KLAIPEDA, LITHUANIA (October 17, 2011) – Leonid Regheta, an Evangelical Covenant Church missionary, was one of 30 people from around the world who took part in an Entrepreneur Institute “think tank” at LCC International University as part of the school’s 20th anniversary.

LCC was formed almost immediately after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 with the goal of providing a Christian liberal arts education to people from around the world, but especially to people who had lived in the former Eastern Block nations.

Members of Covenant churches have worked with the school in various capacities. June and Russ Michealson from Ocean Hills Covenant Church chair the Board of Directors. Grace Butkevich, who attended Thomaston Covenant Church in Thomaston, Connecticut, taught classes in the university’s Intensive English program, which is geared for applicants whose grasp of the language was not yet where it needed to be in order to be accepted.

The school declares on its website that its mission is “to engage students in a transforming educational experience in order to create a generation of leaders for Eastern Europe who think critically, promote democratic ideals, develop a market economy, and rebuild the network of civil society within the context of a Christian worldview.”

The think tank gathered to consider how the school’s outreach could be expanded. The university already has a gained a reputation for excellence throughout Lithuania and has one of the most modern campuses in the country.

The anniversary events kicked off with a celebratory chapel service in which the message was entitled, “Remember the Past, Forget the Past.” Other major events included the dedication of LCC’s second student residence on campus.

Led by a marching band the next day, LCC community carried the flags of the 26 countries represented at the school to downtown Klaipėda. City residents also were able to enjoy an International Festival featuring displays from the various countries and music from a wide variety of regional ethnic groups.