Two educational institutes in Italy wear the cap and gown at their official ceremonies, Boccone, a prestigious university in Milano and IBCItalia. On June 26 the faculty and graduates of IBCItalia donned their caps and gowns for the first time and it was a success. Many of the students were overcome by their emotions as they wore their apparel with pride and a feeling of accomplishment.

On September 4 we will have the opening ceremony for the academic school year. Wearing the caps and gowns lends importance to Christian education. Europe is a mission field and evangelicals are looked at with suspicion. Much of the suspicion has to do with the ignorance that is associated with the evangelical church. Only a handful of evangelical pastors have a theological preparation. Europeans are intellectually prepared and expect people to have reasonable answers to their questions. The evangelical church has not prepared leaders to adequately respond to the questions people are asking today.

IBCItalia takes studying the Word of God seriously. Our students want to prepare themselves to defend their faith and to lead their churches with excellence for God's glory. You can be a part of what we are trying to accomplish by praying for us and by donating to God's work. The WorldVenture website will direct you to projects in Italy. They are entitled: Istituto Centro Biblico or Leadership Training.

We appreciate your generosity and your prayer support for those who want to make a difference in a post-Christian Europe. Please pray that the September 4th ceremony is inspirational for the glory of God.