Happy new school year!

As I write this letter, IBC is in the throes of a new school year. The staff is busy teaching new classes (including two extension classes), establishing trust in new discipling relationships, and training student leaders. Most of last year’s students have returned and we have some great new students! We are excited for all the Lord has in store in the new year!

I normally write this letter in June, but Sarah and I ended the 2016-17 school year extremely worn out. This was due to a variety of contributing factors, including rigorous travel schedule (60 days on overnight trips during the school year). The IBC board (my boss) gave my family and me some extended time away this summer, and I returned to the office the first of August very refreshed. I am excited for my role as president and continue to believe the best years at IBC are yet to come.

Sarah is directing a “Classical Conversations” homeschool campus this year with six other families from northern Arizona. All four of our kids are thrilled to have additional interaction with peers on a weekly basis. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for my family over the last few months!

  “IBC is committed to graduating students debt free!”

This statement is made dozens of times a year as we share the Indian Bible College’s commitment to producing graduates who are unencumbered by crippling college debt. This is why staff raise their own support from the generous people of God and why we use 150-200 volunteers every year to maintain and improve facilities. The low cost of about $5000 per student per year is offset even more by student scholarships. Even with all this assistance, graduates often take a few months after commencement to pay off their bills and receive their diploma.

This year, however, the phrase took on new meaning. All four of our bachelor graduates walked across the stage at commencement with their school bills completely paid off! This may be the first time in school history that this has occurred! And even more exciting are the ministries they are headed to (pictured left-right): Stephen (Paiute/San Carlos Apache) is planning to do full-time youth ministry at Broken Arrow Bible Ranch; Christina (Navajo) is working full-time while she works to begin a youth ministry in Dennehotso on the Navajo reservation; Efrain (Inca-Quechua) is pursuing further studies in Indiana for a master’s degree in business to develop business as mission in Peru; Fredricka is serving this coming year as a resident supervisor for Native Alaskans at Alaska Christian College.

IBC is truly graduating students who are equipped for ministry and leadership!

The 2017 IBC Staff Picture

Let’s Build a Library!

As you probably know, IBC received a $100,000 grant for a new library, and we have spent the last year investigating where and how to build a new library. We have been in the approval phase with the city, and are now working towards breaking ground on a new two-story library building in April 2018! This is our first major step towards becoming a campus that can train 75 students at a time (instead of just the 25 we currently max out at). We MUST expand our campus to be able to train more Native Christian leaders.

We are trusting God that we will be able to finish the project debt free in four years through the generosity of supporters and volunteers. More information is coming in the future.

Six Decades of Ministry

IBC is in its 60th year of classes, and we are planning a two-year cycle of regional 60th anniversary celebrations with staff and students. We will kick it off with a celebration this fall in Flagstaff (on November 10th) and are planning gatherings in California, Oregon and Washington, and Phoenix in the next year. Watch your mail for invitations!

A Partnership Request

In this letter, I talked about our commitment to graduating debt free students; the reality is that this takes a massive commitment on the part of our staff to raise their own support. This is incredibly difficult for Native staff who face both financial and cultural obstacles to getting fully funded in the traditional methods. IBC is committed to raising up an ever-increasing number of Native staff and faculty  through the Native Staff Development Fund. Would you consider an  ongoing or one-time commitment to this fund? This would help us fund and recruit Native staff and faculty while continuing to graduate students debt free. This is a link to the “Invest” page at indianbible.org where you can make a donation through Paypal.

PRAISES:

  • Praise the Lord for 12 (one is not pictured) students that received a certificate or diploma in Commencement on May 20th!
  • Praise the Lord for the incredible changes taking place in students’ lives as they pursue Christlikeness and preparation for leadership!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Please pray for the nine new students who are starting at IBC this month.
  • Pray for the Lord’s provision and guidance as we prepare for this new library building project.  

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil.1:3-6