California
Mother of Alli - Current Student
Mother of Tim - Former Student
My husband
and I started attending a home Bible study with our new church
and one of the young married women in our group showed phenomenal
insight and discernment. She told us of her
education at EBC, particularly that of the Bible Study Methods
class. Her
husband and mine became friends and one night at dinner with
our two kids, she blew us away with the price of tuition. We
quickly got online and could not believe the affordability. We
called our old pastor and he too told us that EBC was solid and
very missions minded. We contacted all the people we knew
who were aware of EBC and grilled them with questions. One
of our elders had roomed with Francis Chan in college and other
members of our church had known him for years and introduced
us to him. We checked out the church, my husband listened
to three sermons a day for 3 months, and we did our background
homework. Our daughter enrolled and then our son asked
if he could also apply.
When our kids were very young,
they were captivated by the stories and testimonies of missionaries.
Our daughter expressed her heart’s desire to be a missionary
when she was 6 and our 4 year old son thought it best that he
become a surgeon so he could support her. Throughout her
childhood our little girl showed a tenderness and sensitivity
to missions that touched (and pained) our hearts. Our son
was convinced that he was wired to be an entrepreneur and wanted
to be a great businessman who could help missionaries. When
they told us of their desire to attend EBC, it did not surprise
us. What money
we had set aside for their college education could go far and
it was with our blessing that we encouraged them to enroll.
Great changes! As parents, we did NOT want our kids to
be little replicas of us. We truly desired that they would
be conformed to the image of Christ. Perhaps the best challenge
and change was seeing our kids start to defend their beliefs
based on their godly convictions, not just the way they were
raised. Regurgitated answers were challenged. Our
kids had to learn to defend and define their faith. It
rocked their little world, but drove them deep into the Word
and the arms of the Father. EBC has been an amazing stepping-stone
for our kids to take their heritage and upbringing and test it
against the Word of God with godly professors, lively conversations,
and other students finding their footing.
Our son discovered that he really does love school and has
a great capacity for learning. He is confident and yet humbled.
He is taking the year he spent at EBC as a great springboard
to continue his education. His love for the Lord is deeper and
his appreciation of salvation is much more passionate. He
is academically and spiritually awed.
Our daughter still desires to be a missionary and will continue
her studies at Eternity Bible College. Her friendships
are dear to her and she is amazed by the work of Christ as she
studies the Bible. Her enthusiasm to love the souls of
unreached people has a renewed determination and zeal.
Living in (or near) LA is a lot different than
the little town of 5,000 where our kids grew up. Conservative
preferences were immediately challenged. As a parent this
was a bitter pill, but like all good things, it made us, as parents,
really evaluate our priorities and focus. Our comfort zone
was fired on and obliterated. Oh, how easy it is to be
a Pharisee and not know it! So many unknowing legalistic
tendencies have been exposed. But this is good. We
too desire to be conformed to Christ.
Sending our only kids away at the same time was not an easy
thing to do, but God has been so amazingly kind and gracious
to our kids and to us as well.
I recently had the opportunity to audit some classes at EBC
and must admit that I’m impressed. First, the professors
are not the type of profs I had 20 years ago. There is
a realness and availability without pompous flair. Of the
four professors I’ve sat in on, wow, what passion and love
for Christ and His Body is displayed. Community involvement,
particularly as the Body of Christ, is an emphasis.
Do your homework! Check out the church and the school. Interview
other students. Sit in on the classes. Do the class
assignments yourself. Know their friends. Pray! Expect
great things from a great God.
Nebraska
Mother of Anna - Current Student
I was able to attend the “Challenge” conference
at Purdue at which Francis Chan spoke the summer of 2006.
Excited for her; apprehensive for myself. Having home-schooled
Anna, I knew this was the beginning of a time in her life in
which I would have much less a part.
After one semester, she has acquired a much wider knowledge of
the Bible and how it is to be studied and a much deeper desire
to learn as much as she can from her EBC classes and professors.
Being at EBC has given her one thing she has felt lacking in
her personal life; that is, friends her own age who desire to
converse with each other about deeper issues rather than just
superficial things.
Having her so far from home, I am learning to be content knowing
God loves her and is able to watch over her much better than
I am.
If it is their desire for their child to grow in the grace and
knowledge of the Lord it is an excellent place to be. But come
prepared to work hard and be spiritually challenged.
California
Father of Dannie - EBC Graduate
In the spring of 2004, we had just finished registering Dannie
for a well-known Christian college. We were wondering how we
were going to pay tuition, room/board, books, etc. Then both
of our vehicles' transmissions started having problems. Praise
God! Then one Sunday, our Youth Pastor told us about a new Christian
college with excellent professors and a much reduced tuition.
We immediately checked into it, and after some prayer, Dannie
decided that EBC is where the Lord wanted her.
On the one hand I was thankful that the Lord had provided a means
of getting a quality Biblical educatiion at an affordable price.
On the other hand, I knew Dannie had been looking forward to
the dorm experience at the college she had initally planned to
attend.
I think that she has matured spiritually and emotionally since
coming to EBC. The academics were challenging. But she seemed
to gain a depth of experience and knowledge in the Lord from
her interaction with the professors and her fellow students.
We saw this as a very positive development.
I think that God has given Dannie a solid Biblical foundation
for her beliefs. From the vantage point of this solid foundation,
she has seen God answer her own prayers as well as others' prayers.
She has seen God work in foreign countries. She has seen God
work in our family. She can clearly see sin issues in our family,
our church, our country, and our world. She can now clearly make
a choice as to how to respond in a godly manner to these issues.
It's been a challenge. My relationship to Dannie has changed
from being an overbearing, dominant, discipline-centered dad
to more of a counselor who is there to help or guide when needed.
Follow the Lord's guidance.
|
