Central Newsletter
May2011
Congratulations Class of 2011!
Central Baptist Theological Seminary graduated 19 men on Sunday evening, May 1, 2011. It was a sweet time reflecting on God's faithfulness over the years to these men, and to honor what they have each accomplished. Please pray for each of them as they pursue the ministry God has for them.
We invite you to view our Alumni Directory to see where these graduates plan to serve post graduation.
From the Prof's Desk...
As an adjunct professor, I miss being on campus and sharing “life together” (Bonhoeffer) with you. But I pray regularly for the seminary family, because I know your faith, like mine, is being tested. Recently I have been studying the theme of worship in the letter to the Hebrews. This epistle encourages the Christian community to a life of personal and corporate worship, especially in the midst of the testing of our faith.
What threatened the first-century recipients of this letter may not be the threats to our faith – but there are surely threats! Martin Luther taught three rules that apply to our preparation for service: oratio (prayer), meditatio (meditation on God’s Word), and tentatio (temptations and trials). As you continue to prepare to serve Christ, I wonder what has been testing your faith.
For me, it has been like this: Last summer Mom past away. More recently my wife, Sue, was diagnosed with a form of cancer (we are grateful that it was caught early). Just a couple of days ago, my oldest daughter and her family left to continue their mission work on the other side of the world. It is hard for a grandfather to let go. I spoke to a gathering of Muslims in Orlando last month, but there seems to be such little fruit. One of my own children continues to struggle with faith in God.
Hebrews calls me to reflect on Jesus, and to “draw near” to the throne of grace in worship (Heb. 4:16, 10:22). Here is where we will find help in time of need. As a student, faculty member, or co-worker, what has been threatening your faith?
Apostolic blessings are an important part of worship. Hebrews 13:20-21 contains one for our times of need, and this is my prayer for you:
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will,working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (ESV).
-Dr. Dan Ebert
Adjunct Faculty at CBTS
Teaching New Testament Introduction July 25-29
The Central Newsletter will not be published this June and July. We will take a break over the summer. The newsletter will resume again at the end of August.
Thank you for your interest and support in Central Seminary! We hope you have a wonderful summer serving the Lord, and enjoying His wonderful gifts!
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Alumni: Jared Skeens
Indonesia is culturally and religiously diverse, blending both traditional and modern. It is a land of beauty yet shrouded in darkness. The rich live next to the poor . . . the rich are exceedingly rich . . . and the poor are dirt poor.
This is our second year. Teaching in a Christian international baccalaureate (IB) school is a challenge. Classes are taught in English, yet for almost everyone, including most of the teachers, English is a second language. The IB philosophy is humanistic and needs to be replaced with a Biblical Worldview. The school is Christian, yet many of its students are without Christ and have no place for God in their lives. Some are “name only” for the sake of not being an atheist, which is illegal in this country.
Our daughter, Cara Grace, is in kindergarden and enjoying school. She goes to ballet once a week. She has adapted to cultural differences very well and has captured the hearts of many.
Finding a church is difficult. Very few are English speaking, and of them, well, we had to decide what we could live with. I can’t say we are entirely comfortable on that front yet. Because our church does not have a pastor I preach once a month. This has stretched me as I do not feel comfortable in that role.
So, what do we do? Other than teaching science, I also teach a creation series class for staff. We hold a Thursday night Bible Study at our house that focuses on singing, prayer, and fellowship centered on God’s Word. We also host many of the expatriate functions. Becky does the lion share of the work, as we are one of only a few married couples and fellowship in English is difficult to find. Needless to say, our expatriate community is close knit. I have also had the privilege in the last two years of training three student teachers from TC (Teacher’s College) which is a part of UPH (University Pelita Harapan), a Christian university in Indonesia.
Prayer requests:
1) Salvation for our daughter as she is asking questions but not quite there yet.
2) Becky, as she plans on taking classes toward a teacher’s certificate.
3) I have just received administrative approval for developing Biblical based science curriculum for my creation series. If successful, this curriculum could be translated and distributed to over 21 village schools across Indonesia.
Thank you so much for your continued prayer support!
-Jared and Becky Skeens
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