Providence Stories
TODAY, we’re sharing stories from Providence that tell of what your donation can do throughout the year in support of students’ growth and development – both spiritually and academically.
Many of you embrace our mission to teach people to grow in knowledge and character for leadership and service. But in the face of the complexity of issues and crises that our world experiences today, you may wonder if it’s still possible for education to affect positive change. Can we really make a difference?
At Providence, our answer is a bold YES!
We see the quality of our professors at work in and out of the classroom. We are encouraged by the students who come to Providence to take our programs – many of which are currently expanding and positioned to meet market demands and needs. We believe the same healing and transformation that Jesus brought to the world as Emmanuel, “God with us,” is still at work today through Christian education and people just like you!
We hope these stories inspire and remind you that it takes all of us to create lasting change.
STRONG BIBLICAL STUDIES
Students at Providence Receive a Solid Foundation in Biblical Studies
Current student, Madison Franks (BA in Interdisciplinary Arts), surveyed her peers and found out that many of them cited their Biblical Studies classes as their favourites, and one of the names that came up over and over for best-loved professor was Dr. Heather Macumber.
Macumber is the Head of the Biblical Studies Department, and it is both her scholarship in topics such as apocalyptic literature and biblical art that students appreciate, as well as her emphasis on mentorship. “What I love most about being a professor,” says Macumber, “is that you can open up subjects and help people see things in a different light and a different way.”
Read the full story here.
MEANINGFUL IMPACT
Professors Take Innovative Approaches to Address Real-World Issues
Meet DR. BRUCE FRIESEN-PANKRATZ, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, whose particular interest is in watershed management. He leads his students in field research on our main Otterburne campus which is uniquely positioned alongside riverside, forested, wetland and agricultural ecosystems.
Having done comparison studies between the communities of Ejido, Mexico and Otterburne, Manitoba, Friesen-Pankratz shared, in a recent ProvTalk, the value of establishing an Integrated Watershed Management Approach that is determined by natural boundaries, and highlights the importance of listening to all stakeholders.
ELFRIEDA LEPP-KAETHLER, Associate Professor of TESOL, has integrated Arts-Based Curriculum into Providence TESOL programming. In her recent ProvTalk, she shared her experience of travelling to Lesbos Island in Greece with the organization TeachBeyond. During her time there, she facilitated trauma informed arts-based learning at a refugee camp with various asylum seekers.
GRADUATES SERVING LOCALLY
Many Students Find Work Locally in Their Field After Graduation
One recent graduate of Providence – Alex Wolf – is working as a Watershed Technician for the Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District.
“It’s very easy to see how the environment has an effect on us and how we have an effect on it,” shares Wolf. “Working with agricultural producers – helping them to transition to more environmentally friendly options – I have learned a lot about how we can change our commercialized ideas of things to be more consistent with how nature works.”
Read more here.
PROVIDENCE PILOTS
Our Athletics Department consists of six highly competitive teams
Every year, more than 100 student-athletes put on the Providence blue and compete in varsity-level volleyball, basketball, soccer and futsal in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC) and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). ALSO, our Pilots are the only Canadian teams in the North Region of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II, which is an American-based association with 105 schools from across the United States, and where our women’s soccer team competed and won the championship title in 2022.
Furthermore, Providence is immensely proud to host the upcoming CCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship in 2025 and bring the games to the Southern Manitoba region.
VITAL SPIRITUAL CARE
A New Chaplaincy Program at Providence Theological Seminary
Providence Seminary began a graduate program in Chaplaincy / Spiritual Care out of a desire to help fill the shortage of well-trained spiritual care providers in the healthcare sector in Manitoba and in Canada following the pandemic. Working with practitioners in the field, the program has welcomed Hank Dixon, Gloria Woodland and Kathleen Rempel Boschman as adjunct faculty who have long-standing careers overseeing chaplaincy programs within prisons, hospitals and personal care homes.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Collaboration with Community Organizations like Teen Challenge
Adult & Teen Challenge is an international, faith-based organization that exists to provide freedom from the impact of life-controlling addictions. Recovery is facilitated through discipleship in programs that are at least 12 months in length, including SURGE leadership training, which stands for “Servant Hearted, Unreserved, Responsible, Goldy and Excellent.” This SURGE program has recently been accredited through Providence’s Centre for On-Demand Education (CODE), which is an exciting new partnership that we have with Adult & Teen Challenge of Central Canada.
Find out more about the SURGE program.
WILL YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY GIVING TO PROVIDENCE TODAY?
In the face of skepticism, injustice, environmental issues, refugees fleeing conflict, the healthcare crisis and more, these stories remind us that we can make a difference together and affect our world with change that lasts.