Trumpet
PEACE RIVER BIBLE INSTITUTE
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Foundation and Connection Twice a year, we host open house events that give prospective students and their families a chance to kick the tires before deciding to enrol at PRBI. The day is structured around five conversations: with our Academic Dean about programs and coursework, with our Director of Operations about financial resources, with our Student Life Deans about campus living, with our Admissions Manager about the application process, and finally with me. My role as President is to answer any of their “big” questions about PRBI. I will be honest, by the time students arrive at my table, the intimidation factor is riding pretty high. Sitting across from the President can feel like visiting the principal’s office!
Many students arrive at my table at a loss for questions. I have therefore learned to start with one of my own to ease the tension and get the conversation moving. I ask them, “What do you want from your Bible College experience?” Building a strong foundation for their faith is the answer that comes up most often, and it is not a wrong one. It is a great answer, and I mean it when I tell them so. Laying that foundation is exactly what we are here for, and I take a few minutes to talk about how PRBI will actively work towards that goal with them. But I have learned to sense when there is more beneath the surface. I
Kim Cairns President then prod with a follow- up question. What about finding friends here …? It is like tapping a glass in just the right place. Something opens up. Their carefully composed answer gives way to a much more honest and vulnerable exchange. Students begin to share what they are really after. They want to belong, to connect deeply with others, and to be truly known. I often reflect on my own Bible College experience at that point, and in particular about the close friendships I formed during those years and have maintained ever since. Those friendships have been among the most formative and sustaining relationships of my life. What strikes me most in these discussions is how frequently
students describe high school as a lonely experience. This is not an isolated observation. Despite the sweeping promises of social media and the unmatched access young people have to digital connection, meaningful community has proven hard to find for this generation. They are connected to everyone and known by almost no one. We like to think that every challenge facing the next generation is unique, requiring entirely new solutions. But the New Testament has a great deal to say about community that remains true today. The writers of Scripture understood that human beings are not designed to live the life of faith in isolation. We are designed for one another.
The Apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews give us a picture of what that can effectively look like. Scripture calls us to build each other up and encourage one another’s progress in faith (1 Th 5:11), to speak hope into each other’s uncertainty (1 Th 4:18), to watch over one another closely enough to notice when someone is drifting towards temptation (He 3:12–13), and to stay committed to gathering together, refusing to let distance or discouragement pull us apart (He 10:25). These are not peripheral suggestions. The quality they are describing is that of a community truly alive with Christ. At PRBI, we are dedicated to putting these commands into practice on campus, helping students to retain this sense of community after they leave us.
Yes, we are steadfast in laying a solid biblical and theological foundation for all of our students, and this will never change. But we are equally resolved to supporting students to become anchored in the community of Christ, to helping them develop lasting friendships, and to guiding them to discover what it means to do life alongside others who are pursuing the same calling. The student sitting across from me at the open house table is hoping for more than a degree. Their aspiration is to find a community and forge bonds with individuals who share similar goals in life. Your investment in PRBI makes it possible for us to be a place where foundations are built and where lifelong connections are established and developed.
College News
Jeremy Johnston Vice President
I recently overheard an alum from over 25 years ago, who is a parent, business owner, and entrepreneur, say, “A PRBI education appreciates in value over time.” This alum went on to say, “An extra year at PRBI is like an ‘add-on’ that has lifelong benefits.” What a great testimony!
organizations will be represented that evening: Ethnos Canada, Mission Aviation Fellowship of Canada, ACTION Ventures, Operation Mobilization, The Sending Collective, Young Life of Canada, Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada, Village Missions of Canada, People International Canada, Africa Inland Mission, Avant Ministries, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Pioneer Bible Translators of Canada, and ReachAcross.
Similarly, your investment in PRBI students appreciates in value too. The students you helped in the past are still benefiting from your donations and prayers. The same will be true as we continue investing in this new crop of students this year. Please pray with us that our students will experience what this alum has experienced, and pray that many would consider that extra year, that ‘add-on’ that can have lifelong benefits. By way of updates, I want to highlight two of the events advertised in this edition of the Trumpet magazine. The first is our Missions Evening on October 7. Our speaker, Joshua Bautista, Executive Director of OM Canada, will be speaking and we are planning for a great evening together, including worship. At the time of writing, the following
The other event I want to highlight is our Christmas Production, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Based on the popular book and recent movie, this play brings the Christmas story to life through the eyes of a young girl named Imogene Herdman. This production will have you laughing, crying, and leaving with a renewed sense of what Christmas is all about. Not to mention the great Christmas music that will be sung by our choir! This is a family-friendly event for all ages and a great opportunity to invite your neighbours, friends, and community. No tickets or RSVP are required. There will be three performances: Friday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday, November 22 at 6:00 p.m. It also falls on Christmas in Sexsmith weekend!
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Friday, April 9 at 7 pm Sunday, April 11 at 2 pm WWW.PRBI.EDU - PEACE RIVER BIBLE INSTITUTE - FREE ADMISSION
Ministering Spirits: What the Bible Teaches One of the students’ favourite sections in first-year theology is the study of angels. This year, I had to expand the section to three classes from two because of all their stories and questions on the topic. They are not alone. When I searched “angels” in the popular online course-sharing site Udemy, I found a vast number of classes either directly or indirectly on the subject. Many promised a path to communication with one’s angel or directions on how to receive guidance from the angelic host. Our fascination with angels is understandable. But the angels people are looking for are often quite different from the angels we actually find in Scripture. Angels appear throughout Scripture at some of the most dramatic moments in redemptive history. They announce births, deliver messages, protect God’s people, execute judgment, worship before the throne of God, and accompany some of the great events surrounding the life of Jesus Christ. Yet the Bible never
encourages us to become fascinated with angels for their own sake. That distinction is important. Our culture is quite willing to believe in angels, provided we can remake them according to our own preferences. Angels become comforting spiritual companions, departed loved ones watching over us, or mysterious beings whom we can contact for guidance. Biblical angels are something quite different. They are servants of God. What Are Angels? The basic Hebrew and Greek words translated angel mean “messenger.” Angels are created spiritual beings who serve God and carry out His purposes. Hebrews 1:14 describes them as “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.” That one verse tells us much. Angels are spirits, but they are not divine. They belong to the created order. Colossians 1:16 tells us that all things in heaven and on earth, “visible and invisible,” were created through Christ and for Christ.
About Angels Angels therefore owe their existence to the Son of God, just as we do. They are also personal beings. Scripture portrays angels speaking, worshipping, observing, rejoicing, and obeying. They possess intelligence and tremendous power, but neither is unlimited. Angels are not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent. Those attributes belong to God alone. Even the greatest angel remains infinitely beneath their Creator.
Jason Gayoway Faculty of Christ. An angel announced His conception to Mary (Lk 1:26–38). Angels ministered to Him following His temptation (Mt 4:11). Angels appeared at the empty tomb and announced His resurrection (Mt 28:2–7). At His ascension, heavenly messengers declared that Jesus would return (Ac 1:10–11).
This protects us from two opposite errors. We should not dismiss angels as primitive superstition, because Scripture plainly teaches their existence. But neither should we attribute divine abilities to them. Biblical angelology begins with the Creator-creature distinction.
Angels also work in our lives, such as when an angel freed Peter from prison, or as in Psalm 91, which speaks of God commanding His angels concerning His people. In Hebrews 1, they are broadly described as spirits that minister to God’s people. Yet this is never spoken of as actions done by their own volition or because we persuade them to do so directly. Instead, they do so out of the will of God and respond to His direction alone.
What Angels Do? The work of angels is similarly focused on God and His will rather than on their wills. This becomes especially apparent in the earthly ministry
This is an important point to make because the question people have is how they can find an angel to help or protect them. I think this desire explains the many Udemy courses
mentioned above. People wish to have their deep questions answered, to be freed from pain or poverty, and more. I think there is a longing in all of us to access a secret knowledge known only to us. We yearn for a knowledge that will allow us riches or happiness not yet attained. Yet angels are focused on doing God’s will, not answering our questions. They may protect us, but they do so at God’s command, and not because we have persuaded them through some special technique. Scripture has many examples of God sending an angel but none of people seeking an angel and being rewarded. God is the one who directs their actions. Searching for answers from angels is not merely misguided. Indeed, Scripture forbids God’s people from pursuing supernatural guidance through the spirit world. God’s people are to seek Him through prayer and His Word (De 18:10–12; Is 8:19–20; Cl 2:18–19). What Angels Teach Us If we are not to seek angels, why has God told us so much about them? In part, angels teach us something about worship. The mighty creatures surrounding God’s throne do not draw attention to themselves but cry, “Holy, holy, holy” before their Creator (Is 6:3). Angels remind us, first, that there is more to God’s creation than what our eyes can see. We inhabit
a universe filled with the works of God, visible and invisible (Cl 1:16). They also remind us of God’s care. The “ministering spirits” whom God sends to serve those who will inherit salvation (He 1:14) show His love for us. We do not need to identify our guardian angel or determine whether an angel intervened in some specific event. Our confidence is far better placed: the God who rules heaven’s armies watches over His people and commands His servants according to His perfect wisdom. And that brings us to the greatest lesson angels teach us: look to Christ. Hebrews begins by placing the glory of the Son beside the majesty of the angels, and there is no comparison. Angels are servants; Jesus is the Son. Angels are sent; Jesus reigns. Angels worship; Jesus receives their worship. Angels are creatures; Jesus is their Creator. We are to study the angels. Believe what Scripture says about them. Marvel at their power, their service, and their worship. But then direct our attention to the Lord. The faithful angels have never wanted us to stop with them. They point beyond themselves to the One seated upon the throne. The proper study of angels should leave us not fascinated with angels, but more captivated by Christ.
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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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