Institute Welcome Week felt like Christmas morning! Except for every time we went to bed, we’d wake up, and it was Christmas again. 

This year The Institute welcomed the largest number of new students in seven years! Students reported feeling “more welcomed and special than I ever have in my life” on Move-In Day.

Prayer-Filled Welcome Crew: A Practice of Hospitality

Saturday morning current students gathered to pray for incoming students who would be arriving hourly. We were thrilled. Adrenaline pumping, prayers prayed, fresh coffee set out, our houses smelt of warmth and anticipation. 

I looked around at my friends waiting for the first arrival. “Oh, we’ve come to declare the beauty of the Lord–declare the beauty of the Lord,” Shane and Shane rang from our kitchen Alexa; capturing the moment so well. The beauty of the Lord was in the way he’d graciously entrusted to our school more laborers in training for his Kingdom work. The beauty of the Lord was in the way he had already been educating current students (my friends and I) in His word; our education came out in the way we knew how to serve, prepare a hospitable environment, and pray for our new roommates faithfully before ever meeting them in person. 

The first truck and line of cars pulled up. New students were beaming and embraced us with mutual anticipation for God to do what he does best with His people; develop us for His good purposes. We helped move in all of the mattresses and furniture in record time.  One dad told us he only carried one of his daughter’s boxes from his car– he returned to grab another for his daughter, but it was all already unloaded! Together we welcomed our new friends and made space for them in both our homes and our lives.  

Institute Students enjoy Nashville Sites & Sounds (literally)

Following Move-In Day, our faculty and staff organized several events that were not only entertaining to the extreme but also meaningful. Sunday Night, we made our way to Downtown Nashville to watch the Nashville Sounds play some good baseball. With the help of such intentional planning, I was blessed with opportunities to talk with my new housemates about how God had called them to The Institute, what events led them to desire to get an education in the Word, and their prayers for the upcoming term, all while watching the baseball game. By the end of the night, our whole student body was joined together in laughter and meaningful conversations as friends, not as strangers anymore. It was so good to dwell in unity with one another. 

Monday night our faculty surprised us with a Pool Party at a house on the lake!! It was perfection. From the saltwater pool to delectable gourmet ice cream sandwiches, to worship by the poolside, all the way to tubing behind boats on Old Hickory Lake… the night was perfection. 

Worship, Prayer & The Word

On Sunday morning, new students and their parents worshipped together with our on campus church community at The Church Community for GOD. New students introduced themselves and were prayed for by our entire church body.

The next couple of days were utilized for academic and spiritual orientation for all undergrads. The seminars we had were informative and our professors demonstrated great care and support for us as their students and as disciples of Jesus. The week was capped off by a refreshing time of prayer and worship in our Opening Chapel. Professors and current students prayed over new students. Together we committed the next year of our lives to the Lord and subjected our minds and hearts to his will and word. 

Fun student bonding times were balanced with sessions to get all the facts straight: technology onboarding, Logos Bible Software, meeting and utilizing mentors, student handbook, and more. Most importantly, we spent a lot of time studying the Scriptures and worshiping together - the best unifying factor we have.

I was deeply encouraged by the message shared by President and Founder Gregg Garner. He laid an intricate message about the importance of discipleship, loaded with Scripture  and backed by the holy spirit with discernible power. The whole room could feel that truly, God was going to do something historical in and through our student body. Everyone could discern a move of the holy spirit that confirmed for us all that we were right where God needed us to be. We were within his will and he was ready to teach us his perfect way through his Word. At that moment, it was good to look around the room and see people united in mind and spirit according to the word of God. It was good and so pleasant to dwell in unity with my brothers and my sisters.