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Mr. Stephen Elliott: The Skill of Reading

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

Everyone reads daily, whether for school, work, or pleasure. Given its prominent role in our lives, have we ever considered that it is a skill we don’t just learn when we’re young but continually need to develop? Mr. Stephen Elliot gave a forum on the importance of reading and how to develop this skill further now and throughout life.

Mr. Elliot stated that knowledge is in print, and to gain this knowledge, we need to read. Reading expands our vocabulary and enables us to educate ourselves. As we read a wide variety of books and other printed sources, we come across new words, which forces us to learn what they mean and how to use them. Books give us access to a wide variety of information, from history to science, that educates us without having to be in a classroom. Upon the creation of the internet, we gained unlimited access to this knowledge in digital form. 

In addition to explaining the value of reading, Mr. Elliot shared with us how we can improve our reading skills. Tony Buzan’s book, Speed Reading, provides insight into how we can achieve this. With time, our reading speed and comprehension rate will increase. He also showed us how to read news online effectively and efficiently. We should learn to skim for key elements within the articles and compare multiple sources. 

Reading is a vital skill that we use every day and need to take seriously and work to improve. By reading more, we increase our vocabulary, educate ourselves, increase our comprehension rates, and learn how to compare different text sources. The next time we reach for the remote for the TV or scroll through YouTube, consider reading a book on the subject instead.

Mr. Michael Heykoop: Is the Identity of Israel Important?

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Author: Caleb Loy| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

This past Thursday, Mr. Michael Heykoop shared a forum on the identity of modern-day Israel. He explained that this church doctrine is strongly frowned upon by many outside of the church and potentially misunderstood by those inside. This doctrine can and has been misused throughout history. People can take it to argue their superiority over others if they are descendants of the ancient tribes. Mr. Heykoop encouraged us to see the importance of this doctrine and how it dramatically impacts our job as Christians, but does not determine our salvation. 

Mr. Heykoop said learning Israel’s modern-day identity is crucial to understanding prophecy. Jeremiah 30 calls the last days the time of Jacob’s trouble. Understanding who these people are helps us prepare for the approaching times. The second key is that it assists us as we preach the Ezekiel warning. This understanding is vital to doing the work and mission God has commissioned us to do. 

Mr. Heykoop came to a close by reminding us that God does not judge our salvation on nationality but on character. Acts 10 shows that God gave the Gentiles His Spirit before baptism, showing how He works with all people. We have been covering this topic in our Biblical Doctrines class for the past few weeks, allowing us to appreciate Mr. Heykoop’s lesson. He said that learning the identity of Israel is of utmost importance, but whether we are direct descendants does not. What matters is that we are citizens of Christ through our baptism. 

Mr. Jonathan McNair: PowerPoint Power

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Author: Caleb Loy| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

How to do slide decks and better… and why

Mr. Jonathan McNair talked with us about the skill of making PowerPoint Presentations, which he argued we need to develop to succeed in today’s world. He encouraged us to use these skills to grow and thrive in our professional and educational futures.

He clarified that this was not a discussion of PowerPoint alone but all slide decks. Mr. McNair effectively introduced why becoming capable in this area is so important by highlighting various books written on terrible slide decks and how to fix them. What drove the point home was the comic with the punchline “Death by PowerPoint.” 

Mr. McNair broke down his talk into two major components: the basics and the finer points. He told us that we needed to think about our slides last. We should first develop what we want to say, then build the slides to assist us, not make them our notes. When we read off the slides, it creates a disconnect with those who are listening to us. This is not a new concept, however. He compared it to a teacher in college who would write on the blackboard the entire time and seldom pay any attention to the class. Slides should be something we use to leverage attention to ourselves, not something to hide in. 

Mr. McNair also taught that it is essential to create a consistent look and feel with the text; less is more. Individuals often put too much information that the viewer cannot take in. All this does is create confusion and distract the audience. Along with the amount of text, the size is equally important. There is no point in putting any text on the slides if the audience cannot read it. The same is true with photos. They should enhance the meaning of what is being conveyed instead of having them just because you think it would make your presentation more “colorful.” 

Digging deeper, Mr. McNair discussed effects and transitions from slide to slide. He said that they should be simple, as, in most cases, the audience does not need fancy swirling transitions to keep them entertained. It would generally undermine our credibility. Instead of taking the time to add intricate transitions and effects, he recommended focusing on the “meat” of the presentation. 

Mr. McNair reminded us that slide decks should only be a launching point for us to explore our topic. While notorious for detracting from a presentation, they can significantly enhance its effectiveness. While we do not use slides daily, we are excited to apply this knowledge to future projects. We were encouraged to develop excellence both in building slide decks and throughout our lives.

Mr. Michael Elliott: Lessons from Ecclesiastes

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

Young people have a lot of decisions ahead, big and small, all of which can significantly affect us. When Mr. Michael Elliott was our age, he was also trying to figure out what to do with his life, what kind of education to get, and what job to pursue. In his recent forum, Mr. Elliott went through one book, Ecclesiastes, which gives advice on finding happiness and the secret to life. 

The twenty-first book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes, was written by King Solomon as “He was trying to find things that made him happy, and he thought that this would give him happiness and give him meaning in his life.” As Solomon did, we wrestle with questions such as “What am I spending my time on? What have I achieved in my life? What’s the value in life?” This thought comes naturally once we realize life is fleeting. Life is more than material wealth, which never fulfills us, as Ecclesiastes 2:1 and 5:13 both point out. Life can be fulfilling and enjoyable if we look to God and have the proper perspective. 

King Solomon realized that life is short. We must make the most of it now because every day is a gift from God. We need to live our lives enjoying it in the present and obeying God because our eternal salvation, our future, depends on it. The day of our death will be better than the day of our birth because our next waking moment will be in the kingdom of God if we have been faithful (Ecc 7:1). We want to be remembered as a person who walked according to His ways and stayed strong even amid trials that He might allow us to go through.

God intended for our short time on earth to be enjoyable, and He provided the Bible to help us avoid the pitfalls that hinder this. We need to learn the Bible and live by what it says.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Mr. Alex Pomicter: Hobbies and cultivating a “T-shaped” life

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

This past Thursday, Mr. Alex Pomicter shared aspects of life he researched and tried himself. In this forum, he presented the importance and value of hobbies and the ideology of living a “T-shaped” life. 

Mr. Pomicter informed us of the benefits of having a wide array of hobbies. Taking the time to do things we like can help reduce stress, foster social connections, boost self-esteem, enhance creativity, and lead a healthier lifestyle. Hobbies can drastically impact our lives by allowing us to learn more skills, bringing us in contact with new people, and keeping us physically active.

Mr. Pomicter introduced the idea of living in the shape of a T by showing us inspirational people from history and how they can fit this lifestyle. The “T-shape” is based upon “Breadth of Knowledge,” making up the cross-section, and “Depth of Mastery,” making up for the post. It is essential to have a wide range from which to gather knowledge to live this way of life, not simply to be a jack of all trades and master of none but master of one. He used Ernest Hemingway, Leonardo da Vinci, and Thomas Jefferson to help us better understand the importance of having an extensive collection of interests. Hemingway was an author, outdoorsman, and war reporter. Da Vinci was an artist, architect, and engineer. Jefferson was the third president, botanist, and scholar.  We need to be rooted in one specific area; we should become a master in one particular thing while branching out and gaining experience to better ourselves. 

Certain benefits can come from living this way, such as being ready for future jobs, gaining new insight into your area of expertise, and making life more interesting. There are also perks regarding hiring, which include flexibility, better communication and collaboration skills, and hard and soft skills. This may seem like a new ideology, but the principles and effects have been tried and tested, as he brought out with examples of Thomas Jefferson. 

Mr. Pomicter listed some helpful keys to developing a “T-shaped” life. Start with mastering one skill, always remaining curious, reading broadly, actively dabbling in what we see and learn, and finally, increasing empathy. Empathy allows us to see a problem from a different point of view and find new ways to solve it. We must adapt and overcome difficulties, whether in academics, work, or even everyday life. As we end our time here at Living-Ed, we will be putting in the effort to expand our breadth of knowledge while continuing to grow our depth of mastery. 

Mr. Weston: Selling The Truth: Are You Buying?  

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

Living a way of life opposite to this world is challenging, yet this is precisely what the Living Education students have decided to do. They have chosen to buy into the way of life—the Truth from the Bible—that the Church is selling them.  

At Living Education, the students experience many opportunities that help them internalize and promote the values and way of life the Church teaches. The students learn to serve during Friday-night dinners, cooperate as they live in dorms, and have opportunities to volunteer at youth camps during the summer as well. As the students buy into and internalize God’s truth, they become a mechanism for spreading these values back in their home congregations. Mr. Weston encouraged them to live God’s way of life for their whole life, not just while in the Living Education program. The students are not just to learn the Truth for themselves but to be ambassadors for Christ wherever they go.  

Mr. Weston gave several examples of how students living the way of life the Church promotes always matters. Students develop a strong work ethic, show outgoing concern by taking others on dates, and build trust by consistently acting according to their values. Even female-male relationships and how we behave towards those of the opposite sex matter—the students’ conduct determines their reputation and the Living Education program’s reputation.   

Living Education is a tool the Church uses to promote the biblical way of life to young adults. The students participating in the program can immerse themselves in true values and the responsibility to promote them through how they live the rest of their lives. The students have decided to buy into the Truth—what about you?  

Mr. Dexter Wakefield: Why Are You Here?

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Author: Caleb Loy| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

Mr. Dexter Wakefield started his forum with a sentence we often hear:  “Why are you here?” He asked us to consider why we are members of the Church and why others leave. He then stressed the importance of distinguishing between primary and secondary reasons for being in the Living Church of God. 

He began by providing some of the secondary reasons he has heard throughout his years in the ministry for being in the Church while also pointing out the weaknesses held by all of these if they are our foundational reasons. One common reason Mr. Wakefield says he has heard from church members is that they “grew up” in the church. That is all fine and good, yet what would happen if your family was led out of the church? Would they have solid enough footing to hold onto the truth, or would they leave with their family? Another typical response is that people simply want to avoid the lake of fire. They are part of the Church more out of fear than connection with God.  We, as His people, are to obey from the heart. To have the choice to choose the other way of life, yet desire to please God. 

Mr. Wakefield transitioned from decent reasons he’s heard to what we should be holding onto, our primary reasons for being in the Church. We can see in Matthew 6 that we must first seek the kingdom of God and all His righteousness! We need to seek the truth of God and hold onto it for dear life. Taking what we are learning in the Parables of Christ class, God’s truth and the kingdom of God are like great treasures that, when found, we need to give all that we have willingly to obtain. God’s truth is that precious thing we must never let go of. Mr. Wakefield asked us, “Are any of these other reasons greater or of more importance than the truth of God?” The answer is… absolutely not!

Mr. Wakefield left us pondering the real reason we were here. Do we have a solid enough foundation to stand by the truth? We left this forum discussing how we could each personally better rely on God’s truth and desire to be in His kingdom as our firm foundation for our belief. Why will you stay here?

Mr. Michael Brown: Guarding Against Marxism

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Author: Caleb Loy| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

This past Thursday, Mr. Michael Brown, a minister serving eight congregations in Canada and North Dakota, presented the Living Education forum. He warned of the dangers in our world today, especially regarding media and entertainment.

Mr. Brown shared how the ideology of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto, the third best-selling textbook in the Western world, has infiltrated our society. He showed how Marxist beliefs are the basis for why we should examine the present dangers in our world. He quoted Mr. Armstrong, who said the Soviet Union first started World War III by attacking our minds and spirit. We were questioned, if that was the case many years ago, how would it affect us decades later? Mr. Brown quoted Mr. Weston from a recent article that shows us how insidious these beliefs are in our current culture, “It is from Hollywood that the love of communism and the seed of hatred for good came.”

Mr. Brown encouraged us to push back on what is constantly forced down our throats and instead focus on what is good and true. Always be on guard because Satan is the god of this world and is said to come as the angel of light. He makes what is evil seem good and what is holy seem bad. We can see in Proverbs fourteen that the simple believe every word, but the prudent consider all. Mr. Brown said we need to be highly cautious of two main things in the world today: the media and Hollywood.

Media

Mr. Brown asked us how many had heard Google saying China had rigid censoring. But this is only one side of the argument. A quote from a Chinese journal explained that Google left China because of censorship. But what China censored was pornography and pro-LGBT propaganda; Google report left out this information. He asked, “Are we any better here in the West?” Tomorrow’s World Programs get censored because they are considered offensive to Western ideology. Censoring to impose cultural ideology is just a systemic issue, and we need not have an emotional reaction to it. 

Hollywood

Mr. Brown encouraged us to avoid exposing ourselves to entertainment that overly normalizes sinful behaviors. When looking at Hollywood productions, our sympathy is intentionally directed toward individuals who commit sinful behavior. Movies and shows attempt to challenge any good Christian values. Even the original Star Wars trilogy gave good values, such as order and discipline, to the “evil” Empire and negative values, such as disheveledness and poor leadership, to the “good” Rebels. Intentionally flipping right and wrong puts us in moral predicaments, demanding us to bend our beliefs. 

Mr. Brown concluded his forum by challenging us to fill our minds with real things about this world instead of the virtual. He encouraged us to learn physical skills from real people. Real people have their own interesting stories. It takes time to extract these fascinating stories, but it is well worth it. We left the forum better aware of Satan’s presence trying to pull us away and more appreciative of the situation we are in at Living Education to learn from so many people here.

Dr. Douglas Winnail: Seven Laws of Success: “Setting the Right Goal”

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Author: Shanya Remy-Jarvis| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

In a recent forum, Dr. Douglas Winnail expanded on the first law of success, “Set the right goal.” First, we must identify what success means to set the right goal. Thus, Dr. Winnail’s first question was, “What is success?” What are the identifying markers of success? Maybe it’s a job, traveling, buying a house, or even getting married. We were then asked, “What does the Bible identify as success?” Dr. Winnail turned to Matthew 6:33, which states, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Christians, first and foremost, are to seek the kingdom of God. We should look to God’s guidance through His commandments, which are righteousness. 

Dr. Winnail then focused on developing what God looks for in His people. The Bible shows us that the poor, mourners, meek, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers are all blessed. Those with these traits are humble and more willing to learn and change. There are many scriptures on the characteristics God seeks and expects of His people. By looking at scripture, anyone can see what characteristics God is looking for, and this is the start of the right goal. We read in Proverbs 4:26-27, “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.” This means we should choose our goals and follow the path.  

When considering the path of a Christian, one should strive to have Godly characteristics and continue to grow and develop these character traits. As Living Education Students or Christians, we should always ask, “What can I do to help?” One way Dr. Winnail recommended was to always apply servant leadership in Living Education and throughout our lives. 

God chose us, but Christians must ask how they fit into the puzzle. Dr. Winnail continued by reminding us that we all have different gifts and skills in various situations. As Christians, we must look to God and ask Him for guidance and help choosing the right goals. We must ask for God’s involvement in our lives. Thus, we must stay close to God and set the right goals. 

Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka: “What Color is Your Parachute?”

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Some practical, professional lessons

Author: Caleb Loy| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

Thursday, Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka taught the students lessons he had learned from his professional work experience before being hired by the Church. He began with an overview of Richard Nelson Bolles’s book What Color is Your Parachute?, which Mr. Jonathan McNair had recently covered and asked Mr. Ciesielka to follow up. The first emphasis was the importance of the seven-petal flower diagram, which demands a person to complete a self-evaluation that assists one throughout their career. The petals are—compatibility with people, workplace conditions, skills, purpose, knowledge, money, and location. He explained that we should pray and meditate on these. Although it sounds simple, understanding oneself is essential as we begin our search for a job. A successful salesman needs to have a firm grasp on the product he is selling, and that is what we do when seeking a job. We “sell” who we are to potential employers. 

Continue Learning

Mr. Ciesielka reminded the Living Education students of the need to continue their education through college with certificates, licenses, or simply independent studies. A report from The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that, after several years in the workforce, individuals over the age of 25 without a high school degree make on average $38,000 per year, compared to those with a master’s degree or higher who average making $240,000 per year. The Bible discusses how both women and men can continue learning. Proverbs 24:27 especially exhorts men to prepare for their jobs or careers before beginning a family. Proverbs 31:16 and 26 discuss that the virtuous wife is also educated and capable. She is competent, and her husband trusts her to purchase a field and make a profit. When she opens her mouth, wisdom and kindness ensue. The model wife from the Bible showcases the importance of knowledge and gaining insight, not just for men to provide better.

Another part of learning is through failure. Mr. Ciesielka read a quote about failure from Mr. Bolles’s book, “After each rejection, just know that you are one no closer to a yes.” While failure is frightening and challenging, he shared how it meant one “no” while working in sales would allow his subsequent call to be one closer to a sale. It is like the old saying: it is not how many times one falls but how many times one gets back up.

Believe in the job

Mr. Ciesielka said that even though the students’ jobs shouldn’t define who they are, work would take up a large portion of the student’s life, so it is helpful to believe in their work. He gave an example from his professional life right after September 11th, 2001. The tech company he worked for chose to offer around-the-clock tech support to their customers who lost employees that day instead of seeing the opportunity to sell them new software or support. They put sales on hold to serve those struggling after the attack. While people must work to provide for themselves and others, the work should be rewarding. 

Final Thoughts

Mr. Ciesielka touched on other career advice from the book as well, such as using a networking strategy to create job referrals, the importance of “cleaning up your social media,” “preparing a couple of good elevator pitches,” and points about customizing your cover letter and resume.  He concluded by reminding everyone to seek professional counsel, but most importantly to seek Godly counsel, and to always remember Matthew 6:33. The students were grateful for the knowledge Mr. Ciesielka passed on from his years of experience in the corporate world. First as a software salesperson, then in sales manager roles, and eventually vice president roles. As the students approach the end of their time at Living Education, the lessons Mr. McNair covered from the book, “What Color is Your Parachute,” combined with some of what Mr. Ciesielka covered, will significantly assist them with their transition into the workforce.