Columbia Bible College is pleased to announce the appointment of Kara Bergstrom as the Intercultural Studies Program Director beginning August 2013.

Kara and her husband, Kent, reside in Abbotsford with their two pre-school children, Brook and Luke. She comes with a Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural Ministries from Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary at ACTS Seminaries and has given leadership to short term mission projects as Director of Global Projects at Trinity Western University.  Prior she was a Site Leader and Mentor with the Canadian Mennonite University Outtatown program.  She has served and travelled widely.  Her most recent position was as a writer and editor with the MB Mission International office.   She states, “I am excited to join the CBC team as the Director of Intercultural Studies! I have already met a number of the students and am inspired by their passion for and commitment to serving Christ across cultures.”

Columbia is grateful for the energy and expertise Kara brings to the position and is looking forward to the contribution she will make to the college community.

Visit www.columbiabc.edu/ics to learn more about the Intercultural Studies Program and how to apply.

We invite you to join us for the 17th Annual Columbia Open Fundraising Tournament taking place Thursday June 6, 2013 at the Redwoods Golf Course located in Langley, BC.

To Register: 2013 Columbia Open Golfer Registration Form

For more information please contact: development.events@columbiabc.edu

On Saturday, April 20 at 10:30 am we will celebrate convocation with our 4 year Bachelor of Arts graduates, two year Diploma graduates and one year certificate graduates. The completion of their programs represents hours of work and study.  All are welcome to join us as we recognize the accomplishments of these students.  The ceremony will take place at Northview Community Church, 32040 Downes Road, Abbotsford, BC. 

For more information please contact Diane Vint at diane.vint@columbiabc.edu.

Columbia Bible College is pleased to announce the appointment of David Warkentin as the Director of Praxis. (Pictured with his wife Julie and his kids, Landon and Laila)

Praxis is a new one year discipleship program with an urban mission/social justice emphasis which will begin in Fall 2013.   David is an alumnus of both Columbia Bible College and Regent College, as well as a credentialed minister with the BCMB and currently is an Associate Pastor of Hyde Creek Community Church.  He brings a passion for teaching, discipleship and engagement with culture to the position.  Columbia is excited to have David join in their mission to equip people for a life of discipleship, ministry, and leadership in service to the church and community.   He begins his assignment on May 1, 2013.  To learn more about Praxis visit www.columbiabc.edu/praxis

“Building Christ-centered Champions”

On Saturday, February 9^th, Bearcat Athletics and Columbia Bible College hosted their 4^th annual Bearcats Breakfast, a fundraising event for athletic scholarships.  This year’s breakfast featured CFL all-star and BC Lions defensive backs coach, Mark Washington.  Mark challenged the 140 athletes/coaches/business people in attendance as he spoke about the importance of finishing what you start, focusing on the task at hand, and keeping your faith at the center of all you do. 

In addition, both past and present athletes shared from their experience what being a part of Bearcat Athletics is like and how that time shaped their faith and their character, preparing them for the future.  The crowd also heard from Athletic Director, Matt Kaminski, and CBC President, Bryan Born, who spoke about the role and vision of Bearcat Athletics which is to equip student-athletes for a life of discipleship, ministry and leadership in service to the church and the community through the pursuit of excellence on and off the floor.

The breakfast was a huge success as it exposed a number people to Bearcat Athletics and what the program is all about, while also raising $23,000 for athletic scholarships!

For over twenty years, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) at Columbia has provided the skill, training and knowledge that students need to be effective teachers in the Early Childhood Education field, and has done so from a Christian perspective.  Graduates from the program are working in a variety of settings, impacting the lives of families and children around the world.  In 2007, Columbia phased out the four-year Degree program but continued to offer the two-year Diploma and one-year Certificate.  After much consideration and prayer, the decision has been made that Columbia will phase out both the ECE Diploma and Certificate Programs and will officially close them as of August 31, 2013.  Students that are currently enrolled into the Diploma or Certificate Programs have been notified and will have the remainder of the 2012-2013 Academic year to complete their studies.  Columbia will no longer be accepting applications for the Early Childhood Education program but will continue to offer the Educational Assistant Program for those students interested in working with children and adolescents who require assistance in the learning process. Visit www.columbiabc.edu/educationalassistant for more information.

The Annual Educators' Conference will continue, and is scheduled for November 2,2013.  The details for the conference,  workshops and registration and information on  much more  will be  available in late spring 2013.  Watch for details on the website and in the mail.

If you have any questions about this change, please contact admissions@columbiabc.edu

Columbia is excited to be able to offer a “Spring Test Drive” to University of the Fraser Valley students who wish to live in a Christian College community!

For details of this new initiative, visit http://www.columbiabc.edu/ufv

346 guests donated over $180,000 at Columbia's Annual Fundraising Dinner on October 27, 2012 in Columbia Place, demonstrating their conviction that a Bible College education continues to be valuable for life.

For more information, and to view pictures of the event, click here.

This was not a typical AGM for Columbia Bible College. Delegates to the College’s annual general meeting held on Thursday, October 11th unanimously endorsed the nomination of Dr. Bryan Born to become its newest President. Dr. Born will assume the Presidency on December 22nd which will also mark the retirement date of Columbia’s current President, Dr. Ron Penner.

Born is currently serving as the Director of Intercultural Studies at Columbia, a post he has held since arriving in 2004. During the previous twelve years he worked together with African churches in Botswana and Lesotho. He holds Masters degrees in Divinity and Theology, along with a Doctorate in Missiology. He and his wife of nearly 30 years, Teresa, have three adult children, two of whom are married.

Dr. Born’s address to the delegates at the AGM was enthusiastically received. In his speech he outlined the challenges he sees facing young adults today and his vision for Columbia and its role in meeting those needs. “Some of you are no doubt aware of the recent Canadian study, “Hemorrhaging Faith,” headed up by James Penner and a similar study done by David Kinnaman of the Barna group in the U.S. featured in his book “You Lost Me”. These publications argue that the issues of uninhibited media access, relational alienation and skepticism of authority are the defining challenges facing present-day young adults. Most concerning is the reality that many have no one to help them make wise choices, discern truth from error, and learn how to think for themselves.”

He went on to say: “I am convinced that Bible College education is more important than ever. My mission is to do all I can to ensure that CBC is a college known for equipping students with a solid biblical foundation that will encourage and challenge them to follow Jesus passionately in whatever vocation God calls them to pursue. I believe God has a calling on every one of our students… we want to see them make a significant impact in the family, in the community, in their careers, in the church - wherever God puts them. Through mentoring, modeling, teaching and praying, we want to make disciples who seek to partner with God in his mission of redeeming and transforming the world.”
Born acknowledged that he cannot do this on his own. He added: “ I look forward with anticipation to working together with our denominational leaders, college board, faculty, staff, partner churches and especially our students to ensure that we continue to provide outstanding educational and discipleship opportunities that are Christ-centered, biblically-based, Spirit-empowered, church-committed and mission-focused.”

Board Chair and CBC alumnus Ralph Hildebrand says “Our society needs a place where young Christian adults can come and find a firm footing to their faith, learn and understand the key truths of Scripture and help them walk out their faith in their future vocation, whatever the career path God directs them towards. We are focused on creating disciples for Christ, enabling and equipping them for life whether that be in service to the church or in the community. I think the founders of our institution over 75 years ago would be astounded at the world we live in where technology, media and access to information have such a heavy influence on our lives. Our College needs leadership that can navigate us through our times and I am extremely confident in Bryan’s commitment to and vision for the College. He has a keen sense not only of the rich history of our institution but also an understanding of its future role.”

Hildebrand’s introduction of Dr. Born also included a warm tribute to Dr. Ron Penner for his 15 years of service to Columbia and 27 years to Christian Higher Education. In his address Dr. Penner stated “I can’t think of a better person than Bryan to take over the helm. He is definitely the right person, at the right time for this position. I not only wish him well but give him my full support in this transitional period and beyond”. Dr. Penner intends to take some time off before embarking on the next phase of his life. “My wife Linda and I are going to just relax and take time off before seeking out what we do next. I am open to what God’s plan and direction is”.

Columbia Bible College is based in Abbotsford, B.C., and is affiliated with the British Columbia Mennonite Brethren Conference and Mennonite Church British Columbia. Each semester CBC is home to approximately 450 students from 20+ different denominations and offers a variety of certificate, diploma and Bachelor of Arts degrees. In 2013, Columbia will start a new one year program called PRAXIS, an affordable 8 month certificate program with an emphasis on Christian discipleship in the urban context. Through experiential learning, Praxis students are exposed to the heart of the city and will discover how their faith can be lived out in our current culture. While studying the Bible will also investigate various social justice issues and explore opportunities for Christian witness in North American cities.

Friends and alumni of Columbia Bible College are invited to join Gareth Brandt and Wilmer Martin for our Anabaptist Heritage tour. Together we will trace the steps of early leaders in the Anabaptist church as we visit 16th century sites that were significant in changing the course of history and the church. This variation on TourMagination’s classic European Heritage tour has been designed specifically for friends of Columbia Bible College and is certain to be a faith-enhancing tour.

For more information, see the Anabaptist Heritage Tour brochure