Rooted in Truth: A Story of Two Shepherds and Their Book

It wasn’t over coffee or during a conference that the idea for Rooted in Truth was born — it grew slowly, quietly, over years of shared ministry. Drs. Jon Wood and Trent Rogers have been walking alongside college students for a long time, answering the same honest, heartfelt questions about faith, life, and purpose.

After hearing “What should I do with my life?” and “Can I really trust the Bible?” for what seemed like the hundredth time, they both realized that maybe it was time to write a book.

So, they did.

On the Cedarville Stories podcast, the two men — friends, colleagues, and fellow shepherds — talked about the journey of writing Rooted in Truth, which was released on July 8. With a dose of humor (and some playful teasing), they shared how the project took shape. Rogers joked that he only wanted to co-write with someone smarter, which led him straight to Wood. In turn, Wood credited Rogers for bringing structure and depth to the project.

But beneath the laughs was a serious and heartfelt purpose: helping young adults become spiritually grounded.

The book tackles 20 of the most common questions they hear from students about identity, relationships, vocation, and why truth still matters. Drawing on Psalm 1, they use the imagery of a tree planted by water to show what happens when a life is rooted deeply in God’s Word. Whether it’s used as a devotional, a small group guide, or a resource for a high school senior on the edge of adulthood, Rooted in Truth was written to steady the hearts of young believers in a world that often feels unsteady.

What sets this book apart? It’s clear, concise, and full of Gospel hope. It’s not lofty theology for scholars — it’s real answers for real students written by two men who first spent years listening.

“We want them to know they’re not just the future of the Church,” Dr. Wood said. “They are the Church.”

And with Rooted in Truth, Jon and Trent are handing them the tools — and the truth — to live like it.

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https://youtu.be/tpQK3f7rPds

Side by Side: Ari and Julie Tompkins 

There’s something special about the bond between twins — but Ari and Julie Tompkins take it to a whole new level. This week, the small-town sisters from Mogadore, Ohio, began their 1000 Days™ at Cedarville University, walking into college hand-in-hand — just like they’ve done with most things in life.

Faith-filled and full of heart, Ari and Julie are joining the track and cross-country teams, ready to give it all they’ve got. But they’re not just here to run races. They’re here to grow, serve, and walk closer with Jesus every step of the way.

On a recent episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast, Julie described Ari as “quiet, aggressive, and humble,” while Ari grinned and said Julie was “talkative, energetic, and loud.” The sisters are two halves of a whole, different in their own ways but always cheering each other on.

Their journey hasn’t been easy. They’ve stood on podiums and wiped away tears after photo-finish losses and struggled with personal family issues. But through every high and low, they’ve clung to prayer and each other. “Our sport doesn’t define us,” Ari shared. “God still loves us whether we win or lose.”

Raised in a home where faith was lived out daily — especially after their father quit drinking and began reading the Bible with them — Ari and Julie learned early what it means to grow through grace. “It changed everything,” Julie said. “We finally understood what it meant to follow Jesus for ourselves.”

That’s why Cedarville stood out. It was a place where they could not only compete at a high level but grow in a community that shares their love for Christ. “We didn’t want to just bring others to faith — we wanted to be surrounded by people already walking it too,” they said.

Julie dreams of becoming a pro sports physical therapist. Ari’s heart is set on becoming a firefighter and EMT. Their paths may someday lead them in different directions, but for now, they’re running this race side by side — spiritually grounded, joyfully competitive, and ready for whatever the Lord has next.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/13d7ae3d

https://youtu.be/NTYeW_B6mFY

Shaping Christ-Centered Leaders

After nearly four decades in banking — culminating in a role leading over 7,000 employees across 1,000 Huntington Bank branches—Jon Greenwood knows a thing or two about leadership. He didn’t just climb the corporate ladder; he built the culture beneath it, rooted in trust, consistency, and hard work. A self-proclaimed “overachiever,” Jon thrived by showing up, outworking everyone around him, and staying grounded in who he was in Christ.

Now, he’s bringing that lifetime of experience back to where it all started — Cedarville University.

Jon’s path to Cedarville wasn’t exactly planned. As a high school senior in Springfield, Ohio, he was bound for Taylor University — just like many of his family members. But through a series of unexpected twists, including a last-minute golf tournament and his pastor father’s connection to Cedarville University, he became a Yellow Jacket.  That seemingly small pivot shaped everything that followed — from his marriage to his professional life — and taught him to trust God’s guidance, even when it didn’t make sense.

That trust became the foundation of Jon’s leadership style. Throughout his banking career, he focused on building cultures where people could thrive, trust mattered more than titles, and integrity trumped efficiency. Even to this day, he believes “culture eats strategy for lunch.”

Now, Jon is pouring that wisdom into CU Lead, Cedarville’s new leadership initiative. It’s more than a program — it’s a movement. CU Lead will help college students and business leaders discover how God wired them. It reaches across disciplines — welcoming pastors, pharmacists, engineers, and teachers alike — because every field needs leaders who are anchored in character.

CU Lead also opens doors to the marketplace through conferences, a speakers series, and practical partnerships with businesses. The goal? To produce graduates who are not only professionally competent but spiritually grounded — leaders who can be trusted with influence.

Jon Greenwood’s story is a testament to what God can do with a life fully surrendered. And now, he’s helping others write their own stories — starting with who they are in Christ. He recently shared more about this journey on the Cedarville Stories podcast, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the faith and leadership that have defined his path.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/40a621bd

https://youtu.be/-R_v_So-JKU

Fighting Infectious Diseases: Rachel Burgoon

Rachel Burgoon didn’t just choose pharmacy — she chose a mission. As an infectious disease pharmacist, her work is ministry through medicine. Every treatment she recommends is driven by a deep desire to serve others and honor Christ.

Her journey began in Maryland but found clarity and calling at Cedarville University, where the integration of faith and science in Cedarville’s Doctor of Pharmacy program shaped her purpose.

“It wasn’t just about becoming a pharmacist,” Rachel explains. “It was about becoming someone who could serve the Lord by serving patients — especially the most vulnerable.”

Today, Rachel works in the high-stakes world of infectious diseases, tackling complex cases involving antibiotic stewardship and life-threatening infections. Her work demands both clinical precision and heartfelt compassion.

“This is critical work,” she says. “If we don’t use the right therapies in the right way, we risk resistance and harm. It’s a space where science must be excellent — and so must our care.”

Beyond her clinical responsibilities, Rachel invests deeply in mentoring students and residents — a passion born from her own experience.  She recalls Cedarville faculty pouring into her life as a student, and she desires to mirror that service with the people she interacts with each day.

Recently, Rachel shared her story on the Cedarville Stories podcast, offering listeners a glimpse into the heart behind her profession — a heart committed to glorifying God through healing and hope.

Through every patient she treats, every student she mentors, and every advancement she makes in infectious disease research, Rachel Burgoon is faithfully living out her calling to reflect Christ by caring for the sick with excellence and compassion.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/aee80c17

https://youtu.be/a1uqw7rYSd0

Rocket Science and Redemption: Dr. Joe Miller

In a quiet town just outside Dayton, Ohio — where the history of aviation runs deep — Dr. Joe Miller’s journey took flight with a love for airplanes and a desire to serve God. As a high school student, deeply moved by the courage of missionary aviators and the powerful message of Elisabeth Elliot’s Through Gates of Splendor, Joe began to ask a bold, life-shaping question: How can I use engineering to glorify Christ and serve the world?

That question became his compass, and God used it to guide him to Cedarville University — first as a student, then, years later, as a professor.

After nearly two decades in aerospace — collaborating with the U.S. Air Force on advanced innovations and leading elite engineering teams — Joe had no plans to leave the field he loved. But when Cedarville called and God stirred his heart, he recognized a higher calling.

“I had no desire to leave,” he recalls. “But I was called to something bigger — training the next generation of Christ-centered engineers.”

For Dr. Miller, teaching is more than a profession — it’s a mission. He sees engineering not just as a discipline of problem-solving but as a calling to serve people, protect life, and steward creation. His classroom hums with purpose: a place where technical rigor meets Gospel clarity.

His vision is clear: to mentor engineers who are technically excellent, spiritually grounded, and passionately committed to using their gifts for God’s glory. Through collaborations with organizations like Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dr. Miller helps students connect classroom theory to real-world innovation — always with Christ at the center.

“The Gospel,” Joe tells his students, “isn’t something we tack onto our careers — it’s the foundation. Everything flows from that.”

Dr. Miller isn’t just instructing engineers. On this week’s episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast, hear how he’s shaping disciples — leaders who will carry light into launchpads, boardrooms, and beyond.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/1a0ce2a2

https://youtu.be/KwporBWAamQ

A Life of Yes: Dr. Craig and Carolyn Williford 

Dr. Craig and Carolyn Williford, Cedarville University’s 2025 Alumni of the Year, have walked a beautiful path of ministry — one paved with prayer, servant leadership, and steadfast faith. Their journey began in the 1970s at Cedarville, where their deep love for Christ and hearts to serve took root and began to flourish. 

Craig led with purpose and humility, serving as president of several Christian institutions — Denver Seminary, Trinity International University, Multnomah University, and Warner University. In each role, he brought wisdom, courage, and a deep dependence on God, shaping the next generation of leaders. By his side was Carolyn — ever encouraging, guiding, and caring for students and fellow leaders with remarkable grace. Through her authorship of multiple books and her powerful voice as a conference speaker, she enriched their shared ministry with her own godly wisdom. 

Their hearts have always been drawn to students.  

“We always prayed for the students,” Carolyn shared gently. “But we had no idea what many were going through — illness, loss, financial hardship.” Those heartfelt prayers grew into a lifelong ministry of compassion that has followed them from season to season. 

In recent years, their focus has turned toward nurturing weary pastors. Especially after the pandemic, as ministry leaders faced growing stress and burnout, Craig and Carolyn stepped in to offer safe, welcoming spaces for them to rest and heal.  

“There’s loneliness in ministry, even in large churches,” Craig noted. “We help leaders know they’re not alone.” 

Their marriage stands as a quiet testimony to God’s faithfulness — built on trust, mutual respect, and unshakable character.  

“Craig does the right thing, no matter the cost,” Carolyn reflected. “That gift of integrity has been a foundation in our home and ministry.” 

Throughout their marriage, they’ve endeavored to say yes to the Lord and serve Him faithfully. That simple act of obedience has defined every step of their journey. 

Recently, Craig and Carolyn shared their story on the Cedarville Stories podcast — a tender, inspiring reminder of how God’s faithfulness weaves through every chapter of life. Their love for Cedarville, for each other, and for the calling God placed on their lives continues to shine brightly. 

https://share.transistor.fm/s/7196d921

https://youtu.be/EWdF8HfeZf0

Spring Break in Maui: A Trip of Compassion and Calling

When wildfires swept through Lahaina, Maui, in 2023, they left more than ashes behind — they left a community in mourning. Homes were destroyed, lives were uprooted, and hope felt fragile. However, during a recent spring break, hope arrived in the form of a team of students and faculty from Cedarville University led by Col. (Ret.) Greg Thompson and Dr. Patrick Oliver.

The idea began in a moment of connection. Greg, who had recently moved to Ohio from Hawaii, met Mark and Dawn Brown — Hawaiian parents of a Cedarville student — during Getting Started Weekend. What started as a conversation about community turned into something much bigger: an opportunity to serve.

“I reached out to the Made In Hope ministry the Browns mentioned and learned they had enough room for our group,” Greg shared. “We slept on cots — five-star location, one-star accommodations — but it was perfect.”

That setting became the base for a week of powerful ministry. The team didn’t just come to rebuild homes or pass out supplies — the needs had shifted. Instead, they got to rebuild hearts. Through prayer, presence, and listening, the students poured into a hurting community.

“It wasn’t just physical work,” Greg said. “It was about being there — about showing the love of Christ in a place that desperately needed comfort.”

What the team gave may seem simple, but it left a deep impact: game nights with families, worship with locals, and heartfelt conversations with those still grieving. It was a reminder that healing isn’t always measured in walls rebuilt but in souls encouraged.

And the work isn’t finished. As Mark Brown shared, “There will be many stages of recovery — prayer, rebuilding, financial support. But God has been faithful.”

Cedarville’s team was a living testimony to that faithfulness. Through simple acts of service, they brought the message that Lahaina is not forgotten — by them or by the God who walks with them.

Learn more about this labor of love on this week’s episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/bc2e13a7

https://youtu.be/p_17V2TPdGg

Cedarville’s Connection to Maui’s Healing

When wildfires tore through Maui in August of 2023, they left behind a trail of devastation — homes lost, lives uprooted, and hearts heavy with grief. For Mark and Dawn Brown, longtime Maui residents and faithful servants in their local ministry, the fire hit close to home — literally and spiritually. But even in the darkest smoke, God’s light came shining through.

Mark and Dawn, who both have deep roots with Cedarville University, shared their experiences during the 2023 Maui fire on this week’s episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast.

The Browns are proud alumni, and their daughter Lila is a current student. Cedarville has always been more than just their alma mater — it’s part of their extended family. So when a team of 14 Cedarville students, along with professors Col. (Ret.) Greg Thompson and Dr. Patrick Oliver, landed in Maui to help, it wasn’t just a service trip — it was a homecoming of sorts.

The students came with no agenda but love, no plan but to serve.

“We’ll do whatever you need,” they told the Browns — and they meant it. They painted, cleaned, hauled, prayed, and, most of all, stood in the gap alongside hurting people.

Mark, who serves on a federal disaster medical team, has responded to tragedies all over — from New York City to Key West to Saipan. Years ago, his young daughter Lila once asked him why he did it. He told her, “Someday, we’re going to need help too — and I want people to come.”

That moment came. 
And people came — wearing Cedarville blue and gold.

For the Browns, it was a humbling reminder that the body of Christ truly works. God didn’t just send help — He sent family. And in the ashes of disaster, they saw grace rebuild what flames had taken.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/d0d9de26

https://youtu.be/CkVMEG5h1Cc

Engineering Hope: Ken Atkinson and Brian Reiff

In the heart of rural Zimbabwe, where roads often wash away during the rainy season and clean water is scarce, a powerful partnership has formed — one that blends innovation with compassion. Faculty and students from Cedarville University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science have teamed up with Karanda Mission Hospital to tackle these serious infrastructure issues while creating opportunities for ministry.

The collaboration began when former missionary Ken Atkinson, now a Cedarville engineering lab technician, returned from Karanda with a heavy heart and a hopeful vision. The hospital faced severe water shortages and needed help.

Cedarville students rose to the occasion. They engineered a small-scale municipal water treatment plant, creating a system that could purify river water and save lives — especially in a region where wells had run dry.

But the mission didn’t stop with water. Seeing how local roads were often impassable, Cedarville students, including recent graduate Brian Reiff, designed and built a pull grader — a massive earthmover that attaches to Karanda’s tractor. What began as a senior design project quickly became a symbol of how technical skills can serve a greater purpose.

More than just technical accomplishments, these projects are shaping lives. Students who once saw themselves working in labs or offices are now exploring how their skills can be used in missions. Some are even preparing to return to Karanda long-term.

From clean water to better roads, from Ohio to Zimbabwe, this collaboration proves that engineering can be a ministry — solving physical problems while planting seeds of hope.

Listen to this story of hearts and minds united for a cause greater than themselves on this week’s Cedarville Stories podcast.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/81f4fd7c

https://youtu.be/Dy3tcM4bcBU

A Lifelong Song of Service: John and Lou Ann Mohler

John and Lou Ann Mohler’s story began on the campus of Cedarville University, where a Michigan girl met an Ohio boy in concert chorale. What started with a warm February day, a convertible ride to the Indian Mound, and a first date filled with talk of old girlfriends (John’s idea of charm, perhaps?) bloomed into a 46-year marriage built on shared faith, music, and ministry.

After college, the Mohlers began their careers as teachers — John directing bands and orchestras and Lou Ann teaching English and drama. But as their hearts leaned more toward church ministry, God led them to Patterson Park Church in Dayton, Ohio. In 1985, John stepped into a pastoral role, and what began as a small church of about 200 has flourished under their leadership.

For 40 years, John has faithfully directed worship, blending hymns with modern praise songs in a way that draws generations together. With a full choir and orchestra — a rarity these days — the Mohlers have crafted a worship experience that is both reverent and joyful.

Their legacy isn’t just in music or programs — it’s in the people. From small groups to mission trips to Albania, from raising their children in the church to mentoring younger pastors, John and Lou Ann have cultivated community all their lives. Even as retirement nears, John continues to teach future worship leaders, ensuring that what he’s helped build will endure.

In a fast-moving world, the Mohlers have been a steady presence — faithful, humble, and full of grace. And for those at Patterson Park, their legacy is more than music — it’s love lived out loud.

Learn more about this couple’s amazing journey on the Cedarville Stories podcast.

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https://youtu.be/CqDD4krljeE