I am o f t e n as k e d , What is Word of Life all about? ”
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rom the day that Jack Wyrtzen founded Word of Life, sharing the Good News of the Gospel has been the heartbeat of this ministry. Today, more than 77 years later, we are still committed to fulfilling the Great Commission by boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and challenging people to respond to this wonderful life changing message. Why? Because it is the Truth of the Gospel and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that changes lives! It is a privilege to have a part in sharing this message to young people in more than 70 countries around the world, and every year we see thousands respond. It often brings tears to my eyes as I read their stories and hear of the life change that only God can make. This issue of the Experience Magazine focuses on reaching this generation with the Gospel. It is so encouraging to know there are many friends like you who are a part of all God is doing through Word of Life. But I also want to encourage you – if you are not already intentional about sharing your faith – there has never been a better time to get involved. More than ever before, young people are searching for reality and truth – and we know these are only found in the Person of Jesus Christ! Are you allowing Jesus to be seen through you? I want to encourage you to engage with us . . . Holding Forth the Word of Life! With a grateful heart, – DON LOUGH, JR. (‘84) Executive Director
ISSUE 3 / FALL 2017 the experience
04 07 08 11 13
AN INTERVIEW WITH ROGER PEACE THIS IS YOUR WORLD THE CALL TO EACH GENERATION THE RELAY HANDOFF ALUMNI NEWS
major contributors WRITERS, JODIE SEWALL, JIM JEFFREY, MIKE BUSH, ROGER PEACE DESIGNER, KORTNI STELTZ ALUMNI DIRECTOR, MIKE BUSH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DON LOUGH
For reprints, back issues, story ideas or other information email us at ALUMNI@WOL.ORG . The Experience is a publication of Word of Life. We want to build a community where you can find longtime friends, share testimonies of what God has been doing, encourage others with stories of change, and learn how you, too, can be involved with the mission of Word of Life. ©Copyright 2017—Word of Life Fellowship. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Word of Life Fellowship, Inc. To obtain permission, email us at MARKETING@WOL.ORG .
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Lauren is in 7th grade and Addison is in 4th grade. Cathy and I are both 1994 graduates of the Word of Life Bible Institute, and we echo the testimony of so many alumni, “It was the best year of our lives”. We are grateful to see our children excited about the BI, and they love spending time with students. This picture is of Cathy and me at Opening Weekend 1993. Neither of us knew anything about Word of Life before attending – so, yes, the look of “what are we getting into” was legit. There is a lot of excitement on campus with changes in numerous areas. Can you share some of the changes? Yes, there is a lot happening on the campus, and we are exceedingly grateful for God’s provision of resources. Recently we made the decision to combine our Youth and Family Camps and Operational areas with the Word of Life Bible Institute for the purpose of synergy and creating a dynamic year-round experience for students. As you can imagine, having our camps and operational teams on the campus creates an enthusiastic atmosphere. Construction was just finished on a brand new Enrollment, Financial Aid and Customer Care Office, now located under Italy Dorm. The Student Life deans have moved into the old Financial Aid/Enrollment office, and renovations continue in that space. The Administration building has been totally remodeled, and one of the dorms on Kenya Hill is also in the process of being remodeled.
t is my joy to introduce many of you to Roger Peace for the first time. Roger recently assumed the position of Executive Vice President of Bible Institutes and Camps. How long have you served with the ministry of Word of Life? We’ve been with Word of Life for 23 Years now! Tell us about your family. Cathy and I have been married for 23 years and have four children. Nathan recently finished the 2nd year program of the Word of Life Bible Institute, Marcus is in 10th grade,
ROGER & CATHY AT OPENING WEEKEND 1993
04 The experience fall 2017 edition
Our Property Services staff will be painting some of the dorm interiors this winter. We are in the process of opening a new Welcome Center and Center for Biblical Counseling (located in the old weight/workout room). Having an official Welcome Center for guests, alumni and potential students is vital to our customer service and growth strategies.
now have official agreements with many other colleges, and each of those colleges are offering scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $15,000 per year for WOLBI alumni. As alumni of WOLBI, you have access to some great discounts/scholarships with partner schools. For example, Cairn University is offering 50% off their online graduate programs for alumni. Check it out here by visiting this link: wol.is/cairnwolpartnership . We just finished a fantastic summer of ministry. Please give us a summary of what God did in and through the lives of our staff and campers, specifically in New York and Florida. Summer is a highlight for our staff and students. For many students it is the pinnacle of their Word of Life Bible Institute experience. It pulls together all the study and training they have received and stretches them to, by faith, trust the Lord for wisdom and strength to meet the needs of campers and guests. This past summer our students served over 13,700 guests, and 1,464 trusted Christ as Savior for the first time. We are now well into the Fall semester at the word of life bible institute. Give us an overview of what God is doing on campus at our various teaching sites including enrollment, ministry opportunities and goals. To say God is at work at our many teaching sites, would be an understatement. Every day we hear stories of lives being transformed by the Word of God. I think of a recent student who shared with me, I HAVE ALWAYS CONSIDERED MYSELF A SOLID CHRISTIAN, BUT WORD OF LIFE BIBLE INSTITUTE IS TAKING ME TO DEPTHS OF STUDY, DISCIPLESHIP AND MINISTRY THAT I NEVER KNEW EXISTED. ” “ This year as a team we have a set a goal of reaching 100,000 people through our various ministries on and off campus. Just in the first 3 weeks we have ministered to over 3,800 people. Our enrollment teams are highly focused on reaching our 10-year goals of 800 in New York and 400 in Florida. It is easy to get focused on numbers; but, as we challenge students to consider Word of Life Bible Institute, it is because we are driven to see students take a year in the Word and to build a Biblical foundation. I recently read a quote by Jack Wyrtzen: MOST COLLEGES TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO MAKE A LIVING, BUT HERE AT THE WORD OF LIFE BIBLE INSTITUTE WE TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO LIVE. ” “ That statement is motivating. When we consider reaching our goals and the eternal impact of serving over 1,200 students annually, I can’t help but get excited about the impact our graduates will have on this world.
Joe Schenke has been named Director of Counseling. He has served faithfully for many years as our Dean of Students. We are so grateful for Joe’s impact and influence on our campus. The Center for Biblical Counseling is available for staff, students and our local community. The Center will not only provide Biblical Counseling but also training and resources. In the future we plan to offer a Biblical Counseling Internship. The internship will be focused on training students who desire to serve fulltime in a counseling role with a church or organization. Along with many of the physical plant updates, there have been numerous personnel transitions to meet current and future needs. I am thankful for men who have gone before me…Stu Page, Ric Garland and most recently Mark Strout. Mark has done an amazing job leading our New York campus while growing our International Teaching Sites. Our International Teaching Sites have grown so quickly that it became clear we needed Mark to be completely focused globally. Mark has been appointed Executive Dean and Professor of Global Bible Institutes. Dr. Tom Davis has been named Distinguished Professor and Associate Academic Dean. Dr. Paul Weaver has been named Academic Dean. Dr. Weaver has served as the Academic Dean and Executive Dean of the Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute. Dr. Todd Kinzer recently graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary and has been appointed Dean of Students and Assistant Professor. A few other updates: Jason Headlee is serving as Dean of Ministries; Tom Phillips is serving as Campus Pastor and Eric Messer has been appointed Executive Dean of Student and Guest Experiences. Eric is responsible for all Operations, Enrollment and Financial Aid. Brice Futch is our Marketing and Recruitment Manager. Another area of focus for me has been our agreements with other partner colleges. I am pleased to share we
an interview with roger peace 05
Roger, there is a rumor out there that you are passionate about sports. What is happening now with our Sports program? Word of Life Bible Institute has for many years had a Sports program. It is my belief that sports are an important part of our ministry core and campus experience. It is my desire to see our Sports program develop in our competitiveness and become a model of excellence in athletics and ministry. Our sports teams use the platform of male and female soccer and basketball and female volleyball to share the Gospel with opposing teams. I challenge our sports teams to regularly see their platform as a catalyst to Gospel conversations. I am also a firm believer in playing with excellence so you have earned the right to be heard. This year we have placed a lot of energy on our Sports program…investing in our soccer field, new scoreboard, bleachers and player shelters. Our men’s soccer team had the opportunity to be coached by a professional player, Omar Catalan.
You can read about him by visiting this link: wordoflife. edu/2017/10/05/omar-catalan-using-soccer-reach-world/ . We want all of our sporting competitions to be an event on campus. An opposing coach shared with me,
How can we pray for you and the team of faithful servants at WOrd of life bible institute? How can our alumni, family and friends get involved and help the Bible Institute grow and expand? I use the statement often here - “For God’s glory, our good and the joy of others”. Pray that we glorify God in all we do. We desire to see every student have an incredible experience studying the Word, applying the Word and sharing the Word. As an alumnus, your influence on potential students is one of our most successful recruitment initiatives. Every week I hear stories from our current students speaking of the investment of a Word of Life Bible Institute alumnus in their lives. As an alumnus you are able to award an applying student with a $500 Alumni Scholarship. Please contact an Enrollment Representative at admissions@wol. org for more information. We are here to serve you as you serve potential students. As an alumnus, I would invite you to come and check out the campus, take a tour and come up to the office and have a cup of coffee with me. I would love to hear about your experience, how we can serve you better and hopefully be an encouragement to you. We have a remodeled Lakeside cabin for campus visitors and alumni for the purpose of campus tours and visits. We do not charge for these visits and space is limited, so plan in advance for your visit. You may schedule a visit by emailing my assistant, Debbie Wallace at debbiewallace@ wol.org .
Our mascot and team name is Word of Life Bible Institute Huskies, and for the first time in our history we have our very own logo and mascot. We are in the process of planning and praying about adding additional Sports programs in the near future.
06 The experience fall 2017 edition
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BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME UPON YOU, AND YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES IN JERUSALEM AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA, AND TO THE END OF THE EARTH. ”
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lan to join us in January for our annual Missions Conference at the New York and Florida campuses. Dorm housing and meals are available at both locations. For information contact us.
new york campus J a n u a r y 1 8 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 518.494.1515 juliaamesbury@wol.org
florida Campus J a n u a r y 1 1 - 1 3 , 2 0 1 7
727.379.5010 vickys@wol.org
SPEAKERS
S T E V E R I C HAR D S O N
D O N L O U G H
K R I S S T O U T
DIRECTOR OF PIONEERS MISSIONS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORD OF LIFE FELLOWSHIP
VICE PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL & LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRIES
This is your world 07
COVER STORY
The Call to Each Generation
BY JODIE SEWALL (‘85)
THIS STATEMENT FROM WORD OF LIFE’S FOUNDING DIRECTOR, JACK WYRTZEN , HAS BEEN QUOTED, PREACHED, PRINTED IN PUBLICATIONS, SCREEN PRINTED ON T-SHIRTS AND COMMITTED TO MEMORY BY WORD OF LIFE BIBLE INSTITUTE ALUMNI EVERYWHERE. WHY? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS STATEMENT THAT CAUSES IT TO RESONATE WITH SO MANY PEOPLE?
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purpose of it is to give the students a glimpse of what it’s like to be a missionary. Students are taught what the Bible says about God’s plan for the nations, and they learn a Biblical perspective on raising support. Each young person is then required to raise up a team of financial and prayer supporters in a process similar to that of full-time missionaries. Dare 2 Share On September 23, the Word of Life Florida Bible Institute partnered with Dare 2 Share, a nationwide event, by being a host location for their satellite meeting. The goal of this student-led event was to reach around 50,000 teenagers and to equip and empower them to relationally share the Gospel with their friends. Open air evangelism (oae) OAE has been a part of the evangelism training for Bible Institute students for over 30 years. Teams of students are taught how to witness to people, preach a message on the sketch board, or share the Gospel using a rope trick. If you have ever wondered if those street side salvation decisions are real, I had a recent “random” meeting with Bill Brown ’88 in which he shared a story with me about how he asked Sam Frey ‘80 to bring an OAE team to his hometown of Kearny, New Jersey in 1985. During one of those street meetings, he watched a young man respond to the Gospel message. Bill made a point to follow-up with the young man and disciple him. Bill and the newly-saved young man, Peter Ogilvie ’88, both attended the Bible Institute in the fall of 1987. Peter Ogilvie is now married with five children who love Jesus and two of them, Peter ’12 and John ’14 are Bible Institute alumni also. Can you recall the training and experience you received on your ministry team at the Bible Institute? Gerald Zeimer ’89 remembers that Jack’s quote personalized the call to world missions, and it was then he realized the Lord could use him to be a part of that call. Gerald and his wife, Kristen ’89, have been missionaries in Romania for 22 years. They work with Titus International and are involved in summer camps, Bible Clubs for children, Bible studies, and church planting. The Zeimers have four children, and two of them, Michael ’15, and Corina ’17, are graduates of the Bible Institute.
ack Wyrtzen, a young insurance salesman in New York City, came to understand the Gospel through the persistent witness of his Army buddy, George Schilling. Jack’s life was forever changed. He became passionate about knowing God and knowing Scripture, and he enthusiastically shared the life changing Good News of the Gospel with others. For 77 years, the ministry of Word of Life has faithfully proclaimed the Gospel message and has also trained and equipped young people to reach their generation with the Good News of the Gospel. Currently, Word of Life has ministries in over 70 countries. Here in the United States, there are two Bible Institutes and hundreds of Bible Clubs in local churches. Other opportunities for young people to be trained are: Student Fusion Student Fusion is a short-term missions opportunity for students ages 15-22. The goal is to expose them to what God is doing around the world and challenge and empower them to be part of His plan for the nations. During the summer of 2017, almost 100 people traveled to four countries and saw over 320 salvation decisions. The Cross-Cultural Internship CCI is another program Word of Life offers to students who have completed two years at the Word of Life Bible Institute. In this program, students complete their last two years of college online through schools such as Liberty University or Summit University (who offer discounts), while they are completing an internship on a foreign mission field. Currently, there are 58 students in 27 countries, and there are 43 more students ready to join them in January. CCI CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON WORLD MISSIONS NOT JUST THROUGH THE CHANCE TO SERVE IN ANOTHER CULTURE, BUT THROUGH WITNESSING GOD USES ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE TO COMPLETE HIS WORLDWIDE PURPOSES IN THE HEARTS OF INDIVIDUALS. ” “ – KELLY FACEMIRE | 2015-2017 Missions Reality Missions Reality is a class that second-year students take, and it culminates with a two-week mission trip. The
the call to each generation 09
Another way the ministry of Word of Life continues to challenge young people is through the annual Missions Conference at the Bible Institute. Jennifer Norris Him ‘91 first remembers hearing about missionary, Mary Slessor, at VBS when she was just ten years old. From that day, her heart burned with a desire to travel the world to tell others about Jesus. When she was fourteen, she was invited by a pastor to attend a Word of Life Bible Institute Missions Conference in Ontario,
her life, this was her response:
Canada. At that time she surrendered her life to the call of missions. Jennifer later attended two years at the Bible Institute to get the Biblical training and the ministry experience she needed for the mission field. During her second year at the Bible Institute, she traveled to India for her summer internship and thought that was where God was leading her. However, while she was completing her education at PBU (now Cairn University) she met her husband, Heap Him, who is from Cambodia. After learning the horrific story of Cambodia’s suffering and genocide and helping with Cambodian refugees in Philadelphia, she developed a deep love for the Cambodian people. She and Heap worked with Cambodian refugees in California for five years before moving to Cambodia to bring God’s love and truth to a hurting country. Jennifer describes their ministry in the following way: In Cambodia, a tropical, friendly country still struggling to recover from years of war and genocide, we mentor baby pastors’ in-house churches in the rice fields. This is a country that believes disabled people are to be cursed and that they deserve their suffering because of an evil deed that was done in a past life. Our ministry brings hope and opportunity to disabled children and young adults through a school and therapy center called Lina’s Hope where we offer daily therapy, education, Bible study, nutritious meals, medical care, field trips, and an environment of love and acceptance. We share the Gospel with children and families through daily Bible studies and as God opens the doors of hearts through relationships. We also rescue and foster disabled children who have been abandoned or who have escaped from life- threatening or abusive situations.. ”
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So again, we might ask, why does this call for “each generation to reach their generation for Christ” motivate and move the hearts of so many Christians? Perhaps Don Lough, Jr., Executive Director of Word of Life, explains it best in this quote from Word of Life’s 75th anniversary book called, “A Story of Life Change”: The famous British evangelist, Gypsy Smith, at 80 years of age was asked, ‘What is the secret of your excitement for Christ and the Gospel after all these years?’ This elder evangelist replied without hesitation, ‘I have never lost the wonder of it.’ I believe Word of Life has stayed on track focusing on Christ and the Gospel for 75 years because we have never lost the wonder of it all. How about you? Are you still in awe of the life-saving work that Jesus did in your life? It is your responsibility to share this Good News with your generation so they, in turn, can reach the next generation. I grew up as a missionary kid in Aruba, then I moved to Schroon Lake and lived with my grandparents. I graduated from the Bible Institute in ’88 and went on to attend The Master’s College. I had the distinct blessing of growing up surrounded with Christ-centered living. I watched people obey God’s leading, and, because of their example, when the Lord led us to Utah to serve Him in full-time mission work, it was not something we had to pray about for very long! My husband, Russ, had been saved out of a third generation Mormon family at the age of 14, and he had a deep desire to reach those who were being deceived in this false religion. By God’s grace, Utah Partnerships for Christ was started in 2000, and we have had over 300 mission teams comprised of approximately 3,000 mission team members come over the last 17 years. Our goal is to train Christians how to share the Gospel effectively with Mormons using short-term mission trips. As a ministry, we also have a strong radio presence with our partnership relationship with KUTR AM 820 which is a part of The Truth Radio Network based out of Winston- Salem, NC. The radio station reaches 80% of the State of Utah, 24/7, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! In God’s strength, we are striving to live out what my grandfather said so many years ago. And it needs to be a focus in all of our lives as believers, to reach those around us by being salt and light, to reach our generation for Christ. I was very close with my grandpa, and his faith was authentically lived out. He consistently shared the Gospel with complete strangers by giving them a Gospel tract, or by taking the time to explain God’s love to them. When he said, ‘It is the responsibility of each generation to reach their generation for Christ,’ he didn’t just say it; he lived it.
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Another Bible Institute alumnus involved in full-time evangelistic work is Tammy Oris East ’88 and her husband, Russ. Tammy is the granddaughter of Jack Wyrtzen and when asked how her grandfather’s quote had influenced
10 The experience fall 2017 edition
The Relay Handoff BY JIM JEFFERY
elay Events are some of the most exciting for athletes and spectators at a track meet. As the incoming runner enters the “changeover box”, the receiving runner has to match speed to prepare for the exchange. The handoff is non-visual but often verbal as the runners sync and exchange the baton at a high speed. The Relay Handoff has been developed into a science with three major forms: the upsweep, the downsweep and the push. The 4x100, 4x200, 4x400 and 4x800 relays are often won or lost in the handoff even in the Olympics.
Handing the faith to the next generation is even more important. Psalm 78: 1,4-7 says, “Give ear, O my people to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. We will not hide them from their children, telling the generation to come the praises of the Lord. Which He commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children, that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep His commandments.” The Relay Handoff of faith is to be multigenerational! The opening chapters of the book of Judges show what happened when the handoff is bungled. The Israelites “Served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:7) “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10) The baton of truth and faith was left on the track, and the race was lost for a generation. It doesn’t take a perfect family to pass the baton to our sons and daughters. But in reality, parents knowing, loving and learning from God are essential. Taking advantage of teachable moments in the rhythm of family life is how the baton is passed. (Deuteronomy 6:1-9) Timothy had an unsaved dad but a godly grandmother and mother who passed on a genuine faith rooted in Christ and the Bible. (Acts 16:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-17) He became an
Olympic class leader of Christ and the Gospel. Timothy took the challenge to pass the baton to others who taught others as well. (2 Timothy 2:2) Word of Life as a ministry has been running the relay and passing the baton since its inception. Evangelism, discipleship, biblical teaching, equipping and leadership development has handed the baton to four generations. As a grandfather, I have had the joy of using the Quiet Time Diary and Memory Verse Packs to disciple my grandsons in weekly Facetime and in face-to-face chats. As a youth pastor, I saw firsthand the value of the Local Church Ministry program as a tool for baton passing in the church. Teaching at the Bible Institute has encouraged me to see the next generation of spiritual leaders being prepared to run their race. The camps and conferences held around the world always focus on handing off the Gospel to others. So, my question to you is …. to whom are you handing the baton to in your life?
The Relay Handoff 11
Tug-of-war is fun for kids but not for siblings after the passing of a parent. You may have wondered how you might make decisions now that would make decisions easier for them then. Is dividing the inheritance equally among the kids the best way? Have you considered the unique opportunity to bless each child or grandchild according to their needs and abilities and to continue the work of God through a legacy gift? Through the thoughtful, orderly process of estate financial planning, Word of Life’s trusted ministry partner, PhilanthroCorp, will walk with you in making the decisions that make a difference for your family. They will help you answer questions such as: • What hopes and dreams do you have for your children? • What legacy story do you desire for your family? • What decisions you make today about your will and estate documents could make a difference in the lives of your children, grandchildren and generations to come? Word of Life is committed to helping you design a lasting legacy, one simple step at a time, and at no cost to you. An introductory phone call with a PhilanthroCorp representative will answer your questions and give you a step-by-step process to make decisions today that will relieve others from making them for you tomorrow.
GET STARTED BY CALLING PHILANTHROCORP AT 800.876.7958
alumni News
1990’S Chad Muessig (‘90) and his wife, Stefanie, live in New Jersey where Chad is a Sergeant with New Jersey DOC. Chad is also involved in his church as a Praise/Worship Leader. Julie (Schwartz) Mahoney (‘90) lives in Pennsylvania with her two boys, Samuel (17) and Benjamin (13), where she works for Rite Aid as a Pharmacy Technician. Henry (Hank) Russo (‘91) and his wife, Becky, have three children: Annie (15), Kerrie (13), and Julie (9). Hank works for Verizon maintaining Telephone & Internet infrastructure. Since 2006 he and his family have been traveling to Word of Life properties in the Philippines and Chile to help with phone repairs and installations. Jennifer (Hale) McGinn (‘91) lives in Virginia with her husband, Dave. She is involved in the Preschool ministry at her church and is a Homemaker. David Cucchi (‘92) is married to Richelle, and they have adopted five children (Gabby 10, Sabrina 9, Joshua 5, Mason 4 and Mariah 4). David is an IT/Cyber specialist, is heavily involved in his church, and has a passion for reaching the most broken men on earth. Richard & Becky (Wickliffe) Meyer (‘92) have two children at King’s College in Manhattan and two more children being homeschooled. Rich recently took the position of Director of Retreat Operations at Liebenzell USA. Wilbur “Bill” Kline (‘78) was an Off-Campus student and is now 89 years old living in Ohio with his wife, Joan (’93). He was 65 when he attended the BI. He does hospital visitation and drives those in need to doctor’s visits. Mark & Karen (Price) Weigner (‘94) have five children: Rebekah (20), Brienna (18), Narae (15), Adah (12), and Hanna (6). They live in Pennsylvania where Karen homeschools their children and leads women’s bible studies in their church. Kevin Abbott (‘94) is the Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church in Red Oak, TX. He and his wife, Mindy, have three children (Callie 16, Abigail 7, and Joshua 5). Jennifer (Crozier) Dallaire (‘94) lives in Sherbrooke, Quebec with her husband, Eric, and their two children, Anne-Marie (14) and Lydia (12). She is a stay-at-home mom and is involved in her church teaching Sunday School, doing Discipleship, and serves on the Worship Team. She also teaches at summer camps at Word of Life Quebec. Richard Bailey (‘94) and his wife, Rhonda, have two children: Lauren and Abby. They live in Georgia where Richard is an Assistant GM at WestRock Recycling. He also assists his wife with the CEF Chapter in Atlanta and leads the kid’s choir at church. Andrew Maddux (‘96) lives in the St. Petersburg, FL area with his wife, Kristen, and daughter, SaraRose (9). He is an Advancement Director for Keswick Christian School. Tim Aspin (‘96) and his wife, Sarah, have three children: Cydney, Cody, and Caleb. They live in Flushing, MI where Tim works for Cintas. Lydia (Weyman) Holcomb (‘97) met her husband, Fred (’97), at Word of Life Bible Institute, and they now have five children ages 2 – 10 including twins. They are all boys! Fred is finishing up his missionary aviation training, and they have applied to join the Samaritan Aviation ministry in Papua New Guinea. Julie (Weertman) Wilding (‘97) and her husband, Mike, have three children: Emma (12), Abbi (10), and Jase (4). She leads a ministry to about
1970’S Wayne & Sara (Siebert) Tripp (‘75) live in the Lynchburg area where Wayne is a professor at Liberty University and Sara is a Nurse Practitioner. They have two grown children and six grands. Vicki (Sands) Sullivan (‘77) lives in Maryland with her husband, Danny. She works for the Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. as an Administrative Assistant. Nancy (Anderson) Olsen (‘78) and her late husband have nine children and three grandchildren. She works full time as an RN and is working on her Master’s in counseling online. Connie (Motsinger) Sargent (‘78) is a pastor’s wife and mother of two grown children, Carissa (Sargent) Hoenshell (’02) and Cody Sargent (’10 & ’11). Her husband, Bob, pastors South Swansea Baptist Church in Massachusetts. She is involved in teaching Jr. Church, leading VBS, and a College & Career small group. 1980’S Doug & Sue Armbrecht (‘80) serve as the Word of Life Regional Coordinator in Florida. They remember their year at the BI as an unbelievable year. Ten married couples came to Word of Life Bible Institute that year and a number went into full-time ministry. The rest made a great impact in their local church. Paul & Kim (Eshleman) Barreca (‘80) have three married children and seven grandchildren. Paul has been a pastor for 35 years and recently accepted the position of Director of Fellowship International Mission. Denise (Martelle) Reed (‘82) lives in Nebraska with her husband, Todd. Gerry Dill (‘83) and his wife, Gail, live in Ellsworth, Maine where Gerry is pastor of Maine Coast Baptist Church. Kevin Molda (‘83) has been a real estate appraiser for 25 years. He and his wife, Rhonda, have three children (Benjamin 12, Hilary 24, and Kathryn 26) and three grandchildren. Joan (Cerak) Brown (‘84) is married to Andrew and is a Dental Hygienist in New Jersey. Kimberly (Rayner) Hutchins (‘87) and her husband, Ty, have three children: Brittany (Hutchins) Trimble (’15 & ’16) (21), Nathan (18), and Megan (16). Kimberly works part time at a daycare center and serves in the church nursery. Rebecca (Phillips) Hancock (‘89) lives in Virginia with her husband, Allen, and their daughter, Hailee (7). Rebecca is a Secondary Special Education Teacher. Wendy (Washburn) Houghton (‘88) lives in Montana with her husband, Mike, and their children: Seth (15) and Elizabeth (13). Wendy is a school teacher. Susan (Barrett) Rogers (‘89) lives in Michigan with her husband, Ray, and their four children: Victoria (16), Katie (13), Ford (12), and Barrett (7). She is a stay-at-home mom and homeschools her youngest. Pam (Moore) Rossik (‘89) is a Certified Home Health Aid and lives in Connecticut with her husband, Stephen. Jennifer (Lee) Higgs (‘89) and her husband, Donald, have a son, Khalil (19), and live in New Jersey where Jennifer is a Homemaker.
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2000’S Amber (Vercel) Polivchak (‘00) lives in Arizona with her husband, Casey, and their two children: Lucy (6) and Bodey (4). She is homeschooling her children and teaching English online. JoAnn (‘00) & Annette (Quinn) Payne (‘04) live in Virginia where Allen is a Youth Pastor and Annette teaches Bible part time at a Christian School. They have three children: Aniston (8), Mason (5), and Micah (2). Ryan Hansen (‘00) and his wife, Megan, have three children: Lia (6), Andru (4), and Sofia (2). Ryan is the Field Director for Score International in Honduras. Greg (‘00) & Kara (Blackledge) Daley (‘99) and his wife, Gail, live in Ellsworth, Maine where Gerry is pastor of Maine Coast Baptist Church. Amy (Rider) Johnson (‘01) lives in California with her husband, Jeremy, and their two children: Lexi (11) and Chloe (8). Joe Quick (‘01) is living in Iowa with his wife, Amy, and their two children: Kaden (4) and Karter (2). Joe works as a School Counselor. Nathan & Karen Earls (‘02) were Off-Campus married students when they attended the Bible Institute in New York. They currently serve as full-time missionaries with Word of Life in Canada at the Owen Sound location, and Karen is a part-time Biblical Counselor to women in their local church. Cindy (Gragg) Peters (‘03) and her husband, Joe, have two children: Sabrina (10) and Jordyn (8). She has been involved in youth ministry with her husband and will be homeschooling their children. Joseph (‘03) & Jessica (Stone) Burchell (‘02) live in Pennsylvania where Jessica is a high school math teacher. They have three children: Chloe (7), Troy (5), and Elise (3). Philip Fidler (‘04) is married to Kim. Philip is involved with Training and Equipping Church Planters by leading and teaching in several ministries and in different capacities. He is training future missionaries and church planters. He is also working with formerly-addicted men. Heather Bell (‘04) works as a Senior DOT Safety Compliance Specialist in Florida. Scott (‘99) & Aimee (Miller) Hall (‘00) live in Pennsylvania where Scott is the lead pastor at The Grove Church in Scranton. They have two children: Caden and Avelyn. Joshua Grayum (‘99) is married to Melissa, and they live in New Hampshire where Joshua is a Product Manager for Fidelity Investments. Meegan Pratt (‘99) lives in Maine where she works in the mental health field with children with a major mental illness. Aaron & Amanda (Fisher) Langworthy (‘99) live in Iowa. Aaron has served as a Youth Pastor for 14 years, and Amanda is a stay-at-home and homeschooling mom. They have four children: John (18), AJ (14), Alijah (7), and Isaac (2). Sherri (Pratt) Oliver (‘99) is a pastor’s wife and homeschooling mom of five: Alan (16), Alexander (13), Shaelyn (10), Aaron (2) and Leah (1). Her husband, Robert, pastors Baring Baptist church in Maine. Bill Yuhasz (‘99) is pastoring in Texas and is the road pastor for the band, Unspoken.
700 preschoolers each weekend and leads a home group with her husband. They also do premarital counseling and disciple lots of singles. Scott Holovic (‘97) is a chef at a hospital in Raleigh, NC. He remembers his two years at Word of Life Bible Institute as the greatest, most inspiring, and fruitful years of his life. Jennifer (Lloyd) Holsinger (‘97) and her husband, Mark, are missionaries with ABWE in Nicaragua. Sarah (Hiller) Berg (‘97) lives in Montana with her husband, Jared, and their six children: Akayla (14), Malachi (11), Levi (10), Hannah (8), Titus (6), and Weston (4). Sarah is a homemaker and spends much of her time homeschooling. Beth (Ryan) Newsome (‘97) and her husband, Ryan, have two children: Trey (11) and Tanner (8). Beth is a 3rd grade teacher in Ohio. Alicia (Taylor) Roberts (‘98) and her husband, Marshall, have three children: Marshall “Tripp” (5), McKenzie (4), and Micah (2.5). She is currently staying at home but taught elementary physical education for 10 years and just finished her Master’s in Education; Administration and Leadership from Liberty University. Joshua Grayum (‘99) is married to Melissa, and they live in New Hampshire where Joshua is a Product Manager for Fidelity Investments. Meegan Pratt (‘99) lives in Maine where she works in the mental health field with children with a major mental illness. Aaron & Amanda (Fisher) Langworthy (‘99) live in Iowa. Aaron has served as a Youth Pastor for 14 years, and Amanda is a stay-at-home and homeschooling mom. They have four children: John (18), AJ (14), Alijah (7), and Isaac (2). Lydia (Weyman) Holcomb (‘97) met her husband, Fred (’97), at Word of Life Bible Institute, and they now have five children ages 2 – 10 including twins. They are all boys! Fred is finishing up his missionary aviation training, and they have applied to join the Samaritan Aviation ministry in Papua New Guinea. Julie (Weertman) Wilding (‘97) and her husband, Mike, have three children: Emma (12), Abbi (10), and Jase (4). She leads a ministry to about 700 preschoolers each weekend and leads a home group with her husband. They also do premarital counseling and disciple lots of singles. Scott Holovic (‘97) is a chef at a hospital in Raleigh, NC. He remembers his two years at Word of Life Bible Institute as the greatest, most inspiring, and fruitful years of his life. Jennifer (Lloyd) Holsinger (‘97) and her husband, Mark, are missionaries with ABWE in Nicaragua. Sarah (Hiller) Berg (‘97) lives in Montana with her husband, Jared, and their six children: Akayla (14), Malachi (11), Levi (10), Hannah (8), Titus (6), and Weston (4). Sarah is a homemaker and spends much of her time homeschooling. Beth (Ryan) Newsome (‘97) and her husband, Ryan, have two children: Trey (11) and Tanner (8). Beth is a 3rd grade teacher in Ohio. Alicia (Taylor) Roberts (‘98) and her husband, Marshall, have three children: Marshall “Tripp” (5), McKenzie (4), and Micah (2.5). She is currently staying at home but taught elementary physical education for 10 years and just finished her Master’s in Education; Administration and Leadership from Liberty University.
14 The experience fall 2017 edition
2010’S Jared & Melinda (Agin) Sundberg (‘10) have two children: Isaiah (2) and Nora (5 mos.). Jared is a mortgage consultant with Peoples Bank, and Melinda is a stay-at home-mom. They lead the youth group at their church. Elizabeth Keri Anne (Farrell) Baker (‘10) is a stay-at-home mom to four adopted kids: Bradley (6), Neil (5), Lyla (3), and Jonah (2). Her husband is Ron Emily (Beck) Roddin (‘09) and husband, Paul, have three children: Abigail (3), Joseph (2) and Timothy (2 mos.). Emily is a stay-at-home mom and runs a Mom group ministry and works in the nursery at church. Kyle (‘07) & Maghen (Goodman) Singer (‘06) live in Pennsylvania where Scott works in customer service for Rolex Watch, and Maghen is a homeschool mom to their four children: Natalie (8), Caroline (6), Savannah (3), and Graham (1). Nicole (Dillstone) Stark (‘06) lives in Saskatchewan, Canada with her husband, Kevin. They have two children: Kaitlyn (5) and Isaac (2) with a third expected in March 2018. Matt & Katie (Singer) Dooney (‘06 & ‘07) are Word of Life Local Church Missionaries serving churches in the Jacksonville, Florida area. They are the parents of Wesley (2 ½) and Calvin (newborn). Elainie Gonzalez (‘07) works at the Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center in Paterson, NJ and has a three-year-old son, Nicolas. Her memories of Word of Life Bible Institute include working in the Snack Shack where she claims to have made the best Blizzards ever. William Botts (‘07 & ‘08) and his wife, Mary Beth, have three children: Dakota (17), Mason (15), and Grace (14). He is the Student Pastor at First Baptist Church Holly Springs in Georgia. Mike Byrd (‘07 & ‘08) and his wife, Christian, live in Georgia where Mike is a Student Pastor at Calvary Baptist Temple. Tiffany Colwell (‘08) lives in Virginia where she is a Registered Nurse and works with in the two-year-old class at church. Amanda Poe (‘08) and her husband, Kyle, have two children: Adelyn (4) and Noah (2). She is the Assistant Development Director and Internship Director for West Michigan Youth for Christ. She also runs a CORE ministry with Youth for Christ where they empower Christian students to reach their lost friends and peers with the Gospel. Tyler & Cassandra (Jamieson) Oldrieve (‘08 & ‘10) served on staff with Word of Life Canada for six years, and currently Tyler is pastoring at Simcoe Gospel Chapel in Ontario. They have two children: Eli (2) and Lilia (6mos.). Mary Bertou (‘09 & ‘10) works as a Cost Accountant in Lititz, PA and is involved with the Young Singles group at her church. Her favorite memory was during second year when they had a campus wide snowball fight on the soccer field. Jessica (Hobbs) Lee (‘09) is an RN on a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. She and her husband, Tim, have two children: Adalynn (2) and Aria (7 mos.). Elizabeth Wallace (‘09) is working as a Veterinary Assistant and serves in the Children’s program at her church. Amanda (McGee) Walsh (‘09) and her husband, Daniel, are the parents of Annie Mae (2) and Justin Parker (4 mos.) She is a stay-at-home mom and is involved in the MOPS group and music team at church. They are living in Alaska.
Baker III (’10). John Russo (‘11) lives in Connecticut and works for a nonprofit for adults with mental and physical disabilities. Sarah Hight (‘11) works full time at Camp-of-the-Woods in Speculator, NY in the Housekeeping Department. She also serves in the youth group at her church. Nathan (‘10 & ‘11) & Jessica (Hudy) Deck (‘11) live in North Carolina where Nathan is a Youth pastor. They have two children: Hannah (3) and Laura (5 mos.) Heather McMillen (‘12) has been doing missionary work in Haiti since September 2012. She is currently home and going to LPN school this fall but plans to return to Haiti. Donald (‘13) & Kaycee (Hartley) Chandler (‘15) are living in New Jersey where Don is the lead pastor at Centerton Baptist Church. Josh Crouch (‘13) serves as the Children’s Associate for third and fourth grade at Prestonwood Baptist Church in the Fort Worth, Texas area. He credits his time at Word of Life Bible Institute as having planted the foundation that he is currently using to minister with in East Texas. Michelle (Netzlaw) Cashdollar (‘13) and her husband, Michael, are the parents of 3-month-old, Thea. Michelle is attending cosmetology school, and they are living in Ohio. Josh Hankins (‘15) is the Director of Family Ministry at Grace Fellowship Church in Greenbush, NY. He and his wife, Rebecca, have a two-year-old son. Chris Jones (‘15) is the Chaplain at Union Mission Ministries. He and his wife, Estela, live in West Virginia. Esther Farrar (‘99) is in her senior year at Boston Baptist College and is working in a dental office. She is engaged to Robert Andrew Wood (’15). Francis Ndunda (‘15) is a Word of Life missionary in Ghana involved with soccer outreach, Bible Clubs, camps, and teaching in a discipleship program. Jeremiah Knisley (‘16) is ministering with Word of Life Revive Band this year. FIND US ON FACEBOOK! LOOK FOR WORD OF LIFE BIBLE INSTITUTE ALUMNI AND WORD OF LIFE FELLOWSHIP UPDATE YOUR ALUMNI PROFILE ONLINE AT WORDOFLIFE.EDU/UPDATE WHAT IS GOD DOING IN YOUR LIFE? HOW HAS HE LED, HELPED, OR COMFORTED YOU? IF YOU HAVE A TESTIMONY TO GIVE, A STORY TIP TO PASS ON, A ‘REMEMBER WHEN,’ OR MINISTRY UPDATE, WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT IT! WE CAN ACCEPT HIGH-QUALITY PHOTOS, 300DPI OR HIGHER. E-MAIL US AT ALUMNI@WOL.ORG
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