Who Taught You How to Drive?

WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DRIVE?

By Dave Lambert

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."
— 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Who taught you how to drive? For me it was when I was 13 years old. My dad took me into the country where there was no traffic. My mother had no idea I was driving. She would not have approved because of my young age.

Learning to drive with a clutch is much harder than learning with an automatic. But I'm glad I did. It took me a while to get the timing down for letting out the clutch as I pushed on the gas pedal. If I let the clutch out too quickly we'd say I popped the clutch. That would stall the car. After many trips to the country I finally was able to drive with some confidence, but I would still pop the clutch and stall the car occasionally.

Finally my dad thought it was time to let my mom know I was driving. It was Saturday and our family was working in the front yard. My dad gave me the keys to the car, and told me to pull it further down the curb so we could load some things. My mom was vehement, "He can't drive!" "What are you doing?"

I was so nervous, yet quite excited at the same time. This was my chance to prove I can drive. I pushed in the clutch, started the car, and carefully put it into gear. I let out the clutch slowly. I pushed on the gas, and guided the car forward. I was cautious not to go too fast and lose control. But I didn't want to just rev the engine and not go anywhere. So I let out the clutch a little more, and promptly stalled the car! Everyone was laughing, but now I was free to start learning how to drive more openly. The secret was out. Mom knew her son was learning to drive.

There are two principles I'd like us to consider from my experience of learning how to drive. First, if it was up to my mom it would be a long time before I'd be able to drive. In the same way, we have some leaders who are overprotective. They don't want to give people responsibility. One way to pass on the things we have heard is by putting people in situations where they have to exercise authority and get something done. We need to challenge people with doing things.

Secondly, we need to learn how to be strong in the grace of the Lord. In our spiritual life we tend to think we are Christians now. We believe in Jesus. We are committed to Jesus. We should immediately know how to do everything right. But our spiritual life is a process. It's a process of falling down, getting up and learning from our mistakes.

I've done many things that I'm too embarrassed to talk about. But I'm convinced God smiles when we fail, then pick ourselves up and go on to become competent leaders. He is in the midst of us when we blow it. It's not the end of the world. That's how we grow.

Our church has recorded as one of our core values that every person in our church is free to fail. But we are not free to sit on the sidelines and never get our hands dirty. We will make mistakes. We will not be perfect, but we will grow to be strong in the grace of the Lord as we try things. Then we can pass things onto the next generation with patience and effectiveness.

Clarkston Bible Institute enjoys an environment where we are free to fail, and we are learning to pass things onto others in our churches and ministries. Let us do that with confidence, even when people pop the clutch, stall the car, and create laughter every once in a while.

🏫 FALL 2026 ACADEMIC UPDATE: NEW CLASS FORMATS

By Terry Sparks, Executive Director

As we prepare for the start of the 2026-2027 academic year, the Clarkston Bible Institute is introducing a key transition in our class schedules. Based on feedback from our students and partners, we are changing our normal class schedule in two important ways:

• Time Shift: We will meet Monday - Thursday, as in the past, but we will conduct classes two hours per day (9:00 A.M. Eastern- 11:00 A.M. Eastern) instead of three (9:00 A.M. Eastern - 12:00 Noon Eastern).
• Alternating Fridays: After we finish Bible Study Methods, we will meet on Fridays. One Friday will be devoted to Preaching content and Preaching practice. The next Friday will be “Office Hours.” This time will be used to answer student questions and to explain in more detail an idea, concept, or principle that we taught earlier that week but needs more explanation.

These changes are designed to ensure our training fits the practical realities of our students' lives while maintaining the same depth of biblical curriculum.

In addition to our regular class, we will be teaching a separate class for ELIM Institute in Myanmar (Burma) two nights per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays).

🌍 IMPACT REPORT: BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Strategic updates on global expansion and regional developments.

Global Expansion: The ELIM Institute (Myanmar/Burma)

We are thrilled to officially announce the launch of our residential classes in partnership with the ELIM Institute, starting July 28, 2026.

• The Need: There is an urgent need for foundational spiritual discipleship and leadership training. However young people who are 18 - 45 run the risk of being conscripted by the military if they try to travel to one central location. Therefore, we need to teach them where they are remotely using Zoom.
• The Goal: Provide structured theological training and a biblical worldview to students selected from across Myanmar's states, equipping them as missionaries to their own communities.
• The Strategy: Classes will launch on July 28th at a cadence of one session per week, transitioning to twice weekly after August 25th. The curriculum will begin with Bible Study Methods before transitioning to preaching. We are leveraging CBI's technology and curriculum, alongside local missionary staff and existing translated materials.

Regional Update: Uganda Challenges

We pause to request prayer for our alumni and ministry partners in Uganda, led by Daniel Muwanguzi (CBI Alumus - Class of 2025).

• The Need: The street children ministry has been temporarily paused due to confirmed Ebola border cases. Additionally, local ministry operations are facing significant economic strains, including doubled fuel prices, high local taxes, and government demolitions of roadside kiosks that have impacted the livelihoods of local families.
• The Strategy: We are maintaining close contact with Daniel and providing mentorship. We are currently reviewing a modular Short-Course Proposal (a 3-level certificate track) to serve as a low-cost theological on-ramp for future leaders in the region.

🗓️ UPCOMING EVENTS

Save these key dates for the upcoming academic year:

• 27 JUL 2026: Start of the Fall 2026 semester for the Clarkston Area Cohort.
• 28 JUL 2026: Launch of the ELIM Institute program (1 session/week).
• 25 AUG 2026: ELIM Institute program transitions to twice-weekly schedule.
• 07 NOV 2026: CBI 10-Year Anniversary Celebration at Clarkston International Bible Church (CIBC). Dinner will begin at 6:00 PM. Save the date for a night of praise, student testimonies, and special performances!

🎒 CURRENT NEEDS & PRAYER REQUESTS

🙏🏼 Prayer Points

• For Myanmar: Protection and peace for our students and faculty in Yangon as they navigate political instability and conscription threats.
• For Clarkston: For peace, dignity, and flourishing among the diverse refugee and immigrant families in our local square mile.
• For Faculty and Teachers: Pray that God will bring at least two more teachers to join the Clarkston Bible Institute faculty who share our heart and vision.
• For Uganda: Pray for safety, health protection from Ebola, and economic relief for Daniel and the families he ministers to.

💲 Financial Needs

• Student Scholarships: We are actively seeking Life Change Partners who will help us provide funding for our Student Scholarships, particularly for our incoming international students from Myanmar. Our tuition for the year is $1,500. However, the students living in Myanmar do not have funds to pay tuition. These tuition funds ensure our intensive training remains fully accessible to those called to lead.