We just finished our Winter Term 2008 brochure.  Our mailing list will receive it shortly, but you may download an application here (PDF, 406 KB).

Plan now to join us for the 2008 March workshops on “Dealing with Bitterness and Anger” by John Coblentz, Sr.  This seminar will be held at Faith Builders in Guys Mills, PA, on March 29-30, 2008.

Sessions include the following:

• “The Emotion of Anger”
• “The Root of Bitterness”
• “Feeling-Based Responses vs. Faith-Based Responses”
• “Putting off Anger by Faith”
• “Putting off Anger by Forgiveness”
• “Putting off Anger by Love”

The schedule is available here (PDF, 191 KB).  More information will be posted later.

Christians and Technology

February 2, 2008, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Science has been wildly successful over the last two centuries.  J.P. Moreland observes that our ancestors living at the time of the civil war had more in common with Abraham than with us.  The explosion of technology has multiplied the opportunities available to the community of followers of Christ.  It has also increased the challenges facing the Christian community.  Each era of the church has had its defining issues – perhaps technology is that for today’s church.  This is the subject of the 2008 Colloquy.

We are planning a different approach to this colloquy.  Instead of the presentation of papers to a large audience, we are envisioning a smaller gathering of people who wish to engage with the topic.  There will be shorter presentations highlighting the issues, followed by small group interaction.  Rather than interacting with the conclusions of individual speakers, we would like to work together toward understanding.  Our desire is to gather for this purpose a number of people from across our communities: pastors, patriarchs, business people, Bible students, technology specialists, parents, and young people.  We invite you to consider participating in this work.  To bring fruition to the day’s work, a small group from Faith Builders plans to produce a summary booklet.

If you would like to participate in this working colloquy, please email the office or call 814-789-4518. 

Note: No lodging will be available at Faith Builders.  Lunch and supper will be served.  A freewill offering will be lifted to cover expenses.

I just posted the updated FBEP Scholarship Application for 2008 to the web.  Tuition scholarships are available to Ministry Apprenticeship and Teacher Apprenticeship Program students.  If you have been considering TAP or MAP but cannot afford the tuition costs, please consider applying!  In 2007 16 students received a partial or full tuition scholarship.  Applicants must be admitted as students before their scholarship applications are considered.

The application is available from Downloads.

The FB newsletter is on its way to the printer!  Some of the items included in Issue 85 are as follows:

• “The New Conservatives” by Melvin B. Lehman
• Teacher Retreat
• Technology Colloquy
• Winter Term Info
• Western Man Study Tour

Those on the FB mailing list will receive their copy in a few weeks.  You can read the online version here (PDF, 613 KB).

Faith Builders is offering a weekend of relaxation, refreshment, and networking with other teachers October 12-14. We are inviting teachers who have taught 5 years or more to a weekend of connecting with other long-term teachers. 

• Location: Laurelville Mennonite Center in Mount Pleasant, PA, southeast of Pittsburgh.
• Staff: The weekend will be hosted by the faculty, staff, and administration of Faith Builders Christian School – Gerald Miller, Sharon Yoder, Anna Zehr, Vivian Mast, Melvin Lehman, Esther Bean, Amos Stoltzfus, Javan Bender, Steven Brubaker, John Coblentz, Matthew Mast
• Purpose: To provide a context for renewal of energy and vision as teachers.
• Included: Relaxed interaction, group discussions, short presentations, brainstorming sessions, delightful meals, recreation, more.

The retreat will cost $199 per person attending the event ($149 for spouses), including two nights’ stay, meals, and other retreat expenses. Teachers with more experience will receive higher priority. The retreat is limited to 45 teachers (not including spouses). The application is now available here (DOC, 58 KB; PDF, 56 KB), or you may call the office for an application. You may mail or fax your application to the FB office. See contact information.

More information here.

We recently updated our application with minor changes.  If you are interested in applying for Teacher Apprenticeship or Ministry Apprenticeship Program, please consider applying now.  Last year we regretfully turned away some applicants.  If you know you want to attend in Fall 2008, here’s your opportunity to apply early!

The academic scholarship application is now a separate download and will be available shortly.

Admissions Packet

I posted earlier about Teachers Week and the recordings that are available.  Now, as an additional benefit, we are making available the PowerPoint presentations that Melvin Lehman used in his four general sessions.  You will need Microsoft PowerPoint 97 or later to view these.  If you don’t have PowerPoint, you can download a free viewer here.

Click on the title to view the PowerPoint show:

• Defining and Finding Your Niche (340 KB)
• A Vision for the Classroom (3.85 MB)
• Building Community Relationships (1.33 MB)
• Contributing to Community Culture (352 KB)

Enjoy!

Well, we’ve been stretched to the max to keep up with updating our website!  Here’s a photo album that should have been linked long ago!  These photos were taken by various college students who attended FB’s College Student Seminar & Retreat in July, 2007, at the Castle. 

College Student Seminar & Retreat 2007 Album

 Plan now to join us next year, July 3-6, 2008.

Comments are welcome!