I’ve been thinking a lot about story. In my recent work with 51’s new School of Cinema and Media Arts, they remind me of the power of story in the arts, in business, and in life.

We believe the Crowell School of Business is a place where God’s story and our story meet in significant ways.  What do we mean by God’s story? It can be described as Creation- Fall- Redemption- Restoration.  That is, God created all things, but creation is deeply fallen.  Christ has redeemed us and is continuing to redeem us, and all things will be restored in and through the kingdom of God.

And what is our story? We are created in the image of God (Imago Dei), but we are fallen, and we live in a deeply flawed world. We are redeemed in Christ and can know, live, and grow in Him, and we are gifted and called for the purpose of joining with Christ in the work of redeeming and restoring all things.

The Crowell School of Business joins with the church in equipping those Christ-followers who are called to live out the good news and develop their redemptive voice and take redemptive action in the sphere of business and management.

As a University-based business school, we are particularly focused on equipping undergraduate and graduate students for this purpose during this pivotal time of their lives.  This is a season when students are discovering how God has uniquely created, gifted, and redeemed them, and is calling them to redemptive work.

51/ Crowell is an intentional Christian community where students are led through a set of disciplines, academic and co-curricular experiences, and rigorous business education as disciples of Christ so they can design a flourishing life (including work and career) that aligns with God’s redemptive story.  This is the next generation of financial managers and planners, marketing professionals, accountants, business analysts, global leaders and managers who will influence and create the businesses of the future.

The foundation of these activities is a robust theology of creation, purpose, and work, discovery of giftedness and calling, training and practice of life and career skills, exploration of opportunities (sometimes called prototyping a life design), and eventually committing to a chosen path forward in business and management based on where gifts and abilities meet current opportunities. 

I find that the faculty at the Crowell School of Business are highly skilled teachers, guides and coaches to students writing their unique stories, and establishing their careers in business and management.  Our professors have been transformed by God’s story, and they want their students to be transformed and equipped to serve, to bring great value to organizations of all types, and to be a redemptive force and voice in business and society.

But we can’t accomplish this work alone.  We are joined by dozens of supportive business professionals and owners who generously give of their time and treasure to strengthen this School and equip our students for business as a ministry.  California is blessed with a number of strong and highly-ranked business schools.  We want to give California a leading Christ-centered business school, known for redemptive business excellence in all we do. 

Thank you for your support of 51’s Crowell School of Business in our vision to be a leading Christ-centered business school, equipping women and men to impact the world for Jesus Christ.

I hope you’ll join us in writing the next chapter of the Crowell School of Business story, as we help students connect their story to the greatest story of all.