Archive for category: LivingEd – Activities

You are here: / / LivingEd - Activities /

Men’s Hiking Trip: Linville Gorge, NC

/in ,

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

This past weekend, the male students of Living Education-Charlotte, joined by Mr. Jonathan McNair, set out on an exciting adventure in the mountains of North Carolina. The picturesque views of Linville Gorge set a beautiful background for our annual men’s backpacking trip. The purpose of these trips is to help our male students draw closer together as men, spend time in the great outdoors, and learn essential survival skills.

Setting out from the dorms, the intrepid crew of adventurers ascended a steep uphill trail, took a pre-packed lunch overlooking the scenic views of the gorge near the top of the ridge, and ultimately descended toward a clearing where we camped for the night. After an eight-mile day, we were glad for an early dinner and the chance to enjoy the evening before heading to bed. The next day, despite blustery winds, the sun came out, setting a warm tone for the day as we retraced our steps and ultimately made our way back to the cars—and civilization! This year’s trip helped our male students build basic camping skills, gave them the chance to grow closer together as brothers, and provided lasting, enjoyable memories in the great outdoors.

IMG_1016.JPG
IMG_1019.JPG
IMG_4457.JPG
IMG_4473.JPG
IMG_1030.JPG
012A4131-S

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.

A Visit to JAARS

/in ,

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

This past Tuesday, the Living Education-Charlotte students, accompanied by faculty, the Johnson family, and Mr. Adam West, visited the JAARS facility in Waxhaw, North Carolina. JAARS—which stands for Jungle Aviation And Relay Service—is a Christian organization that facilitates large-scale translation efforts of the Bible into many endangered languages.

Arriving in the morning, the group received an introductory talk by JAARS employees on the history of the organization, its formation and early development, and what they do now. Splitting into two groups, they toured part of the grounds. The facilities house aircraft in hangars, boats, dirt bikes, and other transports used in various regions. 

JAARS not only sponsors translation of the Bible into indigenous languages, but also helps train translators and volunteers to learn these languages, as well as providing resources and bringing Bibles to locations around the world. Their efforts to help spread God’s word over the years have resulted in many people around the world being able to read the Bible in their own language. After a pre-packed lunch, the students regrouped and headed back to the office, having learned more not only about local history but also a broader view of what is occurring in the Christian world today.

012A4131-S

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.

Ladies’ Bingo Brunch

/in ,

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

This previous Sunday, the Living Education-Charlotte students hosted the annual Ladies’ Bingo Brunch activity at the LivingEd women’s dorm. The purpose of the activity was to provide an exciting and inclusive activity for the local ladies, and to allow the students to get to know them better.

This year introduced a new theme: 1970s Neon Disco. True to the theme, the students spent weeks preparing a menu plan, decorations, invitations, and, of course, their costumes. The night before the activity was spent in busy preparation transforming the downstairs area of the house into a real 1970s disco club. From preparing food and drinks to bedazzled neon outfits to the bright lights and the disco ball in the living room, the students worked hard to give the ladies a positive and enjoyable experience.

The morning of the activity saw final preparations completed, and as the guests arrived in costumes of their own, the atmosphere was full of energy and enthusiasm. The brunch table was filled with delicious food, and a disco-themed “bar” offered homemade drinks. After the meal, the ladies and students participated together in several lively rounds of bingo played with coffee beans. Several prizes neatly placed in unique coffee mugs were won by each team, and prizes were even given out by Mr. McNair for “most creative costume.”

As the morning passed and the activity concluded, the students and ladies fellowshipped for a time before departing. After a successful activity, the students turned around and set to work taking down the decorations and wrapping up a substantial cleaning effort. This year’s Bingo Brunch activity was a success straight out of the 70s!

20260208_135027451_iOS-X4
_DSC3276-X3
012A4131-S

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.

Field Trip: Winter Kick-Off Weekend

/in ,

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

The Spring semester is now in full swing, and this year’s Living Education-Charlotte students are hard at work with their studies. This semester began with a special kick-off weekend in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. After regrouping from winter break, the students, accompanied by director Jonathan McNair, his family, and other staff, traveled to a beautifully-situated rental home in the Smoky Mountains.

Lasting from Thursday to Sunday, the itinerary included a pleasant balance between fun activities and relaxation time. On Friday morning, the students enjoyed snow tubing for several hours before returning to the house just in time for a lively game of Bible Jeopardy. As we entered the Sabbath, we enjoyed a Sabbath brunch before Mr. Jonathan McNair led the students in a Bible Study. After sunset, the students were divided into two teams captained by the men’s and women’s RAs. Their objective: work together to create honey taffy. While messes were made, each team enjoyed the delicious fruits of their work, and as we headed for home on Sunday morning, the students were rejuvenated, enthusiastic, and ready to take on the remainder of this new semester.

IMG_9449-X4
012A4131-S

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.

Field Trip: NASCAR Hall of Fame

/in ,

Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2025-26

On December 7, the Living Education students toured the NASCAR Hall of Fame museum in Charlotte, NC, where they learned more about racing cars and enjoyed time together. The exhibits they walked through explained the history of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing from its inception to its current state. Life-sized models of the cars and samples of the track surfaces were on display.  A racing simulator and pit stop simulator provided an opportunity for friendly competition, as the students got a feel for what stock car racing involves. All the attendees came back from the trip having learned something and made new memories.

IMG_5799 (2)
IMG_2650

Disc Golf Activity

/in ,

Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2025-26

The Living Education students hosted a disc golf activity at the Church picnic on a mild Sunday morning in early November to serve the local Charlotte congregation. Church members who wanted to participate were split into groups and led around the disc golf course by students at the park where the picnic was being held. Both families, young adults and older members, joined in. There were participants of many different skill levels; however, everyone enjoyed themselves, and all were rewarded at the end with homemade chocolate chip cookies made by students. Hosting a disc golf activity at the picnic is just one way that students of Living Education can get involved in the local area and get to know their brethren better.

Field Trip: Waldensian Trail of Faith

/in ,

Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2025-26

On November 19 the Living Education students along with faculty went on a field trip to the Waldensian Trail of Faith in Valdese, NC to learn more about Church history. The Waldensians were a group of Christians who the Living Church of God considers to be part of the Thyatira era of the Church mentioned in Revelation 2:18. They kept several of the true teachings from the Bible, such as the Sabbath, and faced much persecution as a result. The students toured the outdoor trail that included replicas of important buildings and monuments in Waldensian history and the second years gave speeches on several of these. This field trip broadened the understanding of this specific time period in Church history that that first year Living Education students had just been learning about in their Biblical Doctrines class.

Home of a Waldensian Family
Gheisa d’la Tana
IMG_3950
Barbi College

A Beautiful But Brief Beach Trip

/in ,

Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2025-26

This past Sunday, we traveled to Sunset Beach, NC, for a relaxing afternoon and a welcome reprieve from the past week. While a trip to the beach is quite dependent on the weather, and ours was cut short because of the unwelcome rain, we enjoyed it nonetheless and got our fair share of the sun.

Around 8 am, we packed up the vans and headed off on the road, full of anticipation for what lay ahead. At about 12.30 am, we arrived at the beach, and thankfully, there was little trouble in finding a close parking space that made our walk to the sand a whole lot shorter. Once on the beach, students and faculty set about putting up the gazebos and setting up the camping chairs. Scarcely were we there for more than a few minutes before students eagerly dashed towards the beckoning blue expanse in front of them. Others, a little famished, stayed back and dived into the prepared pasta salad bowls for lunch. The sun was at its full height as it shone strongly on all the beachgoers. Some of the students took the opportunity to rest under the gazebos on the warm sands, but most eventually made it into the waves and enjoyed rolling and jumping into them. As expected, some got to experience the taste of the delightfully briny water a little too much. As the afternoon rolled on, the ominous grey clouds in the distance and the echoes of thunder drew closer and closer. Students and faculty prepared themselves, repacking our belongings as we closely watched the droplets of precipitation getting ever closer. The downpour eventually hit our location, and we all made a mad dash for the vans. 

While the beach trip may have been cut short due to the gloomy weather, the time we did enjoy on the coast made memories and allowed us to appreciate God’s creation. For some, it was their first time they were able to go so far out into the water to jump waves, and for others, it reminded them why the beach is such a beautiful place.

Widow’s Bingo Brunch

/in

Author: Lexi Mitchell| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

This past Sunday, the LE students hosted the annual ‘Widow’s Bingo Brunch’ for the local widows in the Charlotte Congregation. The LE students not only served the widows a delicious meal but also had the opportunity to play Bingo and enjoy their fellowship. 

Preparation for the event began on Saturday night when all of the students decorated the women’s dorm and assembled the food. The men removed the furniture from the sitting room and replaced it with tables and chairs while the ladies cut up fruit to place on skewers and sliced quiches for the next day. 

Starting the following morning, the LE students began heating up the various food items, setting them out, and decorating the tables. The kitchen was a hive of activity as banana chocolate chip muffins, bacon and waffles, cheesy potatoes, and quiche were popped in the oven. The tables were dressed with tablecloths and various colored flowers. 

At 10 am, the guests arrived, and the event officially commenced. The widows perused the food table with delight at the delicious treats available before finding their way to the tables. The students joined the widows, and all dug into the refreshments. Following this, Mr. McNair announced that the Bingo games would begin. Each table was a team, and the teams that earned the most “Bingo” won the round; earning their prize, some Living Education merchandise. Students and widows eagerly watched their Bingo cards, filled with excitement as they waited for the numbers to be called. Both the teams, the “Coffee Beaners” and the “Bingo Amigos” did quite well. The hour of Bingo seemed to whiz by, and before everyone knew it, the games were over. Following the end of Bingo, many of the students took the opportunity to fellowship and get to know the widows better. 

The annual “Widow’s Brunch,” hosted by Living Education, offered an opportunity to share a meal, have fun, and forge stronger connections with these women in the body of Christ. 

_DSC9224
IMG_2536