PRBI Winter Trumpet 2025

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PEACE RIVER BIBLE INSTITUTE

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Embracing Bible College for Life PRBI has always been about more than just academics; it is about equipping students for a life grounded in faith and purpose. With the growing desire to be a resource to more than just our residential students, we have launched an innovative initiative—Learning For Life.

This initiative reflects PRBI’s motto, “A Bible College for Life,” by extending the reach of biblical education beyond the traditional classroom and into the lives of people at any stage of their faith journey. Let’s explore how Learning For Life was born, what it offers, and why it’s central to PRBI’s mission.

Over the years, PRBI has witnessed an increase in part-time students.

While this reflects a desire for biblical education, it also highlights the need for flexibility. Many people are eager to deepen their faith but have limited hours to commit to formal studies.

Similarly, PRBI faces the challenge of maximizing its impact with a small faculty.

Out of these realities—and a passion for meeting the needs of our community—the idea for Learning For Life was born.

This program is not just about education; it’s about cultivating a lifelong pursuit of learning and personal growth. It allows us to serve individuals who may not be able to enrol as full-time students while staying true to PRBI’s identity as a place of enduring spiritual formation.

Kim Cairns President What We Are Doing The Learning For Life initiative thus far has focused on courses in Apologetics, Worldviews, History, and Eschatology. These topics were chosen strategically.

Why these subjects? They address areas that are often overlooked in local church education due to a lack of resources or enough congregants in any one church. Churches may struggle to delve deeply into apologetics or explore complex historical and eschatological themes because such topics require specialized knowledge and teaching expertise. PRBI’s faculty is well trained and they have access to the wider church community to make these courses both attainable and effective.

These courses focus on personal enrichment, not on earning grades or completing assignments. Every course offers guidance for continued learning, recommending textbooks and resources to let participants go deeper on their own. This approach ensures accessibility for a wide range of learners, from seasoned believers to those just beginning their journey of faith exploration.

Why We Are Doing It At its core, Learning For Life aligns with both biblical and historical traditions.

Historically, the church has been a centre of education and advanced learning. Whether through monasteries, Sunday schools, or seminaries, the church

has recognized that a vibrant faith demands a learning posture. It is our calling to continue this tradition.

This program also meets a pressing need in our churches and communities. We strive to support believers in their faith by equipping them with tools to make sense of the world around them. The goal is to equip the church to better fulfil its mission of spreading the gospel.

Finally, Learning For Life courses allows us to bring people onto PRBI’s campus, where they can experience first-hand the heart of our ministry.

We hope to inspire participants to encourage future students to select PRBI as their college by building deeper relationships with them.

A Personal Challenge: Are You a Lifelong Learner?

The Learning For Life initiative is an invitation to everyone. Are you cultivating a habit of personal growth? At PRBI, we believe faith is not static; it demands continual exploration, questioning, and application.

We invite you to join us on this journey. Whether you are intrigued by apologetics, want to understand worldviews, or feel called to explore the richness of biblical history, there is a place for you in Learning For Life.

Remember, education does not end when you leave the classroom.

It is a lifelong pursuit—one that strengthens not only your faith but also your ability to engage meaningfully with the world around you.

Consider this your invitation to join PRBI in fulfilling its slogan: to be A Bible College for Life. Together, let’s embrace the challenge of lifelong learning and grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Are you ready to take the next step? If you are within driving distance of PRBI, please visit our website for more details on upcoming courses and join us in this exciting opportunity! If you cannot join us in person, there are great online courses from similar organizations.

LEARNING FOR LIFE COURSE This seven week course is intended to give you an opportunity to learn, to help you stay fresh in your faith, and to provide

Wednesdays 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

tools to energize your church.

CHURCH HISTORY - Kim Cairns ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

This course explores 12 key turning points that have shaped the church’s past, present, and future. You’ll study the social, political, and cultural contexts, as well as theological developments, to gain a deeper understanding of God’s story and the lasting impact of church history on the world.

Register at www.prbi.edu/LFL

February 26 - April 9

By Donation

CHILDCARE AVAILABLE Age 2+ 9601-100 St. Sexsmith, AB

College News Last semester was full of wonderful God moments! It’s clear that God’s presence has been deeply felt in our student body. Whether in times of struggle or peace, many have experienced personal encounters with Jesus that have shaped their journeys and reaffirmed their faith.

One student anonymously shared, “Day of Prayer was the day I accepted Christ into my heart. I used to say I lived for Christ before, but I didn’t act like it. That day I finally had personal time with God. I asked God to show me a spot to talk to Him, and sure enough, He did. I sat down, and a moose walked by. I knew God wanted me to see that moose right at that moment. I knew at that point God is real. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, I finally devoted my life to Him, and I now live with peace which I never felt.”

We partnered with the Billy Graham Association, along with 12 other mission agencies for Impact Week to challenge our students to grow their effectiveness in evangelism. It was a time of building connections, deepening faith, and equipping students for global impact. God used this time to call students to leadership and ministry. One student shared, “Although I don’t seem like a leader, He’s clearly been calling me

Jeremy Johnston Vice President in that direction for years.” Another wrote, “I feel called to lead at youth group. It’s gone well so far, but I must make a deeper spiritual connection.”

A third student wrote, “God has called me to serve those struggling with addiction in remote Indigenous communities.” These testimonies remind us that God’s calling often unfolds over time, and we are honoured to be a part of that process in the lives of our students.

In addition to personal growth, our campus was alive with ministry and fellowship this semester. The Learning for Life courses were a great success, providing our community with valuable learning opportunities in worldviews and end times. We also had the joy of facilitating another opportunity for our alumni choir, and for the first time in many years, offering a Chorale class and a Drama course, all in preparation for the Christmas production, Forever On. The production was a beautiful celebration of the season, giving our students and alumni the privilege of using their gifts and abilities to share the good news of the Christmas message with our community.

Thank you for your continued support of PRBI.

Unforeseen I live in a house with small children, and if you have kids, or if you have taken care of kids, you know that noise is not usually a bad thing. What is bad, however, is when you zone out for a moment, only to suddenly realize your house is eerily quiet. You then know that if you go exploring, you will find that chaos has reared its ugly head. Baking supplies, diaper cream, food, or Kleenex may be strewn all over the place, and because of a lapse in concentration, something unforeseen has occurred.

As those overseeing children, no matter how attentive we aim to be, we have moments when the unforeseen overtakes us.

Life can often feel the same way.

We blink and all of a sudden the unforeseen has reared its head and we are left reeling in the abyss of the unknown and the unforeseen.

But what if it was not unforeseen?

What if where you find yourself right

Josh Rigby Dean of Men now is not a coincidence? I know in my own walk with Jesus, this truth is something that I regularly need to remind myself of. I need to remind myself that I am serving an omniscient and omnipotent God who orchestrates all things, and the unforeseen is strictly my perspective.

It is not as though the God of the universe zones out for a moment, only to be startled awake and left trying to figure out how to fix what happened while He was not paying attention.

As I think about this reality of the sovereignty of God, it brings both comforting and troubling thoughts.

Troubling because we live in an extremely broken world, where pain and hardship surround us.

Through the news and social media, we are bombarded with troubles, heartache, suffering, and evil. So, then, how does the sovereignty of God factor in here? What is God’s

plan when it feels as though our world is crumbling? “God, what are you doing?” and “Why, God?” are questions found all over the pages of Scripture and the history of the Church. Job did not understand what God was doing, David questioned many times what God was doing, Mary and Martha could not understand why Jesus had let their brother die, and the list goes on and on. Accordingly, when I find myself questioning how God’s sovereignty can mesh with all the brokenness, I find myself in good company. However, when l look at the answer Scripture gives, it brings me back to a place of comfort.

The answer often given is to simply look at the same question from another perspective: God is in fact sovereign, God is in fact omnipotent, God is in fact omniscient, and He is also loving. The love of God is paramount here. When looking at the trials of life, it is so important to filter them through the lens of the cross. The Father does not look down in indifference. The Son came and took upon Himself the sin, the pain, the hurt, and the evil, and now the Spirit walks with us.

Indeed, Jesus is described in Isaiah as a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. You see, while Scripture rarely answers the “Why, God?” or the “What are you doing, God?” it regularly answers the “Where are you, God?” with “Beside you in your

pain.” And when we remember the finished work of Christ, the love of the Father, and the help of the Spirit, they have a way of bringing comfort back to the sovereignty of God. Why? Because filtered through the viewpoint of the Gospel, we can see that the God of the universe, He who turned a Roman instrument of death into a symbol of hope, is at work in the midst of our circumstances.

And we can know that the God who raised Lazarus from the dead, slayed Goliath, and conquered death is right in the middle of all that is going on. Our God is true to His word and He has a plan for redemption, hope, and future glory, and the sufferings of this present time are not worth being compared to that day.

To conclude, I want to repeat my earlier question: “What if it was not unforeseen?” What if God is right in the midst of everything, planning redemption, and planning your salvation? Christian, take hope. Our God is not an absent-minded parent who has lost track of His children. He is the sovereign God. He is brimming with intentionality, goodness, and redemption. He sees the pain of the world and answers not just with the cross, but also with the empty tomb.

So, believer, the sovereignty of God assures you that evil will never get the last word; that suffering, sin, and sorrow have an expiration date; and nothing you go through as a follower of Jesus is unforeseen.

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Financial Update Statement of Operations and Budget July 2024 - October 2024

Total Revenue

Income To Date 483,265

Annual Budget 1,730,625

% of Budget To Date 28%

Total Expenses

600,104

1,839,447

33%

Net Income (Loss)

(116,839)

(108,822)

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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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