Strengthening the Parent-Student Connection
A Note from Karen Smith, Dean of Women 
Your student is just about to complete an amazing year of digging deep in God’s Word, and you’re probably excited to know all they have learned! Here are some ideas to connect with your student as they return home for break:

• Ask about the lessons God taught them this year. Our theme was “Trustworthy”, and we focused specifically on how God had proven and continues to prove Himself trustworthy.  Many students have shared incredible stories of how God has deepened their trust in Him.
• Each student has a favorite class and/or teacher. Ask your student which ones they liked, and why. What did they learn through those classes?
• Talk about friendships, and get to know their friends! How have they seen relationships change and grow this year? What has God taught them about healthy relationships?
• Catch their vision for next steps. Is it missions work? Continuing their college education? Entering the workforce? Pray for ways to encourage them. If their path isn’t what you had hoped for them, ask God to work in their heart as well as yours.
• Find time to pray with them. Ask for their prayer requests. This is a great opportunity to hear what is really on their hearts. 
• Remember your student is an adult and still learning how to navigate as an adult. The transition back into the home can sometimes be a hard one where everyone is trying to figure out their role. Loving conversation about your expectations and listening to their expectations will help smooth out the bumps.

We’re praying for you as your students transition back home for the break. Let us know if there is anything in particular we can be praying for during this time!
 
Athletics
Basketball:
Our basketball teams are in the last week of their season. We are praising the Lord, as there have been numerous opportunities to share the gospel with opposing teams this season! In addition, the men’s team had a great 85-81 win at UCONN Avery Point this past Friday.
 Soccer:
Soccer tryouts just wrapped up and the team is into its first week of practice. We are looking forward to our first soccer games on April 7th.
Softball:
Softball tryouts are starting this week, and we are looking forward to having a six game season this spring.
 
HEERF Fund
The distribution of HEERF II funds to students is in process. As you may recall, students are able to use these funds 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” as authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for these funds.
 We have been delivering these funds (via check payment) directly to students 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.
 
Academics
This week, our freshmen students are studying Ecclesiology (Doctrine of the Church) with Dr. James Jeffery, Executive Pastor of Chapel Pointe. Our sophomore students are studying the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians with Dr. Wayne Slusser, Dean of Baptist Bible Seminary.
Last week, our publishing house (Learn the Word Publishing), released a commentary entitled Surveying the Old Testament Prophetic Books. This commentary involved 16 contributors, all of which serve as resident or adjunct faculty at Word of Life Bible Institute. The General Editor is our Academic Dean, Dr. Paul Weaver. All net proceeds go to the Word of Life Scholarship fund. You can purchase your own copy here: https://amzn.com/B08KWCWWMS
Another exciting academic initiative involves our new Learn the Word YouTube channel. We release faith-affirming content on a weekly basis. You can view our recent series, Anxiety: When Concern Becomes Obsessive, here: https://youtu.be/3UZvRnWvzHA
  
Student Leadership Course Overview
It is a joy to meet with our student leaders and encourage and disciple them as they grow–not only in their leadership abilities, but also in their love for the Lord. What a blessing it has been to see their growth since the beginning of the year. We meet weekly to go over topics like the character and integrity of a leader, the pressure leaders face with their words, how to handle biblical confrontation, and much more.  our students have had a lot of opportunities to grow in these areas, and I would encourage you to pray for them as they are learning valuable principles that will equip them for life after the Bible Institute. Leadership does, however, come with its fair share of struggles and hardships. Please be in prayer for them as they continue to lead the campus.
 
Ministries Update
We are excited to announce that we have reached our  goal of ministering to over 100,000 people this year! The Story Project this fall–where each of our students made videos or podcasts of their testimonies and shared these online–had an incredible reach, and is one of the most beneficial ways COVID pushed us to think outside the box when it comes to ministry. We definitely plan to continue this ministry in future years! We also introduced many new ministry teams this winter in the absence of Snowcamp that have resonated well with students–including Art, Poetry, Dance, Gaming, Snowboarders for Christ, and our Community Days team.
The Community Days team hosted two events on campus, where local families came out and participated in outdoor activities like tubing, broomball, and the ice chute. Between the two weekends, over 250 community members visited our campus and were able to interact with our students! The Art, Poetry, and Dance teams have their recital coming up on Friday, April 2nd. You can watch the recital live on our Facebook.
 
We will continue to keep you updated as we move forward in the spring semester here at WOLBI. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns!