New Edition Out Soon! | Spring 2026
Journey of Courageous Ambassadors
Stories of resilience lead us to praise God for His work and give us hope for the future—the Spring 2026 issue of The Journey Magazine will do just that. You’ll meet Philip and Ayondria Kirabira ’24, whose next adventure is ministry in Ludington, Michigan. Isaiah Denhoff ’26 changed his life plan from the mechanical trades to ministry ones. Alumna and Grace staff member Kaylee Skelley ’08 ‘25 graduated from Grace alongside her husband – twice. And Amiah Lake ’22 uses her resilience from a redshirt season to help students as a Student Success Coach.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
A Vision for Resilience
In the humbling privilege it has been to serve as President at Grace Christian University for more than 23 years, we have overcome obstacles and challenges and made important adjustments. Yet pressures and obstacles to health and vibrancy increase, and staying true to our mission is critically important. Our four core values—grace theology, Bible centered, ministry focused, and transformational relationships—anchor us to our past and focus us for the future.
Prayerfully, our leadership and board of directors have adopted a new vision for 2030:
Grace Christian University will be a Biblically Faithful and Fiscally Resilient University in which Every Student is Transformed by Learning Experiences and Relationships resulting in 230 Graduates who Serve Christ Globally.
Biblical faithfulness is at the front of our vision and serving Christ bookends it so that we never lose sight of who we are: an unapologetically Biblical university that graduates ambassadors of Jesus Christ to the world.
In the middle of this vision is fiscal resiliency—the ability to weather economic uncertainties, regional enrollment trends, and political vacillations of our times. Resilience to not only keep the doors open but continue to see students transformed by Christ-centered, biblically-infused teaching and relationships. We welcome the expected stark contrast between what we desire for our students and humanistic mindsets of the world. This is why we updated our mission statement to Graduating Courageous Ambassadors for Christ… just a few years ago. Though it may be unpopular, our calling is noble and courageous!
In this issue of the Grace Christian University Journey, you’ll meet resilient students, alumni, faculty, staff, and board members who are inspiring all of us who share in this work together. May it bless you and encourage you as we answer the call to be courageous ambassadors who make an eternal impact
wherever they go.
Gratefully,
Ken Bruce Kemper ’85
President
Current Issue
Cover Story
The Next Adventure: Philip Kirabira
More Stories
More Than Academics – Kaylee Skelley
For Me, Growing Up Didn’t Always Feel Safe. When I stepped on campus, I just knew this was where I belonged,” Kaylee Skelley ’08, ’25 says. As a child in Spokane, Washington, attending a Nazarene church with her family, Kaylee vividly remembers accepting Christ every...
Formed from the Bench – Amiah Lake’s Redshirt Resilence
“If I Wasn’t Excelling, I Didn’t Belong.” For Amiah Lake ’22, who grew up in foster care, stability was not a given. Belonging was not assumed. It was negotiated. Earned. Proved. “Early on, I internalized the belief that in order to belong or have value somewhere, I...
How Isaiah Denhof Traded Hustle for Jesus
In High School, Isaiah Denhof ’26 Was on a Path to Success. His job at Yellow Rose Transport was empowering, and he was one email away from signing on to a high paying career with Caterpillar (CAT). With a workaholic schedule during his senior year and a passion for...
Dr. Mat Loverin Provost Update
Grace Christian University’s Mission Grace Christian University’s mission is Graduating Courageous Ambassadors for Christ Who Make an Eternal Impact Wherever They Go. To prepare students to make that impact, they engage in biblically-integrated learning experiences...