The word good has connotations of wholeness and completeness — take Genesis 1:31, for example. Good can also demonstrate a sense of kindness, morality or that which commands respect. In fact, some estimates show more than 650 uses of the word good in the Bible. So, as an institution whose mission is to provide an “Education With a Christian Purpose,” it should come as no surprise that doing good is a core focus for people at Olivet Nazarene University.
Faculty and staff seek to provide good environments in which young adults can grow, learn and thrive; in return, students are encouraged to contribute in good ways as they impact their peers, families and the greater community. The hope is that thousands of Olivet alumni that go forth from Olivet will engage their spheres of influence to perpetuate a cycle of goodness.
Whether they choose to focus their work in the local area or on the other side of the world, Olivetians pour into other people with love and compassion. From coffee and intentional chats on campus to baking and breaking bread in local neighborhoods; from cultural sensitivity research to life-changing equine therapy; and from a friendly hello at local elementary school to outfitting refugee apartments on the other side of the world, here are just a few stories of change-agent individuals who work to bring more good to the people they interact with every day.
Jeremy ’13/’15 M.A. and Reetu (Ghotra) Height ’12 have spent the majority of their postgraduate careers focused on engaging and encouraging their communities through mission and ministry opportunities in the United States and abroad in West Africa. They now serve in Zagreb, Croatia, a main thoroughfare between Eastern European countries and the West. Reetu provides financial accountability to the Church of the Nazarene across 12 countries in Central Europe through her work as the field finance coordinator, and Jeremy serves as the lead pastor at the only Nazarene church in Croatia. While the Heights are not new to an urban, cross-cultural lifestyle, they have experienced some unique challenges in this ministry.
“There are so many more cultural nuances to consider when writing a sermon for an international congregation,” Jeremy says. “There’s a beautiful messiness when I preach because the message is translated into multiple languages — all at the same time as I’m speaking. I love the opportunity to connect with people from a variety of countries.”
One local ministry initiative the Heights’ church is involved in is the support of a refugee center located in a hotel at the edge of Zagreb. What was meant to be temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees has become a permanent living situation for displaced families who are now putting down roots in Croatia. In addition to providing programming for kids, the Church of the Nazarene recently partnered with IKEA and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to outfit the hotel rooms with furniture that makes the rooms more suitable for long-term living.
“I’ve always had a heart for people coming from third cultures,” Reetu says of her personal interest in building relationships through cross-cultural ministry. “When you’re not in your home culture, life is really hard. There are so many tricky things to sort out, like insurance, taxes and credit cards. I can really empathize with the people we get to work with because, as a child of immigrant parents, I know where they’re coming from. Now, our [three] kids get to have similar experiences in building a global mindset and perspective as we all are making new friends and establishing life in a new place.”
From Olivet The Magazine, The God Who Sees Us – Winter 2025. Read the full issue here.
