OPEN BIBLE BULLETIN VOL.55 NO.05 MAY 2014
New Brunswick
Bible institute GOD’S PURPOSE
OUR PASSION
ANNOUNCING
NBBI has been in the building business for many years. This ministry has been building into the lives of students who have left this place and gone on to do great things for the Lord. We have built into many believers’ lives who have come to our campus to enjoy our various retreats and conferences. Today, to the glory of God, we are still building. Recently, our Board of Directors has launched a campaign based on a threepronged initiative.
first, we have re-branded our one year program and have called it “LifeQuest”. The solid, foundational Bible teaching the students have come to expect will in no way change. We are simply trying to give the program a fresh look for the young person looking at our school. second, we have lowered the cost for a student to attend NBBI. What people have come to expect from a Bible institute is that they will receive a solid biblical education at an affordable price. As we have compared ourselves to other schools, we have concluded that we are competitively priced, but we are not content to be status quo. We are convinced that our task is not only to impart knowledge to the students
but also to position them to succeed in life. In talking with Christian leaders and mission organizations, we are well aware that many times students leave a Bible college or seminary, full of great knowledge, but also loaded down with debt. This debt will inevitably stifle their ability to be used of God and will greatly diminish their opportunities for effective ministry. As a result of this, we have prayerfully decided to lower the cost of our tuition and room and board. Our costs will drop from $10,920 to $8,900. This is a drop of $2,020 and reflects a 20/20 vision of refocusing our commitment to students first. This adjustment will make us one of the most affordable Bible institutes you will find anywhere. I believe this is in keeping with the foundational philosophy of NBBI. It is a welcomed relief for our students and has been met with an exciting response from leaders in the Christian community. NBBI is about students and, by God’s grace, we will make whatever sacrifices necessary to help them succeed for Christ.
third, we are seeking to build the base of our faithful supporters. This ministry has existed since 1944 due to the faithfulness of God’s people. It humbles me to think of the hundreds of believers who have sacrificially given to this ministry over the years. We say a heartfelt thank you to each one. Many of our supporters are aging and, like most churches, we find a need to send out a rallying cry to a new generation. We need to raise up a new army of supporters. We are trusting God to lay it on the hearts of many of you to commit to regularly supporting this ministry. You will be investing directly into the lives of students who are passionate about serving the Lord. These are resources well spent. Would you prayerfully consider joining our NBBI support team and help us build today into the leaders of tomorrow?
VacationVision with a
June 29-July 4 & July 6-11, 2014 nbbi.ca/vacation 1
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doulos
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Manifest & Keith McMahon May 7 - Youth Night, 5:00 p.m. MERRIMACK VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH YOUTH ANNEX - MERRIMACK, NH May 8 - Family Night, 7:00 p.m. COLONIAL HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH - MILFORD, NH May 9 - Family Night, 6:00 p.m. BERLIN COMMUNITY CHURCH - BERLIN, NH May 10 - Youth Night, 6:30 p.m. FIRST FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH - BUXTON, ME May 11 - Morning Service, 10:00 a.m. FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH - EAST WATERBORO, ME May 11 - Family Night, 6:00 p.m. FAITH ALLIANCE CHURCH - ATTLEBORO, MA May 12 - Youth Night, 6:30 p.m. CHAPEL OF THE CROSS - WESTBOROUGH, MA May 13 - Family Night, 6:00 p.m. CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP - VASSALBORO, ME May 14 - Youth Night, 6:30 p.m. WEST ROCKPORT BAPTIST CH. - WEST ROCKPORT, ME May 15 - Family Night, 6:30 p.m. KNOX RIDGE BAPTIST CHURCH - THORNDIKE, ME May 16 - Family Night, 6:00 p.m. MARANATHA RIVERSIDE CHURCH - LINCOLN, ME
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May 17 - Youth Night, 7:00 p.m. GRACE BIBLE CHURCH - OAKLAND, ME May 18 - Morning Service, 11:00 a.m. GRACE BIBLE CHURCH - OAKLAND, ME
May 15 - Prayer Meeting GUIDING LIGHT BAPTIST CH. - SHAG HARBOUR, NS May 18 - Morning Service GEORGETOWN BAPTIST CHURCH - GEORGETOWN, PE
Four20Four & Steve Wagstaff
Doulos & Matthew Little
May 6 - Youth Group CHAPEL OF THE LIVING WATER - TRACY, NB May 7 - Chapel FREDERICTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY - FRED., NB May 7 - Prayer Meeting DEVON PARK BAPTIST CHURCH - FREDERICTON, NB May 8 - Youth Group LINCOLN BAPTIST CHURCH - LINCOLN, NB May 9 - Youth Outreach MIRAMICHI VALLEY CHURCH - NEW BANDON, NB May 10 - Concert CUMBERLAND BAY BAP. CH. - CUMBERLAND BAY, NB May 11 - Morning Service PARKSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH - MONCTON, NB May 13 - Family Night GOSHEN GOSPEL CHURCH - GOSHEN, NS May 14 - Prayer Meeting SHEFFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH - HALIFAX, NS May 15 - Chapel HALIFAX CHRISTIAN ACADEMY - HALIFAX, NS
May 9 - Chapel, 11:35 a.m. PAROLE DE VIE BÉTHEL - SHERBROOKE, QC May 10 - Day with Heijermans, Church Planters BIBLICAL MINISTRIES WORLDWIDE - OTTAWA, ON May 11 - Morning Service, 10:00 a.m. SAFE HAVEN WORSHIP CENTRE - PICKERING, ON May 13 - Concert NEW TRIBES MISSION - DURHAM, ON May 15 - Work Day NEW LIFE CAMP - PRICEVILLE, ON May 15 - Youth Rally, 7:00 p.m. MARKDALE BAPTIST CHURCH - MARKDALE, ON May 16 - Chapel, 10:00 a.m. WORD OF LIFE BIBLE INSTITUTE - OWEN SOUND, ON May 18 - Evening Service, 6:00 p.m. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - WATERLOO, ON
Be sure to check our website for additional tour locations, nbbi.ca/springtour2014
CYIA
JUNE 29 - JULY 8, 2014
For the past couple of years, NBBI has partnered with Child Evangelism Fellowship to bring their CYIA program to our campus. Christian Youth In Action provides an opportunity for those ages 15 and up to come to our campus and be involved in an intense eight day training program. You will be challenged from the Word of God and learn how to effectively minister to children. C.E.F will help teach you how to lead a child to Christ, prepare Bible lessons and how to face paint. The program will give you practical opportunities to put what you learn into practice through organized outreach in nearby communities. CYIA will train you so that you can help make a difference in the lives of children. For more information go to nbbi.ca/cyia or go to cefofmaine.org/training.html. Hope to see you there!
ENCOUNTER REPORT
BY MATTHEW LITTLE
It is hard to believe that NBBI has been holding teen retreats for over 50 years. During that time we have hosted thousands of teenagers on our campus and have seen God do some amazing things. I was reading the Open Bible Bulletin from 1961 and found that they had 130 teens come to the retreat and had to turn away 40 because they simply had no room. Our Encounter 2014 retreats saw 554 guests on our campus over two weekends. Pastor Greg Sparkes from Geary Baptist Church challenged our retreaters in a clear way with the Word of God and many were saved and many more rededicated their lives to the Lord. As always, the teens had an action-
packed weekend and left physically exhausted but spiritually encouraged. God is so good and we are so thankful that He has given us the privilege of being able to minister to all of these young people. Our students rose to the challenge and faithfully poured themselves into the lives of the retreaters. After our final retreat had ended, I sat in my office and prayed for those many retreaters who will be returning to homes that are broken, hurting and spiritually dark. I asked God to take the seed of His Word and allow it to grow and flourish in each of their hearts. Just think about what God could do with 554 young people surrendered to Him. Better yet, I cannot help but think that God would not be limited, in the least, if even one of those retreaters was to wholly surrender to the Lord. Praise God for the great things He has done! Photos from Encounter 2014
FOCUS
BY JACK CARON
The Goodness of God. “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.” Nahum 1:7 In her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom tells of her time imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbrück, Germany. It was during this horrific event in her life that she witnessed true evil and yet also discovered the goodness of God. Her experiences echo the truth of Nahum 1:7, set against a similar dark backdrop just before the judgment of the city of Nineveh, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.” While imprisoned in the camp, Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were moved to Barracks 28 where she was horrified to find that the reeking, straw-bed platforms swarmed with fleas. Soon their bodies were so infested that they could find no relief. It was here that Betsie reminded her sister of the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Corrie wondered how any of them could live in such terrible conditions let alone give thanks to God for it. Only later would she come to realize that her male Focus continued on page 4
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Focus continued
captors had feared getting infested and therefore considered them “unclean” thus sparing them further abuse and mistreatment. She thanked God for the fleas. It was during these awful days of captivity that Corrie’s sister Betsie remained her constant encourager, often reminding her of the perfect love and goodness of God. Betsie finally succumbed to starvation on December 16, 1944 and was delivered that day into the glorious presence of her Saviour. Before she died, she told Corrie, “There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still.” Twelve days later, and just one week before an order came to kill the women prisoners, Corrie was released from Ravensbrück because of an apparent clerical error. Later she would write, “Often I have heard people say, ‘How good God is! We prayed that it would not rain for our church picnic, and look at the lovely weather!’ Yes, God is good when He sends good weather. But God was also good when He allowed my sister, Betsie, to starve to death before my eyes in a German concentration camp. I remember one occasion when I was very discouraged there. Everything around us was dark, and there was darkness in my heart. I remember telling Betsie that I thought God had forgotten us. ‘No, Corrie,’ said Betsie, ‘He has not forgotten us. Remember His Word: “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.” ” Corrie went on to share, “There is an ocean of God’s love available. There is plenty for everyone. May God grant you never to doubt that victorious love… whatever the circumstances.” May we also rest in the promise that, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.”
FAMILY FILE
KEEP UP WITH OUR GRADS
WEDDING Sarah Button (‘11) to Matt Walton on June 30, 2012. BIRTHS January 13, 2014 - to Benjamin (Assoc. ’08) and Karis Blois, a daughter, Mattia Susan. 4
OUR NBBI FAMILY
NATHAN BOYD
The Next NBBI board member we would like to introduce to you is Nathan Boyd. Nathan is one of our newest members, joining our board in November of 2011. Nathan resides in Wilton, New Hampshire where he works as a Systems Engineer. He and his wife, Cathy, have three children, Rebecca, Rachael and Isaac. Rebecca will finish her first year at NBBI this month. Nathan and his family attend the Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Milford, NH where Nathan is heavily involved in Church leadership. He serves as a Sunday school teacher, deacon, usher and treasurer. Nathan shares his testimony, “I grew up in a Christian home, the son of a Pastor and was exposed to God and church very early in my life. Salvation came as I sat at the dinner table when I was young, asking questions of my aunt but, due to age, I don’t remember much of the event. From that point on, Church was something ‘I did.’ As I grew up, I would have been considered, by myself and others, a model Christian. I attended Church, youth group, Sunday school, participated in all the events,
STAFF ITINERARIES JOHN HOAG May 5, 12, 19, 26 Danforth Baptist Church Danforth, ME Extension Classes May 7,14,21,28 Cornerstone Bible Church Burtts Corner, NB Extension Classes May 18 South Portage Baptist Bible Church Nashwaak Bridge, NB Prophecy Conference
went forward a couple of times to rededicate my life to Christ, but hindsight shows that I was living off my parents’ faith and not my own. After high school, I struggled with what to do and ended up at NBBI for a year and then on to college and work. It was during that time period that I first had to start relying on my own faith and God was really beginning to challenge me. For the last twenty-plus years, I have felt my faith grow more and more. Church and God are no longer something ‘I do’ but my faith now breeds action. The biggest lesson I have learned over the years, is there is no separation between those who earn their living in the pastorate or as missionaries and those who earn their living in the secular world. We are all called to be disciples of Christ and to follow his commands. Colossians 1:28.” Nathan is a volunteer firefighter and also serves on a local nursing home board. He is interested in motorcycle riding and photography. Pray for safety as Nathan travels in his job and serves faithfully in his Church. Pray also that God would use him as he seeks to provide direction to our school as a board member.
May 30-31 First Parish Congregational Church Pownal, ME Extension Classes MATTHEW LITTLE May 30-31 First Parish Congregational Church Pownal, ME Extension Classes
New Brunswick Bible Institute 2335 Route 103 Victoria Corner NB Canada E7P 1C7 Phone: (506)375-9000 Fax: (506)375-1800 Website: nbbi.ca Email: nbbi@nbbi.ca
editor........................................Larry Rushton writers........NBBI Faculty, Staff & Students typist.........................................Brenda Cabral layout & design................................James Goode copy proof..................................... Rose Meed printer....................................... Merritt Press