BCSA Newsletter December 2020

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DECEMBER NEWS 2020

There is much to marvel over in the Christmas narrative in Luke 1-2; the many angelic visits signaling the importance of the Christmas events, the humble obedience of Mary and Joseph, and the birth of Jesus – the long-promised Messiah – as God incarnate.

There are also two other passages of marvel in these chapters. Simeon and Anna were each faithfully serving, worshipping and waiting for this promised Messiah. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon goes to the temple and has the joy of seeing the fulfilment of God’s promise in the face of Jesus, even as he recognises that the child will be divisive. And Anna, during her daily worship, has the chance to praise God and proclaim the child to all who were seeking the redemption of Jerusalem. These two are wonderful examples of faithful responses to Jesus.

As we approach Christmas week, with all of the various celebrations we might have lined up, may we also both set our eyes on Jesus, and declare his message to the world around. It is a divisive message, but also the most fantastic message of promises kept, hope established, redemption for humankind, access to our heavenly Father, eternal joy, fellowship, and worship of the Triune God. May these truths be our peace and purpose this Christmas. Blessings of the season from all the faculty and staff at Bible College SA.

As we draw towards the close of 2020 at Bible College SA, we—like most people around the world—look back on a very different year. A lot changed in a short time. We quickly started feeling worried about our health, our loved ones in other parts of the world, our financial situations, our freedoms, our futures… So many of the things we largely took for granted became unstable very suddenly.

Of course, it has also been good to remember that as much as all of this is true, it’s also the case that nothing much has changed about the things of ultimate importance. God is still sovereign, he is still rich in mercy, his plans are continuing to unfold as he intended, Jesus is still ascended victorious, his church is still unstoppable, the Spirit is still active in the world and the future remains certain.

While it can seem hard to reconcile the unchanging things we know about God with the mixed experiences of life in an unstable world, the two realities do, of course, make complete sense together. Indeed, the very fact that we live our fragile lives in challenging times ought to help us refocus on the comforting assurance of the love and stability of God. When times are always good, it’s easier to forget him; when they are harder, we remember how much we need him.

We are so thankful to God that he has continued to sustain and bless the College through this turbulent year. We are especially thankful for all the students who have studied with us and now left us to serve the Kingdom in a great range of different ways. We are grateful that we have some excellent new students joining us next year. And we are deeply appreciative of you, our magnificent supporters, who have continued to journey with us, to pray for us, to support us financially, and to advocate for our ministry.

We are very excited about launching into 2021 with you by our side, and in the meantime we pray and trust that you will all have a wonderful Christmastime celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour. Praise God that he entered our broken and difficult world to secure its eternal healing, hope and salvation. All glory be to him.

On Tuesday 8 December, we celebrated our graduating class of 2020. With the frequent changes to the Covid19 restrictions in the weeks leading up to this night, it was uncertain if this most significant event would still be able to go ahead. But praise God that it could! After such a turbulent year, it was wonderful to see our new graduates formally receiving their awards in all their academic garb – and, of course, each finally getting hold of a much-coveted Bible College SA mug!

But at Bible College SA, graduation is about more than students completing academic qualifications. It also about recognising their growth through our Ministry Formation Program, and about sending them out for a range of on-the-ground gospel ministries. While, on the one hand, it is incredibly sad for us to say goodbye to students we have come to love, on the other, it is a joy to know that many of them will now be at the coal face of Kingdom work, using what they have been taught to evangelise, disciple and pastor many others, both locally and further afield.

Thank you to all who joined us on the night, whether in person or through the livestream, and congratulations to all our graduates for 2020; we wish you all the very best for faithful and fruitful service in the years ahead.

2020 has brought many unexpected changes for many people, and while this has meant new challenges, it may have also opened up some new opportunities too. It might be that for some, now is an excellent time to prayerfully consider taking a course of study at Bible College SA, be that at undergraduate or graduate level, in full-time or part-time mode.

In addition to our major courses, our brand new 13Fourteen program offers recent high school leavers the opportunity to dedicate a year to studying the Bible and getting grass-roots ministry experience in partnership with their home church. Bible College SA offers a significant subsidy on the Undergraduate Certificate of Ministry subjects that are part of this program.

We also have a number of graduate level intensives which are specifically designed as in-service training to sharpen, deepen, refresh and further equip those already working in Christian ministry. Professor Graham Cole will teach a unit on The Holy Spirit in July, Dr Cameron Munro will teach a unit on Gospel Spirituality for Leadership and another on Contextualized Mission, and Dr Jeff Pugh will run the course on Church Systems and Congregational Health.

For further information on any of these study options contact our Registrar, Rebecca Vincent, at vincent@biblecollege.sa.edu.au or visit our website.

Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
I am currently the full-time Resident Minister of Pentecost International Worship Center (PIWC) Adelaide, a branch of The Church of Pentecost–Australia in Adelaide. I am also the Finance and Administrative Director (FAD) of The Church of Pentecost Australia, which is headquartered in Sydney.

On my educational background, I hold a Master of Business Administration and Master of Professional Accounting, both from the University of Canberra, and a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting Option) from Central University, Ghana.

I married my wife Eunice in 2012 and we have been blessed with three children, Giovani, Melissa and Judah.

Prior to being called into full-time ministry, I worked as a Financial Accountant at Hotel Hotel, a subsidiary of Molonglo Group in Canberra.

I was born to Christian parents and through their training they helped form the theological convictions at the core of my faith: the Bible, the theology of the cross, the Holy Spirit, and love for our neighbour.

I also run a weekly religious programme currently aired on Facebook dubbed Inspirational Time. In the years ahead, it is my dream to mentor, prepare and train the youth to take up take up leadership roles in the church of God, and to pursue a Doctoral degree in theology.

My philosophy in life is: Besides the grace of God, man is nothing.

What are you currently studying?
Master of Divinity.

What do you like most about studying at BCSA?
I have been here since July 2020 and I think BSCA is an excellent academic environment. The staff are very friendly and supportive. The course structure and content is very rigorous and focused. I am happy to be here for my theology degree.

In what ministry do you hope to work when you finish at BCSA?
As penned already, I am a full time minister with The Church of Pentecost–Australia. However, after school I look forward to using the knowledge I have gained here to further situate my weekly Inspirational Time programme.

What is one thing you are learning at the moment that is particularly insightful?

Critical issues in the Bible.

PRAYER POINTS

• Give thanks for our graduating class of 2020. Pray that God would make them faithful and effective workers in his harvest, and under-shepherds of his sheep.

• Pray for our continuing students to have good rest over the Christmas break and to be well-prepared to commence their classes again next year. Pray also that we would have a solid cohort of new students for 2021.

• Pray for all our faculty and staff, that they would have good rest and refreshment over the Christmas break and enjoy time with their churches and loved ones.

• Give thanks for our many faithful supporters who continue to uphold us prayerfully and to make regular financial contributions, without which we would not continue to flourish as a ministry in Adelaide.

• Pray also for our sister school Christ College and its principal Ian Smith as they labour to train up students in Sydney. Pray that they would continue to equip the next generations for effective and contextual gospel ministry for the Presbyterian Church in New South Wales and beyond.