PIBC Objective #3 - Bible Knowledge

We are a BIBLE SCHOOL and seminary, so of course this is a key objective. We believe the Bible is God's revelation for us, and so, we need to know the Book to be effective in life and ministry. We need to be able to understand the Bible from both a microscopic and telescopic view. The telescopic view is the big picture. What is the overall grand theme of the biblical narrative? What is the big point or main idea of each book and how does each one fit into the overall theme of scripture? Without the big picture one cannot make sense out of the details. The microscopic view gets down to the nuts and bolts - the words, grammar, literary units - to examine the data that builds the framework for the telescopic view. AT PIBC we work from both ends, with our survey courses that help students to see the big picture and the exegesis courses which give the students the language and study tools to find out the details for themselves. Then, the theology courses give the student a chance to put it all together in a coherent way. Finally the faculty and staff model and teach the students to apply what they have learned from the scriptures into their personal lives and ministries.

Working Knowledge of the Scriptures: Because the Bible is the final authority in all realms of life we are working to help students develop knowledge and understanding of scripture. We do this by providing graduate and undergraduate degrees which require in-depth study of the Bible. We also model the use of scripture in chapel and teaching.

• that the student will understand and biblically defend the basics of evangelical theology.
• that the student will study and understand the Bible for him- or herself and accurately evaluate diverse interpretations of it.

PIBC Objective #2 - Christian Character

I start every class I teach by saying that you should not study the Bible unless you are willing to submit to it and let the Spirit use the Word of God to change you. God holds us accountable for what we know about Him. Thus, it is not enough to know God's Word, we need to live it. So, helping our students build character that reflects growth into the image of Christ is a key objective at PIBC. As Paul said, "If I can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge... but have not love, I am nothing."

Christian Character: Through the staff and faculty relationships, as well as the curriculum, we challenge our students to embrace responsible and accountable lifestyles that reflect a passion for the kingdom of God. We emphasize not only personal character development but also a commitment to issues surrounding justice, righteousness, mercy, and grace in culture and society. Toward this end our students are involved in community service activities, discipleship groups, prison ministry, and class work which emphasizes ethics and corporate responsibility --

• that the student will cultivate a lifestyle that honors Christ and is based on the message of scripture.
• that the student will internalize a biblical value system that produces Christ-like character, decisions, and actions.
• that the student will be prepared for life as an individual capable of making well-reasoned and informed choices about values, goals, and careers.
• that the student will demonstrate responsible service and leadership within the context of clan, family, and culture.

Objectives of PIBC - Relationship With God

At PIBC we believe that education and personal transformational growth begin with the "fear of the Lord." Thus we begin our list of objectives of PIBC with a deepening and growing relationship with God.

Relationship with God: Through the staff and faculty relationships, as well as the curriculum, we nurture the spiritual life of our students. We do this through the dorm activities and devotional rhythm of campus life, times of spiritual emphasis and retreat, discipleship groups, the emphasis on personal application that is a part of all classes, classes that are devoted especially to spiritual formation, school sponsored mission trips, worship, chapel services, and through deans and chaplains whose primary responsibility is spiritual formation --

• that the student will grow in a loving relationship with God that overflows into Christ-like concern for people and the local and global communities around them.
• that the student will be exposed to and develop positive habits in the practices of the Christian disciplines including worship, prayer, personal devotions, and giving.
• that the student will be encouraged to live as a part of the gathered body of Christ by affiliation with a local congregation during and after his or her college experience
  

Our goal is that our graduates leave PIBC as people who have encountered God and are able to minister Christ to others out of their own experience of Him here.

Board Meeting #2 - Vision and Mission

On the second day of the board meeting last week the board moved forward from the preliminary discussions of the first day. Every year the board reviews the mission statement of the school in order to determine if this is still the direction that God is leading us. This year it was especially important, because for the first time PIBC is no longer just a Bible college, with the addition of a seminary offering a graduate degree - Master of Arts in Religion. TRACS, our accrediting agency had already told us that we needed to consider changing our mission and our school name to reflect this widened mission.

Our administrative council and the executive committee of the board had been working for several months on the needed changes. After much reflection, prayer and discussion the board adopted the following vision statement which explains what we desire PIBC to be and mission statement which explains the main thing that we, as PIBC, desire to do......

PIBC exists to provide accessible, excellent, transformational Christian higher education and ministry training to the people of Micronesia, the Pacific islands, and to the ends of the earth. As such, our mission is to prepare men and women with a biblical worldview for leadership and service in life, work, and ministry in the global community and the church.

In future posts I will talk about the objectives the board adopted that explain how we plan to fulfill these vision and mission statements.