SBC InTouch is a publication of Steinbach Bible College Toll free ph fx

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1 Spring 2013

2 SBC InTouch is a publication of Steinbach Bible College Toll free info@sbcollege ph fx PTH 12 N Steinbach, MB, R5G 1T4

3 One of my favorite days of the year is graduation. What makes it a favorite is that it provides an opportunity to reflect and see the growth in the lives of our students. While some of that growth is centered on their academic achievements, the growth I most appreciate is their spiritual and character development. SBC s mission is to equip servant leaders for Church ministry. Over the course of three years our students have learned what it means to be a servant leader. Through a balanced approach of learning, students are able to combine their classroom experience with practical hands on opportunities. They have been given the opportunity to serve through their field education assignments, practicums and for some, their internships. MissionX also plays a big role in developing a servant leader s heart. For others, they have grown as servant leaders by serving at camps, their home church, or overseas during the summer months. As we draw closer to graduation, our students are prepared to leave SBC better equipped to serve a world that desperately needs servant leaders. This is what makes graduation so meaningful. Dr. Rob Reimer President President s Message /

4 Report: Mission X by SBC Alum Stephanie Coutts Training students for servant leadership in the church is not just rhetoric at SBC it s an imperative. When Jesus washed His disciples feet at the Passover meal just before His crucifixion, He not only set an example, but also commanded, You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you (John 13:13-15 NIV). The Mission Exposure program is just one example of how SBC is trying to disciple servant leaders. Students from every year of study experience a new way to stretch their comfort zone through becoming leaders in service. First year students spend their time in the inner city of Winnipeg, while second year students are sent to smaller towns in northern Manitoba. Third year students usually experience international missions as a way to expand their horizons even further. All students who experience these programs are changed. This year, MissionX for first year students (MX1) was experienced in the inner city of Winnipeg. Forty-five students were split and headquartered either at the Salvation Army or Inner City Youth Alive (ICYA).

5 Students spent just some of their time working with children at Living Bible Explorers or ICYA, encouraging and getting to know the Inuit people staying at the Kivalliq Inuit Centre, volunteering at Siloam or Union Gospel Missions, and visiting with the elderly and shut-ins with the Nassau Street Church. Some students also met Ed Loewen, who works with Pioneer s Muslim Ministries, and Travis Unger of Many Rooms Church Community, who shared about church planting in the inner city. One student said, Without God, I can do nothing. Another student commented, I discovered that it s OK to go out of my comfort zone. MX1 was certainly full of opportunities for servant leadership, and the students came back full of many stories of such experiences. MissionX for twenty-one second year students (MX2) was spent in five different First Nations Communities of northern Manitoba. Students were split in groups of four or five and spent their time getting to know their hosts and people of their respective communities. This was done through church services, meeting with Elders, radio programs, and evening kids programs. During one evening with the kids, student Adrienne Petkau said of her experience, I had been praying for opportunities to really share Jesus with some of the girls there.

6 As we sat and colored pictures, they started asking me who Jesus was. God gave me an incredible opportunity to share Christ with some of the young girls who had never heard of Him! Praise God! In the course of everyday life with the people of northern Manitoba, MX2 students practiced leadership through practical service and love for others. MX3 saw twenty-two students heading off in three different directions. Nine students traveled to Guadalajara Mexico, nine students flew to Thailand, and four students headed north to Kugluk- tuk, Nunavut. Through spending time with missionaries, indigenous Christians, and helping with other local missions organizations, students were able to experience life for a short time in another part of the world in all of its joys and hardships. Student James Ramelli commented about the impact local Christians had on him, It s all about sharing their faith. As soon as they are converted, they focus on spreading the gospel. Discipleship is also very important. Their Christianity completely defined them not

7 reaching out was foreign to them. They were also very intentional in prayer. Through his experience he, saw the cost of living for God. MX3 was not always easy for the students, but through this international experience, God s heart was clearly seen by all and they were blessed. SBC does not take discipling student leaders lightly. Through this year s MissionX program, students saw again the need for service in the world, at their doorstep, and beyond. God was certainly working in all of these experiences, and He deserves the praise for what was accomplished both in the world and in students lives.

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9 Sometimes it s hard to know if our gifts truly make a lasting difference. With SBC s Summer Ministry Scholarship, a small investment makes a big difference. Second year student Adrienne Petkau (Killarney, MB) tells how the scholarship has impacted her life: In 2011, I felt God calling me to study His word and grow in knowledge of Him. I saw the value in going to Bible College, but I wasn t sure if that was where I should be and if I could afford to go. I had already committed to going on a six-week mission trip to Peru. I was excited to go, but this also meant I couldn t work through the summer to make money for college. However, I knew if God was calling me to go to Bible College, He would provide. So trusting in God, I began the process of applying to SBC. Hearing about SBC s summer ministry scholarship truly was an answer to prayer! I couldn t believe it! Even though I had committed to going to Peru, I would still have the What Difference Does $150 Make? money to attend college in the fall. So, with that affirmation, I completed my application and came to SBC that September. I still am so grateful that SBC has a summer ministry scholarship program. As we students learn and grow, we are continually encouraged to take what we learn and to go out and serve. Whether that means going overseas, working at camp, working in local churches, or at inner city organizations, SBC encourages students to get involved in God s mission. Knowing that SBC will help financially, those who want to serve, is such an incredible blessing. I personally have been so blessed to have a college, faculty, and staff that support me in my mission trips. This last summer God blessed me with the opportunity to go back to Peru as a team leader. I continue to be amazed at how God works and provides. - Adrienne Petkau

10 Alumni Update: Ben & Christina Kroeker SBC graduates Ben & Christina Kroeker live their lives as servant leaders in Winnipeg s inner city. Since January of 2012, Ben has been working as the Boys Ministry Coordinator at Living Bible Explorers. He says that he came to SBC to learn about God and figure out what to do. The Mission X program in his first and second year guided Ben in his passion for the Inner City. Through his Intro to Pastoral Ministry course, Ben learned how to listen and lead with a servant heart just as Christ did. He says the various Biblical courses he took guide and shape his teaching today. Ben graduated from SBC with a BA in Pastoral Ministry in April of 2011 with a dream to live alongside the families of inner city Winnipeg. When Christina first came to SBC, she had a passion, to care for and nurture the faith of youth. Through the first year Mission X program, her passion found its home when she was introduced to Inner City Youth Alive, where she has been working as a Program Assistant since October of When asked which courses were the most helpful to her work now, she mentioned: The Urban Youth Ministry weekend course led by Kent Dueck Youth Ministry Courses Bible specific courses All were very helpful in shaping her philosophy of ministry as well as her theology. When Christina graduated from SBC in April of 2012 with a BA in Youth Ministry, she left with a vision to work with youth and their families in Winnipeg s core. Along with their roles at LBE and ICYA, Ben and Christina are covenanted members of Many Rooms Church Community, an EMC house church plant in Winnipeg that seeks to change the way Christians interact with the inner city. -SBC student Rebecca Reimer

11 Online Learning Right where you are, Online Learning is now available at SBC! You can earn a certificate in ministry studies, or finish a degree you ve already started, without having to leave your current situation. Clinton Friesen tells how the new option is helping him train as a servant leader while serving overseas: After nearly a decade since I last studied full-time at SBC, I recently began thinking about finishing a degree I was almost two years into. Since my family and I are living in Papua New Guinea until this summer, taking courses in class was not an option. I began talking with the school about the requirements I had remaining and making plans for what courses would best suit my degree. The school, as always, was extremely helpful. They provided me with course options featuring available e-books so I could avoid shipping Right Now overseas, and the internet requirements were very minimal. I have taken one course so far and will finish another next month. I plan to take one more before school starts in the fall. Because I was able to take these courses now, I will be able to graduate next April, Lord willing. The reading material has been fantastic, and the online assignments have provided solid reinforcement of the material. In my experience the instructors have been easy to access and quick to answer any questions, or engage in further discussion about the course material. While you can't replace the classroom for learning, online can also be a great option. Visit SBCollege.ca to find out how you can train right where you are, right now.

12 Alumni Update: Christine Mak While Christine Mak Joe attended SBI for high school, many college students from the early 70s will also remember her. Christine facilitated a wonderful SBI reunion in the summer of She wrote the following update: Greetings from warm and sunny Southern California! I was born in Hong Kong and grew up in a Christian family. I attended SCHS (at that time it was named Steinbach Bible Institute) from As the pianist for The Chorale, SBI's college choir, I was able to travel to and to participate in deputation presentations at new places. In 1979, I moved down to the Los Angeles area. I was married in 1980 to my loving husband and blessed with two wonderful sons. This past summer, I felt moved to initiate an unofficial minireunion of some SBI friends, despite being absent from the SBI community for nearly 40 years. It was a surreal and amazing experience to see old friends, roommates, teachers and staff members at our reunion. We all shared brief testimonies about God s faithfulness and works in our lives. I thanked the Lord for his many blessings in my life, including how He miraculously healed me from a life-threatening cerebral aneurysm a decade ago. God is merciful indeed! While visiting the beautifully renovated Steinbach Bible College and High School, I praised the Lord for His love for us. I definitely saw

13 the fruits of the Spirit in my teachers, students, and friends, and I think of them fondly. SBI cultivated a love of music, but more importantly one for Christ two things that are pillars of my life even today. May this memory stir each of us to a deeper love for and trust in our faithful God and may He use the school to touch many more lives for His glory!

14 Impact 2013 Impact, SBC s annual senior high and young adult discipleship event, took place February The weekend featured sessions by guest speaker Matthew Klippenstein on the topic of Trust as well as drama and music by SBC s own Ignite!, Free Servant, and New Creation. The following was received in response: Hi Garth! I just wanted to let you know that our youth and leaders were hugely impacted from our weekend at SBC. I just received a phone call from a youth parent who had no kids at IMPACT. She says to me "What happened at the IMPACT weekend?! Is everything I'm hearing true? It sounds like it was amazing and I want to make sure my kids go next year! This woman teaches piano in the community and I guess one by one kids were showing up for lessons and just bubbling about their weekend at SBC. At youth this week we asked the kids to share one highlight and one way God spoke to them and I think everyone, leaders and students, said their highlight was the concert of prayer. Anyway, the overall response was very good and two of our youth kids are considering Bible college now, who weren't before the weekend,

15 so we will continue to encourage them and pray that God leads them where he wants them to go! Also, as leaders we were all really encouraged by the session we sat in on with you. We feel like we are always the ones leading and teaching and it was SO good to receive some teaching and encouragement ourselves. Kelsey and I both feel re- energized to continue working with the youth and encouraged to carry on. Thank you very much! We definitely will try to take our kids to IMPACT again next year. Beth Friesen Kola EMC

16 Upcoming Hemorrhaging Faith Course with James Penner, April Spring concert April 26 Graduation April 27 Spring Tour to Alberta, May 3-6 Evangelism and Discipleship course with Chuck Nichols, April 29-May 3 SBC Golf Tournament, June 4 SBC Homecoming, June 15 Events