“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
As our students near the end of the fall semester, we in the admissions department are nearing the end of another recruiting season. We’ve had multiple Preview Days this fall, student visits, college fairs, high school recruiting trips, conferences, and lots of phone calls and emails. But there comes a time when you have to step back and realize that the Lord is the one who has to “establish the steps” of these students. And every year, He does.
December 1 is just over a week away. December 1 is a big day in the Bethlehem College & Seminary admissions cycle. For one, it’s the deadline for Master of Divinity applications. Anyone interested in joining the Fall 2020 cohort has to submit an application by then, before we move on to interviews in January, and “Decision Day” in February. If you know of someone who you think should get an application in, please forward this to them, or just send them the link (bcsmn.edu/apply).
December 1 is also the deadline for our “Early Admission” to the College. Though our early admissions are not binding (like some other early admission programs are), it does offer students a chance to secure their place in the cohort early. We also waive the $25 application fee for anyone who applies by December 1. If you know of a young person who you think should take advantage of this, please forward this to them, or just send them the link (bcsmn.edu/apply).
Deciding where to spend the next four years of your life pursuing an education is one of the biggest decisions of your life, as our president Tim Tomlinson likes to remind potential students every Preview Day. It will have a profound effect on who your friends are, what vocation you end up pursuing, and perhaps even who you marry. It will shape what kind of a person you become.
I spent some time on the phone today with a young man thinking about seminary. He is in the middle of a masters program in education, but is feeling strongly pulled toward ministry. “That’s not normal,” I told him, “that sounds like a calling.” He’s wrestling with the decision on many levels: should he walk away from his job and this other masters program to go to seminary? If so, is Bethlehem College & Seminary the right place, or another school just an hour away from him? We talked for a little bit about what makes Bethlehem unique, but at the end of the call, he asked me if I would simply pray for him. “Of course,” I said. So we prayed for wisdom, both for the big decision, but also for the dozens of small decisions that he’ll make along along the way.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).
Would you pray for our admissions team as we counsel young people and potential seminary students and try to help them discern where the Lord is leading? Would you pray for our applicants as they make one of the biggest decisions of their lives, where to spend the next four years of their education? And would you pray for those whom the Lord is still bringing to us, that He would cause them to learn about our school, and direct their steps to us?
A grateful laborer in the field,
Daniel Kleven
Director of Admissions