK) and Shukurat (Nigeria) for your great company.


The weather was fantastic, we were really blessed.
Hever is a beautiful castle and the gardens are stunning.
I tried to get them to look aggressive but they were having too
much fun - well done Anne-Helene for giving it a go.

Whilst I went off for coffee, some of the students
enjoyed a row about on the lake. 

Making friends with King Henry VIII

The jousting show was great fun!!

All of the students had a go at archery and all discovered
a hidden talent for the sport.
 
All of them managed to kill or wound one of the animals ...
the photo below shows the arrow that Vicky
shot in to the boar's shoulder.

And finally, we visited the water maze ...