By Daniel Bobinski
Regular readers have seen my column in this publication for 12 years. Some also know that I served six years in the Navy, that I then owned a management and leadership training company (Leadership Development, Inc.), that I wrote an international bestseller on creating workplace teams, and for more than three decades, I poured my heart into helping people develop excellence at their work. After 35 years of that, I decided I was done. In 2024 I closed up shop.
Except the word “retirement” doesn’t appear in the Bible.
I wanted to do more ministry. In addition to my “tentmaking” profession, I’ve always been involved in ministry in some way. In 1988 I was a youth director. Then I was in a Christian band that actually got songs on the radio. Following that, God distinctly took me out of music and gave me a teaching ministry. I went back to college at age 34, earned degrees in adult education, and eventually got a doctorate in theology.
Over the decades I served as a men’s pastor, adult Sunday school teacher, and teaching pastor. I even taught for four years at Idaho State. But whether it was in a church classroom or a corporate boardroom, the thread remained the same: I wanted to help people grow.
So, after I “retired” in 2024, I did what I’ve always done – I prayed. “God, what do YOU want me to do?” For years, He’d been whispering that He was going to use me for something. I just kept asking what that something was.
The answer came through a most unexpected phone call.
I was looking for a venue at which an evangelist friend could speak when he came to town, and someone referred me to the Biblical Studies Center (BSC) in Boise. Long story short, when the BSC’s administrative assistant learned about my background, she said, “You would be a good replacement for our outgoing Academic Director.”
I told her if the Director (Barry Watts) was interested in talking with me, she could set up a meeting.
Next thing I knew, I wasn’t retired. I was rewired as the new Education Director for the Biblical Studies Center near Boise State University.
Raising Up Ministry Leaders
For fifty-two years, the BSC has served as a satellite campus for Oklahoma Christian University, offering college classes on the Bible. Boise State University students take classes with us, earn credit at OCU, then transfer those credits to BSU as electives. It’s been a quiet, faithful ministry to students seeking to deepen their biblical knowledge while pursuing their degrees.
But something exciting is happening now.
This past year, the BSC’s Board of Directors made a strategic decision to expand our mission beyond serving students. Don’t misunderstand. We will always reach out to Boise State students, but now we’re also reaching out to the community and to churches throughout Idaho’s Treasure Valley to help raise up ministry leaders.
Why? Because many pastors simply don’t have the bandwidth to train people for ministry. The demands of preaching, counseling, administration, and pastoral care leave little time for deeper biblical training and leadership development. Yet the need for equipped, biblically grounded leaders has never been greater.
The BSC has the space. We have the resources. We have the passion. And now we have a plan.
In addition to a wide array of classes that anyone can take, starting in 2026, the BSC is offering certificate programs in:
People can take just one class or pursue a full certificate. And these aren’t casual classes. These are comprehensive programs designed to equip people who are serious about growing in their faith and/or stepping into ministry, whether vocational or volunteer.
In other words, at the BSC, anyone can now get biblical training without leaving Boise or paying seminary costs. It’s an excellent, local, inexpensive option.
A Place to Connect and Grow
The BSC’s motto is, “A place to connect and grow.” Those aren’t just words on a website.
A PLACE – Our building is just a block south of Albertsons Stadium. It’s an incredibly versatile space with multiple meeting rooms, a full library, a complete kitchen, and a classroom recently outfitted with state-of-the-art video equipment. It’s set up to be a genuine community hub.
TO CONNECT – At the BSC, people develop new perspectives on the world, engage in meaningful conversations with others, and make lasting friendships. It’s a place where authentic Christian community can flourish.
AND GROW – This is where our expanding mission comes in, and it’s what has me so energized about this new season in my life.
Every Sunday morning at 10 a.m., I facilitate a weekly Bible discussion at the BSC that anyone can attend. It’s become one of my favorite parts of the week, with people asking great questions and encouraging one another to grow in their faith.
We also host monthly worship evenings, which we hope to expand to twice a month. There’s something powerful about gathering simply to worship – no agenda, no sermon, no program. Just God’s people lifting their voices together.
We’re also launching a monthly speaker series, bringing in local, regional, and national speakers to address issues specific to our Christian faith. In a world where believers face increasingly complex questions about culture, ethics, and apologetics, we need thoughtful voices speaking into these conversations.
There’s more, but bottom line, the BSC is becoming more than a place to take classes. It’s becoming a hub for the Christian community in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, where seekers, students, church members, and ministry leaders can find solid biblical teaching, authentic community, and opportunities to grow.
So whether you’re a student at Boise State, a church leader wanting to develop your people, or someone exploring a deeper calling, c’mon down. The Biblical Studies Center is right across the street from BSU. We’re a place to connect and grow, and we’re “rewiring” our purpose to reach out to more people. I encourage everyone to plug in.
The BSC’s address is 1025 Belmont St. in Boise. See the class schedule and learn more at www.boisebsc.org.
