As summer wanes, the preparations for the coming school year ramp up with earnestness. Each year, those preparations seem to start earlier and earlier. But it’s necessary. We are about a serious business here and all of us take our responsibilities to heart with the desire to do our very best for the sake of our students and for the glory of God.
One of the core values of Bethlehem College & Seminary is that of caring as much for the souls of our students as we do for their minds. Yes, we expect them to develop keen minds and gain great knowledge while they’re here with us. But we also care deeply about their increasing maturity in Jesus Christ. Along with the Apostle Paul, we say: “Him [Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (Col 1:28)
That’s our aim for every one of our students—to present them mature in Christ. Of course, that’s an impossible task in the few years we have them with us. Becoming mature in Christ is a life-long quest for all of us. However, our desire is to set them on a trajectory of pursuing maturity in Christ that will serve them all the days of their lives. To that end, a number of faculty and staff gathered this summer to pray, discuss, and plan for how to improve our ability to help our students in their quest for maturity in Christ. I’m excited about the plans that have emerged out of those deliberations.
As we continue to mature as an institution, we pray that the Lord will grant us increasing levels of effectiveness in helping our students to grow strong in their faith, slay their sins, pursue purity and holiness in life, and become filled with passion for God’s glory and for reaching the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Eager for the power of Christ to be manifested among us,
Tim Tomlinson
President
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for this renewed emphasis on spiritual growth for the coming year. Satan will be actively opposing us, but are confident that, with your prayer support, he cannot prevail. Pray that our students would gain victory over sin and that their hearts would increasingly long for holiness and godliness to grow in their lives.
- Please pray for all of the incoming students. This is a huge transition for all of them. Whether they are moving from across the world (we have some new international students this fall) or are moving from across town, this is a very significant time of transition. Pray for them!
- Please also be in prayer for our new faculty members. It’s new job, a new set of students, a new community, and a new church for each of them. Pray that their transition would be smooth, encouraging, and satisfying.
- Please continue to be in prayer for our financial growth. We have been blessed by the Lord in so many ways so far! Now, we are asking him to provide for us some substantial gifts that would help make us strong for the long-term future.