The new year isn’t just a time for new beginnings. At Asbury University, we are confident it will be a time of new blessings as well.

As we pursue our mission of equipping students to impact the world for Christ, we’re excited for the ways God will use our university in the coming year — and we’re grateful for the blessings that overflowed in the past 12 months.

Here are just a few of the things we’re grateful for in 2017:

In 2017, we achieved our highest-ever enrollment. Adding to the more than 22,000 alumni around the world, the Asbury University current student enrollment moved closer to 2,000 with 1,274 traditional undergraduate students and 682 graduate and degree completion students.

In 2017, Asbury gave thanks for campaign blessings, dedicating its first building completed through “Ignited: The Campaign for Asbury University” and crossing 83 percent of its ambitious goal. With initiatives including student scholarships, faculty development and retention, academic programs, building upgrades and construction and more, Ignited is already creating impactful change at Asbury.

In 2017, Asbury students completed semesters abroad in China and Paris, Studied theater in Shakespeare’s Globe in London, volunteered in disaster recovery efforts in Houston, Texas, earned top national scores in psychology, won a statewide education scholarship wowed judges in business competitions, helped write a successful $1 million grant application, served throughout the region in outreach groups, volunteered with schools in Knott Co., Ky., and much more.

Our students are already impacting the world for Christ, and we couldn’t be more thankful.

In 2017, Asbury’s welcomed hundreds of alumni during Reunion 2017, school students during ImpactU summer academic camps, sponsored River Rock Kentucky, a new Christian music festival, and celebrated with Grammy and Dove Award-winning vocal artist Guy Penrod and a sold-out auditorium during Asbury’s Christmas gift to the community.

2017 was a year of rich blessings for Asbury — and we look forward with faith to God’s leading in the coming year!

Joel Sams works in the office of Marketing and Communications at Asbury University.