Please join our team as we pray for the following PARTNER SCHOOLS and reSource PROGRAMS:

 
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:18

PARTNER SCHOOLS

Hanoi Bible College | Hanoi, Vietnam

Background
The Evangelical Church of North Vietnam (ECVN) currently has over 1,200 churches and meetings points with over 170,000 believers (95% of which are ethnic minorities). There are just under 500 ordained pastors and evangelists. The need to train church leaders is urgent.

The majority ethic group, the Viet Kinh (85% of the population) is still unreached in the North. Among the 80 million Viet Kinh, approximately 0.5% are protestant Christian. However, the distribution is very uneven: about 1% in the southern churches but only 0.05% in the north. Churches are being planted in Hanoi that are trying to reach them. This ethnic group is the new growing middle and upper class of professionals. Some HBC grads and students are involved in churches like this.

Prayer

• For their hope to graduate ~200 students from the Bachelor of Theology by 2025
• Thanksgiving for their 10th anniversary celebration (5 Sep 2023). Pray that it will have a bright future of training leaders.
• For the continued development of a good financial and business plan to take them into the future
• For the new batch of students
• For institutional health as they navigate staffing changes
• For someone to fill in for Yen, who will be missed greatly during her maternity leave
• Thanksgiving that the new campus is almost ready to go. It will be used soon as they start a new semester with 45 new students.
• Faculty Development
  • For HBC faculty member, Saralen Tran, and her PhD work in Transformational Learning at Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (Philippines). She is finishing her coursework and then taking her Comprehensive Exam in 2024.
  • For the 5 members of the HBC’s Leadership Team doing DMins at Thailand Baptist Theological Seminary
  • Discernment and the leading of God in the finding/nurturing/choosing of those who are well suited for continued study and would be blessed by it.
• Pray for wisdom for the process of completing the self-study for accreditation with the Asia Theological Association. Pray that this time will also be a valuable learning experience for all involved and a catalyst for growth for the college. It has been helpful so far.
• Thanksgiving for HBC’s growth from 25 students (2013) to 85 students (2022)
• For the hope to graduate ~200 Bachelor of Theology students by 2025

Arab Baptist Theological Seminary | Mansourieh, Lebanon

Background
Founded in 1960 in the hills overlooking Beirut, the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) equips servant-leaders for the ministry challenges arising in the Middle East and North Africa – be it theology, apologetics, communication, pastoral care, ethics, society, or culture. ABTS’ vision it “To see God glorified, people reconciled, and communities restored through the Church in the Arab world.”

The Republic of Lebanon is bordered by Syria to the north and the east, Israel to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Once settled by the Ancient Canaanites and Phoenicians, the region later flourished as a Christian center. Today, Lebanon is home to around 5 million people, of whom 68% are Muslims, 32% Christians, and 5% Druze. Since 2019, Lebanon has been in dire crisis after years of corruption, poor governance, and debt. As Lebanon’s currency has lost up to 98% of its value, its people face vanishing savings, skyrocketing costs, and shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and electricity. Join us in prayer, that the Lord would sustain and encourage our Lebanese neighbours.

Prayer

• That our students and graduates in all our programs are always Kingdom-minded and Christ-centered. Please pray that our Lord guides them on how to serve their people faithfully and humbly wherever He has placed them. Please pray for them as they put to good use what they have learned at seminary.

• For our faculty and leadership team, may they grow deeper in their knowledge and faithfulness to God

• Pray for Sudan. The conflict has severely impacted the people and the country. Many have lost loved ones, homes, churches, and their life’s work. They are facing shortages of essential resources and public services. Many have been forced to relocate and seek refuge with friends and neighbors. They go weeks before being able to connect to send news and reassure their friends and loved ones of their safety. Pray that the Lord brings peace and hope to the country, that His Spirit comforts those who need comfort and brings peace to those who need it.

• Pray for the Sudanese Church, that the Lord continues to guide the faithful men and women as they seek Him amidst the difficulty. Pray for our students and graduates and their families, churches, and friends, that the Lord protects them during this turbulent time.

• Pray for the ministry of ABTS, that the Lord continues to use us according to His will to prepare faithful men and women for effective ministry in the Arab world. Pray for our Master of Theology program, that the Lord uses it to prepare Arabic speaking theologians and Biblical scholars who can enrich the Arabic theological library through publications, papers, and books.

• Pray for our upcoming Middle East Consultation in September and the new cohort of students joining us in October.

• Pray for our faculty and staff as they work to provide our students with the theological education, they need to better serve His Kingdom.

• We currently have a level 2 and 3 positions open for hiring, pray that God sends us the right staff.

• Pray for God to lead our way when preparing official documents as we face challenges due to the corrupt systems.

• Pray for the Arab world, that the Lord grows His Kingdom throughout the region and brings peace to struggling countries. Pray for the Arab Church, that it fulfills its mission of having Christ acknowledged as Lord. For our 2022-2023 academic year: since the admission process is ongoing, please pray for our new students.

Biblical Seminary of Colombia | Medellín, Colombia

Prayer:

• For our upcoming Workshop for Transformational Preaching (September 11-15) to be held in the FUSBC chapel. We expect an attendance of between 250 and 300 pastors and church leaders for the workshop. This is held in cooperation with Langham Partnership. This workshop will be presented both here on campus and through the campus virtual network so that we can reach throughout Colombia and other places in Latin America.
• We have filed all the required paperwork for approval of a Master’s degree in Christian Ministry. The papers have been filed with the Colombian National Ministry of Education. They now have to assign two professional peers to make an on site visit. They make a report that is then sent by them to the Ministry of Education for (hopefully) final approval.
• For a prayer retreat (October 6-9), which will have participation of FUSBC students, professors and administration. We have received a donation to subsidize the first 40 student applicants, and we are planning for 50 to 60 total attendees.
• New students for all our programs, on campus and virtual education. We are thankful that the virtual education program is growing with students from throughout Colombia and several other countries.

Conrad Grebel Theological School | Holguín, Cuba

Prayer

• That the political and social conditions in Cuba would be conducive to the ongoing initiatives Overseas Council/reSource are doing
• For President Gonzalo Grimal and his family
• For the social, economic, institutional, etc. situation in Cuba
• For donors who feel a passion for Cuban theological education
• For all the students studying and faculty teaching
• Praise for forward strides in publishing from Cuba:
  • A CGTS faculty member published a chapter on the effect of the pandemic in Cuba (on church, youth, mental health, etc.) 
  • Increased connections with Latin America Theological Fellowship who want to publish as much from Cuba as they can

Tyrannus Bible Seminary | Jawa Barat, Indonesia

Prayer

• For the preparation of reaccreditation for our under-graduate and graduate programmes

• For our plan to recruit three to four young lectures candidates for TBS’ faculty regeneration

• For our effort to mobilising students to do evangelism more and more in midst of the biggest Muslim population

• For renovating the female dormitory, the main administration buildings, and the houses of the family students

• For developing our IT system and the hybrid classes

Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary | Amman, Jordan

Prayer

• The incoming students that started various programs at the seminary, their adjustment to life in Jordan, a very demanding study program, involvement in church life and ministry, and financial challenges.

• The outgoing graduates as they return to difficult countries and poor economies.

• The expanding publications of JETS to help meet the need for resources for the church.

• The ongoing needs of the seminary operation and campus development.

Phnom Penh Bible School | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Prayer

• Pray for the leadership team of the school.
• For leadership changes: 3 board members have just been retired, then 3 replaced
• For financial support, as it is getting much lower than before.
• For the studies of school President, Vuthy, who is working on a PhD in theology (online only), and for enough financial support.

Zarephath Bible Seminary | Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Background

• ZBS is the only residential accredited seminary in Pakistan

• Many pastors and leaders are doing good work, but lacking theological education and training

• Pakistan is facing the most terrible situation caused by rains and floods unprecedented in our national history. Pray for Pakistan and its suffering people. Our economy is destroyed. Inflation is over 40%. Devaluation of the Pakistani rupee has brought great stress upon our lives. Our income has reduced by more than half while prices have increased 200-300%. Political instability is a major factor, along with the natural calamity. (Dr. Maqsood Kamil, Vice Principal of Gujranwala Theological Seminary)

Prayer

• For Shabaz Boota as he begins his PhD in the USA (Muslim Evangelism and Mission work in Pakistan)

• For current interim president, Ashkenaz Asif

• New SFL (Sponsor a Future Leader) partner school

• For ZBS’s financial struggles

• For their students in their various interests/calls

  • Church planting: new areas, remote areas, mountain areas, towns, etc.

  • Mission and evangelism

  • Reaching Pakistani women (35% of student body is female)

  • Professionals who want to learn the Word of God for their daily lives

reSource PROGRAMS

Training Leaders (Sponsor A Future Leader)

Prayer

• For donors to continue supporting students’ studies in the majority world
• For the school staff who administer the program, gathering updates from students and tracking finances
• For program growth: for more schools, students, and donors
• That the sponsored students may persevere and excel in their studies
• For our key schools:
  • Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (Mansourieh, Lebanon)
  • Biblical Seminary of Colombia (Medellín Colombia)
  • Hanoi Bible College (Hanoi, Vietnam)
  • Zarephath Bible Seminary (Rawalpindi, Pakistan)
  • Tyrannus Bible Seminary (Jawa Barat, Indonesia) – new
  • Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (Amman, Jordan)

Equipping Faculty (Faculty Sponsorships)

Prayer

• For the 5 MA and 1 PhD students studying at the Islamic Study Centre at St. Paul’s University (Kenya), that they would be enriched and enabled to serve well and minister the gospel.
• For Hanoi Bible College faculty member, Saralen Tran, who is working on a PhD Transformational Learning at Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in the Philippines (in partnership with ScholarLeaders)
• For the 5 members of HBC’s leadership team doing DMins at Thailand Baptist Theological Seminary (in partnership with Local Leaders International and ScholarLeaders)
• For discernment in the selection and nurturing of other faculty to sponsor

Growing Schools | Library Development & Books

Seed Publications (Vietnam Translation & Publishing)

Prayer

• That Seed Publications Director, Thuy, and her new editorial assistant will be able to work efficiently and effectively to put quality Christian literature in the hands of theological students, pastors, and laypeople
• For favour as they seek to do the customs paperwork to import some journals to sell in Vietnam
• For wisdom in making decisions about which books to translate
• That increased sales will enable Seed Publications to become more self-sustainable

Growing Schools | Campus Development

Centre for Urban Mission’s Tafakari Centre (Nairobi, Kenya)

Prayer

• For the centre that “should serve the purpose of drawing people of Kibera to the loving-kindness of Jesus Christ. That it will be a place that connects people to God and to each other, a place of worship to God, the Jerusalem of Kibera.” (Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya)
• For infrastructure to equip the medical clinic, training spaces, library, gym, and recording studio, staff room, AirBnb, science lab for students
• For all of Centre for Urban Mission’s community programs in Kibera: homework club, youth dance program, digital centre, music lessons
• Licenses for the gym
• A gym instructor who follows God
• Funds for treadmills and bikes
• Equipment for the recording studio
• For all the items that are upcoming in the next steps
• Praise for the digital hub
• Praise for provision of the sewing machines
• Praise for provision of the gym and some equipment
• Praise for the medical clinic proposition (conversations with a franchise who may be interested in the project)

Hanoi Bible College (Hanoi, Vietnam)

Prayer

• For the blessing of having enrollment growth leading to the need for a larger campus
• For the finances to establish a new campus
• For the new campus to be a place of community, learning, and discipleship for the students who come from all over Vietnam

Online Learning (Local Online: A Global Strategy)

Background

COVID-19 brought disruption, loss, and trauma to every community around the globe. A lesser-known impact is the massive change that pandemic lockdowns brought to majority world theological education: a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lift the learning experience of hundreds of thousands of Bible college students through online education. The change that we thought would take 15 years only took 15 months. We are working with our global affiliates to help our partner colleges develop robust online programs that are sensitive and contextualized to each region.

Prayer

Pray that this timely strategy will effectively assist colleges to lift their online education capabilities, with the aim of reaching even more with your truth. Please bless and protect Program Director, Dr David Turnbull, and Program Manager, Linda Peterson, as they break new ground at the forefront of this missional endeavour.

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