Dear Parents and Guardians,
Greetings from Word of Life Bible Institute! The sun is out, the air is warmer, and you can feel the excitement as students enjoy the outdoors. Spring is always a wonderful reminder that summer is coming–and so is camp!
We do plan on operating camp, as New York State has given the green light. In the coming days and weeks ahead, we will share our summer camp plans with staff, students, parents, and campers. While we are still waiting on NYS for guidance, we are confident we must continue to plan and move forward.
I know Easter is a special time, especially for followers of Christ. However, we’d like to ask for your cooperation as we have adjusted our spring semester to not include a break, and we have specifically asked students not to travel for Easter. At this point, we will only approve emergency travel or travel for extremely important family events (weddings and funerals) as we work to limit our exposure to COVID-19. Hopefully, you all received last week’s announcement about the Special Permission to Leave process and plan. I understand this is not ideal, but I am also confident this is the best move for the safety of our students and is best aligned with our plan to finish the semester strong. I ask that you support us in this decision, and please know we are doing all we can to provide a wonderful Easter weekend on campus.
Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
 
Student Funds
Word of Life has the opportunity to provide a supplemental grant directly to eligible students as part of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) as authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). These funds are to be used for any “component of the cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to COVID-19, such as tuition, food, housing, healthcare (including mental healthcare) or childcare”. Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for these funds.
We have communicated with students directly via Canvas and will be delivering these funds directly to them in the office or to their mailboxes on campus during the month of March. It is possible for your student to apply these funds to their current or future student account if they would like to do so. This can be done in the Business/Financial Aid Office.
 
Second Year
In this week’s Student Body Chapel, we shared some of the benefits of our second year program with our first year students. The second year program is an incredible opportunity for students to get practical ministry experience while still experiencing the high level of biblical scholarship they’ve come to expect from Word of Life. The program has classes on leadership, missions, the local church, and much more. If your student is looking to go into full-time ministry, we would encourage you to have them look into second year at the Bible Institute. There is no better program for ministry-minded undergraduates than here.
 
Academics
On Monday, February 22, all students were invited to attend the Next Steps Seminar presented by Dr. Paul Weaver. Dr. Weaver shared practical and timely advice about what students should consider after graduating from the Bible Institute. Guidance was provided in four specific areas:

• Career path/ministry direction
• Finances and tuition discounts
• Desired experience
• Time/credit transferability

Online and on-campus options, including Davis College, were discussed for those seeking to continue their education, along with instructions on how to apply to different schools. The seminar also covered useful advice for those going into ministry versus those going into a secular career.
Opportunities for Q&A were provided both during and immediately following the seminar. Students were also invited to set up a meeting with designated staff members who could help them think through their specific situations. A recording of the session has also been made available to all students through Canvas, our learning management system.
Parents interested in viewing the seminar can do so by clicking the following link:
https://vimeo.com/519097006/0af0a2c5cb
 
Florida Campus Updates
The Florida campus wrapped up their fifth and final Pursuit Camp last week. A total of 788 campers attended this year, and we know of 58 who made professions of faith in Christ!  Hundreds of others dedicated themselves to sharing the gospel with a friend. We are praising the Lord for the way so many lives have been touched and changed for eternity. After wrapping up their classes in 1 Corinthians, our Florida students returned home for spring break. Please pray that they will continue to walk closely with the Lord during this time and that they will take advantage of opportunities to share the gospel and to be a blessing in the lives of other believers. When students return to campus on March 22nd, we’re praying that COVID rates and restrictions will continue to decline so that we’ll be able to take advantage of several outside ministry opportunities in the final weeks of the spring semester.
 
Ministries
We had a great time hosting our first-ever Snowcamp Community Days events, where we invited people from the surrounding communities to enjoy some of Snowcamp’s outdoor activities. We had over 200 people join us over the two weekends and enjoyed the chance to serve our neighbors.
Summer camp is coming up in just a few short months, and we are busy making plans! Soon we will be ready to announce our plans and open registration.
Are you looking for a way to encourage your student during the Easter season? You can order an Encouragement Pack through our campus store website – nystore.wordoflife.edu! Check out the contact page if you need to reach us with questions.
Both of our basketball teams are continuing to improve as the season progresses. Our men’s basketball team got their first win of the season on February 27th against Northern Essex Community College, with a score of 68-71! Our women’s team has continued to play hard against some challenging opponents, and they are looking forward to their first win. Both teams have been able to share the gospel with some of the opposing teams and are excited for further opportunities to proclaim Christ during upcoming games.