The goal of Lincoln Christian University is to prepare servant leaders based on the Biblical model of servant leadership. Our accreditation standards also require that we supplement coursework “with ministry field education and service learning opportunities through which students apply what they have learned in the classroom.” To that end, every full-time student is required to become involved in some kind of supervised and ongoing Christian service. To help students meet this requirement, the University has established a Service Learning program, overseen by the Academic Office. Each academic program or major has specific service learning activities that must be met to fulfill Service Learning requirements. Specific qualifications for approved service learning areas and requirements of service are outlined in the current edition of the “Service Learning Guidelines” available under Student Resources in MyLCU.
During the freshmen and sophomore years of study, students are required to complete a minimum of 12 hours each semester and get experience with at least 2 different service learning areas:
- Service/Justice: e.g., Quest/after-school programs, food pantries/homeless ministry, rescue missions, pregnancy resource center, tutoring, refugee ministry, advocacy.
- Encouragement: e.g., hospital or nursing home visitation, working with elderly/sick, working with special needs, respite care for caregivers, hospitality ministry.
- Discipleship: e.g., leading small groups, youth sponsorship, kid’s ministry/Bible clubs.
- Church Ministries (Evangelism/Missions/Church Work): e.g., prison outreach, campus ministry at secular school, volunteer ministry in a local church, working with a church plant, international student ministry, cross-cultural ministry.
During their junior and senior years of study, students are required to complete a minimum of 15 hours each semester. Program directors will establish requirements for students that are directly related to the student’s major. Service requires set hours for mentoring and on-the-job training and feedback. A list of services, competencies, and skills to be completed will be required for each major.
Because this service should show consistency and faithfulness of commitment over time, the service cannot be earned at one time. Student commitment should spread over several weeks (e.g., 1 hour a week or 2 hours every other week). Students taking an elective internship will have their service learning requirement rolled into the internship and will not be required to enroll in service learning.
Each semester, students will submit their service learning reports to the Academic Office which will assign a pass/no-pass grade. Full-time students who fail to document their Service Learning activities each semester will fail CM 100 and will not be allowed to re-enroll without a written appeal to the Academic Office (who may consult with the Academic Dean and respective Program Director). A “no-pass” grade can subject students to dismissal. (Undergrad Catalog, pp. 65-66)
CM 100 Service Learning. The University’s Service Learning program is designed to involve students in supervised Christian service activities chosen and evaluated by each student’s program director and by the Academic Office. All students (residential and online) are required to complete a semester-long service learning activity for each semester in which they take 12 or more credit hours. Because this service should show consistency and faithfulness of commitment over time, the service cannot be earned at one time. Student commitment should spread over several weeks (e.g., 1 hour a week or 2 hours every other week). Freshmen & Sophomores (based on credit hours earned) are required to complete 12 hours each semester. Juniors and Seniors (based on credit hours earned) are required to complete 15 hours each semester. Students taking an elective for- credit internship are exempt. (0) (Undergrad Catalog, p. 37)