As you can imagine, the students at the CNPC are very busy. In addition to the requirements of the program, most of our men have families and part-time jobs. Their lives are filled with tension—family, school, church, and work all pulling them in different directions. While being sensitive to this tension, our students’ elders and pastors see this as a valuable aspect of pastoral training. Pastors are constantly faced with similar tensions. It is good for our men to learn wisdom in these areas prior to entering the pastorate. It is also important for them to learn to find God’s grace and strength in the face of their own weaknesses.

The churches to which our students belong also play a vital role in the training of our men. Members of their churches help in practical ways: babysitting for them so that they and their wives can enjoy an evening alone together; buying books for the students; supporting the students and the CNPC financially; giving frequent encouragement as the students minister to them; offering gracious and constructive critique—and above all, praying for them and their families regularly. The CNPC cannot exist and do its work apart from the support and cooperation of the students’ churches. Those who are outside of these churches can also support our work with encouragement, prayers and financial help.

Because the workload our students face is so intense, we encourage all of our students to raise enough financial support to supplement their income and free them to take full advantage of their time in the college.