Word Studies: Bible Survey

 Class: Bible Survey

Week#: This course spans the entire academic year.
Professor: Mr. Jonathan Ward

Jonathan and Melissa Ward blog. facebook. wol.

Assignments: Read through each book of the Bible by the assigned class period. Write one chapter title, a sentence of 3-10 words, for every chapter in each book (except for 1 and 2 Chronicles and Proverbs). Write one research paper and one reflection paper per semester. Complete five maps for both the Old Testament and the New Testament.


Jonathan is a graduate of New Brunswick Bible Institute and a former Word of Life Impact Team member (1997-99), and Melissa is a graduate of Lancaster Bible College. Together, they coordinated Word of Life Canada's Impact Team ministry from 2001-2006, with Jonathan training and discipling the Team members and hundreds of speaking opportunities each year. Jonathan now serves as the Dean of Men and is Professor of Bible Survey at the Owen Sound Campus of the Word of Life Bible Institute.

The primary purpose of Bible Survey is to introduce the student to the major people, places, events and teachings contained in both the Old and New Testaments. This course is designed to provide a framework for understanding the rest of biblical truth as well as identify the unique characteristics of each book of the Bible.

Fall Semester

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

2 Timothy 3:16 

As it states in the above scripture, the Old Testament is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Every book was divinely inspired, or God-breathed, even books like Numbers and Leviticus and life application and lessons can be gleaned from their pages. Mr. Ward seeks to make this truth a reality for each and every student. The class is taught everything about the book. Themes, outlines, distinctives and surveys of every book are explained in detail as well as specific and unique attributes.

"Bible Survey has consistently stretched me when it comes to studying the all 66 books of Bible. The amount of knowledge we can learn from studying these books is immense. I really like learning about the history of the books of the bible and digging a little deeper into each one after reading it."
- Kyle, Kitchener

Spring Semester

In New Testament Survey, the students learn about the theme, outlines, and the surveys just like Old Testament Survey; however, Mr. Ward begins the New Testament differently. First, he takes the students through a series of lessons on the historicity of the Bible. After that he teaches through the gospels, expounding on the four pictures of the Son of God presented. As they make their way through the epistles and ending in Revelation, Mr. Ward shows how Christ is the theme of all 29 books. By the time the class has reached completion, the students will look back at what they have covered in the past nine months and be amazed.

"Bible Survey has been a great class. At the beginning of the course, I was unsure about it because history wasn't one of my best subjects. I have learned so much about the importance of context and true interpretation. Having studied the Old Testament in the Fall Semester, I find it is so much easier to understand the New Testament now that I know the basis it's built on!"
- Sarah, Midland

Want to check out Bible Survey for yourself? Come to Campus Days!

Word Studies: Deuteronomy

Class: Deuteronomy

Week #15: January 9-13
Professor: Pastor Steve Hobbs


Assignments: Read through the Book of Deuteronomy twice during the week; the section on the book of Deuteronomy must be read from the Bible Survey textbook; and the notes from the previous day must be read before the beginning of the next day.

Pastor Steve Hobbs received his BS from Liberty University and an MDiv from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Pastor Hobbs later served as the Dean of Men and on the teaching faculty at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Schroon Lake, NY. He is currently the pastor at Vincent Baptist Church in Pennsylvania.

At first, Deuteronomy does not seem to be to appealing. A book about laws, regulations and tradition is usually not the first choice for a little casual reading. Deuteronomy was written by Moses, at the end of the forty years of wandering the nation of Israel had before entering the land of Canaan. The entire book is a written account of Moses' sermons to his people to encourage them before they entered the promised land. God gave Moses the words and laws to give to the people. Because of the laws and the specific stipulations about how to live, Deuteronomy has become a book in the Bible avoided by most people simply because they do not understand it. However, upon careful study, one will discover that Deuteronomy is filled with powerful, life-changing principles for the believer today. In this class specifically, Pastor Hobbs does an amazing job of bringing out the application from the text and the importance of knowing the principles for Christian living.


"We covered a lot in the Deuteronomy class that challenged me to really think about how the Old Testament and New Testament tie in together and how much we can learn from the ways of the Old Testament."
- Kassey, Goulais River


"He was a very innovative, creative speaker. He helped me look at Deuteronomy in a whole new way. He explained the book in a way that's interesting and applicable to today's society for fellow believers."
- Tyler, Waterloo

"... I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."
- Deuteronomy 32:3-4

BW

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Word Studies: 1 Corinthians

Class: 1 Corinthians

Week #14: January 2 - January 5
Professor: Dr. Ken Gardoski


Assignments: Read through 1 Corinthians a total of 3 times before the start of classes. Read through the teachers notes before and during the week of classes.


Dr. Ken Gardoski grew up in a religious family, but did not trust the Lord as his Savior until college, and then later became a missionary to Poland with Baptist Mid-Missions. Dr. Gardoski received his BS in Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, MDiv and ThM from Baptist Bible Seminary, and PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He currently teaches at Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, PA.


1 Corinthians was written by Paul the apostle to the church in Corinth, located in the south of modern day Greece. The city was a way-point for most people traveling between Rome and the Middle East. At the time, Corinth was known as a thriving commercial center and a major seaport, with a population of approximately 700,000. However, Corinth also had another reputation. The city was known for its immorality and debauchery. The worship of pagan gods was extremely common among the populace and the name of the city became an adjective, to corinthinize, which meant to behave in an immoral and sensual manner. This was where Paul started a church and to whom he wrote this letter. From a study of Acts and some of the other epistles, it can be said that 1 Corinthians is most likely the second letter that Paul wrote to this church. As far as can be seen, it is a response to the problems and questions that arose from his first and unknown letter. The main theme found through the entire book is Paul's exhortation to a living a life based on Biblical principles. Many doctrinal and practical implications can be found throughout the text. 1 Corinthians is an excellent book for believers to study, because Paul's explanation of ministry and Christian living is clear and simple.



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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

Election Day: Going to the Polls

Excitement is rapidly building here on campus at Word of Life. Student Council positions are up for election and the competition is heating up.

The Student Council is made up of several positions: the Right Honorable, His Majesty the President; His Lordship, the Vice-President; the Secretary (of Defence if necessary); and the Treasurer. The core purpose of the Council is to represent the Student Body. Chosen by the people, the Student Council deliberates and debates in order to make the best decisions for the people. Some of the responsibilities include, but are not limited to, planning banquets, organizing events and scheming up other special activities.

The following are names of those in the running for the respective positions:

        For the position of Treasurer:
        Nick Martin
        Brittany Allcock
        John Lambert
        Brandon Swartzentruber
        Timothy Fritz

        For the position of Secretary (of Defence if necessary):
        Brittany Allcock
        Kyle McDonald
        Kassey Pearson
        Lucas Jamieson

        For the position of the Right Honorable, His Majesty, the President:
        (Runner-up will take the position of His Lordship, the Vice-President)
       Alex Seib
       Cameron McLean
       Andrew Fehr
       Nathan Clock
       Marcel Van Der Linde
       Jonathan Wouda
       Whitney Gordan

The competition is fierce. Social media has become a major tool of campaigning for the candidates, as well as, posters and word of mouth. Some of the individuals have the backing of several celebrities, hoping perhaps this will sway the voter's decision. However, the decision usually comes down to how the people want to be represented and the candidates must meet the voter's expectations in order to win the day.

"It`s definitely a good time. It gives you a chance to be creative to present yourself to others. It is also interesting to see it in a Christian atmosphere; like, it would be easy to bash each other but we don't."
- Andrew, Woodstock (running for the Right Honorable, His Majesty, the President)

"It's a good thing. It's going to be good for the students. The candidates are funny and yet they are able to take care of stuff, to be responsible."
- Jean-Christophe, Quebec (a voter)

"It gives the student body a chance to express their ideas and opinions."
- Sophia, Waterloo (a voter)

"I'm going to vote for who I think will do the best job."
- Robert, Beamsville (a voter)

Find out on Friday who will represent the Student Body on the Student Council for the class of 2011-2012.

Upcoming Word of Life Events

Word of Life Fellowship is putting on some fantastic events in the very near future. Be on the lookout for an event on site near you. For information on all Word of Life events in Canada, click here.

Some of the events to look forward to include:

       - WOL Superbowl - This is an all-nighter packed with games, food, prizes and the Gospel.  It's a great night to bring your whole youth group. In Ontario, WOL Superbowl takes place in Mississauga on November 4. Register now!





- Word of Life Bible Institute Campus Days - Come to the Bible Institute campus to check out the school including classes and student life. Stay overnight in the dorms and participate in cool activities. Most importantly, learn more about the year that could change your life.


- WOL Youth Camp Recharge - Register your youth group for an amazing weekend that will not only be outrageously fun but also spiritually uplifting. Recharge Snow Camp is one of the highlights of youth ministry among many of the churches in Central Ontario. Taking place right on the campus of the Bible Institute, Recharge provides an oppurtunity for youth to be changed by the Word of God.

With each and every one of these events, students from the Bible Institute will be taking a major part serving in all areas of the ministry. Word of Life Events are always exciting to be a part of. For more information regarding Word of Life events click here and if you would like to be a part of the ministry by giving financially, click here.

BW

Word Studies: Judges

Class: Judges

Week #3: September 26-30
Professor: Pastor Jeff Eastwood

Assignments:
Read Judges 3x -Once in a single reading before class, and twice during the week of Judges classes. At least one of these readings must be done in a translation other than the one you normally use.
Read Judges - Such a Great Salvation by Dale Ralph Davis prior to, or during, the week of classes.
Memorize Judges 21:25



Pastor Eastwood is currently the interim lead pastor at Northside Baptist Church in Waterloo, Ontario. He is a graduate of Northland International University with Bachelor of Arts in Theology and is now working on a Master of Divinity Degree from Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary. This will be his first year teaching at WOLBI in Owen Sound. What's interesting is many of the students this year are coming from Waterloo and Kitchener and call Northside their home church. They were thrilled to have their pastor come up for a week as was he.

Judges is an interesting book and many times it is hidden away as if it is some deep, dark secret of the Bible. Filled with murder, deceit and heinous crimes, this seventh book of the Bible is the attic of the Bible. Yet, here it is, containing this record of Israel's rebellion against God and subsequent disregard for God's commands. Blatant disobedience would be at the core and the theme of Judges is clearly stated in the memory verse for the class.

"In those days, there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

-Judges 21:25

When one of the students stated what he learned from the class, unknowingly, he explained how this verse is relevant to the book as a whole.

"I have been learning that Israel is just like our day now. I'm seeing the history... they keep falling into sin and they don't pass the faith onto the [next] generation. They weren't following God's Word. It was a very sinful time"
- Derek, Waterloo

It was a very sinful time. The statement alone sums it up. What can be learned from a book that has this reputation? Since Timothy says in the New Testament, "All scripture is profitable...", Judges has been placed in the Bible for a purpose.

This purpose is hinted at in the following from one of the students:

 "I learned how loving God is, in that, no matter how much sin I am in, God is always there when I repent and turn back to Him."
-Brandon, Waterloo

Judges shows us the grace of God. Every time Israel rebelled, God called them back to Himself. The Lord would raise up a judge, hence the name of the book, and that judge would bring the people back to the Lord by leading them in repentance. Then when the judge died, the people would fall into sin again. This cycle of sin, judging and repentance occurred seven times in Judges. Even the judges themselves were not the best example of godliness and fell into sin soon after Israel repented. But God's grace continually prevails and still brings people to repentance today. When asked what he was learning from Judges, Pastor Eastwood replied with the following:

"I am learning that sin is deceitful and subtle and we need the grace of God."

God's grace is a beacon of light in the darkness of Judges. This world desperately needs God's grace just as Israel did over three thousand years ago. This grace comes in the form of God's Son dying on the cross, taking the punishment of sin for every person. The message of Judges and the gospel is one and the same: repentance. The message of repentance has always been the same: turn from your sin and turn to God's grace for redemption from the punishment of sin. Let us not forget this incredible gift of salvation.

BW

Don't Miss Word of Life Superbowl 2011

What better way to spend a night than with sports, games, food  and, most importantly, God's Word. You can get all this and more for your youth group at Word of Life Superbowl Mississauga, Ontario. This event is for students in grades 7-12. Hundreds of youth come from across Canada to this awesome all-nighter.

Included in the night:

        - OHL Hockey Game

        - Prizes, prizes and more prizes

        - Sports and Arcade Games

        - Gospel Presentation

        - And so much more!

Mark your calendar for this November and get ready to have an awesome night for your youth group.

Time: Friday, 04 November 2011- Saturday, 05 November 2011

Location:          Hershey Centre
                          5500 Rose Cherry Pl., Mississauga
                 Then...
                           Playdium Mississauga
                           99 Rathburn Rd. W., Mississauga

Cost:  Get your registration in before October 3rd and save big!

	Early Price	Regular Price	Late Price
	on or before 10/03	on or before 10/24	after 10/24
Teens	$40	$45	$49
Leaders	$37	$37	$37

 




Contact us here!

For information for Superbowls in other locations in Canada, click here.


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Don't Miss the Flashpoint Conference

Start your church's year of ministry with a Training Conference from Word of Life Local Church Ministries. Word of Life places a large emphasis on leadership training and wants to help out your church with this important factor of ministry. Flashpoint is a weekend conference that involves dynamic teaching, practical seminars (many to choose from), great music, skits, icebreakers, good food, and ministry resources.  We're excited to present to you some new and exciting features to the conference that will only make it more relevant to your needs as a church.

Some of the new features are:

        - New topics chosen by you!

        - Friday night worship concert

        - Now for both youth and leaders

Bring your youth group with you on Friday evening for the worship concert, stay overnight (several motel/hotel accommodations are available nearby) and attend age-appropriate teaching & training sessions on Saturday. The topics will range from Leadership Training to Cults and False Religions for youth and Time Management and Social Media for leaders. Here are the updated prices for the weekend.

• Friday only - $20 UPDATED PRICE! Now only $10

• Saturday only - $40 UPDATED PRICE! Now only $35

• Friday & Saturday - $50 UPDATED PRICE! Now only $40

To register your church email Barry Speck (wolspeck@kwic.com) with your information.

BW

SUMMER CAMP 2011 WEEKS ONE TO THREE UPDATE

FROM TEEN TO JR. HIGH SPORTS CAMP... 

...STUDENTS  WERE  MAKING  SIGNIFICANT  DECISIONS  OF  LIFE  CHANGE!

  

218 campers joined us for our first three weeks of camp, and during our teen weeks we saw a 24% increase in camper attendance (over 2010).  That's something we were very excited to see.  Scott Foreman was privileged to share with the week 2 campers during 'Bible Hour' from the book of 1 Thessalonians.  In our study together we saw that believers can live for Christ in the midst of persecution, and that we need to live godly, pure lives while we wait for the Rapture.  Gary Stairs was our week 3 speaker and shared timely messages from the timeless life of Daniel.  Gary spoke on the importance of a Word-centered life and choosing the right friends.

We also conducted a guy/girl split session during the first two weeks of camp.  In the guys' session we discussed the importance of personal purity as men.  We had testimonies from our staff on how they have been able to live out the Word of God in this area of life.  It was awesome to see guys stand at the end of the session saying they wanted to live a sexually pure life.  Rachel Foreman shared with the young ladies the importance of a life that finds total security and contentment in Christ.  Many of the young ladies were able to identify with the themes Rachel presented having to do with self-image and adopting a perception of self that aligns with the Bible.  

One young lady made this comment to Rachel after the session:  

"I attended week 1 and 2 summer youth camps and I really found your talk on searching for security very helpful. I realized that I had been trying to find security in things other than Jesus Christ. I had been going to friends, guys, and things I really shouldn't have."

As we shared the gospel on Monday nights of weeks 2 and 3, 21 teens called on Christ to save them!  Praise the Lord!  Also, 42 campers dedicated their lives to the Lord at our Campfire Dedication services.  We also saw 25 students make a decision to stay sexually pure. 

What a privilege it has been to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of Canadian young people!

Introducing Word of Life Youth Camp!

Since 1946, Word of Life Camps have been helping young people understand that their full potential in life is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Through games, age-appropriate lessons and one-on-one interaction with their college counsellor, campers will experience the love and acceptance that you would expect from a Christ-centered camping experience.  All of our counsellors are current students or alumni of the Word of Life Bible Institute who are seeking to share God's Word taught to them with the youth entrusted to their care.

The Camping Philosophy of Word of Life is based on 1 Peter, where Peter speaks of a faith that KNOWS Christ, GROWS in Christ and SHOWS forth Christ.  That's the scriptural backbone behind what we do throughout the week.  We share with the kids the importance of knowing Christ, growing in Christ and then going home and showing forth Christ.

Questions?  Email us at info@wol.ca

Check out our website

Or...

Also see Summer Camp 2011 Teen Camp Week #1 

What is Word of Life Canada?

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

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: 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 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