Overview
February was a productive month for the Southern Institute of Biblical Studies, marked by five significant long courses, a campaign to attract new students, radio preaching, visitation, and a Graduation and Matriculation ceremony. These initiatives are aimed at enhancing our academic offerings and expanding our student body.
Classroom Activities
Throughout January, our class sessions focused on several key areas:
Church History: Students engaged in a comprehensive review of the early church, exploring significant events and figures that shaped Christianity.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT): This course covered the integration of technology in modern ministry. Students learned about digital tools for outreach and engagement.
Pastoral Epistles: A deep dive into the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, focusing on leadership, church organization, and pastoral care.
Major Prophets: The class studied the messages and themes of major prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, emphasizing their relevance in contemporary society.
Greek: The students started their study of Koine Greek, focusing on the learning and writing of the alphabets.
Every afternoon is a session where students are given fifteen (15) minutes and are assessed on their preaching skills.
Radio Program
Our radio program continues to be a vital outreach tool for BVBI, allowing us to connect with the community and share the Gospel.
Weekly Broadcasts: our topic for the month is still on the church of the Bible, specifically on the New Testament Worship. The church of the Bible has been selected again for the month of February because listeners are asking many questions.
Audience Engagement: We saw an increase in listener interactions, with many reaching out via phone calls and social media, and to share how the program has impacted their lives.
Campaign for New Students
As most of the students are through with their course, February was dedicated to campaigning for new students:
Visitation letters: Letters have been sent to churches, requesting their approval to campaign in their churches.
Scholarship Opportunities: We promoted scholarship programs available for incoming students, incentivizing applications and providing financial support for those in need.
The campaign was fruitful and three students have been admitted.
Planned Visitation and church strengthening
Looking ahead, we have several planned visitation initiatives to strengthen our community ties and outreach efforts:
Scheduled Visits: we have visited the Fotobi congregation in the Eastern Region of Ghana on the 9th February. Since we gave a prior notice, the brethren welcomed us warmly and gave us a topic on stewardship to discuss with them
We also visited the Medie Ketewaa congregation on the 16th February 2025. The church was happy to welcome us and gave us a topic on church growth to boost attendance and their giving.
Our presence motivated them and as a result, increasing church attendance. This is being done to strengthen and edify the local congregations established by the school to grow and assist in evangelism.
Graduation
15th February marks the 7th Graduation and 8th Matriculation ceremony of the school. Invitations were extended to the churches requesting their presence to celebrate the brethren who have completed their courses
Diploma: Eight (8) men who have completed the disciplines leading to obtaining a diploma in Biblical studies were honored with certificates
Bachelor’s degree: Seven (7) men who, through hard work and continuous effort, were certified with a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical studies
Master’s Degree: Eight (8) men who passed the four years courses leading to obtaining a Master's in Biblical studies were also certified.
Awards: Aside from the certificate, awards were presented to the students who have necessary requirements and exhibited the following traits throughout their stay on campus
Evangelistic, promising, well-behaved, best in Academics, and overall Best student.
Matriculation: On that same day, men who had the desire to pursue all the courses in the school were officially inaugurated as students.
Conclusion
February 2025 has been a fruitful month for the Bear Valley Bible Institute, with successful outreach initiatives and preparations for the new year. We are excited about the impact of our radio program, the progress made in the response to our campaign for new students, the upcoming planned visitations, and a successful Graduation and Matriculation ceremony. As we move forward, we remain committed to our mission of equipping leaders for service in the Kingdom of God.
We remain grateful to our partners, alumni, and friends, prayers, encouragement, and financial contributions
May the Lord bless our endeavors as we strive to fulfil our mission.
By E.O. Larbi