You may have already received a card from us announcing the Bethlehem College & Seminary Decennial Convocation. It will be held on Friday, November 1, 2019 at the downtown campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church. I hope you’re planning on joining us for this special celebration.
In case you’re wondering what a convocation is, it’s mentioned in the Bible 17 times throughout the books of Leviticus and Numbers. It’s always described as a holy convocation to be held in conjunction with various feasts of praise and sacrifice to the Lord as the participants remember all that the Lord has done for them.
Remembering what the Lord has done for us is such an important part of the Christian life. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is commanded to observe the various feasts in order to remember God’s goodness and mercy toward them. In the New Testament, Christians are commanded to observe communion regularly as we gather together for worship. Communion is intended to remind us of the atoning work of Christ on the cross—his broken body and shed blood—which, through faith, grant us the forgiveness of our sins and the sure hope of eternal life.
The Decennial Convocation of Bethlehem College & Seminary is being held for the purpose of remembering what the Lord has done for us over our first ten years of existence. It will be a convocation of praise, remembrance, looking to the future, and extolling the greatness of God.
Our school was founded to make much of God. Our mission is “to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples…” He brought this school into existence against many obstacles. It was crazy to start a new school in the midst of the Great Recession. It was radical to start a school so closely aligned with a local church. It was even more radical to think of a funding model that would make this school affordable without resorting to federal and state financial aid programs. Despite those and other significant obstacles, the Lord established Bethlehem College & Seminary ten years ago, and he has powerfully worked among us to bring us to where we are today.
So, in light of the amazing goodness and mercy of our Lord, we are calling this convocation to praise and honor the One who has brought it into existence and who is using it to bring the gospel to all corners of the globe as he has called us to be faithful witnesses and to “make disciples of all nations.”
Please bless us by your presence and help us bring honor and glory and praise to the Lord at the Decennial Convocation of Bethlehem College & Seminary.
Tim
Tim Tomlinson
President
Bethlehem College & Seminary
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for our students and faculty this summer as they work, do missions trips, conduct research and writing projects, and prepare themselves for the coming school year. May they do it with joy in the Lord!
- Please also pray as we continue our preparations for the Decennial Convocation. Pray for the speakers and others who will be involved in the event, that the Lord would anoint them and use them for his glory.
- Please pray for the Lord’s grace and mercy to abound toward us as we seek to fill up our incoming freshman class. Pray that the Lord would lead several more well qualified students to join our fall class.
- And, as always, please continue to pray for our finances. Pray for our ongoing operational needs and for the Lord to allow us to significantly grow our endowment fund to help ensure the long-term financial stability of this amazing school.