Alumnus of the Year: Dennis D’Augostine

Dennis D’Augostine, Class of 1999 and 2000, has been honored twice with the C. Sumner Wemp Award in Personal Evangelism. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Baptist Bible College and master’s degrees in both ministry and divinity from Baptist Bible Seminary. Dennis and his wife, Kelly, have two sons, Michael and Matthew, and live in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

If you’ve visited Word of Life recently, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed a few changes. The attire at the Bible Institute has gone from the long-ago class coat-and-tie policy to more T-shirts and jeans in free time.The Word of Life Inn is now the Inn & Family Lodge, and rather than a population of primarily young students and older instructors and elders, Word of Life hosts more and more alumni of all generations.

It’s an exciting time to be part of the Word of Life family, as Alumnus of the Year Dennis D’Augostine saw firsthand during Homecoming weekend this spring. His visit was his first chance to return in 14 years, and he welcomed the changes. Dennis says he feels his generation of alumni, from 1995 to 2005, has been disconnected from Word of Life since leaving the Bible Institute, and he’s encouraged to see the efforts to reengage former students.

“When I left, I felt like Word of Life was just for 18- and 19-year-olds, and if I wasn’t lucky enough to stay and work on staff, I wouldn’t have a ministry connection unless I was bringing kids to camp,” he says.

Dennis himself came to know the Lord as a camper at the Island, and after visiting this past Memorial Day weekend, he says he realized even more the immense impact Word of Life has had in his life — from that first meeting with Christ at camp to his life-changing Bible Institute teachers and relationships with fellow alumni still in his life and work today.

“Word of Life has so much light — such excitement and passion,” Dennis says.

He says the depth of faith and fire for evangelism he developed at the Bible Institute, along with his own entrepreneurial spirit, are what fuel his current ministry as a church planter. After leaving Word of Life, Dennis attended Baptist Bible College and later Baptist Bible Seminary. Through the seminary’s Project Jerusalem initiative, he eventually planted Steamtown Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He now pastors the church with three of his close friends and fellow Bible Institute alumni Peter Fox, John Wilson, and Matt Miller.

Dennis says his desire to plant churches comes from his “heart for tethering evangelism and faith to a visible thing — to making disciples.” He’s planted several churches and seen much progress in Scranton. Dennis baptized 12 new believers on Good Friday, his church recently purchased a new cathedral, and he’s started a Spanish-speaking ministry through Steamtown Iglesia.

This exciting growth is a testament of Dennis’s faithfulness to his calling — creating a flourishing ministry in Scranton was no easy task. In fact, Dennis says jokingly that anyone looking to plant a church in the Northeast “better have a handwritten note from God.” Steamtown Church ministers to Scranton’s inner city, where addictions, abuse, and alcoholism are rampant. It was difficult for Dennis to convince suburban families to join his congregation, and the diversity of the area made it hard to build a cohesive church community early on. But he, Peter, John, and Matt kept the faith, and their church is thriving. Dennis says the urgent message of grace Steamtown Church shares is worth the hard fight.

“In the inner city, today really is a day of salvation, because there might not be a tomorrow,” he explains.

As Steamtown’s ministry and network continue to grow, Dennis hopes to develop a church planting movement — and with Word of Life’s focus on evangelism, he anticipates Word of Life’s role in church planting will expand with new generations of faith leaders and with Don Lough, Jr. at the helm.

“Homecoming weekend reignited my heart for Word of Life,” Dennis says. “There’s a new vision focused on growing churches, and it will resonate with those of us [alumni] now leading ministries of our own.”

Homecoming • Founders Conference • Alumni Reunions • Memorial Day

May 23-26, 2014

We anticipate alumni from all over the country joining us in Schroon Lake for Homecoming this spring during Founders Conference on Memorial Day weekend. Speakers for the conference are Don Lough, Jr., Harry Bollback, and our special guest speaker, Dr. Paul Dixon, chancellor of Cedarville University. The featured speaker at our Memorial Day patriotic rally is Lt. Col. and Texas state Sen. Brian Birdwell. Brian was severely injured on 9/11 at the Pentagon.

Activities for the weekend include a reception Friday night after the opening session, a camp tour, a golf outing (Saturday afternoon), family fun time (Sunday afternoon), and the introduction of the Alumnus of the Year. Accommodations are available at the Word of Life Inn & Family Lodge, and meals are available at the Inn and Bible Institute. We look forward to seeing you there!

Two reunions are in the works, but alumni from all years are welcome:

40th Reunion (Class of 1974)
Hosts: Dave Feltz, Joanne Scurlock Feltz, Elizabeth Bollback Nelson
Honored Guest: Dr. John and Janet Master

35th Reunion (Class of 1979)
Host: Daryl Bollinger

Preliminary Schedule:
Friday (May 23), 7 p.m.: General Session (Dr. Paul Dixon)
Saturday (May 24), 9:45 a.m.: General Session (Dr. Paul Dixon)
Saturday (May 24), 11:15 a.m.: General Session (Dr. Paul Dixon)
Saturday (May 24), 7 p.m.: General Session (Harry Bollback)
Sunday (May 25), 9:45 a.m.: General Session (Dr. Paul Dixon)
Sunday (May 25), 11:15 a.m.: General Session (Don Lough, Jr.)
Monday (May 26), 11 a.m.: Memorial Day Concert and Rally (Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell)

Alumnus of the Year: Chris Gnanakan.

In last summer’s edition of the Victory Journal, we told you about Dr. Chris Gnanakan’s journey. He went from being a technician in Bangalore, India, to a church-planter on fire for God, thanks in part to the vision of Jack Wyrtzen and Wendell Calder and a scholarship to the Bible Institute in New York.

Chris is busy blazing new paths for contemporary global missions as the recently named executive director of Outreach to Asia Nationals (OTAN), an international organization dedicated to bringing the Gospel to restricted countries by training nationals in evangelism.

This past spring, Chris was given another distinction: 2013 Word of Life Bible Institute Alumnus of the Year.

“First and foremost, I feel humbled as a street kid from India receiving this honor from an international organization on the cutting edge of church and life,” he says of the recognition.

When studying at the Bible Institute, Chris says he gained a deep biblical knowledge as well as intensive training in evangelism, which he used to take the hope of the Gospel back to India. Through OTAN, he says he’s able to return the blessing given to him so many years ago by expanding the reach of the message of Christ in limited-access nations, including North Korea, Butan, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

The thousands of churches Chris has helped plant through both his own efforts and his training of others will carry his influence into the future. He wants his legacy to be his teaching — Chris encourages the nationals he disciples to have a sense of urgency about their faith because he believes work ethic is the heartbeat of evangelism. But, while there is what he calls “prosperity in posterity,” he says he is also forever indebted to Jack Wyrtzen and Wendell Calder and his former mentor, Gene Tozer, for kindling his fire for the Lord and preparing to shine that light in the darkest corners of the world.

“The heritage I’ve received through Word of Life was so foundational and formative in shaping me and giving me the impetus for global missions,” Chris says. “I feel equipped.”

A Message to Fellow Alumni from Chris Gnanakan

Dr. Chris Gnanakan says he lives by three questions that he learned at Word of Life. He has passed this advice on to hundreds of thousands of other disciples in 91 countries through curriculum he has developed. He encourages fellow alumni to apply these questions to their own lives and to reflect on them each day.

1.  Is God’s Word well used in my life?

“Is my strategy biblical? Is my vision Jesus’ vision for the church? Word of Life gave me the acquisition of truth and the application of truth in real life. Through the habit of daily Quiet Time I have learned how to use the knowledge of God’s Word in my life each day.”

2. Is God’s work well done?

“At the Bible Institute, I learned that work is divine. Nobody died of hard work! There is value in being a workaholic for God. You’ve got to give it all you’ve got! Integrity should characterize your work. It makes people respect you. Aesthetics and truth go together — people are attracted to it.”

3. Is my Lord well pleased?

“Like Paul the apostle, my ambition is to please the Lord, the One who called me. Word of Life taught me to live for the pleasure of God. When I go to bed at night, can I see him raise his thumbs? I think of Galatians 1:9-10 — like a conductor with an orchestra, sometimes you must turn your back on the world.”

Alumnus of the Year: Sergio Cariello.

We told you about Sergio Cariello, Class of 1986, in our spring issue. Sergio journeyed from a comic book-loving childhood in Recife, Brazil, to the Bible Institute in New York, where God put a burden on his heart to use his unique art skills to reach people for Christ. This year, Sergio has seen his ministry-related work explode, with his latest creation, a fully illustrated graphic representation of the Bible called The Action Bible, winning several awards as it spreads around the globe.

Sergio was selected this spring from a group of alumni finalists to be the Bible Institute's Alumnus of the Year for 2012.

Sergio has been greatly used by the Lord to reach thousands of people through The Action Bible — and literally millions of people through a similar pamphlet that highlights the story of Jesus Christ. But he won’t take credit for the impact his work has made.

“I wasn’t intending anything big – I was just following God’s will,” he says.

Sergio points to his time at the Bible Institute as significant training for telling the story of the Bible in cartoon picture form. He is an enthusiastic communicator about the value of spending a year immersed in the study of God’s Word.

“It’s very humbling, because I don’t consider myself worthy of such a title,” Sergio says of his recognition as Alumnus of the Year. “I feel very honored.”

We thank Sergio for being a faithful servant of our Lord and for the encouragement through his identification with the Bible Institute.

See our original story on Sergio here.

The Action Bible reaches around the world:
*407,000 copies distributed in the United States
*24,525 New Testament copies distributed
*Translated into English, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Korean (still coming: Spanish)

The free "Story of Jesus" pamphlet:
*20 million copies
*Distributed in Cambodia, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Pakistan, Singapore, Ecuador, Indonesia, North Korea, China, Venezuela, Guatemala, India, Chile, and Costa Rica

Testimony Corner: Christine (Jerome) Cuz, Class of 2003

Ten years ago I was honored to be part of the first class of the Bible Institute in Canada. The Bible Institute really helped me to develop sound Christian theology and understand why I believe what I believe. It showed me how to take an exegetical approach to the Bible and to look at God’s Word in a deeper and more meaningful way than I previously had. I can look back 10 years ago and say that the Bible Institute played a pivotal part in my Christian faith that has helped me develop into the person I am today!

Since leaving the Bible Institute, I was able to transfer credits to Briercrest College in Caronport, Saskatchewan, where I received my bachelor’s in recreation leadership. During that time I met and married my husband, Kevin. We celebrated our five-year anniversary in June.

Two years after my husband and I were married, we joined the staff of Athletes in Action Canada, which is under the umbrella of Power to Change Ministries, formerly Campus Crusade for Christ. We now live in Ottawa, Ontario, where Kevin serves full-time, ministering in the lives of athletes on both the Ottawa and Carleton University campuses. After having our bouncing baby boy Elijah (Eli) back in July 2010, I have since decided to run my own daycare business, which allows me to be a stay-at-home mom. It's the best job ever!

Making the most of youth: A message from the chancellor.

By Don Lough, Jr.

Young people have enormous potential to make a difference for Jesus Christ. At Word of Life, we believe in challenging children and teenagers with early opportunities to share their faith and to step up in serving the Lord. I’ll never forget Jack Wyrtzen’s periodic challenge to me as a young man: “Donald, let no one despise your youth.” He was basically telling me, “I believe in you – don’t let your young age hold you back from living out God’s Word.”

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting a young man from Mexico who recently joined our missionary team. His testimony was anything but ordinary. When he was 20 years old and a sales manager for the Ford Motor Company, he met an 8-year-old boy who boldly shared the Gospel with him and led him to Christ. No, this is not a misprint, nor is it the end of the story. After the young sales manager was disowned by his family for his newfound faith, the little boy swung into action and began personally discipling him. He assigned him 10 chapters of Bible reading every day and then took the initiative to connect him with Christian families and a local church. Today, the fruit of his ministry is a full-time missionary!

We need to be so careful not to allow negativity or low expectations to seep into our interaction with the younger generation. The reality is that it doesn’t take much to discourage a child or a teenager. What are you doing to encourage and motivate the young people in your sphere of influence to step up for Christ? Just think of the possibilities.

Thanks for standing with us as we challenge young people to “know, grow, and show” all over the world.

Drawing from the Truth: Alumnus of the Year Sergio Cariello.

In a world where most people portray Jesus as a kind, mellow guy Who spent most of His time wearing a long robe and telling stories to His friends, Sergio Cariello has a different idea. If you flip through the pages of The Action Bible, it’s clear that Sergio sees his Savior as the ultimate superhero.

Think of it as a Nazarene in action: an athletic man, performing miracles and saving the world.

The Action Bible portrays God as the original action hero. With sketches and ink, Sergio vividly depicts plagues, miracles, and creatures of all kinds. His illustrated approach to the Bible invigorates the ancient stories, engaging readers of all ages and languages in enduring tales of truth.

Sergio’s career in art began when he was a child in northeast Brazil. He doodled on napkins and church bulletins, and by age 5, he had decided to become a cartoonist. At 11 he landed his first gig drawing Frederico, the Detective, a weekly comic strip he invented for his local newspaper, Diario De Pernambuco.

Growing up, Sergio attended church every Sunday, but it wasn’t until he stepped into the electric world of Word of Life camp in Recife that his relationship with Christ really came alive.

"Every visit to Word of Life was a spiritual injection,” Sergio says. “An extreme boost to my spirit.”

Sergio responded to Christ’s call at camp when he was 15, but soon after, he started to struggle in his walk with God. He dealt with many of the challenges teenage Christians face, and he lost momentum.

Then, the following year, Sergio began to return to his faith. What made the difference this time was his pastors, Roberval Lyra and Sergio Lyra, who were both involved with Word of Life.

“They nurtured me back to church” when they asked him to draw charts for a church fundraising campaign, he says.

Sergio recommitted his life to Christ and soon enrolled in the Bible Institute in Recife in 1981, just after high school. There, he was surrounded every day with a full dose of Word of Life’s discipleship, ministry, and personal growth formula: Scripture memorization, Quiet Time, and ministry opportunities such as Open Air Evangelism, sharing the Gospel door-to-door, travels across Brazil with the Collegians, and children’s ministry at local churches.

Sergio stayed connected to local pastors, and eventually his story made it to George Theis, the founder of Word of Life Recife. Theis turned to the Word of Life scholarship program to see if there was a way Sergio could go to the New York campus for further Bible study under the Bible Institute and School of Youth Ministries program (now second year).

For Sergio, moving to the States and attending the Bible Institute as a more mature believer was a dream come true. He deems his experience at the Schroon Lake Bible Institute campus “phenomenal.”

“It was a new land with new dreams,” he says, “(The Bible Institute) in Recife was great, but New York was greater.”