This week’s morning prayers were led by two of our CAT students – Olha (Ukraine) and Nathanael (Belgium). They were looking at various ways we encounter God and worship him. One of the days focused on meeting God in the life of the Christian community, and also involved some responses of the fellow CAT students. At the beginning we as CATs didn’t think about building community at all. Actually for some of us it was even a new word! But God worked in us and taught us how to be changed and shaped by living in Building G. He is changing our characters. Sometimes it is hard, but by this…
-
-
Moles and Research Students
It’s really busy here!! Research Colloquium is taking place, and the next week sees the beginning of our February Intensives for the masters level students. It may be a bit overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time and it takes you five minutes during our usual 10.30 Coffee time to swim through the Guest Lounge towards Yulia and Zhenya to get your drink. But it is wonderful to sense all these energies directed to various research fields, to see all the faces of the friends and to hear the updates of what is happening in various parts of the world from which our students and supervisors come. And just to enjoy the fun of…
-
Back at IBTS
The academic year has resumed! Everybody’s back and studying hard (so we hope). Here’s a piece from Olha, one of the CAT students from Ukraine, reflecting on her time home for Christmas vacation and returning back to IBTS and Building G where the CATs reside. 11th of January, 06.00 in G building. I hear a loud noise. “We are the champions!” That’s the boys singing, or rather, screaming. They have just arrived. CATs are gathering after their Christmas vacation… During my Christmas holidays in Ukraine, I have been asked a lot of questions about my study at IBTS, such as, “Are you going to be a pastor? No? So, why do…
-
Being sentimental
I don’t really know about other people, but I always get very sentimental around this time of the year. Somehow everything gets bitter-sweet taste of sadness and nostalgia. And today’s gray ‘November weather’ outside does not really help the mood. Even a tiny bit of snow and sunshine would certainly be appreciated! Christmas is much connected to the past. Family, friends, some short meetings with different people – everything suddenly becomes alive. A few favourite songs on internet Christmas radio sinks you deeper into this sea of memories…
-
The joys of parenthood (Part 1)
Some time ago, Phil has written about his first impressions of working with CAT students. A couple of months later, Alex follows up with her Part 1. (We shall look forward to Part 2!) Our CAT ‘children’ have been at IBTS for nearly a whole semester and now the time is drawing near for many of them to return to their own countries and homes for Christmas holidays. I think that the end of semester calls for some time of reflective on Phil and my roles as CAT ‘parents’. 🙂 It must be said that it has been a great first semester from our point of view. Our CATs…
-
Trip to Elstal
Trips to another country are always exciting! On November 17, all M-level students of IBTS had an opportunity to stay for the night in the Baptist seminary in Estal (Germany). It was good to meet some students and to speak to teachers who showed us around the campus. What we enjoyed the most, however, was visiting the library (you can see us in the background of the picture if you look carefully;) ) – Radostina et al
-
His story in Prague
November Intensives are here! The first three days of this week also contain the Hughey lectures which form the key part of the Conference on Baptists and Revival. Plus, our Moderator from the University of Wales is visiting us. So it’s rather busy! Intensives also provide the joy of seeing our part-time students. Below is a word from Colin Symes, our MTh in Applied Theology student from Edinburgh: What a joy to be back at IBTS again this November and a double pleasure to be here coinciding with the Hughey Lectures. It was a suprise to come to the other end of the EU and find Professor Bebbington lecturing, having come from just 40km along…
-
Our residential student community
We are an unusual place, in many ways. One of them is that, as Parush, our Academic Dean, likes to say, our residential community reconstitutes itself each September: apart from the core group of teachers, staff, volunteers and other community members, much of the student body changes new every year, thereby giving a different ‘flavour’, which is then further enriched by part-time students, sabbaticals, and various other assorted folk who come for shorter or longer periods. Here’s how the residential CAT and full-time M-level student community looks like this year: