BBC Strategic Planning Update
On Friday, April 4, BBC administration, faculty and staff gathered for a morning of collaboration, discernment, and making choices. You can read about the results of this session below.
Mission Statement Development
The mission statement preferred by the great majority of those in attendance reads…
Bethlehem Bible College serves Christ by
Ø Empowering students to be agents of change locally and globally,
Ø Advocating a Palestinian Evangelical perspective, and
Ø Modeling Christ through community development and
education for all.
President Jack Sara will appoint a small team to finalize the mission statement before presenting it to the BBC Board for final approval.
Confirming Core Values
The group confirmed the following preliminary core value statements, and will expand and finalize these statements at its May 4 strategic planning session.
1. Christian Ethical Standards: Actions toward one another will be examples of Jesus’ love within our BBC community. We follow the biblical teachings and Christian ethics demonstrated by love, justice, integrity, fairness, transparency, mercy, accountability, integrity, responsibility and respect for all persons.
2. Christ-Honoring Community Relationships: Actions within our wider Bethlehem and Palestinian community reflect Christ to our neighbors. We regard each person in our wider community as created in the image of God. Our interactions with everyone demonstrate the same values listed above in #1.
3. The Evangelical Christian Faith Is Our Foundation: We empower leaders to evangelize the Palestinian people. We practice pure biblical teaching and believe in the work of the Holy Spirit.
4. Academic Excellence: Quality teachers who are specialists in their areas and a continually developing curriculum empower students to be ambassadors for Christ in their communities. College leadership is committed to the continuing accreditation, development and growth of the college. Academic facilities are first-class.
5. Palestinian Context: The values of God’s Kingdom are communicated and applied to the socio-political and cultural realities of the Palestinian people. BBC’s location in Bethlehem and its curriculum offered in the local language address the needs of the local population.
6. Gender Equality: BBC provides equal employment and educational opportunities, rights and benefits for both females and males.
Strategic Objectives for BBC
Using a clustering process, groups gathered to identify how BBC can improve within the parameters of its mission and its core values. The following ideas represent the major improvement clusters identified by the participants:
Cluster #1: Increase the Number and Quality of Programs for Students
Cluster #2: Increase the Number of Our Students
Cluster #3: Build Better Community Relationships
Cluster #4: Develop International Studies Program
Cluster #5: Promote BBC Locally and Globally
Cluster #6: Develop Financial Sustainability
Cluster #7: Build the Capacity of BBC Faculty and Staff
The next step will be to identify action strategies to achieve the above objectives.
