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…
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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…
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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…
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Congratulations Mr and Mrs Alexander. It’s the CAT Programme.
Alex and Phil have been a part of our community for a couple of years already, with Alex graduating last May with an MTh in Applied Theology. Phil has been involved in teaching English and is also working towards an MTh in Contextual Missiology. This year, they are leading our Certificate in Applied Theology programme. Phil is reflecting on their first days with the new students: Over the previous four months Alex and I have been happy, excited but, let’s face it, mostly terrified due to our imminent venture into the seemingly uncharted territory of parenthood. Life has become much more focussed on internet searches for the most versatile buggies (strollers)…