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SPRING BIBLE SCHOOL 2012 INFORMATION Welcome to Spring Bible School 2012 at Tauernhof! We have reserved a place for you, and look forward to having you with us for this course. Here is some important information that will help you in preparing to come to Tauernhof. Please read it through carefully, and bring it with you for further reference.COURSE INFORMATION The objective of this relatively intensive and concentrated course is to provide training for Christians, in order:1) to facilitate the deepening of relationship with, faith in, and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, i.e. to come to personally experience the reality of His indwelling life - "Christ in you"; 2) to increase our knowledge of God's Word; 3) to provide opportunities for practical application of spiritual and mental learning; 4) to promote the development of the Christian as a whole person, i.e. spiritually, mentally and physically; and 5) to give students the advantages of cross-cultural and multi-cultural Christian exposure, also by providing a community environment which encourages Christian fellowship, maturity, responsibility, participation, and cooperation. To this end, the course consists of teaching by Tauernhof Bible School and Torchbearers’ International staff, as well as guest lecturers, on books and subjects including Revelation, 1 & 2 Timothy, Spiritual Endurance, Christian Living, Galatians, 1 John, Life Stewardship, Relationships/Leadership, Philippians and various related topics. Besides classes there are various readings, assignments, seminars, and opportunities for application and interaction in services, devotions, studies, fellowship and prayer times, and also various outreach involvement in the surrounding area. Students will be divided into smaller groups for some of these purposes. A fitness plan is also a vital part of the course. Students are also involved in daily household duties, as well as weekly blocks of practical work, such as cleaning, maintenance and gardening. Also of importance is time for relaxation and recreation, both individually and as a group. The basic weekly schedule consists of four lectures and seminar hours daily Monday to Friday. Afternoons are generally set aside for personal study and relaxation. Saturday is free for recreation, relaxation, and day trips and Sunday is set aside for worship, fellowship and relaxation. Since it is a smaller school (capacity of 80 students), Tauernhof enjoys a warm and personal atmosphere, in a close community made up of students from various countries and cultures. You will share a room with typically three to five roommates. TRAVEL AND ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS AND VISA REQUIREMENTS The course begins with an evening meal at 6:30pm on Sunday 22nd April 2012 and ends with breakfast on Saturday 16th June 2012. Please arrive on the first day of the course.If you arrive earlier you must arrange your own lodging at a guesthouse or hotel in town (please see the FAQ’s page on our website for Tauernhof approved accommodation and contact details). Also, do not plan to leave before the conclusion of your course. If flying, consider an open-ended ticket. You will need to bring the Acceptance Letter issued to you, this information document and your passport (make sure it is valid for the duration of your stay). A visa is not required to enter Austria unless you are from Asia or Africa. North Americans will only need a visa if they plan to stay in Europe for more than three months in total. If you require a visa, we can assist you with this once you are here - please refer to the FAQ’s page on our website for further information. Schladming is located about 90 kilometres (55 miles) southeast of Salzburg, in the heart of the Alps of central Austria. Flying: The nearest airport is Salzburg. From the airport take bus # 2 to the main train station "Hauptbahnhof" (travel time: 20 minutes, frequency: every 15 minutes, price: € 2,00). Then follow the train directions below. From North America cheaper flights may be available to London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich or Vienna. From all of these cities there are train connections to Schladming (See www.oebb.at or www.db.de). Train: Schladming is easily accessible by train from anywhere in Europe. From Salzburg "Hauptbahnhof" take any train going towards Graz, Austria. It will stop in Schladming but you may have to switch trains in Bischofshofen which is approx. 30 minutes after Salzburg. There are several train connections from Salzburg to Schladming available each day. See website www.oebb.at for detailed train schedule information. Travel time from Salzburg is approx. 1.5 hours, price: 16.20 Euros, Munich approx. 4 hours, price: approx. 55 Euros and Vienna approx. 5 hours, price: approx. 50 Euros. When you arrive in Schladming, you can call us (just dial 22294 from the phone booth in front of the station – it will cost around 20 cents) and we will pick you up if it is the first day of the course. Alternatively, you can walk - approx. 15 minutes: turn left outside the train station, and walk into town. Tauernhof is located by the base station of the Planai ski area gondola "Planai Bahn", right next to the "Charly Kahr" ski and sport shop. Please see the FAQ’s page on our website for a map with the directions to Tauernhof marked on it. If you are making any additional travel plans prior or subsequent to the course, or between if you are attending consecutive courses at more than one European Torchbearers' School, you may want to purchase a Eurail pass before coming, or if you are under 26, you may buy an Inter-Rail pass, available at most European train stations. For detailed information regarding train passes, please see www.oebb.at. An International Student Identification Card and an International Youth Hostel Card are also advisable. If you are traveling in Europe for the first time, a good investment is a guidebook such as "Let's Go" which is updated yearly (Harvard Student Agencies Inc., St. Martins Press, New York). WHAT TO BRING Because of limited space, and also for traveling convenience, we suggest that you bring along only what is essential. Here is information to help you know what to bring.Clothing: Located in the Austrian Alps, Tauernhof experiences a typical temperate and mountain climate, with a fair degree of temperature variation and precipitation. Therefore you should bring some warm clothing for both indoors and outdoors. We suggest that you bring easy-care clothes that may be put in a tumble dryer. You can label your clothes for easier identification. Our dress standards require students to maintain a general neatness in appearance. Neat clothing should be worn for lectures, meals, outreaches, and other activities. For meetings and meals on Sunday students are expected to dress up appropriately (e.g. men could wear a suit or jacket and tie). Bring along some clothes suitable for practical work, both outdoors and indoors. For the fitness plan and recreation you should also bring running shoes, shorts, and a swim suit and hiking boots if wanted. A bathrobe and slippers are also advisable. Other: You must have a good English Bible (a translation such as NASB, NIV, NKJV or similar, not a paraphrase) as well as pens for lecture notes and assignments. A notebook and paper are provided. Tauernhof has concordances, commentaries and Bible dictionaries. You can also bring your personal PC-notebook/laptop for taking notes during lectures. Also be sure to bring towels and toiletries (bedding is provided). Please note that the electrical current in Austria is 220 Volts A.C. Therefore if you intend to bring any electrical appliances, you may need to bring a voltage converter as well as an adaptor plug. We encourage you to bring along any portable musical instrument that you play. COURSE FEES If you have not yet paid your full balance, please do so as soon as possible and in no event later than the first week of Bible School. There are 3 possible ways to pay:1) Bank Draft or International Money Order in Euros drawn on an Austrian bank, and made out to "Tauernhof". This can be purchased at your local bank, and be brought with you, or sent in advance to Tauernhof. Please note that the local service charge for cashing an international check is 12 Euros and so please add this amount to your check. 2) Bank Transfer: Please use the Tauernhof Account Number 17400007708 at the bank "Die Sparkasse", A-8970 Schladming, Austria (International Bank Account Number 'IBAN': AT252081517400007708, Bank Identifier Code 'BIC': STSPAT2G). Please note that the local service charge for receiving an international bank transfer is approximately 25 Euros. As the exact amount always varies, the easiest way around this is to tell your bank that you wish to pay the bank charges both at your home bank and in Austria (common practice is for the bank charges to be split). 3) Visa/Mastercard: Please send the long number of your credit card, together with the expiry date to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will process the payment for you (if you wish, you can send the information in 2 emails). Alternatively, please phone the Registrar on +43 (0) 3687 22294 12 to provide your credit card details. Please note there is a 2 % surcharge on any payments made by credit card. OTHER FEES The Course Fees also cover tourist tax, a notebook and paper, weekly gym usage, e-mail access, class picture, a T-shirt, the use of washing machines, tumble dryer, washing powder (one load per week), a room deposit (see below) and various social activities (personal Saturday outings are not included).ROOM DEPOSIT The room deposit of 50 Euros (included in the course fee) will be refunded at the end of the course if you leave your room neat and tidy.ADDITIONAL EXPENSES AND ACCESSING YOUR MONEY You will also need to have personal spending money to cover additional expenses such as stationary and postage, telephone calls, toiletries, snacks and sightseeing. Halfway through the course there is a travel weekend which you will also want to take into consideration. Remember of course your travel expenses to and from Tauernhof, as well as any additional travel plans you may have. Austria is fairly expensive. You can use Traveler's Checks for your personal expenses. Personal checks are generally not accepted. As an alternative to Traveler’s Checks, you may also conveniently obtain cash through numerous local ATM’s with the use of a qualifying debit or credit card (PIN number required), which can be more economical than exchanging Traveler’s Checks.HEALTH INSURANCE You must have your own health and accident insurance coverage and you must bring a copy of your current insurance card or similar evidence with you.
Your Name Tauernhof Coburgstrasse 50 A-8970 Schladming Austria Student Phone: 0043-3687-24190 (dial 011-43-3687-24190 from North America) Office Phone: 0043-3687-22294 (dial 011-43-3687-22294 from North America) Phone calls for you can be received only between 7:00am - 8:45am, 12:30pm - 5:15pm, and 9:00pm - 10:30pm Central European Time. Please note the time difference, for example Austria is 6 hours ahead of Toronto, and 9 hours ahead of Seattle. For students from overseas If your families and friends intend to send you a package during your stay in Europe, they should know and take into consideration the following:The value of the package should not be higher than 50 US Dollars, as the receiver will need to pay for import tax (customs) otherwise. The custom law has become very strict these past years, and we had many students in the past that got packages from home and because the value was above 50 US Dollars, they needed to pay customs on top of it, even if the content of the package were personal belongings (such as cameras, clothes, sports equipment, etc). Also, it is forbidden to send medicine from overseas to Europe (even vitamins have caused problems in the past!). In Brief: Care packages from home should be kept small and the value of it should be less than 50 US Dollars.
We as the staff are praying for you as you prepare to come to Tauernhof. We are anticipating this course to be a very valuable time of challenge and growth in the Lord. Be praying that the Holy Spirit will prepare you for all that God will do in your life, and also for your fellow students, lecturers and staff as we expectantly approach our time together. We look forward to welcoming you here! Sincerely in Christ, Martin Buchsteiner Principal |
