Shepherds Seminary Blog

The Shepherds Conference was held in Tirana, Albania April 26-28, 2012.  The conference was hosted by Grace Church – Tirana  and The Master’s Academy International.  Missionaries and church leaders from Kosovo, Slovakia, and Albania attended the event.

Dr. Doug Bookman, Professor of New Testament at Shepherds Theological Seminary, specializes in the study of the Life of Christ.  Dr. Bookman, with the help of interpreters, taught five sessions on the passion week.  His love for the topic, and his knowledge of the Word, brought a blessing to all who attended.

Wayne Knowles, President of Wisdom for the Heart, and an elder at Colonial Baptist Church of Cary, NC, has had a desire to provide a pastor’s conference for the many missionaries, church leaders and Christian workers in that region of the world.  Mr. Knowles teamed up with Kris Stire of the Lincoln Center (Tirana), to make this conference possible.  Along with helping in the orchestration and implantation of the Conference, Mr. Knowles presented a session on the role of Elders in the Church.

For the conference, Stephen Davey’s book, In Pursuit of Prodigals was translated into the Albanian language and printed there.  Wisdom for the Heart provided a copy of the Albanian translation for each of the missionaries, pastors, and church leaders that attended the conference.

What a blessing to see Shepherds reaching beyond Cary, beyond North Carolina, and beyond the borders of the United States of America, unto the uttermost part of the earth, equipping servant leaders for life and ministry.

Graduation
Commencement 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012 – 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Please join us for the STS Graduation Friday May 11, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Chapel. The Commencement Address will be delivered by Dr. Paul Felix. Dr. Felix is Associate Professor of New Testament at The Master’s Seminary. A dessert reception will follow the commencement service in the Café. Nursery services will be provided for children five and under until 8:30 pm. Call June Volstad by Friday May 4 at 919-573-1554 for nursery reservations.

Commencement Week Schedule:

Commencement Rehearsal – Thursday, May 10, 6:30 p.m.
This will be a time to meet with Faculty and fellow graduates in an informal setting. After a light meal, faculty and graduates will have a brief rehearsal. Attendance at this rehearsal is required for all graduates and faculty.

Commencement Ceremony – Friday, May 11, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Commencement will begin at 7:00 p.m. Faculty and graduates should arrive at 6:00 p.m. for group pictures in their full regalia. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and there will be reserved seating for families of graduates. All are welcome to attend this exciting milestone in the lives of the graduates. Following the ceremony, there will be a dessert reception in honor of the graduates.

STS EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

Please join us for two evenings of learning and discussion.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Alanna Linden ~ National Christian Foundation, Raleigh

“Multiplying Impact ~ Giving with Strategy and Purpose”

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Tom McDermott ~ Asset Protectors & Advisors

“Planned Giving”

6 pm Coffee & Dessert

6:30 – 7:30 Presentation & Discussion

Colonial Baptist Church ~ Parlor

Shepherds Theological seminary hosted the 2012 Founders Banquet on April 17. The evening included a video of current students and alumni sharing how God has blessed them through the giving of God’s people. We also had a Year-in-Review from the Registrar showing the amazing growth of STS. We have seen an increase in student numbers, credit hours taken, and expansion of our vision to our Laramie Teaching Site. One of the most significant areas of growth is in the number of students enrolled in our Master of Divinity degree program. Since 2006 we have seen an increase from 12% to 50% of our students now registered in the M.Div program.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the President’s Award. Bill and Shirley Ludwig were given a standing ovation as they came to accept this much deserved honor. Dr. Stephen Davey expressed in his letter to the Ludwigs the gratitude felt by the entire STS family for all the Ludwigs have done in their love and support for this ministry. Following is an excerpt from that letter:

It is with a greatest sense of gratitude that we present Bill and Shirley Ludwig with the 2012 President’s Award for their faithful service to Shepherds Theological Seminary.

Both Bill and Shirley have embraced and supported Shepherds Seminary with their prayers, finances, time and faithful encouragement from the earliest days. In many ways, the establishment and expansion of Shepherds Seminary is due to their involvement and support over the years as they have remained faithful to this cause, desiring above all that the gospel be magnified and the person of Jesus Christ glorified.

The 2012 Founders Banquet was a wonderful evening of rejoicing over all that God has done through Shepherds Theological Seminary. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Dr. Craig Blaising, Executive Vice President and Provost at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, spoke for the STS Spring Colloquium on Monday, March 19, 2012. Dr. Blaising spoke on the topic, “Dispensationalism…Does it still matter?”

Dr. Blaising is known for his research and scholarship in the area of dispensationalism and eschatology. He co-authored Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church (1992) and Progressive Dispensationalism (2000) and His most recent work is a contribution to Three Views on the Rapture: Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath, Post-Tribulation (2010). Dr. Blaising is widely recognized as a leading authority today when addressing the subject of dispensationalism.

This was Shepherds Theological Seminary’s second colloquium of the academic year. As is customary here at STS, we wanted the faculty, students, and regional pastors to get to know our featured speaker. The day began with a lunch hosted by STS for regional pastors and the seminary faculty. During this time Dr. Blaising spoke of how God has brought him to this place in his life and career. An informal Q&A time followed. He demonstrated a passion not just for academia, but also for training Pastors who will faithfully exposit the Word of God.

The colloquium was held from 1:00-4:00pm where Dr. Blaising spoke to pastors, STS faculty, and STS students. He challenged his listeners, during the first session, that the primary issue facing dispensationalists today is the distinction between Israel and the church, and particularly the future of national, ethnic Israel. He presented dispensationalism as “an Evangelical Theology emphasizing:
• Authority of Scripture
• Dispensations in Scripture
• Distinction between Israel and the Church
• Dispensational Newness of the Church
• Practical Significance of the Universal Church
• Significance of Prophesy
• Futurist Premillennialism
• Imminent Return of Christ
• A National Future for Israel”

Following a short break, Dr. Blaising spoke to the relevancy of dispensationalism today. He argued that dispensationalism is the only system of theology that demonstrates the wholeness of the Bible. He presented a lecture on the “Progressive Revelation of Divine Grace.”

All who attended the Spring Colloquium were encouraged and challenged by the presentation of Dr. Blaising. He demonstrated his expertise of the topic as well as his heart for faithful, expository preaching of the whole Bible. Many left commenting that STS should bring Dr. Blaising back again!

The Apostle Paul testified to a special love for the people of Israel, and he enjoined that same affection upon all believers (Rom 9:1-5; 11:28-36). The modern state of Israel is the most dramatic and important concentration of Jewish people and culture since AD 70, and that nation is much cherished at STS for several reasons…

Continue reading about the Shepherds Israel Initiative here.

In 2011, the ministry of Shepherds Theological Seminary continued to grow numerically and extend geographically. STS had the privilege of ministering to approximately 100 men and women throughout the year, preparing them to become servant-leaders for the sake of the Gospel.

Read more about 2011 the Year in Review…

Shepherds Wives Fellowship
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
6:15 ~ 8:00 p.m.
SWF location is “on the move” again. Come find us in
The New Gallery ~ across from the chapel ~ Student Center
Colonial Baptist Church
6051 Tryon Road, Cary, NC

“Can your marriage friendship survive seminary?
What seminary husbands wished their wives knew.”
Will & Michele Coberly

Please RSVP by Friday Feb. 3rd. Remember to indicate childcare needs: lburggraff@shepherds.edu or 573-1572.

Will and Michele Coberly joined the Shepherds’ family in January 2011. Will serves as Director of Library Services and Assistant Professor of Bible Exposition. He and Michele are involved with the seminary and also with Colonial Baptist Church. The Coberlys have three beautiful daughters, and Michele is a homeschool mom.

Will is working toward his PhD degree, so he and Michele are well equipped to speak on the subject of surviving seminary. I know you will enjoy what they have to share with us.

Also, Bridget Egerdahl, a coupon expert, will be sharing some of her secrets for using coupon to their max.

Please mark your calendar and plan to join us as we start another semester of SWF.

Click here to check out the New SWF Page.

Everyone wants to be my friend, yet at times I feel friendless – Allyson Burggraff

The semester is starting to wind down and the holiday season is rapidly approaching. Our last SWF meeting for the semester had a Christmas setting with the scent of fresh-cut greens, wreaths, brightly lit candles and, of course, Christmas cookies!

Even though the title of the topic had the potential to be a depressing subject, Allyson Burggraff turned it into a very informative and positive time of encouragement. Allyson ministered alongside her husband, Andy, as he served as a Missionary Intern in Mons, Belgium, an Assistant Pastor in Pennsylvania, and as Senior Pastor in Florida and Minnesota. Andy and Allyson currently serve here at Colonial where Andy is the Assistant Pastor of Adult Ministries. They have moved several times over their 11 years of married life. As the mother of three, Allyson has demonstrated that following God’s leading can, and should be, an exciting time of meeting new people and experiencing new cultures.

Allyson started her talk with an interactive exercise. She asked each of us to pick a partner that we didn’t know very well. She had each twosome write down the things that they had in common. Five minutes later, Allyson asked each twosome to tell how many items they had on their list. The numbers varied from 4-14. The point of the exercise was to show that if we take a few minutes with someone we don’t know, we will be amazed at how many things we actually have in common with each other. This exercise set the groundwork for her challenge on things to do when we move to a new place. (Download the handout attached for Allyson’s complete lesson.)

During the time of fellowship, a demonstration of how to make a beautiful, yet easy and inexpensive, Christmas wreath was given (using Carolina “greens”). It was a wonderful evening of warm fellowship and friendship building.

Dr. Michael J. Vlach, who is professor of Theology at The Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley California, recently spoke at the STS Fall Colloquium on the topic of Supersessionism–does the church replace, supersede, or fulfill the nation of Israel in God’s plan, or will Israel be saved and restored with a unique identity and role?

The afternoon sessions were recorded and the audio is now available on the STS website. Please visit the STS Fall Colloquium page to learn more.