by Mark Milioni
This morning as I write, I feel a refreshing sense of peace and joy. These qualities are not often a part of the job of directing Baptist Bible College, but today Romans 8:28 assures me “That all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” The spring semester at BBC has been wonderful. It has been very busy, difficult, and a lot of hard work, but it has also been very rewarding. God is really doing something special at BBC!
Everything we do at BBC is done as a part of an important strategy — to train men and women for a life of ministry. The primary focus of each semester is preparing our students to use their lives for Christ. Our students take an average of 14 credit hours per semester. These classes are required and are used to help the student grow intellectually and spiritually. Classes are difficult and time consuming but provide a great sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.
Our students also attend chapel services twice weekly. The purpose of chapel is to prepare students to build lives of integrity, commitment, and godliness. Chapel services feed their spirits, and they are challenged regularly to live out God’s call on their lives.
Student life events are designed to provide fun activities that allow students to develop godly, lasting relationships. Students are also involved weekly in their local churches where they worship, are taught, and serve. This semester, our students have also participated in women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, men’s soccer, spring break ministry trips, D-Now and other church events, modular classes, Global Awareness Week sponsored by the BBFI Missions Office (Thank you, Jon Konnerup!), Easter, and have made preparations for finals, Fellowship Week, and graduation. They have also hosted 400 young women for Bloom, 200 guests for College Days, and hundreds for basketball and ACE conferences.
These events, along with homework and reading assignments, keep our students very busy! They become tired and overwhelmed, but they continue on. They don’t give in, and they don’t give up, and they soon realize the satisfaction of accomplishment. Why do we do all these things? It is all for one reason. We want our students to be prepared for the demands of a life given to ministry. BBC is so much more than just a college — we work to develop lives.
Training for ministry should never stop, and that is why I would like to invite you again to Fellowship Week 2014. Guest speakers for the week include Jack Eggar and Mark Hoover. Tuesday morning will offer a fresh venue for the men and guest speaker Stefanie Brown for the women. Homecoming will be held on Wednesday night where we will honor the lives and ministries of Eli Harju and Ken and Norma Gillming. You can view the complete schedule and register online now at www.fellowshipweek.com and be sure to sign up for the Alumni and Friends Banquet and the Scholarship Golf Tournament!