[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/spiritual-formation-the-focus-at-annual-presidents-circle-of-friends-luncheon\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/spiritual-formation-the-focus-at-annual-presidents-circle-of-friends-luncheon\/","headline":"Spiritual Formation The Focus at Annual President’s Circle of Friends Luncheon","name":"Spiritual Formation The Focus at Annual President’s Circle of Friends Luncheon","description":"Sam Jackson addresses donors at President’s Circle Luncheon. Sam Jackson discovered Faulkner University through a football scholarship, but what he found on campus was his spiritual family. A criminal justice major, Eagles football left tackle and now senior, Jackson spoke…","datePublished":"2023-02-22","dateModified":"2023-03-29","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/#Person","name":"Rebecca Burylo","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Faulkner University","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","width":480,"height":128}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Presidents_Circle2023_11-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Presidents_Circle2023_11-scaled.jpg","height":1707,"width":2560},"url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/spiritual-formation-the-focus-at-annual-presidents-circle-of-friends-luncheon\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NHERUR-4b6c#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NHERUR-4b6c","name":"Faulkner University Matching Gift Campaign 2023","description":"","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/NHERUR-4b6c\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/NHERUR-4b6c\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/NHERUR-4b6c\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/NHERUR-4b6c\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/NHERUR-4b6c\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2023-02-07T17:05:37+00:00","duration":"PT1M42S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NHERUR-4b6c","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8JFRCkEZKhPJEDKa3NsCdQ#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8JFRCkEZKhPJEDKa3NsCdQ","name":"Faulkner University","description":"Welcome to the official YouTube Channel of Faulkner University! Whether you are a prospective or current student, parent, alumnus or friend, we are pleased that you are visiting our channel to learn more about our institution. please visit https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu to learn more about Faulkner University.\n\nFaulkner University is a private, Christian liberal arts university based in Montgomery, Alabama, with a mission to provide an education anchored by not only intellect but also character and service, the Faulkner experience aims to educate the whole person. Here you will be able to veiw success stories from our students, alumni, faculty and staff and learn about what we offer at Faulkner.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_mopTSFfftFOQC40YpTwximnHTDDGz8clp2gzba5SHeI_E=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NHERUR-4b6c#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NHERUR-4b6c#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NHERUR-4b6c&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NHERUR-4b6c#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":85}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NHERUR-4b6c#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":2}]},"about":["Donor","News"],"wordCount":761,"articleBody":"Sam Jackson addresses donors at President’s Circle Luncheon. Sam Jackson discovered Faulkner University through a football scholarship, but what he found on campus was his spiritual family.A criminal justice major, Eagles football left tackle and now senior, Jackson spoke to nearly one hundred members of the President\u2019s Circle of Friends at the annual luncheon. He shared with them how Faulkner and the faculty and staff at the university have been instrumental in his spiritual and professional growth.\u201cComing to Faulkner was a way to play the sport I loved, but it has become so much more to me. It\u2019s family,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cNumber one, Faulkner is amazing because it teaches us not only how to develop professionally, but how to grow in God. I\u2019ve gotten to know so many good people here and life-long friends, I never would have met if it hadn\u2019t been for football, mentoring students and my social club.\u201dPresident Henry calls Sam Jackson to the podium during the President’s Circle luncheon. \u201cI tell new students all the time, Faulkner is what you make of it,\u201d he added. \u201cIf you seek to learn from your professors, you will excel and you will be ready for a successful career, a successful marriage and family and a real relationship with God. The faculty and staff go above and beyond for you. I\u2019m thankful to God for opening up the door for me to come here.\u201dJackson is an example of the many students on campus who have found friendships, found his Savior Christ Jesus and found a future career. After interning with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) this summer, Jackson will seek training as an Alabama State Trooper after his graduation in May. Jackson is the kind of student donors in the President\u2019s Circle are helping through their generous donations.Those who give a tax-deductible gift of $1000 or more over the course of one year are automatically added to the President’s Circle. Students like Jackson need financial assistance to attend Faulkner. This year, a generous donor has issued a second challenge and will match gifts dollar for dollar making your President\u2019s Circle gift double in value. For those who would like to join, giving is easy. You can mail your checks made payable to Faulkner University to 5345 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36109. Or you can go to www.faulkner.edu\/presidentscircle.“Hundreds of students are taught the Gospel message every day on this campus,\u201d said Interim Vice President of Advancement Wayne Baker. \u201cMany of those students are unchurched and are introduced to Jesus for the first time in their lives.  That’s when you know you are in the right business, we are in higher education for sure but we are in the Kingdom business for certain.”Donors\u2019 support of Faulkner University is a critical part of ensuring the continuation of educating young men and women who will be future leaders in their areas of influence.\u201cWhen things get tough, you are the friends who will help.\u201d  President Mitch Henry told donors. \u201cThere is a spiritual awakening happening on campus. Last Spring semester 13 students that we know of were baptized, and this Spring semester there have been seven who were baptized in the first four weeks.\u201dHenry then shared his personal experience with one of these students.President Henry addresses the crowd during the President’s Circle Luncheon.\u201cThere was a football player from Birmingham who wanted to meet with me about some issues he had off campus. We talked through those issues, and I asked him how he was doing spiritually. This big guy got tearful,\u201d Henry recounted. \u201cHe told me he needed a new beginning. He needed to be cleansed.  We prayed together, and I called Jeremy Smith in to study with him. After their study we went over to the University Church of Christ and that young man was baptized. Since then he\u2019s been fired up and encouraging his classmates and teammates.\u201d  Henry added, \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of Bible studies happening on our campus, and none of this can happen without your support of this university. We care for people deeply. We care about educating the whole person in an academic sense and a spiritual sense.\u201d Henry ended by expressing his gratitude for those who had given to Faulkner\u2019s President\u2019s Circle of Friends. \u201cI appreciate you more than you\u2019ll know, and I\u2019m encouraged by you to push forward.  Faulkner\u2019s brightest days are ahead.\u201d"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Spiritual Formation The Focus at Annual President’s Circle of Friends Luncheon","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/spiritual-formation-the-focus-at-annual-presidents-circle-of-friends-luncheon\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]