The Council of Graduate
Students (COGS) seeks to glorify God through service to our fellow
students.
COGS Statement of Purpose
1. To promote the university's commitment to biblical principles
and spiritual development.
2. To advocate and represent the collective ideas, interests
and concerns of the student body to the administration and vice-versa.
3. To facilitate the interchange of
ideas and programs among respective schools within the university.
4. To assist the administration in fostering a quality of
academic environment.
COGS Statement of Focus
We believe
our present focus and mission as Student Leaders is to be actively
returning to the original vision upon which this university was
built and founded. The original vision being the active
development of strong Christians who are well-educated in their
field of interest, and having agreed fully with the Great Commission
of Jesus Christ, to make disciples for Him in all the world. These
maturing Christians are, thus, ready, willing, and able to make
disciples of Jesus Christ wherever they go. This will be
accomplished by actively returning to the original vision and repenting
or turning from those areas where we have individually and collectively
lost our biblical focus and spiritual integrity. Furthermore,
we must actively seek God for continued spiritual growth, and the
grace to live as light and salt in this world and not be conformed
to it. On the basis of Ephesians 6:10-13, we are also burdened
to seek the empowerment of students, and others, to prepare them
for the root enemy. It is one thing to have accepted Jesus
Christ as one's Savior and go forth to share the gift of salvation;
it is another to expect to take back this country and the
world for God, without being prepared in the realm of spiritual
warfare.
Ephesians 6:10-13 – “Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the
full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the
devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on
the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have
done everything, to stand.”
Mission
To foster an environment of training Christian leadership
to change the world through the development of Social,
Professional, and Academic pillars,
all of which rest upon our Spiritual foundation.
- Social: We
must foster an environment in which students may develop
relationships that stretch beyond the barriers of school
entity, age bracket, and university function. This is essential to achieve
and maintain a synergy of the Body of Christ at Regent
University for His glory. Likewise, this must be
an environment in which, despite the spiritual warfare
present, students can rest in the comfort of support from
their peers.
- Professional: We
must foster an environment in which students will be offered
the opportunities to challenge and build themselves toward
God’s calling on their lives
in an extent outside of the classroom, which is equal to that
offered inside. It is essential that students be exposed
to those Christian leaders, who are already changing the world
for Christ. In addition, we must foster an environment
that will allow networking of students throughout the university
to fully develop in our individual area of profession.
- Academic: We
must foster an environment in which students can and will,
without question, rely upon the leadership of COGS as their
representative voice for the university. It
is essential that we provide the venues and opportunities for
the exchange of ideas that this reliance may be realized. We
must strive to exercise our God-given duties as both representatives
for students and as trustees of His truth that He may be
glorified.
- Spiritual: We
must foster an environment in which, ultimately, these three
goals may be nourished. Out
of our commitment, both individual and corporate, to the will
and truth of Christ, we must foster a conduit for His grace and
mercy to the student body. We must be, as servant leaders,
in perpetual revolution against the exploits of the enemy that
we may foster an atmosphere of truth, love, and vision in order
that the students, whom we represent, may become Christian
leaders to change the world.
Values and Beliefs
- Servant Leadership: In
accordance to the Holy Scriptures and the mission of our university,
we believe servant
leadership is our core value. As student leaders,
we will portray true servanthood to all students, staff,
faculty, and administration.
- Relationship: We value
people and believe in the development of relationships for
the building of the kingdom of God. All our activities will be geared towards building
relationships between students, faculty, administration, and
staff. In doing so, we are building the kingdom of Christ.
- Excellence: We value
and pursue excellence in all areas of student leadership. We
will serve and represent others with excellence.
- Vision: We believe
in having and imparting a vision that will foster cooperation
throughout the campus. As
the Scripture tells us that a people without a vision perish,
we place value in imparting our vision to accomplish the
task.
Objectives
- Create a Christian Culture
- Foster Spiritual Renewal, Revival, and Revolution
- Be a Catalyst of Change for Students
Strategies
May it be known, as our objectives have
set forth, that we intend very strictly to “foster an environment” in which our
mission may be achieved. It is important that the distinction
be always remembered, hereafter, that in fostering the environment,
we are not the instruments by which the environment is created. We
are student advocates and ambassadors for Christ. In this
capacity, it is our duty to stand for the students’ interests,
not to meet them. Likewise, in this role we are charged with
holding the university accountable to excellence, be it through
the administration, the respective schools, the faculty, or the
staff. Our collective resources are to be employed in the
task of facilitating this accountability, rather than implementing
those goals that are otherwise the responsibility of the university. This
is our mission to keep; may God be with us always.
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