Newsletters

January 2023

Nipawin Bible College Alumni

I’m not sure if I’d consider it a resolution, but as a new year rolls in I feel prepared for the new role that I’ve been given.  Leading up to this past November I was asked if I’d let my name stand for Alumni President. After giving it some thought and prayer, I agreed and was elected during the Alumni Weekend Reconnect meeting.  I consider it an honour to serve in this position. I also have the pleasure of serving alongside an awesome group of people who make up the executive team. Jeralee Hamata joins me as a newcomer to the group, and our veteran members are Julie Fehr, Melisa Willson and Timothy Block.  At NBC, IT Manager & Events Coordinator Michael Rowland will be stepping into the role of staff liaison as Jason Elford will step back from that position for the time being.  We are all looking forward to our first meeting and beginning to plan for next year’s Alumni weekend.

In case you weren’t at Alumni Weekend or don’t have Facebook, we had a great event this year! There were about 190 people in attendance (alumni and kids) who contributed towards a total donation amount of over $10,000!  I praise God for how he provides and thank everyone who has given for your generosity. This will cover the cost of some new stage lighting in the Rempel Auditorium (the old ones just plain old broke), and additional mattresses for hosting campus guests in dorms during events like three60five and Alumni Weekend.

One thing that I have found very encouraging over this past year, and particularly during the 2022 weekend, was exactly why I loved NBC while I attended. I’ve talked to staff and board members and heard testimonies of current students and see the same heart in the staff, and the same growth in the students that I experienced in my three years at NBC (2013-2016). I was concerned for a time with the high staff turnover and the uncertainty that it has caused in myself and in other alumni I’ve spoken with. Is it the same college I knew? Are these new teachers providing good input and knowledge to the students? Have students been able to thrive in this unstable environment? Yes. Yes. And yes. 

Despite change in faculty, staff, executive leadership, and a pandemic to boot, God has been the Rock that the college has held to, and it shows. I see a staff dedicated to God and to the teaching and training of students, and I see a student body that is thriving. I look forward to getting to know the staff and faculty more in the years to come and see passionate followers of Jesus Christ come through the college with a heart to serve Him. 

Two more quick things. Please consider donating either as a one time deal or as a monthly supporter and help students receive the same experience you had at NBC. Second, if you have questions about the college, things that are happening, or things that have happened, reach out to people who can answer those questions. I know that staff and board members are willing to speak on behalf of the college, and I also want to add myself to that list. My contact info is provided and I want to help keep you as alumni informed about the college.

God Bless you all in this New Year. 

Your Alumni President, Benjamin Thiessen
benjamin.thiessen.x19@gmail.com