Dear Friends,
Our students for 2026/27
September flies by and it’s incredible to think we’re almost at the end of the month already. We kicked off our pre-term orientation week on September 8th and so we’re now already 2 weeks of teaching into the new term / academic year. After so much planning and preparation, it’s brilliant to have the new undergraduate students come together and form the community which will be the students of 26/27. We also started our Masters course with 4 students joining the first cohort – while the main block teaching week isn’t till January, the group have had their first online meeting and will meet again in November for their first full day of teaching.
We had 4 or 5 years during and after Covid, where our student numbers were still recovering, so now, every September, it’s a real blessing to have students across all years and classes feeling a little bit more buoyant. Between our undergraduate and postgraduate courses, online and on-campus, we’ll have over 50 students study with us this year – many of them just for one or two classes as they undertake training for Baptist ministry, but with a solid core group of undergraduate students who will be studying full-time or part-time as they work their way through the degree. This is a brilliant number of people that the College will be training so they can transform their churches, communities, and the lives of all those they encounter. We believe that equipped from their time at SBC, they will make a real impact on countless individuals and communities throughout Scotland.
Lay Training Award – Starts Oct 20th
And hot on the heels of undergraduate and postgraduate courses beginning, we will begin our Lay Training Award short courses in just under 4 weeks. We believe this initiative will be transformational for those who journey through the course and will be a valuable resource to churches across Scotland. We’ve already got around 10 people signed up to begin in October but there’s plenty room for more! The first short course is Pastoral Care and will be led by Rev Dr Steve Younger, College Chaplain and lecturer for the undergraduate Pastoral Care class. The short courses all take place on Tuesday evenings from 7:30pm – 9:oopm and will be delivered online via Zoom – Pastoral Care begins on October 20th. You can find out more information and how to register here.
Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care Module – January 2027
Steve will also be leading our Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care module in January 2027. We’re actively looking for students to join and we would love to hear from you or receive an application. It’s a great course for those involved in care settings, not just chaplains, but anyone who cares and counsels those in community and non-church environments. It covers the basic skills of chaplaincy and care such as listening skills, but also considers the nuances of caring in a secular setting. You can get in contact with Graham for more information (graham.meiklejohn@sbc.uws.ac.uk) or apply via our website.
It’s incredible to see all that is happening this year with education, training, and equipping at every level from lay training, through to CMD and postgraduate teaching. None of this is possible without the prayer and financial support of individuals and churches and so we thank all of you who support us in any way. Please keep praying and giving as we venture into new horizons, aiming to make theological education accessible to all sections of church life.
Prayer Points:
Please continue to remember us in prayer.
+ Pray for the staff as they begin teaching, providing more teaching opportunities than ever before.
+ Give thanks for the new student intake and the positive start to the new academic year.
+ Pray for our students across all levels – whether the nerves of a new start or the busyness of a final year student, pray that they would learn, grow, and flourish in the year ahead.
+ Give thanks for a good early response to the LTA – pray that it makes a real difference to churches across Scotland.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers as we continue to equip people to serve God’s Kingdom.
Ian Birch and the SBC Team
Donate to the College
The ongoing ministry of the College is not directly supported by BUS or Government HE funding. We rely on the generous gifts of individual and churches to help offer financially accessible and quality theological education to the next generation of Christian workers. You can give a one-off gift or set up a regular donation using this link: Donate via PayPal
Become a Governor
We’re inviting applicants to become a Governor on the College’s Board – you can find more information on our website. Specifically, we’re interested in those who have one or more of the following skills: running a small business, fundraising, Human Resources, marketing and media, and Higher Education. If you think this could be you, then please contact our Chair of Governors, Dr Joan McDowell (joanmcdowell92@gmail.com).
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