Trumpet2026 Trumpet
“How Are Your Students?”
In the previous three editions of the Trumpet, I have been addressing common questions raised by alumni, parents, applicants, students, and friends of the college. The first explored institutional stability through the question, “What has changed?” The next two focused on purpose and formation by asking, “What will I get?” and “What is God’s will for my life?” In this concluding article, I want to respond to one of the most frequent and personal questions we receive at PRBI: “How are your students doing?”
Alumni and friends of the college often begin their conversations with some version of this question. It is a meaningful question because it reaches beyond enrolment numbers or programs and speaks
to our spiritual vitality and the fruit we anticipate from our current group of students. Often, people pose this question because they want to support the college through prayer or by offering practical help. I am grateful for it because it reminds me how deeply people care about our students and the ministry of PRBI.
When I answer this question, I usually begin with what is most encouraging. I discuss the level of engagement we see among our students spiritually, academically, and socially. In my seventeenth year at PRBI, I continue to find students who are eager to engage in the life of the college. They participate in their classes, invest in discipleship, and contribute to campus life. Most students, despite some lacking full commitment, start
Kim Cairns President
with a purpose and a strong resolve to accomplish it.
These students embrace the bigger picture. Whether consciously or not, they are embodying our vision of encountering Christ in ways that transform their lives. From classroom learning to dorm life, from spiritual gatherings to special events such as Spiritual Emphasis Week, students are consistently exposed to experiences that shape their faith and character. It is a joy for our staff to witness their growth in faith, their love for Christ, and their preparation for service in His kingdom. The question, “How are your students doing?” provides us with the opportunity to celebrate their progress and give thanks to God for what He is accomplishing in their lives.
It is also encouraging to share how some students are actively pursuing a call to vocational ministry. While this group represents a smaller portion of the student body, their stories remind us of our historic mission to raise up ministers of God’s Word for service at home and abroad. When we speak about how these students are doing, we are also reflecting on the state of God’s harvest and the ongoing need for workers. Though our numbers are modest, we continue to see students stepping into ministry roles. It is a privilege to walk with them during their training and to follow their ministries wherever they are serving.
Of course, we also recognize that not every student’s experience is easy. Some students struggle during their
time at Bible college. Living in a close community can be challenging. Institutional expectations may feel restrictive for young adults experiencing independence for the first time. Distractions can lead to procrastination, and that creates academic pressure. Others are not yet ready to engage spiritually and therefore miss important opportunities for growth. We aim to support, encourage, and foster growth in these students by walking alongside them. Ultimately, however, commitment remains their choice.
At times, the question is also asked with former students in mind: “How are your alumni doing?” A few weeks back, a staff member contacted a number of recent graduates to enquire about their needs and prayer requests. In response, many
detailed their service within their congregations and conveyed a persistent longing to deepen their faith. The stories of our alumni strengthening their churches, making a difference in their communities, and continuing their journey with Christ are our greatest encouragement.
“How are your students doing?” is a meaningful question because it draws our hearts in many directions. In the end, our students are in God’s hands, being shaped by Him for His service and His glory. It is a joy and a privilege to have a small part in the work He is doing. We invite you to join us in this work by praying for our students and supporting their training. You might even encourage a young person to consider studying with us in the coming year.
College News
Students began the term with Spiritual Emphasis Week, where they explored several spiritual disciplines and were encouraged to develop healthy spiritual habits.
Youth Alert was both a meaningful ministry opportunity and an encouraging time of connection with prospective students. Additional events this semester have included Campus Visit Days and Camp Day.
PRBI’s Learning for Life program continues to serve the wider community as well. This semester’s course on theology has seen encouraging participation from people in the surrounding region who are interested in deepening their understanding of the Christian faith.
Looking ahead, preparations are underway for the Performing Arts Showcase in April, which will feature an Easter-themed presentation combining music and drama. The choir will include approximately 65 voices made up of students and alumni, and the drama team, Earthen Vessels, is presenting a powerful production titled In the Presence of Jesus. Highest Call will also open the program with some
Jeremy Johnston Vice President
music they have been working on. Together, the music and drama aim to draw the audience into the story and significance of Easter.
Graduation is scheduled for April 25, when the school anticipates celebrating 25 graduates across several programs.
This spring, 13 students will participate in Reach mission trips, serving internationally through partnerships with OM (Operation Mobilization). Six students will travel to Romania and seven will serve in Spain.
Admissions interest for Fall 2026 is also encouraging. To further strengthen recruitment efforts, PRBI has hired Tatherine (“Tassie”) Perron (nee Wilson) part-time to expand admissions outreach. Since beginning in late January, she has been reaching out to contact lists, connecting with churches and youth leaders, and representing PRBI at events.
Financially, year-end giving in December was strong, and PRBI finished 2025 slightly ahead of budget in general donations. Please continue to pray with us for the finances of the college.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 2026 Graduate Spotlight
As I look back on my four years at PRBI, I am deeply thankful that God used the school both to draw me closer to Him and to prepare me for the work He has set before me. PRBI has been a tremendous blessing in my life. During my time here, I have been challenged in my assumptions and have learned how to more faithfully live out what Jesus has commanded. I have also experienced the great value of being mentored by many staff members who have gone before me, some of whom I will remain in close contact with even as I leave PRBI.
As for what comes next, I am stepping into an associate pastor position at the local church where I grew up. God has graciously provided both a clear call to ministry and confirmation as I prepare to take on this new role. As I move forward, my desire is to walk in childlike obedience to the calling the Lord has placed before me.
I thank God for the many ways He has used PRBI to prepare me, and I can honestly say that I look forward to both the joys and the challenges that lie ahead. To God alone be all the glory, forever.
Jonas Plett BRE Pastoral Graduate
My time at PRBI is coming to a close, and looking back at it, my life before I came is almost unrecognizable to the one I have now. I arrived here at PRBI as a naive teenager with a big head, and an ego to match. Yet here I stand on the precipice, now a graduate, a husband, and a father. In my time here, I’ve garnered friendships, mentors, challenges, failures, and victories.
Although it staggers my mind, I am not the same person I was when I arrived, as my friends and family will remind me. To that end, I could not imagine my life this way had I not attended. The Lord has used my time at PRBI to strengthen my character to a level I thought impossible. He has refined the steel of my soul, redoubled my faith, and moulded me into an earthen vessel.
The Lord granted me a gift. One I will cherish for many years to come, and as I leave this place, I look back with glad eyes knowing I have been transformed throughout my time here. Though I know not where I go next, I shall not fear it, for I know I have a foundation of faith. Thanks be to the Lord and to PRBI.
Chance Nesbitt BRE Pastoral Graduate
There’s Something About Lazarus
I have always been drawn to the story of Lazarus found in John 11. There is something almost subconsciously hopeful about his resurrection. Yes, we are approaching the celebration of the greatest resurrection of all time: Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. But this prior resurrection, taking place away from the spotlight of Jerusalem, also prepares us for Easter and gives us a different angle on what it all signifies for followers of Christ.
Now, as much as we might come to the text with an expectation of learning a great deal about Lazarus, John does not immediately satisfy that impulse. He makes him a supporting character. Five terse words begin the chapter. Essentially,
this is about “some guy named Lazarus.” Despite my personal fascination with him, John is not giving Lazarus that “main character energy.”
In fact, we are told very little about Lazarus. We know his sisters, Mary and Martha, from other places in the Gospels. We suspect their father is Simon the Leper. It seems that Jesus would stay at their house frequently when in Jerusalem. But those bare facts describe a family situation and their connection to a noteworthy guest at their home; they do not paint a full portrait.
So, if the story of Lazarus is not about Lazarus, what or who is it about? The story is ultimately about what Jesus
can do for Lazarus and what that signifies. John sets up the episode with Jesus’ declaration in verse 4: “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” And perhaps that is a fitting moral for each of our life stories as Christians: While everything that happens in our story happens to us, it is ultimately for God’s glory.
Charles Dickens starts his most popular work, A Christmas Carol, with the words: “Marley was dead: to begin with.” As far as opening lines go, it is a zinger. But I think he borrowed it from John. “Lazarus is dead” is Jesus’ unabashed declaration (Jn 11:14). In a way, it is quite comforting. John refuses to
pull punches. He calls it like it is. Life is painful, suffering happens, and people die. We cannot dance around these difficult realities of life. As much as we would like it otherwise, Jesus is present with us in precisely the world we inhabit every single day.
As a father, I would not wish sickness or hardship on my children. I actively and appropriately shield them from the harsh and weighty realities of life. And yet, I know, eventually, they will come. It is precisely at this moment in the Lazarus story, when the grief has come home to roost, that it begins to dawn on us that Jesus has something else planned. Yes, Lazarus is dead. The stone is covering the tomb. The body is getting pungent. This is all
Tyler Hanson Faculty
real and Jesus does not deny any of it. However, a resurrection is about to take place. Death is about to be transformed into life. A corpse is about to become a man: Lazarus.
So, I pray for my wife, my boys, my students, and my church, that there will be a resurrection experience. It is a prayer of faith. Like Mary and Martha, I still cannot fathom how the suffering of this world can be undone, how evil can turn out for good, and how the dead can come to life. But I can pray. I can pray with great hope.
This passage from J.R.R. Tolkien never fails to encourage me: “But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.”
Jesus is not a naïve optimist. He knows Lazarus is dead. He knows how it pains Mary and Martha. It pains Him too. He weeps. If we imagine Him effortlessly blasting through His earthly life with his supernatural powers, this moment should give us pause. He knows Lazarus is about to exit his own tomb in defiance of death, and yet He still weeps. Even for Jesus, the pain of loss and death is real. While Jesus can point them to a higher purpose in this whole experience, it is not some cold-hearted test of Mary
and Martha’s faith. Jesus does not toy with the ones He loves. As the prophet Isaiah puts it, He is “a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (Is 53:3). He gives our suffering dignity by bearing it with us, acknowledging the reality and validity of this thing that haunts our steps on this earth. Therefore, I pray in faith, even when life overflows with difficulty. It is precisely in these moments that Jesus can reveal Himself in His glory.
It is in the midst of her trauma that Martha makes her confession: “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (Jn 11:27). It is a pivotal moment, for her, for John’s Gospel, and indeed for the world. He is the Messiah. We, too, can confidently declare Him so, in spite of everything this world throws at us, and perhaps even because of it. Jesus, the Son of God, sees our pain, our suffering, and is with us in it.
Given all this, what is so hopeful about Lazarus’ resurrection? It tells us that pain, suffering, and death are real. But it also tells us that Jesus is powerful and His aims cannot be thwarted, even by such seemingly insurmountable barriers in our lives. In the end, I am drawn to Lazarus, because he draws me to Jesus.
PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE
APRIL 10 OR 12
SPRING TOUR APRIL 26 - MAY 3
ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE JUNE 5 & AUGUST 24
MONTHLY GIVING
BE A PRAYER PARTNER
REFER A STUDENT
LEGACY GIVING
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 Service, 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.
