by Jim Edge
As I interact with our students, I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 9:2, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” Members of the student body at Baptist Bible College flesh out that passage day in and day out. From involvement in their local churches to volunteering in the mentor programs of local public schools, these young men and women are committed to ministry now. But far from a social gospel ministry, these students have learned in the classroom that the only ultimate solution for this culture’s ills is a relationship with Christ and His church.
This was driven home to me once again as I traveled with eight of our students to the Cebu International Meeting of the BBFI. Our students were deeply moved to see the influence the BBFI has worldwide and to see other regions embrace the missionary and church planting philosophy of the BBFI. Our students saw that the BBFI philosophy works! They were especially interested in meeting college students from Bible Baptist College of Cebu. Like their counterparts in America, these Asian students embrace the same passion to influence the world. Our students walked through their facilities and saw the living conditions. After asking a few questions, they learned the staple food for the Filipino students is rice, and that it takes about $50,000 to supply rice to the entire student body for a school year. As we met for prayer on the way home, the students said they were committing the student body of BBC to raise $50,000 to supply rice for these students for one year. I didn’t want to discourage them, but in my heart had my doubts.
Now, three months later, I am thrilled to report to you that approximately $10,000 has been raised for the Grain Project. BBC Student Council President D. J. Cabrera writes, “It’s something that we can do to impact our world through our brothers and sisters in the Philippines. The Grain Project is a vision from our trip that we want to accomplish as a student body. Through the Grain Project we can meet a great need and also affect the world because the students in Cebu are going to go and reach people with the gospel.”
I have learned once again the power of passion in the work of Christ and the importance of teamwork. Our student leaders are working with all of our student body to accomplish their goal. They are doing so with a servant’s heart, less concerned about who gets the credit but determined to accomplish their goal of raising $50,000.
Our students’ desire to work together to accomplish a giant goal reminds me of our founders 61 years ago. Our students are learning our Baptist theology in the classroom, and they have embraced the BBFI philosophy of missions and church planting modeled by our pastors and churches. But it is much more than a sterile classroom experience for them; it is a lifestyle of passionate ministry, working together with their peers to accomplish the Great Commission.