During my first half year as president, I have been blessed to witness God’s guiding hand on our campuses. I have found inspiration through campus visits, interactions with presidents, and discussions with board members. The current season in higher education is marked by significant changes, with causes ranging from the enrollment cliff to cultural and political pressures. Yet institutions remain steadfast in their mission, embracing innovation and collaborating to foster a thriving future as they trust in God’s plan.

In my interactions with campus staff, faculty, board members, and students, a consistent theme of hope emerges, and one thing is clear: God’s presence is everywhere on our campuses. He walks alongside every professor who creates a new curriculum and each student who discovers a new calling. God animates each hand that brings beauty to life, nurturing every seed of an idea into a fully realized creation. He comforts in times of struggle, allowing goals to be achieved with grace and a renewed sense of purpose.

In Proverbs 16:9, Solomon writes, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” What an encouragement during seasons of change! God is in control, and He is working through you on your campus. Whether you are faithfully teaching classes, supporting faculty (including adjuncts—read the article “Adjunct Faculty Well-Being: When It Happens, and When It Doesn’t”), developing innovative new programs and partnerships (read the articles “Innovation and Hope in the Face of the Enrollment Cliff” and “A New Dawn in Christian Higher Education”), or serving on campus in any of the other myriad functions that make Christian higher education possible, God will establish your plans. He walks alongside you, offering divine comfort, inspiration, and grace.

One of the most important ways we receive God’s guidance is through His word. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-23—a parable that can serve as a timely reminder for all of us, no matter where we are in our walk with the Lord. In this familiar parable, Jesus speaks to the condition of our hearts and how we receive and respond to God’s Word. At the core is the seed, symbolizing the Word of God. The sower scatters seeds across various types of soil: a path, rocky soil, thorny ground, and good soil. Each respond differently to the seed, illustrating how our hearts can either hinder or nurture spiritual growth.

As we walk with the Lord day by day, let us be mindful of our hearts. All too easily, distractions can serve as rocks in the soil of our heart, making it harder for God’s Word to take root. To quote Solomon again, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). Amidst the busyness of life, let us remember to intentionally create space for spiritual practices, such as prayer, Bible study, and community involvement. These not only shape the soil of our hearts, but they also serve as vital avenues through which God communicates with us.

The Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of all the Earth, is with you. He knows the dreams we harbor in our hearts and the challenges we face in the work of Christian higher education. Through His grace and by His guidance, as a community of Christ-centered institutions we will continue to provide a beacon of hope, wisdom, and transformative education in an ever-changing world. May we confidently approach the future, knowing that our God walks alongside us in wisdom and truth, every step of the way.

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David A. Hoag, Ph.D., serves as the eighth president of the CCCU.