Trumpet S u m m e r
PEACE RIVER BIBLE INSTITUTE
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“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10: 27
Listen to My Voice The first time my son Jasper got lost was when he was just four years old. His instructions were to ride his bike around only our camping loop. Looking back, even this was a poor decision considering it was elk mating season in Jasper, AB. Loop turned into loops, and he got lost. Search and Rescue was just about to be deployed when he was found. Another time, Jasper was trailing behind us on a walk around a lake, again in Jasper, AB. He was supposed to be right behind us but somehow got completely turned around. When I finally found him, he was all the way back to where we had started our walk! Not too long ago, I challenged Jasper to a foot race while we were in the middle of the woods. He wanted a bit of a head start. With great determination to win, Jasper darted down the entirely wrong path. In seconds he was lost — and I didn’t even know it! After a great deal of panic and prayer, he was found, again. As a dad, each time Jasper was lost, I felt feelings that I had never felt before. All I wanted was for my son to hear my voice calling to him and be found. As I was calling, “JASPER! JASPER!” (which is quite an odd experience when you are in Jasper), I couldn’t help but understand just a bit more about how the Shepherd must feel as He calls us, yearning that we might listen to His voice and follow Him. Each school year at PRBI, the Shepherd is consistently calling our students to a life of following Him. Do pray both for them and for us as we seek to train our students to respond to their Shepherd’s voice and follow Him. Jeremy Johnston Director of Operations
Bible College
A Safe Place to Search In the opening chapter of John’s gospel we read, “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So, they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour” (Jn 1:35-39). In this scene, John the Baptist shows that pointing others to Christ is the heart of discipleship. Much could be explored here, but I want to focus on the two disciples’ encounter with Jesus.
Kim Cairns President
The two disciples followed Jesus from a distance. I suspect they plotted out various scenarios that would give them the opportunity to speak with Him. But Jesus is one step ahead of them. Sensing they were following, He turns and confronts them with a question, “What are you seeking?” Jesus is not merely asking a question, “Are you lost, can I help you?” Jesus’ question is one of those big, life purpose questions. What is it you are searching for? He is asking them, “What do you want from me?” Based on this text I confronted our students last September with the same question, “What are you seeking?” Some of our students come with a clear and compelling desire to encounter Christ and His
calling on their life. Others are unsure of what they are searching for, but they have come with a desire to answer some of life’s big questions. And a small number may come for social rather than spiritual reasons. Not that those who seek to grow spiritually cannot benefit socially from their time at PRBI! PRBI’s vision is every student encountering Christ in ways that transform their life, energize their church, and impact their world. Bible College is a safe place for students to explore the big questions of life and establish their future direction! If a student’s desire is to encounter Christ in fresh ways and if they are open to His transforming power, then PRBI can be a significant stop over in their life journey. As a student spends time with Christ as those first disciples did, they can nurture a healthy and ongoing relationship with Him which will serve them for the rest of their lives. Bible College is not wasted time but a great environment for a student to deepen their relationship with Jesus. If we had space to explore the lives of the two disciples (Andrew and John) who followed Jesus that day, we would see that what they sought and what they found was a relationship with Him. Jesus not only transformed their character, but He gave them a sense of purpose in the
world. Andrew then went searching for his brother Peter and pointed him to Christ (Jn 1:40-42) and Peter would spend his life doing the same. Students will find Bible School a safe place to explore their big questions and discover their place in the church and the world. It is Christ who calls, and it is the Holy Spirit who gives gifts for service in the kingdom. In spending time with Christ, a student will gain clarity on these matters. Not all, in fact only a small number, will hear the call to enter vocational ministry, but most find their place of service in the church and in the world through a variety of vocations, wherever Christ will lead them. It is not only students who need to respond to Jesus’ question, “What are you seeking?” Each one of us should take time to ponder His challenge. What do we want in this life? Or maybe the question we should ask Jesus is, “What do you want from me?” From the text we see that Jesus wants us to point others to Him. One way you can do that is to encourage a young person to consider Bible College as a place where they can encounter Christ, wrestle with life’s big questions, and find how Christ is equipping them to serve in His kingdom. Kim has served as a member of the PRBI faculty since 2009 and as President since 2019.
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(Graduation group photo taken physically distanced and photoshopped in post production)
Earth-Shattering Words In February of 2013, a meteorite fragment shot through the sky of the west-central Russian city of Chelyabinsk. Video cameras captured stunning footage of the eleven-thousand-ton rock, thirty times brighter than the sun, streaking through the morning sky. Authorities reported over seven thousand buildings with shattered windows and collapsed roofs and as many as fifteen hundred people injured as a result of the fragment’s concussive force. It was, quite literally, an earthshattering event. Two years later in 2015, Dr. William Hartmann, writing in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science, speculated that the events describing the Apostle Paul’s conversion may be explained by a meteorite like the one over Chelyabinsk. These types of
strikes, he argued, have been known to produce hallucinations and a rapid burning of the cornea called “photokeratitis.” For this reason, Paul’s fall, disoriented conversation, and temporary blindness could have been side-effects of a similar astronomical phenomenon. Explanations like Hartmann’s are offered because it is quite unfathomable that a man who set out to kill Christians would end up becoming their greatest champion. Believers, on the other hand, are quite comfortable with the unbelievable, especially when we can leverage it for our own apologetic. Paul’s experience, as described in Scripture, provides tremendous support to the claim that God changed a man like Paul. What other explanation is there? Hartmann’s falls flat after one
Scott Butler Faculty considers the subsequent thirty-four years of beatings, imprisonments, and anxiety Paul endured on the mission field (see 2 Co 11). Even a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical anomaly cannot produce that sort of commitment. And where was Ananias’ meteorite? Do you even remember Ananias – not the husband of Sapphira in Acts 5 but the seemingly minor character mentioned in the tail end of Paul’s conversion story? Where was the blinding blast that flung him towards a man threatening to murder him? What earth-shattering rock changed the course of his life? In the typical response of even the most celebrated of biblical figures like Moses and Isaiah, Ananias first responded to the Lord’s direction
with questioning hesitation (Ac 9:13). Being told to go find Paul, Ananias instead cited his criminal record. This is how I know Ananias is just like you and me: he attempted to fill in the Lord God Almighty with a key piece of information! If anything, though, this key piece of information is for our benefit because it sets the scene perfectly for the gravity of what Ananias said next. God responded by reaffirming His original instruction and offering Ananias a glimpse into Paul’s future: “I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Ac 9:16). So Ananias got up and went. I envision the next moments moving slowly, every sense but sight straining for a clue. Placing his hands on a
man blind and vulnerable, Ananias’ embrace snaps Paul to attention. Who is this stranger? Does the strength of his grip betray malice? His beard scratches his rough cloak as air suddenly rushes into his mouth. What will he say? A sound emerges with a puff of hot breath and the first words Paul hears as a Christian emerge: “Brother Saul…” (Ac 9:17). You tell me that was not earth-shattering! Fully aware of the murderous threats breathed out by Paul, Ananias’ first breath is one of warmest welcome. A man in the crosshairs of persecution and the first thing he can think to say is “Brother.” With every confidence that Paul fell to the ground at the voice of Jesus on the road to Damascus, I submit to you that Ananias’ words in the city were equally earth-shattering
in Paul’s ears that day. No longer an enemy, he was forgiven and adopted as family – Ananias covered the enormity of the Gospel in a single word! Forget meteorites. Ananias’ earthshattering rock was Jesus Christ. A loving word came quickly to his lips, I am convinced, because he was already living in obedience to Jesus’ command: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44). He was prepared to bless the one who persecuted him (Ro 12:14) and bless him he did. Oh that we would replace the casual claim of persecution with obedient and prayerful preparation to bless and turn enemies into brothers. Scott has served as PRBI faculty since 2015. He is married to Jane and they have two young children.
Financial Update
Peace River Bible Institute Statement of Operations and Budget July 2020 - May 2021 Revenue
ent Revenue Student
eral Income Sales
Fees & Other Programs
& Non-Program Fees & Services
dence Rental Rental
Income
ation - Undesignated Donations
- Undesignated - Designated Total Donations
ation - Designated Donations
Total Revenue
Expenses
Income To Date
Annual Budget
% of Budget To Date
593,114
665,600
89%
369,323
154,550
239%
180,608
151,985
119%
724,213 109,852 834,065
775,000 196,200 971,200
93% 56% 86%
1,977,110
1,943,335
102%
Expenses To Date
Annual Budget
% of Budget To Date
demics
Academics
261,322
303,221
86%
ent Life
Campus Life
206,563
314,226
66%
182,260
219,018
83%
247,597
297,257
83%
64,924
123,736
52%
633,301
704,780
90%
160,841
154,192
104%
10,000
6,000
167%
2,667
15,000
18%
-
-
d Services Food
elopment
missions
Services
Promotion & Development Admissions
ministrationAdministration
ntenance
Facilities & Maintenance
ent Aid
Special Project
ent Aid
Student Aid
ers
Others Total Expenses Net Income (Loss) Excludes Amortization Expense
1,769,475 207,635
2,137,430 (194,095)
83%
News and Updates PRBI UPDATE We are thrilled to announce that Joshua Rigby (PRBI Grad of 2009) will be joining the PRBI staff as Dean of Men in August 2021. Josh comes to us with 12 years of pastoral experience. Josh has also been married for 12 years this month to his wonderful wife Meagan (nee. Reimer, also a PRBI Grad of 2009) and has three children. Josh is excited to start his new ministry at PRBI that will focus on helping students draw near to Christ. Join us in praising the Lord about this great news!
WITH THE LORD WERNER, Mary Charlotte went to be with the Lord on December 31, 2020. The second of nine children, Mary was born to Bjarne and Olava Throness at the family homestead near Grande Prairie, AB on November 19, 1919. Mary enrolled at the Peace River Bible Institute where she prepared for her life’s work as a missionary. Immediately following graduation in 1943, Mary married Henry Werner. The newlyweds served as missionaries in Bolivia and Argentina, followed by a teaching assignment in a Bible college in Cuba and the opening of a mission work in St. Lucia. Back in Canada, Mary operated the Western Canada office for World Team and worked as a secretary for the Christian and Missionary Alliance. This gracious woman loved family, friends and work. But most of all, Mary loved her Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. WARKENTIN, Annie (nee. Nachtigal) went to be with the Lord on March 5, 2021. Annie was born to David and Anna Nachtigal in Baschlytscha, a small Mennonite village in the southern part of the Russian Empire, a region known today as Crimea, on October 16, 1922. Fleeing the Bolshevik revolution, the Nachtigals immigrated to Canada with their little “Nuta” in 1925. Annie married John Warkentin in 1948. John served on the board of PRBI from 1982 to 2003. Throughout her life, Annie drew strength, courage, and comfort from her faith in Jesus Christ.
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ABOUT PRBI Peace River Bible Institute is a Canadian Degree Granting Bible College in Sexsmith, Alberta, founded in 1933. PRBI is known for quality academics and its highly relational culture that purposefully fosters an atmosphere of spiritual growth. PRBI has a distinct commitment to train students in a thorough knowledge of the Word of God and to train students to become disciple-makers whether at home or abroad. PRBI’s educational model purposefully integrates the academic learning experience with an experiential learning component making us a Bible College for Life. Our vision is that every student encounters Christ in ways that transform their life, energize their church and impact their world.
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The TRUMPET is the magazine of Peace River Bible Institute that is comprised of contributions from faculty, staff, alumni, and students who are passionate about making disciples in their churches and communities. If you would have any comments please email us at development@prbi.edu. Printed in Canada.
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