IBTS

🌎The earth on which we live groans more and more in the midst of the multiple ecological crises that dishonour the Creator and threaten life on Earth. 🌏

🌿How can Christians respond to today’s ecological crises? 🌍✨ No matter who you are or where you live, our upcoming 'Eco-Crisis and the Gospel' course offers biblical, theological, and ecological insights to reshape your understanding of discipleship. 🙏📖

Find out more today via https://www.ibts.eu/programmes/eco-crisis-and-the-gospel-1

🎓✨ Win a Free Place on a Theological Training Course! ✨🎓

Dive into meaningful conversations and explore supportive content that redefines theological training. 📚✨

Simply follow the steps and comment which course you'd love to attend below!

Dive into a 12-week journey exploring Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) through a human rights lens! 🌍✨

This upcoming course is ideal for educators, pastors, activists, missionaries, researchers, politicians, and anyone passionate about human rights. 🗣️📚

Equip yourself with the tools to become a dynamic trainer and advocate for FoRB in your community. Plus, discover unique Baptist perspectives along the way.

Ready to deepen your knowledge and make a difference? Find out more via www.ibts.eu/programmes/freedom-of-religion-or-belief

A very warm welcome to Megan Forster who starts her first day at the office today! 👋

Megan fulfils the role of Senior Administrator and Academic Admin.

Win a free place on an upcoming IBTS Course!🤩

Simply enter below and let us know which course you would love to join! 👇

What happens if we stop and reflect on the question, “Whose mission is it anyway?”

How does such reflection affect the way that we approach our mission calling and engage with the people around us?

This September, our Learning Network are launching a
'Reimagining Mission: Learning-Centred Mission' Course to explore these questions

It applies a learning-centred approach to mission that seeks to nurture relationships and discern how God is ministering in the world and calling us to participate.

Come step out in faith and reimagine with us.

Apply now or find out more via https://www.ibts.eu/programmes/reimagining-mission-learning-centred-mission

Thinking of doing a PhD?

Want to become an independent researcher and need some insights on the process and application?

Carrying out research in theology means seeking a deeper understanding of God and His ways, allowing us to better love and serve others.

Research resists the pressure of constant activism; it creates a space to reflect deeply on the things that matter most in the church and society.

It fosters meaningful conversations between different cultures and worldviews, promoting reconciliation and peace.

Apply and find out more about our January 2025 programme via https://www.ibts.eu/research-community/our-phd-programme

📖 Exploring the Contribution of Bible Reading Habits in Finding Meaning in Life 📖

Ever wondered how reading the Bible shapes lives? In the latest JEBS article, a mixed-method study by Roald Zeiffert dives deep into the lives of young evangelicals in Norway to find out!

🔍 Three unique groups were discovered:

The Coherent Group:
These dedicated readers make Bible reading a vital part of their daily lives, finding deep meaning and sharing this experience with friends. Their connection to the Bible is seamless and fulfilling.

The Frustrated Group:
Although they value the Bible, they struggle with reading it regularly, feeling conflicted and stressed. Their journey with the Bible is a tough one, impacting the meaning they derive from it.

The Distanced Group:
For these individuals, the Bible holds little importance. They rarely read it and don't turn to it for meaning or solace, maintaining a distant relationship with this sacred text.

Dive into the findings and see how these young evangelicals find meaning in life via https://jebs.eu/ojs/index.php/jebs/index

Meet our chair of Library Oversight Committee, Katharina!

Katharina has extensive expertise and experience in theological libraries. She was the head librarian at IBTS in Prague (2005 to 2009) and is currently the Chair of our Library Oversight Committee, a group of 5 people from around the European region with library and subject expertise.

You can contact Katharina for library questions and assistance at [email protected].

🎓✨ Win a Free Place on a Theological Training Course! ✨🎓

We're giving you the chance to win a spot on one of our transformative Learning Network courses! 🚀 Dive into meaningful conversations and explore supportive content that redefines theological training. 📚✨

🗣️ How to enter:

- Like this post
- Follow
- Choose your preferred course from the options below.
- Comment with the course you'd love to attend or tag someone who would also be interested in the same theme!

🌍 Reimagining Mission: Learning-Centred Mission
Starting September 9th, 2024

🕊️ Freedom of Religion or Belief
Starting September 11th, 2024

🌱 Eco-Crisis and the Gospel
Starting October 3rd, 2024

📖 Learning-Centred Training
Starting November 11th, 2024

Ready to transform your learning journey? Let's go!

*Please note, this competition will be closing on the 12th August and the winner will be announced on this account only. Please be vigilant of fake accounts. Thank you*

Ahead of Thank You Day on Sunday we wanted to take some time to thank all of the supporters of IBTS over the last 75 years!

As we look to the next exciting phase of IBTS will you join us? In 2024, our 75th year, we would value your support through prayer and financial giving.

Look out for further details on how you and your congregation can join our new initiative IBTS Friends on the 6th of October 2024.

🌱 Woven in Green Webinar 🌱
3 July 24, 20:00-21:30 CEST

Don't miss out on our reflective webinar with Aline Nussbaumer taking place tomorrow evening, the deadline to sign up is 5pm CET today!

To sign up for this important webinar please visit https://www.ibts.eu/programmes/woven-in-green

Mike and Ingeborg with Jim Smith in Atlanta!

Jim was a board member of IBTS for more than 30 years. For 20 years he and his wife Becky were based in Germany. The IBTS team have kindly been hosted by Jim's church, Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church

The Journal of European Baptist Studies (JEBS), no 1 (2024) is now available via open access.

Including seven articles written by scholars from Norway, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom and other countries. This issue comes on the 75th anniversary of the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (IBTS).

“The volume mirrors a variety of topics that European Baptist scholars are researching at present: Bible reading and meaning in life, compassion in action, ministering to the marginalized,” says Toivo Pilli, the Editor of the journal.

View the full article via https://jebs.eu/ojs/index.php/jebs/index

Enoh and Mike enjoying the 30-year celebrations of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. We are grateful for the continued support from CBF to IBTS since it started 30 years ago.

Mike, Ingeborg and our new IBTS Director Enoh Sebah were in Greensboro North Carolina enjoying the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship general assembly yesterday!

Over the next few weeks, some of the IBTS team will be travelling across America to meet with partners and share about the work of IBTS.

Stay tuned for more updates over the next couple of weeks!

🌱 Woven in Green Webinar 🌱
3 July 24, 20:00-21:30 CEST

Join us for a participatory and reflective webinar with Aline Nussbaumer on the intersection of fashion, theology and creation care; 'clothing as a place for reconciliation with creation'.

To sign up for this important webinar please visit: www.ibts.eu/programmes/woven-in-green

Say hello to Victoria our Communication Co-ordinator and Apprenticeship Programme developer!

We caught up with Victoria to ask a few questions which you can find below:

- Tell us a bit about yourself -
Originally from Bulgaria, I currently live in Frankfurt, Germany. I spend most of my time juggling bits of work, teaching, walks in the park with a dog and a toddler, and daily dance parties with my one-year-old.

- How did you first connect to IBTS? –
I participated in the FoRB course a few years ago. I really enjoyed the format, and wanted to become more involved in developing other similar courses.

- Tell us about your role at IBTS –
Currently, I help coordinate the Learning Network’s communications, making sure the right people and teams get to the right information, hopefully on time. I am also working on developing an (really exciting, top-secret) Apprenticeship Programme that we will be sharing more about very, very soon.

- Why is the work of IBTS imprortant? -
I think IBTS – and the Learning Network in particular – has become a really unique dialogue space, in which different cultures, contexts and opinions can engage in conversation and learn together. In the world we live in, I find this to be of great importance and I feel privileged to be a small part of making it happen.

To find out more about the Learning Network visit ibts.eu or if you've recently taken part in a Learning Network course let us know below!

You are invited to explore theology through creative conversations with leading Baptist educators.

IBTS has worked with leading educators and built a new approach to theological training that replaces the intensity of academic study with grounded conversations and supportive content. The IBTS Learning Network is organised around Themes, each one offering learning opportunities of varied levels of engagement.

Join in today through one of our 2024 courses below and expand your theological training.

💡Reimagining Mission: Learning-Centred Mission
💡Freedom of Religion or Belief
💡Eco-Crisis and the Gospel
💡Learning Centred Training

Find out more:
www.ibts.eu/programmes/learning-network

The Board of IBTS are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Enoh Šeba as Director of IBTS Amsterdam as of 1st September 2024.

Dr Enoh Šeba, from Zagreb, Croatia, brings substantial experience of senior leadership in the university sector and extensive involvement in developing and facilitating academic programs especially in the context of Croatia and Southeast Europe. He has a proven commitment to academic research and publishing with research interests in practical theology (particularly homiletics) and empirical studies. As a graduate (M.Th.) of IBTS in Prague and PhD from Spurgeon’s College London, Enoh identifies deeply with the baptistic identity and convictions of IBTS.

In accepting the position at IBTS Enoh says “I am deeply honoured by the Board's decision to appoint me as Director. In these turbulent times, the need for committed, engaged and faithful scholars and church leaders at all levels is acutely felt. As theological education undergoes major changes, I believe that IBTS will continue to evolve and meet this need, serving believers throughout the EBF region in new and old ways. I look forward to contributing to its work in the next period, with full respect for all the good work done in the past.”

Don't miss out on an opportunity to enter our competition!

Our 'Why Theology?' event programme is here!

We cannot wait to welcome people from many countries to celebrate 75 years of IBTS over the next few days.

We will explore the broad sweep of global events since the founding of IBTS and how our theology is developing to inform our engagement in society and shape witness to Christ in everyday life.

Follow along with us on social media for updates over the next few days.