May Ministry Update
Greetings from Arizona,
It’s that time of year for celebration!!! At Indian Bible College (IBC) there have been numerous reasons to rejoice. In this update I’ll share about those special occasions as well as an opportunity I had to teach on Discipleship.
End of the School Year Photo –Students, Faculty and Staff
Teaching Introduction to Missions
This spring semester I had the privilege of teaching a class to the sophomores on a Tuesday night called Introduction to Missions. Having been “on mission” in Europe for nearly 15 years before moving to Arizona, along with 8 years of high school ministry in Florida prior to that, there have been numerous types of discipleship strategies I’ve used. However, having used the Discovery Bible Study method along with Oikos mapping with the refugees in Amsterdam, I found these are very reproducible and a powerful way to be obedient to God’s Word.
Therefore, during the Missions class I focused on:
- What the Bible says about discipleship
- What Jesus was looking for in His disciples (hint: a heart who follows after Jesus; Mark 1:16-17)
- Who is called to be a disciple?
- What is the goal of discipleship?
Using the tools from Global Frontier Missions and #NoPlaceLeft, I instructed the students on how to create an Oikos map focusing on prayer for those who are far from God and to find a Person of Peace (Luke 10: 1-6). We are called to multiply our lives to the fourth generation (2 Timothy 2:2); therefore the mapping process extends beyond the individuals we’re praying for.
The class also learned about Discovery Bible Study (DBS) using one of The Seven Stories of Hope, which is also found in The Commands of Christ. After doing a DBS together in class it was apparent to the students how simplistic it can be to teach others how to study God’s Word and reproduce it. Being on mission is simply being obedient to share with whomever is in our sphere of influence: our neighborhoods, at work, with our hobbies, etc.
I thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening with Aaron, Karen and Tim. Please pray that they’ll use these tools for the spreading the gospel and for God’s glory.
“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12
Graduation
What an exciting time it’s been with the student’s recitals and presentations during chapel times the past few weeks. Having the opportunity to share in community the different ways they’ve experienced life transformation and have applied what they’ve learned this semester in classes was quite a highlight for the students. In addition, prior to graduation there was a very special and intimate Bachelor’s Dinner where the student body, faculty and staff gathered to honor, celebrate and pray for this year’s Bachelor degree recipients.
Then the night before graduation IBC invited the Alumni to return to campus for a special dinner and to join the Student Ministry Showcase along with about a hundred people, where all the students either shared their testimony or gave a presentation as to what they learned in Creative Ministry Methods, through the Steps to Freedom in Christ or several other upper level classes. It was a night to remember!
On May 21, 2022, four seniors graduated with their Bachelors of Biblical Studies. The class of 2022 is from 4 different Native tribes (Navajo, Spokane-Nez Perce, Yakama, Blood Tribe-Blackfoot) and 4 different states/province (Arizona, Idaho, Washington and Alberta, Canada). Each of the seniors provided their testimonies as the graduation “speakers”. The commencement was a powerful display of how God has transformed their lives.
In addition, there were 2 graduates with their Associates of Biblical Studies (blue gowns) and 6 who received their Certificate of Biblical Studies (in the photo, the CBS recipients are the ones not wearing a cap and gown). Photo of me with the 12 graduates:
Please pray for the Lord to continue to work in and through the lives of the Bachelor graduates as they pursue their ministries: Will, Felicia, Brina and Logan.
All of the ABS and CBS graduates plan to return to IBC for furthering their education and life transformation process.
Pray that all of the IBC students enjoy an effective and productive summer whether working at a camp, ministry or other jobs implementing what they’ve learned and pouring their lives into others.
I’m sincerely grateful for your prayers and support, which allows me to serve at IBC. I love pouring into the lives of the students while equipping them and coming alongside to help them as they grow into whom God has called them to be. It’s thrilling to think of the amazing work they will do for God’s Kingdom here on earth.
Celebrating with you all He is doing in the lives of the students for His glory,
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