Easter Reflections from President Swalm
As we approach Easter, I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul: “…if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.” Paul wrote these words thousands of years ago to Christians who were clinging to hope in the midst of challenge. They faced political and social instability, faith challenges from other religious groups, and societal pressure to abandon their new-found values for the comforts of conformity. Their faith was constantly poked and prodded, tested for weakness, and in danger of being negated. They clung to their faith and to one another in hope that God would validate their belief. After all, “faith is the substance of things hoped for.”
This hope stands at the centre of our life in Christ, just as it did for the early Christians. The hope that we hold is not just hope that someday things will get better. It is not just that someday we get to fly away, as the old song has it. Instead, the great hope of the Christian church is the hope that God is already in the midst of making all things new. Our hope is based on the person of Jesus, whose resurrection means that death does not get to have the last word in this world. Jesus’ resurrection means that our hope resides in a living God, whose work could not be overcome by death, but who overcame death through his obedience.
It seems like a foolish hope sometimes. We are, after all, surrounded by sin and death. Paul asks the question: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Surrounded as we are, don’t we still want to answer “right here!”? We who suffer through the pain of loss, through the fear of death, and through the consequences of sin want Paul to acknowledge that this stuff is still pretty awful!
And we’re right. It is pretty awful. But death no longer holds the same power over us: its sting is lost in the hope of Christ and his victory. It still stings, but the sting is not eternal loss. The sting is not forever pain. Instead, the sting is the reminder that not all has been made well yet. The sting is the reminder that we still need to hold on to hope. The sting is there to remind us that someday the sting will no longer be there. Someday all will be well.
Paul says that the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith and hope. The resurrection of Jesus, which in this passage follows one of the clearest articulations of Paul’s message of “Good News” (1 Cor. 15:3-9), is the exclamation point on Jesus’ declaration on the cross: it is finished. This statement, and the acts of God to confirm it, create a foundation for our faith that is solid and eternally stable: our faith is based on the risen Jesus, who accomplished the mission of God, and who has passed that mission on to his people. Our faith declaration that “Jesus is King” only makes sense if Jesus is ALWAYS king. When Paul says that if Christ is not raised, our faith is futile, he means that without the resurrection, we’re stuck worshipping a dead man. Our hope of God’s transformation of the world into the Kingdom is a fantasy. Thanks to the resurrection, it becomes the most really real reality this world has ever seen!
Until the final day when the Kingdom comes in its fullness with Christ on the clouds, we cling to our faith and hope in the risen Jesus, who speaks to our hearts even today with his words of comfort: “behold, I am with you always.”
Wishing you a beautiful Easter weekend,
President Rev. Dr. Mike Swalm
Alumni Spotlight - Melanie
Melanie graduated from RMC in April 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services (Child & Youth Care Major). Melanie shares, "After graduating I returned to Saskatchewan to be closer to family. I worked in a group home as an in-home support, as well as with people that have disabilities. After about a year I decided to do a one year discipleship program with Operation Mobilization in Switzerland. I was not ready to leave after one year, so I applied for my Polish passport through my grandparents and got permanent residency in Switzerland, where I stayed for five years in total. While I was there, I met my husband Simon and in 2020 we returned to Canada. We lived in Calgary for a couple years, but didn’t really find our place. In 2023 we returned to Saskatchewan where I am now working in treatment foster care. The boy in the photo is our foster son and at the moment we are waiting for our next placement. This is a short summary of many years."
Thank you Melanie for sharing your update with us, we celebrate the awesome ways God has used you since your time at Rocky!
Congratulations to our recent graduates
Grace Braaten - Bachelor of Arts in Human Services
Anna Cabellero - Bachelor of Arts in Human Services
Christen Gross - Bachelor of Arts in Human Services
Darcy Ralph - Bachelor of Arts in Leadership Development
Jacob Riseling - Bachelor of Arts in Human Services
Be a Donor
Your donation to Rocky Mountain College directly empowers students to achieve their goals and create lasting impact in their communities. With your support, we can continue to foster Christian education, growth, and leadership for tomorrow’s trailblazers. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps shape the future of higher learning and transforms lives.
Gailieen's Retirement
We celebrate the incredible legacy of Gailleen Gillies, who has officially retired after more than 20 years of devoted service to Rocky Mountain College.
While her final days at RMC may have looked different than she imagined, the impact Gailleen has had on our community is immeasurable. Time and again, colleagues have shared that RMC would not be what it is today—or perhaps even exist at all—without her tireless dedication, steady presence, and deep love for the mission of the College.
Gailleen’s loyalty, compassion, and commitment have been a beacon to all who have worked with her. She has not only contributed to the vision and direction of RMC, but she has also shaped its very heart.
In her own words: “This place has been so much more than just a workplace—it’s been a second home, a community, and family. I’ve been truly blessed to work alongside such dedicated and compassionate people, and to have played a part in helping shape the vision and mission of RMC. Thank you for the memories, the support, and the friendships that have meant so much to me. I will always carry a deep affection for RMC and all it stands for. My heartfelt prayer is that the Lord continues to bless Rocky abundantly in the years to come.”
As we bid farewell, we offer our deepest thanks to Gailleen for all she has been and done. Her legacy will continue to inspire us, and her absence will surely be felt.
Thank you, Gailleen, you will always be part of the RMC family. May the next chapter of your life be filled with peace, joy, and many blessings!
New - Addictions Counselling Programs
RMC has 3 new Human Services programs all with an Addictions Counselling tracks!
These programs are designed to fulfill the educational requirements of the Canadian Addictions Counsellor Certification Federation (CACCF) for the Canadian Certified Addictions Counsellor certification (CCAC). CACCF is the gold standard certification for addiction-specific counselors in Canada and Internationally and is the current Canadian Addiction Workforce Regulator.
These programs are designed for those wishing to work in a secular or faith-based setting and will be taught from a Christian faith-based perspective.
Click the "learn more" button to check out all the Human Services programs included the three new Addictions Counselling programs.
• Please pray for the Gillies family after the passing of Ron Gillies. Click here for more info.
• Please pray for the Fox family after the passing of Ron Fox. Click here for more info.
• Pray for our students as they balance their studying with busy personal and professional lives.
• Pray for our new building and a smooth transition for our upcoming move.
• Please pray for President Swalm as he continues to lead RMC.
• Pray for our upcoming ABHE review.
