Spiritual Emphasis Week: The Good News
by Tony van der Hiele
CBT exists to equip students for ministry. And not just that – the aim is for students to draw near to God so they can thrive in every aspect of life. Every third week of each fall semester, CBT sets time aside for spiritual renewal. “It is an opportunity to make sure that we are rightly oriented with Christ before we go any further into our academic year,” says President Rob Blackaby. With a week of daily chapel services, the school community intentionally gathers to allow God to speak to their hearts through Scripture and the Holy Spirit. “It was really good to have a time set apart every day to have the opportunity to hear from God,” said one student.
CBT was honoured to host Gerry Taillon for this year’s Spiritual Emphasis Week. Having recently retired from his CNBC Executive Director position, he has a long view of ministry and with more than four decades of experience, he was able to share much wisdom. He started his series of messages expressing his longing to speak the good news of the Gospel. He emphasized that God’s servants will not be free from sickness, problems, heartache and real challenges in life. But the good news is something permanent that no one can take away. Throughout the week, Gerry took CBT students, faculty, staff, and guests on a journey through John 15, highlighting how the good news addresses the past, the present, and the future. In a tangible way, he explained how John 15:3 can remedy guilt and shame from the past and how this good news of being made clean and staying clean must be shared with the world. During the Wednesday session, Gerry shared how we can process anxiety with God based on Philippians 4:4-7 and have peace in the midst of present circumstances. The next day, he continued by sharing how the present determines the future and how a believer’s first priority should be to continually connect with God. His passion for gardening was evident in his illustrations. With vivid pictures of plants being pruned and cared for in order to establish growth, Gerry explained what it means to truly abide in Christ. On Friday, he ended his inspiring series by emphasizing Jesus’ example of love in John 15:12-27 and His call to love one another with unconditional and sacrificial love.
God worked through Gerry’s messages in people’s hearts and lives this week. Students were impacted by the humble manner in which Gerry addressed matters of the heart, whether it is guilt and shame from the past, anxiety and worry in the present, fear of the future, or how difficult it is to truly love like Jesus. He did not shy away from real issues that every human being experiences in life. One student shared how this week has opened his eyes to truths he never realized were covered in John 15. It has been a blessing to have such an experienced Christian leader walk through this chapter of John and leave the CBT community with renewed focus. Dr. Blackaby looked back on the week and summarized, “With honesty and candor, Gerry invited us to take seriously some of the most critical pieces of our walk with Christ. It sets a great pace for the start of the year. Thank God for Gerry Taillon.”
Spiritual Emphasis Week concluded with a family barbeque picnic, a time of fun and fellowship for the CBT community amidst the beautiful fall colours surrounding the campus. There was sunshine, good food, the opportunity to connect, foster relationships, and together look forward to what the new school year will bring.