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Welcome to Spring Bible School at Tauernhof! We 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. Please also consider joining our Official Facebook Group for Spring Bible School so you can connect, share travel and other ideas and maybe even meet up – see our facebook page
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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 1 John, Life with a Capital L, Ephesians, Spiritual Endurance, Worldview, The Greatest Life on the Planet, Galatians, Malachi, The Life of Elisha, 1 & 2 Timothy, Relationships, Life Stewardship & The Kingdom of God.
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 84 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.
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The course begins with an evening meal at 6:00pm on Sunday 24th April 2016. Please arrive on the first day of the course. The Reception will be open from 10 am and you can check in from then.
The course ends after breakfast on Saturday 18th June 2016 and so you are free to leave after 9 am. Please do not plan to leave Tauernhof before the conclusion of the course.
Please note that it is not possible to stay at Tauernhof before or after the dates of the course.
If you arrive earlier in Schladming or wish to stay in Schladming after the course has ended, 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).
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).
If you don’t stay longer than 90 days in Europe, and have no plans to return to Europe in the next 6 months after leaving Europe, you don’t need a Visa. Please note that if you are a non-European national, you may only spend a total of 90 days in Europe without a visa in any given 6 month period.
This does not apply for people from Asia and Africa who will always need a visa for the duration of the time in Europe.
ATTENTION: Due to recent local authority changes it is no longer possible for Tauernhof to assist you in applying for a visa from Austria unless you are attending courses that finish six months after they started. That means you will have to contact the Austrian Foreign Ministry in your home country and apply for a visa there before you travel to Austria!
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: EUR €2,30. 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: 18.90 Euros, Munich approx. 4 hours, price: approx. 57 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. Please see www.meoweather.com for historical weather trends. 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 and girls could wear a skirt or dress). 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. We encourage you to bring your personal PC-notebook/laptop for taking notes during lectures and you will be provided with a Tauernhof branded 4GB capacity USB stick (the cost of which is included in the student fees). 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.
Please note that the deposit (of 300 Euros) forms part of the course fees.
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 sent to Tauernhof at the address above or brought with you when you come. 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 Account Number 17400007708 at Tauernhof’s bank “Steiermärkische Sparkasse”, A-8970 Schladming, Austria (International Bank Account ‘IBAN’: AT252081517400007708, Bank Identifier Code ‘BIC’: STSPAT2G). Please note that the local service charge for receiving an international bank transfer is approximately 25 Euros (this charge therefore only affects non-Europeans). 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). Alternatively, please add 25 Euros to the amount but bear in mind that there may be a shortfall which will need to paid when you arrive.
3) Visa/MasterCard: It is possible to pay online by Visa or MasterCard. Please see the payment window that you can access under www.tauernhofaustria.at/de/bankverbindung.html and ensure that you give details of the course you are attending as the “order number”, i.e. “Spring Bible School 2016″. It is possible to select “English” as the language by clicking on the British flag at the top right. Please also add 2% to the amount you pay as there is a surcharge on credit card payments.
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The Course Fees also cover tourist tax, a 8GB capacity USB stick (or you can choose to have a file and notepaper instead), 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).
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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.
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You will also need to have personal spending money to cover additional expenses such as stationary and postage, telephone calls, toiletries, snacks and sightseeing. 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 may conveniently obtain cash through numerous local ATM’s with the use of a qualifying debit or credit card (PIN number required).
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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. If you require medical treatment while you are in Austria, then (unless you are a European) you will have to pay when you have the treatment and then make a claim from your insurance provider.
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Here is your mailing address and telephone number during the course:
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.
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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.
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Applicants should familiarize themselves with the following policy before coming to Bible School. You need to be aware that you will be required to abide by this policy and that a failure to do so may result in disciplinary actions being taken and potentially your expulsion from Bible School.
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PARTICIPATION: As a Bible School student you are expected to take part in all of our scheduled activities (lectures, outreaches, family group evenings, meals, etc.). This includes co-operative and punctual adherence to the timetable and guidelines, unless exceptional permission has been given by the Principal, Dean of Students or Houseparents.
CONDUCT: While living in a community, it is essential to be aware and respectful of the different backgrounds and cultures of other people and therefore you are expected to conduct yourself in a manner appropriate to the directives and examples of God’s Word.
The use of alcoholic beverages and tobacco is not permitted for the duration of the Bible School, including during the Travel Weekend (see the “General Matters” section below).
MEDIA: We ask you not to watch any movies from Monday to Friday in order to provide time for personal study, reading and quiet times. Movie viewing (permitted on Friday and Saturday evenings) will be approved by the Student Mentors (“SM’s”).
Music may be listened to during free time WITH HEADPHONES only.
Laptops will be removed when misused!
APPEARANCE: We ask you to maintain a neat and tidy appearance.
Please be dressed appropriately for meetings (lectures, outreaches, meals and other activities) – for cultural reasons, head coverings are not permitted during such events.
Casual attire is allowed for Sunday Services as long as it is clean, neat and tidy (e.g.: no torn jeans, shorts or sweat pants).
Do not go shirtless or barefoot in our buildings.
In order to promote a healthy and wholesome community life all students are to dress appropriately in consideration of the opposite sex.
Drastic hairstyle changes, body piercing (with the exception of standard ear piercing for ladies) and/or tattoos may not be undertaken during your time at Tauernhof.
OUT OF BOUNDS: Keep out of:
• Our neighbour’s property (e.g. the Planai Parking Garage);
• Bedrooms and bathrooms of the opposite sex. Also, do not have persons of the opposite sex (whether student or staff) in your bedroom or bathroom;
• The Office (Office open hours are between lunch and 3pm);
• The Kitchen;
• The Staff Lounge (unless your outreach or family group are meeting there);
• The Climbing Tower (unless authorized by a staff member qualified to do so and you have registered at the Reception beforehand).
RELATIONSHIPS: Relationships (romantic attachments) that begin at Bible School can be disruptive, divisive and embarrassing and tend to isolate those involved. Students come and are accepted to attend Bible School to develop a deeper relationship with God. Relationships and physical expressions of affection or other interest (including massages) are therefore not permitted during your time at Bible School.
While we wholeheartedly encourage healthy friendships, our definition of a relationship (romantic attachment) is when a couple separates themselves from the Bible School community and/or is involved in recurring physical contact. If a student desires to initiate a relationship they are required to speak to the Principal at the earliest opportunity.
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ASSIGNMENTS: In order to satisfactorily complete the course, the following assignments need to be handed in/completed at the required times:
• Memorizing and reciting 3 Bible Verses per week;
• Positive result of Memory Verse Test;
• Reading through the required Bible passages;
• Written assignment on the weekly Bible readings;
• Reading the assigned books and completing the accompanying book reports; and
• Obtaining the required weekly Fitness Units.
Depending on your overall performance at Tauernhof Bible School, you will be awarded a certificate that states that you either: “attended”; “attended and satisfied the requirements of”; or “attended and exceeded the requirements of” Tauernhof Bible School.
MEALS: For practical reasons you are required to attend all meals unless you have signed out (only permitted for evening meals), or you are signed off as being sick (see below).
SICKNESS: You are only signed off as being sick when you or your allocated room representative have reported your sickness to the Principal, Dean of Students, Houseparents or SM’s and they have confirmed your sickness and then you or your allocated room representative have entered the details of the sickness in the Log Book located by the Kitchen.
If you are confirmed as sick in the morning, then you are considered sick for the whole day and must stay in your bedroom for that day.
When you are sick, you are required to find (or ask your allocated room representative to find) a replacement for your duties (see below) to ensure the continued smooth running of the Bible School. As soon as you are well again, you are required to catch up on missed lectures and required reading.
DUTIES: All students will be assigned practical duties to be carried out in accordance with the instructions and times informed to you.
All students will also help in practical work (normally one afternoon a week).
ROOM TIME: For safety and practical reasons, outside doors of the buildings are locked at 10:45pm, except on Friday and Saturday when they are locked at 11:30pm. You are required to be in your room by the scheduled lock-up time and to keep quiet so that everyone is able to sleep and get a good rest for the next day. There is a wake up time of 7:30am during the week when you are required to be up and prepare yourself for breakfast.
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ROOM DEPOSIT: There is a room deposit of 50 Euros included as part of the course fee that will be returned at the end of the course, subject to the room and other facilities used by you being left in a suitable condition.
OUTINGS: We will offer organized outings (such as city visits and hikes) on Saturdays.
For safety reasons (based on past experiences) you should NOT hike alone in the mountains unless you have informed a SM where you are going, when you are going and when you will be back and then the SM has approved your plans. Whenever going up into the mountains, go in groups of two or more, inform a SM (as above) and never beyond the tree line (1900m) without authorisation from the Principal, Dean of Students or Houseparents.
Hitchhiking is strictly prohibited.
TRAVEL WEEKEND: There will be a 3-night/3-day travel weekend in the middle of the course (exact dates will be announced at the beginning of the course).
Besides that, no other overnight travel is allowed during the course, unless the Principal has given you exceptional permission to do so.
For practical reasons and in order to successfully complete the course, we require you to not leave Bible School before departure day.
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During your time at our Bible School, Tauernhof will be your home together with around 84 other students plus staff. Therefore, we ask you to conduct yourself in a manner that is honoring to the Lord Jesus Christ and considerate of others. Since we come from a variety of different backgrounds and have different expectations, it is necessary to set out the foregoing guidelines to assist in the smooth running of the Bible School.
By your enrolment and arrival at our Bible School we require you to have read this Bible School Policy and commit yourself to diligently and lovingly uphold the principles of Bible School life and community living we have established in the interest of creating an appropriate, enriching and mutually beneficial environment for all to appreciate and thrive in.
Thank you very much in advance for your co-operation!
If you have any questions, please first refer to the FAQ’s page on our website and if that is unable to help you, feel free to contact the Bible School Registrar: registrar@tauernhofaustria.at
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.
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We look forward to welcoming you here!
Sincerely in Christ,
Jonathan Halsey
Principal
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