Dear friends,
A new school year has started and the IGSL campus is once again abuzz with activity: his and hellos ringing in the hallways; the school bell signaling break time or the start of another class; feet shuffling as people line up in the canteen; students, staff, and faculty singing and praying together during chapel time.
God is indeed faithful for seeing us through and bringing us together again after everything that transpired in the past couple of years!
As the Lord stood with the Apostle Paul, gave him strength, and rescued him so that he could preach the Good News to the Gentiles (2 Timothy 4:17), so He protects and prepares us in IGSL to continue making a strategic impact in fulfilling the Great Commission.
One example is Bassem Melki, Peacemaking Team Lead and Dean of Faculty at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS). Pastor Bassem is a Ph.D. candidate in the IGSL/AGST* Peace Studies program who has been working with a group of pastors in Lebanon since 2019. On August 8, he shared much-needed knowledge and practical
peacemaking steps from his action-based research during the event entitledPeacemaking and Reconciliation in Evangelical Churches in Lebanon attended by pastors and their spouses from different denominations and areas in their country.
We praise God for this development, especially for the Lebanese Church where denominations have been in tension for a long time. The Peacemaking and Church Relations Department of ABTS is doing important work in bringing together churches, seminaries, and other ministries to serve together and help meet key areas of need in the church and their communities. (Go to this Facebook post and website article to find out more.)
What a blessing to see God’s hand at work, healing the church and strengthening her testimony! And what an encouragement for us at IGSL to keep developing Christ-centered, Great Commission-focused leaders. Thank you, dear friends, for taking part in this ministry! Through your faithful prayers and giving, we have welcomed 178 students from 20 countries attending face-to-face or online classes for the school year 2022-2023.
| Students during their campus tour during FIT, a 3-day orientation to prepare them for IGSL life. |
| Would you continue praying for our faculty, staff, and students to be faithful stewards of the roles, teams, and ministries entrusted to them? Pray as well for the adjustment of the whole IGSL community as we navigate running both face-to-face and online classes. How about you, dear friends? How may we specifically pray for you? Yours for the fulfillment of the Great Commission, Dr. Cris Uy IGSL President |