Newsletter:
Vol. 4. Iss. 3
15 July 2003
Reflections on the Future, cont'd
I envisioned S.B.S. to be a community of people in mission, not a “business” that provides a “product” for “customers.” It has become this and will continue to make a difference in many people’s lives.
S.B.S. aims to reform biblical scholarship by making it contextual, accessible and useful. It endeavors to redeem the concept of pilgrimage from commercial site seeing. It seeks to renew participants so that they can put the biblical faith to work. The mission is more vital now than ever. In an environment in which so many fear the foreiign, the outside world, travel itself is a form of mission. It has the effect of breaking down barriers and replacing them with bridges. It helps replace fears with understanding. Contextual study of the Bible helps us to understand that the biblical faith is relevant t our world and that studying the Bible is not merely an armchair exercise, but a practical necessity. In my opiion, biblical study doesn't really begin until one studies the application of the Bible and the biblical faith is redemptive only when we put it to work.
The past six years have been challenging, stimulating and gratifying. I am sure that the next six will be equally so. As we look forward, we anticipate expanding our domestic seminars and conferences to more regions. We envision programs for training church leadership in the skills of biblical study, mission development, preaching and church growth and development. I hope that we will see all our alumni very soon and welcome new participants to future programs. The future looks so promising because the past has been so fulfilling.
