A Note from Brian
Wow! I don’t know how else to describe the month of October except by saying, wow! New York Homecoming weekend was such a blessing with over 250 alumni and parents in attendance. I think it was our best Homecoming weekend ever! Then, to have the Florida, New York, and both Canadian campuses together for our first-ever combined Missions Conference was incredible. Our students and staff were challenged by great messages from God’s Word and stories from missionaries around the world. I cannot wait to see how God uses our students to impact this world for Jesus Christ.
Latest News:
New York
Past Events
Homecoming Weekend: The 2024 WOLBI Homecoming was a beautiful weekend in every way! God blessed us with autumn colors, sunshine, and even some northern lights. Alumni, parents, and students enjoyed tours of the campus and Island, numerous athletic events, an evening of worship, and much more. Highlights included the Class of 1984 reunion with special performances by their class quartet and the presentation of the Alumna of the Year award to Ester Warren from the class of 1991.
Campus Preview Days: This year, at both of our campuses, we have changed the format of our Campus Preview Days to just two days and one night. On October 17–18, we hosted the first event of the school year with about 50 students and their parents. Thursday night, everyone joined us for campus-wide devotions and enjoyed s’mores beforehand.
ACBC Essentials Conference: We hosted the first weekend of this conference on October 18–19. We heard from excellent speakers and are excited to host again on November 15 and December 6.
Missions Conference: On October 25–27, we held our annual Missions Conference, this time in the fall semester instead of the usual spring. The weekend was packed with sessions, missionary mixers, and devotions, where students heard from missionaries personally. It was an exciting weekend, especially with our Florida and two Canadian campuses joining us.
Upcoming November Events
Basketball Season: Basketball has officially begun! Our Huskies basketball teams had their first scrimmage on October 30 and will play their first official game tomorrow. So far, the fall sports teams have worked hard both on the field and in sharing the gospel. We’ve seen 13 students come to Christ as a result of our sports ministry.
Reverbs: Our students will participate in seven Reverbs—an all-night event where youth groups gather to hear the gospel. The night kicks off with a hockey or basketball game, followed by a rally with a gospel presentation, and then fun activities like bowling, trampoline parks, and inflatables. If you’re part of a youth group and want to join one of the locations below, click this link: https://reverb.wol.org/
- Springfield, MA
- Glens Falls, NY
- Rochester, NY
- Binghamton, NY
- Hershey, PA
- Providence, RI
- Montreal, CA
Thanksgiving Break: Students will have class on Monday, November 25, and Tuesday, November 26, before heading home for break. They are expected to return by December 2 at 11 PM.
Upcoming December Events
Campus Preview Days: Our next event will take place on December 5–6. To sign up, click the link below:
Christmas Party: Our student Christmas party will be on December 13.
December Graduation: On December 18, we will hold a special graduation ceremony during chapel for our Spring students.
Christmas Break: Christmas break starts on December 19, after classes (1 PM). Students must return by January 10 at 7 PM.
Missions Reality & Open-Air Evangelism Trips
Missions Reality: Our sophomores will begin raising funds for their Missions Reality trips, which will take place April 3–13. This experience combines academic credit with real-world missions work. This year’s trips include:
- Belize
- Caldas Novas, Brazil
- Recife, Brazil
- Czech Republic
- Nicaragua
- Quebec, Canada
- Taiwan
- Wayumi
- Word of Life Youth Ministries: Students will shadow Youth Ministry missionaries in the States for the week.
Open-Air Evangelism: Our freshmen will raise funds for their Open-Air Evangelism trip to New York City on April 9–13. This life-changing trip is an incredible opportunity for students, and we encourage them to start reaching out to pastors and mission committees during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.
Florida
Past Events
Hurricane Milton Cleanup: Students who stayed on campus during Hurricane Milton helped with cleanup efforts afterward, doing a fantastic job restoring the campus.
Spirit Week (October 15-18): Students had fun with themed days, including “Twin Day,” “Old Timers’ Day,” “International Heritage Day,” and “Anything but a Backpack Day,” where students brought their school supplies in anything but a backpack!
Fly-In and Missions Conference: From October 19–28, the Florida students traveled to New York to attend classes with New York students and participate in the Missions Conference. This was an incredible week of unity across campuses.
Upcoming Events
Campus Preview Days (November 14-15): This will be a makeup event for the one canceled due to Hurricane Milton. Please pray for visitors to be challenged to join the Bible Institute.
November Reverbs: Florida students will participate in three Reverbs in November:
- November 8 – Orlando, FL
- November 15 – Jacksonville, FL
- November 22 – Atlanta, GA
Pray for safety and for the gospel to be shared clearly so that many will accept Christ.
Thanksgiving Break: Classes will end at 1 PM on Tuesday, November 26, with students returning by December 2 at 11 PM.
December Events
Campus Preview Days (December 5–6): Pray that visitors will consider coming to the Bible Institute.
Christmas Party (December 9): The student Christmas party will include games, great food, and a message from God’s Word.
December Graduation (December 12): Spring students will graduate with a special dinner followed by a ceremony at 7 PM in the Bollback Performing Arts Center.
Christmas Break: Christmas break begins after the 8 AM exam on December 13. Students must return by January 7 at 2 PM for Spring registration.
Both New York and Florida
Thanksgiving Break: Thanksgiving Break for both campuses begins November 26 after classes (1 PM). Students must return by December 2 at 11 PM.
Christmas Break:
- New York: Break begins December 19 after classes (1 PM). Students must return by January 10 at 7 PM.
- Florida: Break begins December 13 after the 8 AM exam. Students must return by January 7 at 2 PM.
Reminder: When booking flights, please allow extra time to travel to the airport. The TSA recommends arriving at the airport two hours before a domestic flight.
