Happening Now: CAmpus Days

Yesterday night almost 20 individuals arrived on the BI campus to experience college for a couple days! They began arriving before supper and had an awesome time in the gym with the Resonate team who organized games and ran part of their ministry program. Students came out for the fun and to meet those who came out. At 9 PM, the everyone gathered in their dorms for evening devos. After devos, a large group played some basketball late into the evening but most went to the Mr. Ward's, Associate Dean of Students, house for fun and games. This morning Campus Dayers were able to participate in classes and Director's chapel. Right now they are on a tour of the campus and before lunch, they are going to have an info session with an opportunity to fill out applications to the BI.

There is still one more chance to come to the BI for Campus Days. For more info or to register, click here.

WOLBI News!

Why not take a minute or two and read up on the Discipleship that takes place here on campus. The Bible Institute's website has posted an article written by Jonathan Ward, the Associate Dean of Students and Professor of Bible Survey. The article discusses not only what discipleship looks like here at the BI, but also the lasting impact it has on the lives of the students. It includes some testimonies of just a few of the students whose lives have been changed by this incredible ministry.

Check out the article here!


Also remember to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

Jon & Melissa Ward also have a Facebook Ministry Page for more up-to-date news.

Word Studies: Leviticus

Class: Pastoral Epistles

Week #12: November 28 - December 2
Professor: Dr. Tom Davis

Assignments: Students are to read the book of the Leviticus two times. Dr. Tom Davis will be teaching you the Book of Leviticus this week. Dr. Davis received his BS in Bible from Lancaster Bible College, an MDiv from Grace Theological Seminary, took Advanced Studies at Jerusalem University College and obtained his PhD from Nova Southeastern University. He is our Academic Dean of the Bible Institute and a Professor at the Schroon Lake, New York, campus. Leviticus is a tough read. Yet, it is important and needs to be studied. The students have the opportunity to learn about the laws, feasts and the purpose of Leviticus. Dr. Davis does a fantastic job of helping the students discover the purpose of each feast and the laws that God had instituted for Israel. There are so many laws that God put in place for the Jews to follow. One wonders why God is so specific and almost arbitrary in His laws, but God had a point in all this for Israel. The main focus for Leviticus is the core phrase, "Be ye holy (set-apart), as I am holy" (Leviticus 11:45). Almighty God says this to the children of Israel in order to encourage them to be like Him. As New Testament believers in the church, this command is repeated for us in 1 Peter 1:15-16. This is the message of Leviticus and the command from God: to be holy or set apart for the glory of God. BW

Word Studies: Acts

Class: 2 Peter/Jude

Week #7-#8: October 17-November 4
Professor: Mr. Frank Roe

Assignments: The entire book of Acts must be read within the week before and/or during the two weeks of the class.
A Bible Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles (edited by Mal Couch) must be read within the week before and/or during the two weeks of the class.
List of over 100 terms, people, etc.; each one defined in no more than four sentences.
Four maps charting Paul's missionary journeys and his trip to Rome.
Summarize the book of Acts in no more than fifty words.

Mr. Frank Roe has a history with Word of Life Bible Institute in Owen Sound, having worked with the school for over 17 years. In 1995, he joined Across Borders for World Evangelism (ABWE) in which he now holds the postion of Ministry Director of Canada. He and his family reside in London, ON.

The book of Acts in the New Testament is a lengthy chronological record of the movements of the newly born church. Luke, though usually only recognized for his gospel, also wrote the book of Acts as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Both books are written as letters to a man in high authority, Theophilus, who was probably a high ranking Roman official. The author, from what is known, is most likely a Greek doctor who Paul led to Christ during one of his missionary journeys. Acts is Luke's testimony of the Christian faith to Theophilus as he seeks to lead Theolphilus to Christ. God's purpose for Acts was to show how the Holy Spirit was the major influence in the movements of the church and the apostles. Acts shows how the gospel first went out to Jerusalem, second, to Samaria, and lastly, to the ends of the world and how the Holy Spirit worked through those movements. In the book, Peter's, Philip's and Paul's evangelistic efforts and missionary journeys are described in detail. Paul's personal testimony is told, following his life from being a persecutor of the gospel to being a preacher of the same. Several sermons which the apostles preach throughout their ministry are also recorded in Acts. The work of the Holy Spirit is evident in the book and it is amazing to realize that the Holy Spirit is still at work in the ministry today. For it is only by the work of the Spirit the gospel has any effect.

One of the assignments the students had to complete was a fifty word summary of Acts, and two of the students shared their work:

"A book written by Luke. It describes how Acts bridges the gospels to the Epistles or law to grace, as well as the spread of the gospel to the world within 30 years. It also shows the beginning of the church and Israel's rejection of it."
- Allison, Owen Sound

"Acts, recounting the ministry of the apostles, primarily Peter, Phillip and Paul, from the ascension of Christ until Paul’s imprisonment, tells of the filling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the expansion of the church, the missionary journeys of Paul, and shows the transition from law to grace and Gospels to Epistles."

- Jonathan, Huntsville

Mr. Roe has a marvelous way of expounding the book of Acts using a variety of teaching methods. He also loves spending time with students. Since he will be joining them on their missionary trip to Jamaica in March he also took some time to encourage the students to participate in the trip. These are some comments he made about the class and some parting words for the students.

"What a great blessing to teach the book of Acts once again at WOLBI. Each class is unique and offers many opportunities to see the Lord work in hearts to better understand, apply, and practice the lessons. What a great time we had together and I look forward to seeing how God uses this great class. Keep in touch and keep those sails full."

- Mr. Frank Roe

This class is foundational to understanding the General Epistles which the students will be studying throughout the year. It is vital for understanding the context in which Paul is writing to churches such as Corinth, Ephesus, Colosse and others. Acts also contains important doctrine on the Holy Spirit and Its work in the lives of believers and their ministry. Never is it appropriate to think it isn't necessary to study a book of the Bible. 2 Timothy explains how all scripture is profitable and therefore even stories from Acts and other historical records in the Bible are all equally important as the rest of the Bible which is why WOLBI places such a heavy emphasis on studying the entire Word of God.

BW

MIA: (Ministry in Action) Open Air Edition

Open Air Evangelism (OAE) is the crucible of the year at the Word of Life Bible Institute. Definition of a crucible is this intense trial by fire which can only be survived by the grace of God.  Four weeks into the school year, staff and students alike, pack up and move to Toronto for four days, living in a church's sanctuary and Sunday School rooms and preaching the gospel on the streets of Toronto and Hamilton.

This is the crucible.

This is Open Air Evangelism.


When Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28, He did not just command the twelve disciples with this amazing directive, it was for all of Christ's followers then and now. At the Bible Institute, the students are provided many opportunities to obey this command and OAE is just one of these.

The students began this crucible with Personal Evangelism Training with Sam Frey, a missionnary with Word of Life for Open Air Evangelism. Sam Frey comes to the BI to train the students in street evangelism and then accompanies them to Toronto, leading a team each of the four days. Robert Strong and Hannah Heynen, interns with Mr. Frey, also participated with the training and the ministry. The students were trained on the "how to" of street evangelism and specifically on the method they would be using during OAE. The method employed during the week was the use of paintboards in Hamilton and buskers in Toronto. In the use of paintboards, one of the male students would make a presentation on the street using the board both to illustrate the gospel but also to attract attention.

Sam Frey teaches on how to use the painterboard.

 In Toronto, in order to be allowed to draw a crowd, one needs a busker license, therefore, several of the students attained licenses a few weeks prior to OAE. These buskers were trained to do a rope trick that presented the gospel as well as a tool known as the evangecube. Both the paintboards and the buskers were used to attract crowds and then the students would pull aside individuals in order to  talk with them one on one.  After a full day of training on Saturday, the students got ready to go on Sunday and after supper Sunday night they were on their way.

The students and staff stayed at Long Branch Baptist Church during the week. Their appreciation for the church staff and members could not be fully expressed for the use of their facilities.

Monday morning the students were assigned to the vans and headed to the various locations in Toronto and Hamilton. Commissioned by the Son of God, they were focused on the task at hand and yet were not without their fears. The Monday of OAE is always an eye-opener to what street evangelism is like and also more importantly how lost people really are. Forever etched in the minds of these students will be the images and stories that became the topic of the day, including the woman who claimed to be Jesus, the man who drank hand sanitizer, and the continuous onslaught of persons walking past the answer to all their questions and the relief to all their pain.


                                                                                                                                                                      

Some of the students share the gospel in Hamilton.

On the one hand, many of the students were wondering if they would last the week, and on the other, some were thinking that the day was too short. The experiences of the students were different from person to person. Even though some were having a difficult time, the over-all feeling on Monday night was enthusiasm for sharing the gospel especially when the news came out that one person accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.

On Tuesday most of the students moved to a different location and some had the chance to go to the Norfolk County Fair with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) and work with them to share the gospel to children through drama and face-painting. The following is what one of the students said about this unique opportunity to tell kids about the love of Jesus Christ:

"Having the oppurtunity to go to the Simcoe Fair was such a great experience. I believe the Lord used me and those around me to clearly present the gospel message to the kids that came through. It is an experience I won't forget."

- Sarah, Alberta

On Wednesday, the students assisted Long Branch Baptist Church with getting some information about the church and a Gospel of John into the homes in the area by going door-to-door in and around the neighbourhood. They also took time on Tuesday to participate in a prayer meeting at the church and one of their ministries as well, Conversational English with Chinese Exchange students.

Two of the students perform the rope trick for some pedestrians.

Thursday came quickly and for the last time for OAE the students hit the streets of Toronto and Hamilton and another group went to the fair as well. The day ended with the students leaving to go home for Thanksgiving weekend.

The experience was as varied as those participating. Some students absolutely love it. Others learn that they could not do it on a day by day basis. The following comments express the students thoughts on OAE:

"OAE was an amazing experience! It has taught that we need to have a passion to share God's Word with the people we pass by everyday on the street."
- Tyler, Waterloo

"OAE challenged me to get real with this world, to step out of my comfort zone, to overcome my fears and share the gospel. I ended up learning about God and where others without Christ are coming from as I shared."
- Ryan, Wyoming


Open Air Evangelism has an enormous effect on the student body as whole. Afterwards, the students are more unified, because of a joint purpose  and the sharing of the emotional rollercoaster. The students share this memory for the rest of  the year and they have now learned to work together. Most importantly, as a group, they have learned to rely upon God for strength and wisdom.

Looking back, the students survived the first month of the BI. Now, they have been tried by fire and have survived the crucible, Open Air Evangelism. Looking forward at a year of ministry, the class of 2012 is ready for serving the Lord in every way He calls them to.

- OAE by the Numbers -

1100 - Children heard the gospel

1000 - Gospel Tracts handed out to people on the streets

900 - Times the gospel was preached publicly

30 - People that walked away with a New Testament in their hands

14 - New brothers and sisters in the Lord

Numbers don't mean anything... but changed lives do!

 BW

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Opening Weekend Conference 2011

       Opening Weekend Conference at WOLBI is always a busy time of registering new students, meeting with believers in Christ and learning from God's Word. This year, as every year so far at the Owen Sound Campus, Dr. Wendell Calder brought the Word of God to the families and students that gathered four times over the weekend to hear it. Being encouraged from the Bible was definitely one of the highlights. Dr. Wendell Calder preached from Psalm 16 and the messages were the perfect beginning to the tenth year at the BI.

Dr. Wendell Calder preaches the Word

"As the opening to a year of life changing experiences for the students, this weekend begins the year with a foundation in God's Word, with which the only result can be to have the fulness of joy in the presence of the Lord." 
- Atie, Huntsville (Parent of student)

"Even better than I thought it would be."
- Lucas, Wyoming

        Just from these two comments, one can see that this weekend was truly memorable. Already evident in the lives of the students, is a desire to grow and be changed by God's Word. Great are the expectations of those involved with the coming year at the BI as to what God will do.
       
        Below is the verse upon which Dr. Calder preached the evening message on Saturday. It shows where God wants each and everyone of us to be: In His Presence.

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." - Psalms 16:11


If you are interested in being a part of the great expectations for WOLBI 2012-2013 check out our website or send us an email.

BW

Registration Weekend 2011-2012

        Another year at the Word of Life Bible Institute has officially begun. On Friday, September 09, the students for WOLBI 2011-2012 began to arrive early in the afternoon. It was an exciting time as the dorms quickly filled up with new arrivals. Students and their families enjoyed delicious meals and evening fellowship and had the oppurtunity to sit under the teaching of Dr. Wendall Calder. Dr. Calder has taught at the opening of the Bible Institute for the past ten years here at the Owen Sound Campus. Busy as it was, the weekend was a time of getting to know each other and settling into the dorms.
    
          Students have come from all walks of life and for many reasons:


"I wanted to learn more about God and I didn't know what to do with my life, and I thought I should come here to find out."
-Tyler, Waterloo

"I came here to get a solid foundation of the Bible and to spend a year studying the Word and not have the distractions of work."
-Sarah, Alberta

"I wanted to take a year between high school and university to make sure I knew what God wanted for my life."
-Mic, New Brunswick

"[I came here] for my relationship with God and to learn English and learn the Bible."
-Esther, Quebec

        At the end of the day, the total count of students was twenty-four guys and thirteen girls. This year is going to be life-changing for many students, filled with new friendships, adventures, a deeper knowledge of God's Word, and memories that will last a lifetime. Already beginning in dorm life are discussions on faith, God and the Bible. However unprepared the students may be, they are ready to take on this year and be changed by the Word of God.

                                                                    BW

SUMMER CAMP 2011 WEEK ONE UPDATE

SUMMER CAMP 2011 WEEK ONE UPDATE
TEEN CAMP #1 - CAMP SPEAKER: JON WARD

Summer Camp is off to a great start!  Students arrived back for training and are now pouring themselves into their various ministry roles.  We start out with 2 weeks of high school teens then roll into 3 weeks of junior high, and then 2 weeks of kids.  We have seen God do some pretty amazing things, from working in troubled teens' lives to watching record returning camper numbers.  It's amazing to be involved in a ministry like summer camp where ministry is unfolding before your eyes literally every day. 

On Monday nights this year we share the gospel with our campers.  This is a change from previous years where we were sharing the gospel on the first night of camp (Sunday).  Why the change?  Because our Canadian youth culture is becoming increasingly "post-Christian", meaning,  they're no longer coming with a Christian frame of reference for their life.  So, we, Scott and Tyler, take the first night of camp to talk about the fact that there ARE absolutes, there IS authority and there ARE answers for life.

As Scott shared the gospel on Monday night, 6 teens trusted in Christ to save them from eternal separation in a real place called hell.  6 may not seem like a lot, but that was 10% of our camp that week.  Either way , we rejoice that the gospel went forth and that we had the opportunity to participate in the Great Commission.
 
We also saw God work at our Tuesday night drama, Wednesday night campfire dedication service and Thursday night split (guys/girls) Purity session. 12 kids indicated on Wednesday night their desire to a live a life of dedication to Christ, and 18 decided to live a life of sexual purity.  We praise the Lord for how we saw Him work.

Thanks for taking the time to read this update.  Please take some time today to pray for the continued ministry of Word of Life Youth Camp and may you be blessed!

Also see Introducing Word of Life Youth Camp

Why YOU should get an Alumni Gift Award!

Do you like free money? Do your friends like free money? Should anyone really have to ask this question? Isn't it obvious?
We all like to have a little extra money in our pockets, and Word of Life Bible Institute understands this! They've made it easy for students and our friends who are interested in the BI to get some extra money!

"But, how?" 

Well, with the Alumni Gift Award of course! Each year students are handed these little pink award slips to distribute to people we know. The "Hallelujah Chorus" resounds as we prepare to give them out to all our friends!

Fun Facts about the Alumni Gift Award:

Who it's for: anyone interested in applying to the BI in September 2011 or September 2012.

How to get one: any current or graduated student can give this award to a friend who is planning to apply to the BI for 2011 or 2012. A current student can get award slips from the admissions office at WOLBI. Alumni can print this one.

How much it's worth: this award is unique in that both the applicant AND the student giving the award receive money! The person applying will acquire $200 off their tuition (split between the two semesters) and the current or graduated student who gave the gift award will receive a check for $100 in the mail once the applicant enrolls in the September!

How it works:
*IMPORTANT* to receive this award, the award slip MUST be sent in WITH the new application.

Instructions for applicants:
Mail Application: send pink award slip in the same envelope with your application.
Online Application: if you are applying online, please email the admissions department (admissions@wol.ca, alliep@wol.ca) as soon as you have submitted your application and let them know that you have an Alumni Gift Award. Then, proceed to mail it in so we can process it!
Application Turned in at a Recharge weekend or Campus Days event: simple, just give us the award slip when you give us the application. For those of you who are wondering, YES you do get the $300 for applying at Recharge or Campus Days AND the $200 for Alumni Gift, totaling $500!!!

*The Perks*: This is a great way for  a new applicant to get an extra $200 off their tuition. Extra finances are sometimes hard to come by these days, so every little bit counts! ALSO, we students in turn get rewarded for rewarding our friends! Once the applicants enroll for the fall, Word of Life will send $100 in the mail for each gift award we handed out! Why WOULDN'T we take advantage of this opportunity! It's a win-win situation for everyone!

If you'd like to be a part of this offer, or have any questions, please contact our admissions department!
Email: AllieP@wol.ca, admissions@wol.ca, CassandraJ@wol.ca
Phone: 519-376-3516 ex. 213 or 216. Toll Free: 800-461-3503

Staff/Student year end barbeque: saying goodbye with food and fire

On Sunday night, May 22, instead of our usual meal together here at WOLBI we had a staff and student end of the year barbecue.  All the staff was out and brought yummy desserts!  There were mixed feelings and it was both fun and sad at the same time.  No one likes to say goodbyes and we knew it was the last Sunday night as students here at WOLBI.  After we ate we went down to the gorge for a camp fire.  We all gathered around the flames for a time of praise and then we had sharing time about what God has taught us throughout our year.  The testimonies were so sweet and showed how much God can work in our lives using His Word if we let Him and keep our hearts open to changing.  There was lots of laughing and even some tears as we recounted from the year and talked about our roles this summer at camp.  It was an awesome year that helped us build a foundation for the rest of our lives.  Such a good starting place and now we need to stay on fire for God and continue to grow to become more like Him.

Here are some students comments about the camp fire and things they learned this past year:

"Man is nothing; it is all about glorifying Him."

"I learned God is super-personal and He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives." 

"It was very encouraging and I am proud to be part of the WOLBI alumni (very soon!)."

"I was very encouraged to see all of the spiritual growth among the class."

NW

Learning the Word: Pneumatology

From WOLBRANOS

Dr. Marshall Wicks received a BA in Bible from Tennessee Temple University, MDiv and ThM from Grace Theological Seminary, and a PhD from Baptist Bible Seminary. Dr. Wicks is one of the resident professors at our WOLBI campus in Schroon Lake where he teaches both Bible Survey and Systematic Theology in the 1st and 2nd years.
Dr. Wicks taught us Pneumatology - the doctrine of the Holy Spirit - the final week of Spring Semester.  It was a huge blessing to learn about the ministry of God's Spirit throughout Bible times and His unique ministry in the Church today. Without God's work in our lives, we cannot do anything!  What a valuable week of teaching!

Learning the Word: Church History

From WOLBRANOS

Dr. Renald Showers graduated from Philadelphia College of Bible with a Bible Major in 1956. He went on to earn a BA from Wheaton College, a ThM degree in Church History from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Theology from Grace Theological Seminary. He has served in the pastorate and as a member of the faculties of Lancaster Bible College, Moody Bible Institute, and Philadelphia College of Bible. Dr Showers is on the staff of Friends of Israel and has authored numerous books and magazine articles as well as produced teaching videos.

"I never realized how much in the little things that the devil tries to overcome God, but God always overcomes and will do the same in my life."

"I loved Dr. Showers!  It was neat learning about our world and that whatever Satan tries to do, God is still sovereign."

"Dr. Showers is the example that we need to follow when it comes to biblical study.  He is an example when it comes to humility and to pushing others toward Christ.  I have never met a more humble and Christ-centered man in my life and a man who has so much compassion toward the Jewish nation."

"It really inspired me to read Genesis and take it as literally and it actually happened.  It was cool to see how it relates to the rest of the Bible."  

Get your own copy of Dr. Showers text for this course "What On Earth Is God Doing?" on Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, or from Friends of Israel. 

For more of Dr. Showers' excellent biblical teaching listen online. 

Learning the Word: Genesis

From WOLBRANOS

Dr. Gary Gromacki teaches Bible exposition and homiletics courses at Baptist Bible Seminary. He also edits The Journal of Ministry and Theology. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Evangelical Homiletics Society, and the Pre-Trib Rapture Study Group. Dr. Gromacki enjoys going on missions trips to teach the word of God and train national pastors and students. Before coming to BBS, Gary served as a pastor for thirteen years and an adjunct teacher at Cedarville University for ten years. Gary has been married to Kim for over twenty five years and they have 3 children: Julie, Gavin, and Allison. Gary and his family are members of Summit Baptist Bible Church.

Dr. Gromacki taught us Genesis 1-11 and gave us so many answers to relevant questions about creation, origins, and the purpose of life from the very beginning!

You can interact with Dr. Gromacki on his Facebook groups:

Biblical Creationism
Bible Preachers and Teachers
Bible Archaeology 

Learning Church History!!

From WOLBRANOS

Dr. Tom Taylor has been teaching Church History for the last two weeks. Dr. Taylor received his BA from Bryan College, MDiv and STM from Faith Seminary and a Doctorate from Philadelphia Biblical University. To quote his own words, "I am “retired emeritus" from Biblical Seminary having held the post of Associate Professor of Church History and Old Testament for 24 years... I have written few books (but lots of articles that were not all wanted!) and have concentrated lately on conference ministry… Married to Ruth with five children and a small army of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I am better known for humor and playing the harmonica than for scholarship but that is just another of the inequities in the world.”

They got Nuthin'

McDonald's?  Swiss Chalet?  Olive Garden?  Even your mom's cooking does not match up to the food you get here at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Owen Sound!  Nothing against mothers, but when you walk into the cafeteria, all you can smell is what Karen and her girls have been cooking, and boy, does it smell heavenly!  You might say, "Oh I need to lose a few," but that thought quickly vanishes like vapor in the air when you gaze upon what just came out of the oven! (Some colleges refer to the Freshman Fifteen - but it takes discipline here to not reach the Freshman Forty!!).  Remember the cafeteria in high school when you couldn't even tell if the food was food!?!?  Watch out!  Literally!  Because once you start, you most likely will be eagerly waiting for the yell/scream of, "Seconds!"  With that, you are off to the races!  Well, back to the food line for another helping...
Here the food is as diverse as the student body themselves. This year we as students have had the privilege of trying different dishes from all over the world! We've sunk our teeth into some Dutch favorites, savored some Sushi, and have even filled our tummies with a Jamaican dish or two!
The spectacular food here just goes to show that at Word of Life we not only take pride in giving you a foundation in the word of God, but also we like you to be well founded, or should I say, "rounded" when it comes to food. We try to the best we can to keep the variety changing, but also throw in some home-cooked favorites like roast beef and potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, spaghetti, fried chicken and chocolate chip cookies just to name a few.  Bottom line, the food is awesome, the variety is unbelievable, and the fresh veggies make you actually want to eat your veggies. Come to the Word of Life Bible Institute. Eat spiritual food. Eat physical food. Get fed!

Sound too good to be true?

Come see for yourself and join us for a Campus Days, Summer Camp or Winter Camp/Recharge event!

Learning the Word: Revelation (not Revelations)

Dr. Jimmy DeYoung is a well-known prophecy teacher in North America and Europe. He worked with Word of Life in Schroon Lake for 12 years. Later, Dr. DeYoung was the VP and General Manager of New York City’s first Christian radio station for 5 years. Since 1991, he and his wife, Judy, have been residing in Jerusalem where they work as journalists in the second most populated journalistic city in the world. More recently, he received his doctorate from Tennessee Temple. Dr. DeYoung has written several books, produced videos and has a weekly radio broadcast called Prophecy Today. For more info be sure to check out his ministry website - Prophecy Today.

"I am really enjoying this class and how much the students are really interested in learning the Word of God.  They are very attentive, show their interest, and have been asking tough but great questions.  The more I go through the book of Revelation the more I see that Christ will be returning soon!"   ~Dr. DeYoung

Students have grown in their understanding and been challenged to think, study, and prepare for God's prophetic plan for the ages!

Students Exploring Missions 2011

From WOLBRANOS

Students Exploring Missions (SEM) is a conference where students can attend seminars and talk with missionaries about what it is like to be in missions and what it takes to get there.  God calls all Christians to be missionaries, some to other countries.  What does it take to be a cross-cultural missionary?  Seven mission organizations sent representatives to WOLBI for April 8 – 10 as a wealth of experience in serving Christ around the world to interact with our students.  This year the theme was Serving God in the Adventure of a Lifetime.  Our keynote speaker was Wally Stephenson from ABWE.  Friday night we explored how we can prepare for the Adventure of Missions.  We had sessions on world religions and how to reach them (THUMB).  Saturday we started out on the adventure with sessions on single hearted missions, how a mission board chooses a missionary, missions and finance, and missions and the local church.   The students also had opportunity Saturday afternoon to dialogue with the missionaries and tap into their wealth of experience and knowledge and set their own path of service.  Sunday morning we explored Living the Adventure with sessions on how a missionary should pick a mission board and the tragedy of misused short term missions.  Thanks to all the missionaries and students that participated in the weekend to make it a weekend of adventure!

Special Thanks to:

Wally & Jeannie Stephenson, ABWE  

Brian & Rosalie Kent, Northern Canada Evangelical Mission (NCEM) 

Charlie & Cindy McCordic, TEAM  

Nelson Bezanson, retired from TEAM

Brian Seeley, HCJB World Radio  

Rick Bradford, Serving In Mission (SIM) 

Murray & Diana Schmidt, Africa Inland Mission (AIM) 

Elissa Hawley, New Tribes Mission (NTM)  

As well as Word of Life missionaries:  

Jonathan Ward 

Bea Hart 

John Hopper 

Charlie Lyons 

Sue Reider (click here)

and our conference facilitator Richard Heppner.

       

From WOLBRANOS

The Red Carpet Event 2011!!

Spring has been in the air here at WOLBI and the Red Carpet event of the season saw everyone dressed to the max (except Kevin haha) in suits and ball gowns!  The evening began with the guys waiting outside the girls' dorm in their suits ready to escort the girls to the event, and then Hollywood style pictures were taken with a star backdrop as you entered the banquet.  It was great food and awesome fellowship with a sweet song from some of the students dedicated to Mr. Doug Reider.  What an awesome performance!  Awards were given out to everyone at the end of the evening on their stunning personality traits (they all had a star with their name on it from the photo backdrop).  We all enjoyed an evening of delicious food, great fellowship, and awesome entertainment!  There is nothing like a WOLBI banquet!

Learning the Word: Eschatology - The Study of End Times

From WOLBRANOS

Mr. Strout attended our New York campus of Word of Life Bible Institute in 1982, after which he was a youth pastor for 8 years at Huntingville Community Church in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He went on to pastor 3 years at Grace Chapel in Sherbrooke. Mr. Strout joined the new French ministry of WOL at Parole de Vie and served as the director of the Bible Institute at PdV from 1994 until 2002.  During that time he obtained his Master of Ministry degree from Baptist Bible Seminary. In July of 2002 he assumed the role of Director of Francophone Ministries for Word of Life Canada. In August 2010, Mark and his wife Laurie relocated to Schroon Lake (NY) where he is the Executive Dean of the Bible Institute.  This week he will be teaching us Eschatology.

"As I am teaching through Eschatology this week I am so impressed once again with the total consistency of God's Word from start to finish.  God knows what He is accomplishing in human history and you can trace so many strands through His Word that fit perfectly together if you are willing to just take what He says at face value.  I have taught this course over 20 times and every time I go through it, I find new portions of Scripture to add to the picture.  One of the really awesome things about studying God's Word is that you honestly never reach the end of what you can learn.  My challenge to everyone is to be a perpetual student of the Bible.  You'll always be making new discoveries.  Just be sure to apply them to life to get the blessing out of them!"

We loved the class this week!

"This week I have learned new insights into the end times and its sweet to realize the truth that I never knew before."

"[Mr. Strout] clearly explained and gave a good overview for the end times and different views on them.  His teaching just makes us excited for it!"

VBS with Saugeen!!

Sunday, March 20, 9 WOLBI students arrived back on Campus a week early from their March break. No, not coming back to start a week early on our studies, but to take part in an intensive week of children's ministry.
We had been recruited to do a five day VBS Children's program at a church at the Saugeen Native Reserve.
After months of planning and practicing Bible stories, crafts, kid's praise songs, and games for these native children in need of the gospel, we re-gathered to begin a grand adventure. We had heard before hand that the kids would be rambunctious, but we really had no idea what awaited us during this week of ministry.
Clad in our custom-made tie-dye staff shirts, we started out on our journey on Monday afternoon. Our first day was held at the Saugeen Recreational Centre gym. We set out the snack and prepared as the kids were being picked up from school. Our whole program was going to be held in different corners of one big gym.
25 kids burst through the doors and our program began. Kids were running rampant, and parts of our program didn't run as smoothly as we had hoped, some things we planned didn't even happen at all because of the state of mass chaos that we were in. Some kids were quick to listen to our instructions, but unfortunately, some decided to do their own thing and didn't like being told what to do. To most of us, day one was rather a blur and one of the team members who had worked with these kids before commented "It was actually quite funny to see your expressions. Everyone was walking around with this bewildered look of shock."
Day two, we held our program at the church instead of the Rec Centre. At first we were still unsure what to expect, but we found that the program ran a lot smoother with individual rooms for each session (crafts, story, etc.). This was encouraging.

From WOLBRANOS

As the week wore on, the kids gradually started to get used to us, and some even made friendships with us, though some still kept us at arms length and would rather act up and get into trouble. Some kids needed almost constant supervision, getting into any trouble they could. They would climb things, eat things, spill things everywhere, and fight with each other.
The kids LOVED piggy backs, sitting on our shoulders, and wrestling with us. I don't think that any of us were without children on our backs at any one time. As soon as one was done their piggy back ride, another little one would run up and say "My turn!". We concluded that this meant that under their energetic exteriors, they really just wanted love.

THE activity of the week - Piggyback Rides!!

From WOLBRANOS

As we got to know some of the kids individually, we started to learn more about their home lives. Like many kids in our culture, these native kids also came from broken homes. They carried around a lot of anger and bitterness at their home situation. Knowing this helped us to understand that they really weren't bad kids but didn't know how else to react to what was happening in their lives.
As we got to share the gospel and the truth of God's word more and more, we did see some growth in some of the kids' lives. Some of them grew in their obedience skills, some developed a thirst to read the word of God on their own. We learned to love the kids with Christ's love. We would have failed at loving them if it was just by our own strength.
By week's end, 7 kids accepted Christ! Two of these from one on one conversations.
On Friday, as VBS ended and we drove the kids back to their houses, many of them were in tears and didn't want the week to end. We had mixed feelings, as we were exhausted from the week, but we had grown to love these kids and didn't want the week to end either.
We learned so much from this week. It was really great to see how God used us to impact these kids' lives and to show them Biblical love.

Please be in continued prayer for these kids. They are hungry for God's truth, and need a lot of love, more love than a week long VBS program can provide them with. It was great to see kids come to know Christ and we were privileged to be able to be good Godly examples to the kids. We are trusting that the impact we made will last a lifetime and that God will continue to do great things on this native reserve!

Some students who took part in this VBS ministry commented:

"This week really opened my eyes to the needs that are in our own country. There is a need for consistent Christ-like-love in nearby communities. I learned a lot about being unselfish and it definitely was a memorable week!" 

"I loved working with the kids and watching them grow in Christ by the end of the week."

"Showing the kids even just a small example of godly love really went a long way. I was really sore and tired at the end from all the running around and such but I wouldn't trade that week for anything!"  

"I learned that we can't give up on loving people just as Christ doesn't give up on us, even when it gets difficult." 

AP