The Bridge: October 8th

Dear Parents and Guardians,
 
The month of October has begun well at both of our Bible Institute campuses! Academics, Ministry and Student Life are progressing nicely, and it’s been a joy to get to know the students better. Their incredible attitudes during this season have been a great blessing to me, and many staff have commented on what a wonderful class we have this year. I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to know them better, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Lord grows and changes each and every one of them this year.
Below are some updates from this past week– I hope you find them encouraging!
 
Health and Safety:
God has been answering our prayers for health and protection! As a campus, we remain free of any COVID-19 cases. We have no pending tests at the moment, and no students in quarantine. Praise the Lord!
 
Student Life:
Student Life on campus has really hit its stride in the past few weeks. As we get into the schedule of the year, we’re seeing an incredible number of students who desire to go deeper in their walk with God. It’s been amazing to see the desire for discipleship, and we as a Student Life team know that the more people that are involved in encouraging students to look like Jesus, the better it is for them. It has been amazing to see the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God to give restoration, growth and healing amongst the student body.
Please be in prayer for your students as they seek the Lord and build real relationships. College is a hard adjustment, and they need your prayers and encouragement! We are grateful to have such a wonderful and prayerful group of students, parents, and guardians this year.
 
Ministries:
The Story Conference is coming up next weekend, which will kick off one of our major ministry projects for the fall! During and after the conference, each student will record a video or podcast of their testimony that they can share online.
We are excited to have Matt Manzari (https://www.beyondtheburn.life/my-story) and Kevin Durham (http://thisismystory.org/) joining us to teach the conference sessions, and we can’t wait to see what God will do as students begin sharing their stories online.

Academics:
Next week, our Freshman students will continue studying Systematic Theology 1, Old Testament Survey, and Research and Writing. These courses are all taught by our resident professors (Dr. Davis, Professor Strout, and Professor Sewall).
Our Sophomore students will be studying Apologetics, World Religions, and Hermeneutics 2 with our resident professors (Dr. Davis, Dr. Weaver, Dr. Weaver, respectively). We are also pleased to have Dr. Mark McGinniss teaching the book of Psalms for the week. Dr. McGinnis is a Professor of Old Testament and the Assistant Dean of Baptist Bible Seminary (Clarks Summit, PA).
Several of our Freshman and Sophomore students, as well as Davis College students, are taking an elective on the Life of Christ with Dr. Weaver. Many have said that it has helped to deepen their understanding of Jesus as both God and man.
 
Campus Activities:
This past weekend, we had our first annual .5k Campus Fun Run. We didn’t want the distance to discourage anyone from participating, so we made it short enough for anyone! We also encouraged students to dress up, and we gave away prizes for the best costumes. We wrapped the run up with fresh apple cider donuts at the finish line. Much fun was had by all!
We are continuing our weekly pop-up parties, and are looking forward to free paintball and a gaming night next weekend.
 
New York Campus Preview Days: 
Experience what life is like as a student at Word of Life Bible Institute during Campus Preview Days! You and your student will have opportunities to meet our professors and staff, and hear the heartbeat behind all we do. The best part? It’s completely free. We hope you’ll consider attending!
October 29-31:  Click Here
November 19-21: Click Here
January 14-16: Click Here
May 6-8: Click Here
May 13-15: Click Here
June 21-23: Click Here
 
Florida: 
Thanks to the diligence of students and staff, our Florida campus continues to be COVID-free after nearly six weeks of class. Praise the Lord! Our guest teacher this week is Dr. Terry Mortenson from Answers in Genesis, who will be addressing several scientific aspects relating to the creation account. We’re also spending a bit more time this week in Old Testament Survey.
We wrapped up our three-week series entitled “How to Share the Gospel using Your Story” and helped enroll nearly 20 students in a ministry partnership with the Joy FM Prayer Line. There are still more in the enrollment process, and feedback so far has been very encouraging! Many more students have recorded and released their testimonies on social media, and we’ve now reached just over 13,700 with the gospel on our way to a goal of 25,000 before Thanksgiving. New opportunities are also opening up for students to partner with Child Evangelism Fellowship in helping to minister through virtual Good News Clubs in the Tampa Bay area.
A few days ago, students were surprised with an unexpected activity. What had been announced as a session on “Community Research” turned out to be a trip to nearby Crews Lake Park for a cookout and time of fellowship. “Community Research” indeed!  The weather was great, and a good time was had by all.
 
Florida Campus Preview Days:
Interested in checking out the Florida campus of Word of Life Bible Institute? Now you can! Join us for Campus Preview Days in beautiful Hudson, Florida, and experience what life as a WOLBI student is like in the Sunshine State. Even better, it’s completely free! Click the links below for more details.

We’re grateful for your continued prayers and encouragement. We are also praying for you as we lift our students’ lives to the Lord. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!