PRBI Fall 2024 Trumpet

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PEACE RIVER BIBLE INSTITUTE

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More Than A Safe Place A question I often receive from parents and grandparents is, “Is PRBI a safe College?” What they are really asking is whether PRBI is theologically conservative. They want to know if PRBI will deepen their children’s faith or potentially undermine it. They seek clarity on our stance on the authority of Scripture, our views on human sexuality, and the lifestyle standards we uphold in our dorms. When they ask if we are “safe,” they are asking if we adhere to conservative values.

From both the board and administration of PRBI, the answer is yes—we steadfastly hold to conservative values in all of these areas. However, this is just part of the answer. The other part can only

be answered by the students who choose to engage with us. PRBI offers students a significant opportunity to strengthen their faith as they study here, and we are grateful that the vast majority of students embrace this path.

I fully understand and respect the concerns of parents and grandparents regarding their son’s or daughter’s spiritual safety. We take our positions on theology and lifestyle seriously and ensure a safe environment. But we offer so much more!

We provide a setting where every student has the opportunity to encounter Christ. Am I saying that Bible College is the only place

Kim Cairns President where a young adult can encounter Christ? Certainly not. However, Bible College offers a dedicated time and welcoming atmosphere for students to deepen their faith alongside other Christ-followers. In a lifetime of work, the one to three years students invest in Bible College can yield a multiplicity of returns in their faith and relationships. But again, I emphasize that we provide an opportunity and an environment, not a guarantee. Students make choices during and after College that do not always lead them on the best path. Our role, though often brief, can be significant, as many alumni will affirm.

We also offer a curriculum that is Bible-focused. First-year students are

introduced to the core teachings of the Old and New Testaments, and they can also choose additional Bible electives in their first year. A student who stays for three or four years can study all areas of Scripture, depending on their choices. All of our courses are grounded in God’s Word. Our discipleship program is built around conversations sparked by studying the Bible, and our chapels always emphasize the Word.

Where else in life can you find such an opportunity? Many who read this may long for a time and place to study the Word of Life without the distraction of earning a living. Bible College is a privilege, and we strive to help our students fully embrace it.

Beyond offering a safe place, we

guide students on a path of spiritual formation that prepares them for service in Christ’s kingdom. Jeffrey Bilbro, in an article entitled “Finding a (Real) Christian College,” refers to this as formational anthropology. “A formational anthropology doesn’t imagine students as consumers who need to get a marketable degree leading to a high-paying job. It sees them as people bearing a tarnished imago Dei that, by the grace of Christ, can be burnished through disciplined, focused effort.”1 Our objective is not just to help students become better people but to shape them into disciples of Christ, living out their faith in the church, the marketplace, and the world. We pursue the truth of Paul’s words to Timothy: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tm 2:2).

Like the apostle Paul, we encourage our students to serve under Christ’s authority like a “soldier,” to train diligently in their faith like an “athlete,” and to work faithfully for a harvest like a “farmer” (2 Tm 2:4-7).

Is PRBI a safe place? Yes, but it is so much more for those who seize the opportunities Bible College provides. Is it an easy place to spend a year? Those who seek the fullest experience will face a challenge, but they will have grace and support along the way. Is it worth the investment in the long term? Prayerfully, yes, but it requires complete surrender to Christ and His Word. Will you join us in praying for the students who have taken up this challenge this year?

Christianity Today, May 1, 2024.

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Renovation Update

Watt Memorial classrooms were modernized and fully renovated

We have added 5 small group disicipleship rooms on campus

The fireside room has been converted into a classroom

Dormitory capacity in Ruark has increased by 10 beds

College News

Jeremy Johnston Vice President

Last school year, our focus was on helping students discern God’s call in their lives. Many shared that they felt the Lord working within them, and this is reflected in the fact that over 60% of our students have chosen to return, eager to deepen their relationship with Christ. We ask you to join us in prayer for a fruitful and transformative year ahead.

completion of several exciting campus projects which students are already enjoying this school year.

While these improvements have been a great blessing, we still need financial support to cover the costs, with $75,000 remaining to fully fund these projects. We humbly ask for your generosity as we work to meet this goal.

In March, we began a faculty search, and after reviewing several qualified candidates, we extended a call to Tyler Hanson in mid-May. Tyler, along with his wife, Tabitha, are graduates of our BRE program (g ’03).

With nine years of experience as an associate pastor of youth and young adults in Edmonton, followed by nine years as lead pastor in Bon Accord within the Evangelical Free Church of Canada, Tyler comes highly recommended and brings a wealth of ministry experience to our team. He also holds a Master of Arts in Christian Studies from ACTS Seminaries. The Hansons, along with their five boys, have settled in the Grande Prairie area.

The students are connecting well with Tyler, and we are grateful for the Lord’s provision in bringing him to the PRBI team.

Forever On is a festive Christmas production narrated by the angel Gabriel, bringing the story of Mary and Joseph to life as they welcome the Saviour into the world and reflect on their relationship with God. Interwoven with beautiful Christmas songs, this play offers a fresh and uplifting perspective on the Nativity story, making it the perfect start to your Advent season. Join us at PRBI on November 22 at 7pm or November 24 at 2pm, no tickets needed!

We are thrilled to announce the

Your continued support of PRBI is a wonderful blessing to us, and we are deeply thankful for your partnership in this ministry. Through your prayers, encouragement, and financial contributions, we are able to equip our students to grow in their faith and prepare for kingdom service.

The Day of the Lord Earlier this year, I read a study about the happiness we receive from going on a vacation. Everyone likes some time off, especially if it takes us somewhere warm and near a beach, so it was no shock that the research revealed an uptick in joy when one goes away. However, I was surprised to learn that our happiness increases even before we leave on the trip. The pleasant afternoons on the beach were anticipated by the subjects and they started to feel the benefits long before their departure. I was reminded of the study a couple of months ago when I began preparing for a series of lectures I am giving in the fall on the end times. Key to the series is the class on the day of the Lord, the return of Christ that we are

told to both be aware of and to look forward to.

Most Christians have heard of this event, which is described by the angels in Acts 1:10-11 (ESV): “And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’” Just as Jesus ascended after His resurrection, He will return one day in bodily form.

This is not a metaphor of how He dwells with each of us in our hearts, but a prediction of a future, literal coming.

Jason Gayoway Faculty One of my favourite references to the Second Coming is where Jesus speaks to His disciples in John 14:3 (ESV). Here, in the last week before His death and resurrection, the Lord is preparing His disciples for life without Him. For three years, He had not just been a teacher but their guide, friend and encourager, but now that was going to change.

Though He would send the Spirit to assist them, nothing could replace His daily presence with them. He does not try to tell them that life would go on as normal after His departure but assures them that He will be with them again: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” For us, the

day of the Lord can seem like a weird and scary experience. Meeting someone important for the first time can cause much anxiety and the day itself is preceded and surrounded by terrifying events. However, the disciples who knew the Lord better than any of us looked forward to that day as a moment of peace and joy, and we should too.

For believers, the Second Coming is full of positives and should bring us joy, like a luxurious vacation we eagerly anticipate. It is often spoken about casually in Scripture, as though the apostles were so aware of the event that they would naturally mention it in the middle of discussions about other things.

Paul writes in Titus 2:12b-13 (NLT): “We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.” Their remembrance of the day was (and is) a motivation to stay faithful when the evils of the world press in.

I must admit that even though I am aware of His coming, I do not have it fixed in the front of my mind as Paul does. He speaks about the event from a number of angles, the most famous of which is probably the thief in the night metaphor: “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief” (1 Thess.

5:4 NIV). This verse is commonly misinterpreted as a notice that no one knows when the day will be.

It is true that no one can know the time of His coming, but here the idea is that a burglar is coming to break in and cause harm. Many people will be taken in their sleep – living apart from God in lives that seem peaceful and secure. In contrast, by knowing Jesus and being faithful to His word, God’s children sit by the door with a shotgun, ready for the thief.

So while the day is a hope and a blessing for believers, it is a negative for the unready. While

some theological systems view the final day of judgment as separated from His coming by a thousand years, in Matthew 16:27 (ESV), Jesus describes their effects as being the same: “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” Sobering words like these are hard to swallow.

They help us remember that life is not without accountability and that we should be mindful of how we live.

This contrast between the coming of the Lord being a hope and a time of judgment came up again and again as I studied the topic. The biblical writers hold both positions in balance with one another, but in a way that brings joy rather than despair. The message was always that this great day would usher in a moment of much needed accountability to an unjust world and serve as a doorway for the faithful to enter eternity. I will conclude with Paul’s words from Romans 13:1112 (ESV). They illustrate well the findings from my recent research: “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Amen!

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MARCH 6 6--8 2 20 02 5 DIGITAL YEARBOOK LIBRARY www.prbi.edu/yearbook

Financial Update Statement of Operations and Budget July 2023 - June 2024 (Unaudited)

Total Revenue

Income To Date 1,746,841

Annual Budget 1,660,277

% of Budget To Date 105%

Total Expenses

1,820,071

1,784,889

102%

Net Income (Loss)

(73,230)

(124,612)

59%

COMING EVENTS CAMPUS VISIT DAY NOVEMBER 22 CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION NOV 22 OR NOV 24 DECEMBER 13 CHRISTMAS YOUTH SOCIAL MARCH 6-8, 2025 YOUTH ALERT PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE APRIL 11 OR 13

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REFER A STUDENT Peace River Bible Institute is recognized as a degree-granting Bible College by the Province of Alberta. Building on Christ as our foundation, PRBI values Biblical Training, Authentic Relationships, Kingdom Ser vice, and Strategic Partnerships. Our vision is that every student encounters Christ in ways that transform their life, energize their church, and impact their world. We are a Bible College for Life!

For more information on our Mission, Vision, and Values, go to www.prbi.edu.

The TRUMPET is the magazine of Peace River Bible Institute. It is comprised of contributions from faculty, staff, alumni, and students who are passionate about making disciples in their churches and communities. If you have any comments, please email us at development@prbi.edu. Printed in Canada.

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