Among other ministries, we have had the opportunity this summer to work with the youth group at Southside Baptist Church here in Fort Collins, Colo.
We were able to share our testimonies of how we each came to Christ and our individual journeys in accepting the call to Colorado this summer. The difference in each of our stories shows the beauty of how God works through a vast array of experiences in each person’s life. While it was beneficial for me to reflect on what Christ has done in our lives, I pray that it was equally meaningful for the students as they listened. My hope is that it inspired them to think about the value of their own story of God in their lives and how they could share it with others.
My favorite part about going to talk to them was sharing what we have learned about sowing the gospel and harvesting the fruit that comes once the truth has been sown. In our experiences with reaching out to nonbelievers here, it has proven the significance of willingly taking time to listen to others so as to fully grasp who they are.
The sowing does not begin when we start preaching. It starts with showing a genuine interest in the person and what matters to them. Being OK with simply hanging out without having to force our beliefs on them speaks volumes. As trust builds, the gospel can be much better received and strategically explained according to that individual’s learning style, established beliefs and personality.
This can be a very tiresome process at times, as we often do not see the results of sowing into an individual’s life for days, weeks or even years. Maybe we will never see the impact at all, but we obediently continue sowing God’s word through the way we live trusting that God will use it to expand his kingdom in the long run.
Mike helped provide an example of how these teenagers could apply this lifestyle. He asked them if they enjoyed playing sports, and most of them raised their hands. He said that as they are playing these sports and interacting with those they are playing with, they can start friendships with the goal of being a light in the lives of others. Instead of asking their friends to go to church and then building a relationship when the invitation is accepted, they can build a relationship, and maybe their friend will get involved in a church later as a result of seeing Christ in their life.
It excites me to think that us sharing with them what God has taught us could play a role in helping them to grasp the concept of sowing and its importance at a much younger age than I did. Watching these youth realize the opportunity to build relationships in their junior high and high schools, on their sports teams, in their neighborhoods, in their clubs and other various activities made me hopeful for the eyes of the younger generation to be opened to the mission field right in front of them.
Here is the link to the above article as it was on the Baptist Standard:
http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?+option=com_content&task=view&id=11481&Itemid=9
Monday, October 18, 2010
Father Abraham
For those of you who grew up going to traditional Sunday school or kids choir may remember dancing to the tune of “Father Abraham” on more than one occasion. The song is highly interactive, incorporating a different arm and leg movement after each repetition of a single verse as you continue to sing it over and over. As you can imagine, you begin to look pretty ridiculous. While children’s songs like these can be cheesy and overused, you never know where they might sneak up and surprise you in the most unexpected instances later in life. For example, not an age-appropriate sing-along time with five year olds, but in Bible study between two college age girls.
I was in a crowded coffee shop with a girl that I have been meeting to do Bible study with who is learning to read the Word for herself for the first time. We were discussing what she read in Romans 4 about Abraham’s justification through faith. Assuming she knew the background on God giving Abraham and Sarah a son despite a seemingly impossible circumstance, I attempted to relate this to having faith in God to accomplish the humanly unattainable in our own lives. Before I could finish, she burst into her rendition of “Father Abraham.” I could not resist this flashback to my childhood days and proceeded to sing along. We made quite the scene in the middle of the coffee shop as we sang at least three verses complete with hand motions. In the midst of hysterics from the complete goofs we had just made of ourselves, she asked me if that song was about the same Abraham in this passage. Somewhat taken aback, I asked her if she understood what the song is referring to when it references Abraham’s many sons. To my surprise, she had not, giving me the opportunity to share about how God miraculously provided Isaac as a son for Abraham and Sarah in their old age, asked Abraham to sacrifice him and then stopped him at the last minute, and how God rewarded Abraham for his faithfulness by promising him many descendants.
It was eye opening how easy it is to grow up singing songs about stories from the Bible and never really understand the meaning behind it. My sweet friend had known that song for years and never knew the story behind it. She has a long way to go in understanding God’s Word, as we all do, but the little moments like that when something finally clicks for her are so encouraging to me. It is a glimpse into God at work in someone’s life as He becomes more real to that individual through His Word.
I was in a crowded coffee shop with a girl that I have been meeting to do Bible study with who is learning to read the Word for herself for the first time. We were discussing what she read in Romans 4 about Abraham’s justification through faith. Assuming she knew the background on God giving Abraham and Sarah a son despite a seemingly impossible circumstance, I attempted to relate this to having faith in God to accomplish the humanly unattainable in our own lives. Before I could finish, she burst into her rendition of “Father Abraham.” I could not resist this flashback to my childhood days and proceeded to sing along. We made quite the scene in the middle of the coffee shop as we sang at least three verses complete with hand motions. In the midst of hysterics from the complete goofs we had just made of ourselves, she asked me if that song was about the same Abraham in this passage. Somewhat taken aback, I asked her if she understood what the song is referring to when it references Abraham’s many sons. To my surprise, she had not, giving me the opportunity to share about how God miraculously provided Isaac as a son for Abraham and Sarah in their old age, asked Abraham to sacrifice him and then stopped him at the last minute, and how God rewarded Abraham for his faithfulness by promising him many descendants.
It was eye opening how easy it is to grow up singing songs about stories from the Bible and never really understand the meaning behind it. My sweet friend had known that song for years and never knew the story behind it. She has a long way to go in understanding God’s Word, as we all do, but the little moments like that when something finally clicks for her are so encouraging to me. It is a glimpse into God at work in someone’s life as He becomes more real to that individual through His Word.
Learning the Thoughts of the Fort Collins Community
One of the ways we help Inside Out church as they are trying to get started in Fort Collins, is by doing video surveys downtown. We approach people asking them if they would like to participate in a video survey explaining that we are with Inside Out looking to better understand the Fort Collins community and how people think and believe. This method allows us to ask spiritual and personal questions without people being too skeptical of what we are doing. After all, we just want to know what they believe and do not have a separate agenda of preaching at them.
Our list of what to ask included surface-level questions about how people spend their time on the weekends to more in-depth questions about their feelings when they hear the words “Christian” or “Jesus” and how they carry out their own spirituality. The answers we get in these surveys capture the essence of the spiritual condition and the majority consensus of how people think and believe in this area. Openness and tolerance are the most common overlying theme in the way people view the world here. While these could be desirable traits of a peaceful environment, it leaves out room for absolute Truth. Many people will acknowledge the possibility of the existence of God, but believe spirituality to be highly individual and kept personal to avoid conflict. The ideas that we have come across make up a diverse pool of belief systems including but not limited to religious pluralists, New Age enthusiasts, agnostics, Mormons, and even a couple evangelical Christians.
While each interview is eye opening, one stuck out in particular this last Saturday. We approached a group of teenagers with edgy style choice in clothing, pierced up bodies, dyed hair, and their guitar-playing ringleader who looked to be the oldest of the bunch. In the middle of trying to explain to one of them the video survey we were doing, an older girl spoke up over our shoulder asking what we were doing. We quickly learned her name was Christina that she actually worked with youth at a local church and had come out there to hang out with one 14-year-old girl in particular that she had been trying to reach out to, and that the groups of teens that we had been trying to survey were the young girl’s friends. The group quickly scattered once our attention had been directed off of them and Christina explained that it was probably because they had been in trouble with the police already once that day and were avoiding making a scene by being on camera. Christina was trying to meet the girl in her element with the people that she spends most of her time with. After interviewing both Christina and her adolescent friend, we found that Christina could fit perfectly in the type of ministry we have been a part of with Inside Out church. She expressed a desire to talk with the pastor Nate Templin about helping him out. This was such an answer to pray for Inside Out who had been looking for a college-aged female in the area to help them connect and to be a part of their vision of being the church to the lost and reaching those who would never set foot in a church building. Not only did we make a great connection, but also Christina was excited because the questions we raised in our survey were going to be a great way to open up spiritual conversation with her searching friend. It excites me how God may use Christina to continue to impact that one girls life and potentially many others. I am grateful for this new friend made through what I believe to be divine appointment. Each day is an adventure, as we never know whom God will place in our path.
Our list of what to ask included surface-level questions about how people spend their time on the weekends to more in-depth questions about their feelings when they hear the words “Christian” or “Jesus” and how they carry out their own spirituality. The answers we get in these surveys capture the essence of the spiritual condition and the majority consensus of how people think and believe in this area. Openness and tolerance are the most common overlying theme in the way people view the world here. While these could be desirable traits of a peaceful environment, it leaves out room for absolute Truth. Many people will acknowledge the possibility of the existence of God, but believe spirituality to be highly individual and kept personal to avoid conflict. The ideas that we have come across make up a diverse pool of belief systems including but not limited to religious pluralists, New Age enthusiasts, agnostics, Mormons, and even a couple evangelical Christians.
While each interview is eye opening, one stuck out in particular this last Saturday. We approached a group of teenagers with edgy style choice in clothing, pierced up bodies, dyed hair, and their guitar-playing ringleader who looked to be the oldest of the bunch. In the middle of trying to explain to one of them the video survey we were doing, an older girl spoke up over our shoulder asking what we were doing. We quickly learned her name was Christina that she actually worked with youth at a local church and had come out there to hang out with one 14-year-old girl in particular that she had been trying to reach out to, and that the groups of teens that we had been trying to survey were the young girl’s friends. The group quickly scattered once our attention had been directed off of them and Christina explained that it was probably because they had been in trouble with the police already once that day and were avoiding making a scene by being on camera. Christina was trying to meet the girl in her element with the people that she spends most of her time with. After interviewing both Christina and her adolescent friend, we found that Christina could fit perfectly in the type of ministry we have been a part of with Inside Out church. She expressed a desire to talk with the pastor Nate Templin about helping him out. This was such an answer to pray for Inside Out who had been looking for a college-aged female in the area to help them connect and to be a part of their vision of being the church to the lost and reaching those who would never set foot in a church building. Not only did we make a great connection, but also Christina was excited because the questions we raised in our survey were going to be a great way to open up spiritual conversation with her searching friend. It excites me how God may use Christina to continue to impact that one girls life and potentially many others. I am grateful for this new friend made through what I believe to be divine appointment. Each day is an adventure, as we never know whom God will place in our path.
Meeting a Need
Working with the newly established Pursuit Church, pastored by Alan Reed, we had a unique opportunity to serve an organization that they partner with called the Namaqua Center. This organization carries a purpose of reaching out to grandparents or other elderly family members having to raise their grandkids or underage kin. Many of these broken families are living in poverty and struggle with communication, as the generation gap can be at times too great. This is a need that I had never really been aware of before and I was thankful that God opened my eyes to. A few of the families that Namaqua offers aid to had prevalent needs that Namaqua could not physically meet in the time they had.
Mike, Jarred, and I had the opportunity to team up with two mission teams Texas and Arkansas also working with Pursuit Church to meet some of those needs. I was stationed at the home of a great grandmother who raises her four-year-old great grandson alone. They had recently bought a more manageable one-story house because of the grandmother’s increasing health problems. Her house was filled to the brim with nick-knacks and odds and ends that had been accumulating for years. There was literally no rhyme or reason to it. All we could do was pile item after item into boxes to be taken to the new house. My heart broke for this woman who had been trying to make it on her own for so many lonely years and had little time to take care of the place in which she lived. I was reminded that I should not stick up my nose in disgust at the condition of what she had been living in and had to ask the Lord to help me serve without judgment. He answered my prayer and filled my heart with His impartial compassion and a determination to complete the job better than I would even do it for myself.
I was inspired by the excellent attitudes of the youth groups that we were packing and cleaning alongside. They worked tirelessly, even cancelling their plans of other activities they had planned for the rest of that day in order to fully prepare the house to be placed on the market and move all the necessities to the new house. I hope that the grandmother and her grandson feel refreshed by a new beginning and that Christ’s love was evident in our efforts. What blessing to meet a need and work together with some awesome teenagers!
Mike, Jarred, and I had the opportunity to team up with two mission teams Texas and Arkansas also working with Pursuit Church to meet some of those needs. I was stationed at the home of a great grandmother who raises her four-year-old great grandson alone. They had recently bought a more manageable one-story house because of the grandmother’s increasing health problems. Her house was filled to the brim with nick-knacks and odds and ends that had been accumulating for years. There was literally no rhyme or reason to it. All we could do was pile item after item into boxes to be taken to the new house. My heart broke for this woman who had been trying to make it on her own for so many lonely years and had little time to take care of the place in which she lived. I was reminded that I should not stick up my nose in disgust at the condition of what she had been living in and had to ask the Lord to help me serve without judgment. He answered my prayer and filled my heart with His impartial compassion and a determination to complete the job better than I would even do it for myself.
I was inspired by the excellent attitudes of the youth groups that we were packing and cleaning alongside. They worked tirelessly, even cancelling their plans of other activities they had planned for the rest of that day in order to fully prepare the house to be placed on the market and move all the necessities to the new house. I hope that the grandmother and her grandson feel refreshed by a new beginning and that Christ’s love was evident in our efforts. What blessing to meet a need and work together with some awesome teenagers!
One Town, Two Communities
hey everyone, here is my latest blog as it was published on the baptist standard website @ http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11347&Itemid=9
It's a blessing to see two churches in the same town reaching two drastically different groups of people.
We have been working with Alan Reed and the incredible team of people working with Pursuit Church getting started in Fort Collins. It has been very interesting to see the difference in the part of town Pursuit is reaching, versus the area that the other church we have worked with, Inside Out, has been focusing on. We have learned to adjust to the suburban, family-oriented south side of town from the more New Age, collegiate north side of Fort Collins.
What a blessing to work with such unique churches reaching almost opposite communities within one town!
Having such a well-rounded view of ministry to all different ages, has reminded me of the beauty of how there is no specific type we must conform to as the body of Christ. God has uniquely equipped each of his children to reach people of every walk of life, whether homeless, college students, business professionals, moms, hippies, artsy people, musicians, athletes, Goths or whatever. All are equal in the eyes of the Lord. Jesus does not want them to become what much of the world may view as the squeaky-clean Christian “type” before they can come to him. He wants them just as they are, with all their quirks.
In the same way, we do not need to morph our interests and hobbies to fit into one specific missionary mold to be effective in outreach. In fact, I would say conforming that way would hinder our witness, since what makes us tick probably does the same for someone else. And that provides common ground on which to build a genuine friendship that potentially develops into sharing Christ.
It gives me great peace knowing that I do not have to be good at everything—just allow God to use my individual interests and talents to reach those with whom relate.
I am not saying that we are limited to being a light to only those who are like us, because God breaks down those difference barriers daily as his people seek to be light to the lost. However, there is something special about meeting others when are in our element that allows nonbelievers to see that Christians are indeed real and unique people. I do not think that many would argue against the simplicity of doing what we love and meeting others as we go, forming relationships that will plant a seed in someone’s life and possibly even bring them to Christ. There is no formula, and the organic connections that are made through all different people make up one body. For that, I am thankful.
As it says in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” Just as Fort Collins may be two distinctive communities making up one town, all groups have place within the all-encompassing, impartial body of Christ.
It's a blessing to see two churches in the same town reaching two drastically different groups of people.
We have been working with Alan Reed and the incredible team of people working with Pursuit Church getting started in Fort Collins. It has been very interesting to see the difference in the part of town Pursuit is reaching, versus the area that the other church we have worked with, Inside Out, has been focusing on. We have learned to adjust to the suburban, family-oriented south side of town from the more New Age, collegiate north side of Fort Collins.
What a blessing to work with such unique churches reaching almost opposite communities within one town!
Having such a well-rounded view of ministry to all different ages, has reminded me of the beauty of how there is no specific type we must conform to as the body of Christ. God has uniquely equipped each of his children to reach people of every walk of life, whether homeless, college students, business professionals, moms, hippies, artsy people, musicians, athletes, Goths or whatever. All are equal in the eyes of the Lord. Jesus does not want them to become what much of the world may view as the squeaky-clean Christian “type” before they can come to him. He wants them just as they are, with all their quirks.
In the same way, we do not need to morph our interests and hobbies to fit into one specific missionary mold to be effective in outreach. In fact, I would say conforming that way would hinder our witness, since what makes us tick probably does the same for someone else. And that provides common ground on which to build a genuine friendship that potentially develops into sharing Christ.
It gives me great peace knowing that I do not have to be good at everything—just allow God to use my individual interests and talents to reach those with whom relate.
I am not saying that we are limited to being a light to only those who are like us, because God breaks down those difference barriers daily as his people seek to be light to the lost. However, there is something special about meeting others when are in our element that allows nonbelievers to see that Christians are indeed real and unique people. I do not think that many would argue against the simplicity of doing what we love and meeting others as we go, forming relationships that will plant a seed in someone’s life and possibly even bring them to Christ. There is no formula, and the organic connections that are made through all different people make up one body. For that, I am thankful.
As it says in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” Just as Fort Collins may be two distinctive communities making up one town, all groups have place within the all-encompassing, impartial body of Christ.
Just one- part 2 :)
In my last blog I wrote about the importance of making a difference in an individual’s life and how we should not be discouraged by only reaching one life but instead encouraged that by one life being changed, there lies the potential for many more lives to be impacted in the long term, large scale perspective. After writing those thoughts of what God has been teaching me, I continued to pray that God would allow me to meet that one person that I could invest in while I am in Fort Collins.
My teammates and I went a popular coffee shop in Old Town, the downtown shopping area of Fort Collins. Like every Friday night, it was “open-mic night,” in which customers could sing or play an instrument on stage. Strategically placed over a hookah bar, the coffee shop has a really social, collegiate atmosphere, which we decided would be a perfect opportunity to meet the exact group of people we had been trying to reach.
As Mike, Jarred and Clara bought some coffee, I sought out a booth near the stage that seemed a prime location to start conversation with people who would be sitting around us. We knew we had come to the right place when after five minutes of Mike strumming his guitar, we were engaged in dialogue with several people. I noticed a chance to start conversation with a girl sitting in a booth next to ours. I had been trying to build a quality friendship the past three weeks and quite honestly seemed to have not gotten very far with anyone. Not expecting much, yet not wanting to let another opportunity slip by me, I turned with a smile and opened with the oh-so-cliché, “Do you guys come here a lot?”
While this was not the most creative icebreaker, it did not matter as the conversation quickly began to flow, and the young woman began to open up to me. We connected about the music being played, the Fort Collins area, her recent loss of her grandma and some of the hardships she has been experiencing since she returned from living in a group home the last three years of her life. I complimented the really beautiful yet simple cross necklace she was wearing and asked her if the cross meant anything to her or if she just liked the necklace. She replied, “Thanks, yeah, I wear it because I am a Christian.” A small part of me sank, I love Christians but I wanted to befriend someone who needed to hear about Christ. However, as we talked I found that what the label “Christian” meant to her was very different of what it means to me.
She knows all about God and believes he exists and she thinks that is enough. There is one huge problem —it totally leaves out the need for a relationship with Christ. My new friend had been through it all, and I was amazed at how quickly she opened up to me. She was desperate for someone to care enough to listen. Through simply filling that need of being a listener, God opened up the doors for a friendship to begin.
She and I have talked a lot since then, and continued trials have occurred in her life that she has come to me about. I kept stressing he importance of prayer. She now has prayed for her first time and also realized that God is not putting her through all of her heartache, but he is allowing it to happen so that she can realize that she needs to accept him.
As I continue to invest in her life, God is persistently working in both my new friend’s life and my own as another beautiful expansion of his kingdom. I know that even if my new friend is the only person I get the opportunity to pour into this summer, that it was more than worth it. Just one life, but with such a bigger picture in mind!
My teammates and I went a popular coffee shop in Old Town, the downtown shopping area of Fort Collins. Like every Friday night, it was “open-mic night,” in which customers could sing or play an instrument on stage. Strategically placed over a hookah bar, the coffee shop has a really social, collegiate atmosphere, which we decided would be a perfect opportunity to meet the exact group of people we had been trying to reach.
As Mike, Jarred and Clara bought some coffee, I sought out a booth near the stage that seemed a prime location to start conversation with people who would be sitting around us. We knew we had come to the right place when after five minutes of Mike strumming his guitar, we were engaged in dialogue with several people. I noticed a chance to start conversation with a girl sitting in a booth next to ours. I had been trying to build a quality friendship the past three weeks and quite honestly seemed to have not gotten very far with anyone. Not expecting much, yet not wanting to let another opportunity slip by me, I turned with a smile and opened with the oh-so-cliché, “Do you guys come here a lot?”
While this was not the most creative icebreaker, it did not matter as the conversation quickly began to flow, and the young woman began to open up to me. We connected about the music being played, the Fort Collins area, her recent loss of her grandma and some of the hardships she has been experiencing since she returned from living in a group home the last three years of her life. I complimented the really beautiful yet simple cross necklace she was wearing and asked her if the cross meant anything to her or if she just liked the necklace. She replied, “Thanks, yeah, I wear it because I am a Christian.” A small part of me sank, I love Christians but I wanted to befriend someone who needed to hear about Christ. However, as we talked I found that what the label “Christian” meant to her was very different of what it means to me.
She knows all about God and believes he exists and she thinks that is enough. There is one huge problem —it totally leaves out the need for a relationship with Christ. My new friend had been through it all, and I was amazed at how quickly she opened up to me. She was desperate for someone to care enough to listen. Through simply filling that need of being a listener, God opened up the doors for a friendship to begin.
She and I have talked a lot since then, and continued trials have occurred in her life that she has come to me about. I kept stressing he importance of prayer. She now has prayed for her first time and also realized that God is not putting her through all of her heartache, but he is allowing it to happen so that she can realize that she needs to accept him.
As I continue to invest in her life, God is persistently working in both my new friend’s life and my own as another beautiful expansion of his kingdom. I know that even if my new friend is the only person I get the opportunity to pour into this summer, that it was more than worth it. Just one life, but with such a bigger picture in mind!
Just One
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Just One
by Amber Cassady on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 4:34pm
Just one. Those two words have been in the back, and sometimes at the forefront, of all my thoughts since I have been in Fort Collins, Colo.
Church planter Nate Templin of Inside Out Church said during one of the first times we met him, “If you guys could make even just one relationship with someone who doesn’t know Christ, then you have done your job.”
He did not mean that we are to limit ourselves to only one relationship this summer. Rather, he would prefer that we make one genuine, lasting friendship with a lost person that could impact them for eternity than a multiple surface-level friendships that we do not take the time to invest in. The goal is ultimately to find those who would never normally set foot into a church building to bring them the redeeming love and truth of Christ to create a community of new believers that will spread out sharing their story. Investing in one person has a long-term effect that will last after we are gone so that the truth will continue to spread. Just one person could multiply into two, two could multiply into four, four into eight, and so on having such a greater impact on for God’s kingdom reaching far beyond us.
With only 45 percent of the Fort Collins’ population having any faith involvement whatsoever and the overall faith receptivity at a very low, there is no way that we could even make a dent in that staggering statistic in our short time this summer. However, we can touch at least one life through the grace of God, and that person will be here for the long term to spread truth to more people in this area.
God brought one of Jesus’ parables to mind that really helped me better understand why I should value even just one life being changed. Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep in Luke 15:3-7. In this parable a shepherd leaves 99 of his sheep to find the one that was lost. When he finally finds him, he brings him back to his neighbors and rejoices that he has been saved. He compares this to how much more joy there is in heaven over one lost soul repenting than over countless people who are “righteous” that feel no need to repent. Just one sheep.
So after hearing that spoken by a fellow Christ-follower and reading the parable in the lost sheep in God’s word, my attitude in what I am here for this summer has been shaped. Not only that but I know that I will never be able to go back to life as before without applying this. I do not have to be in Fort Collins, Colo. God’s love for each of his lost sheep extends to every area. No matter where God calls me, I can never belittle the immeasurable value of even just one life.
Just One
by Amber Cassady on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 4:34pm
Just one. Those two words have been in the back, and sometimes at the forefront, of all my thoughts since I have been in Fort Collins, Colo.
Church planter Nate Templin of Inside Out Church said during one of the first times we met him, “If you guys could make even just one relationship with someone who doesn’t know Christ, then you have done your job.”
He did not mean that we are to limit ourselves to only one relationship this summer. Rather, he would prefer that we make one genuine, lasting friendship with a lost person that could impact them for eternity than a multiple surface-level friendships that we do not take the time to invest in. The goal is ultimately to find those who would never normally set foot into a church building to bring them the redeeming love and truth of Christ to create a community of new believers that will spread out sharing their story. Investing in one person has a long-term effect that will last after we are gone so that the truth will continue to spread. Just one person could multiply into two, two could multiply into four, four into eight, and so on having such a greater impact on for God’s kingdom reaching far beyond us.
With only 45 percent of the Fort Collins’ population having any faith involvement whatsoever and the overall faith receptivity at a very low, there is no way that we could even make a dent in that staggering statistic in our short time this summer. However, we can touch at least one life through the grace of God, and that person will be here for the long term to spread truth to more people in this area.
God brought one of Jesus’ parables to mind that really helped me better understand why I should value even just one life being changed. Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep in Luke 15:3-7. In this parable a shepherd leaves 99 of his sheep to find the one that was lost. When he finally finds him, he brings him back to his neighbors and rejoices that he has been saved. He compares this to how much more joy there is in heaven over one lost soul repenting than over countless people who are “righteous” that feel no need to repent. Just one sheep.
So after hearing that spoken by a fellow Christ-follower and reading the parable in the lost sheep in God’s word, my attitude in what I am here for this summer has been shaped. Not only that but I know that I will never be able to go back to life as before without applying this. I do not have to be in Fort Collins, Colo. God’s love for each of his lost sheep extends to every area. No matter where God calls me, I can never belittle the immeasurable value of even just one life.
Update from the Mountains
Today marks the last day of my first week here in Fort Collins, Colorado, and I have to say that while it has flown by, I feel like we have had a month of activity going on! From the time that I got off the plane at 7 am last Sunday morning, I have been in numerous orientation meetings, two host homes, met a couple dozen people, spent more and more time in the Word, gotten to know my incredible teammates, and learned from two passionate church planters. But the adjustment to the busy schedule seemed somewhat trivial when you consider our time getting acclimated to the altitude up here! We are talking headaches, exhaustion, trouble breathing, dry skin and hair, and nausea. Blame it on dehydration but as our trusty team of four likes to say for every situation, “Just blame it on the altitude!” Excuse? Possibly. Funny? We like to think so. Miniscule discomfort when considering the magnitude what God has called me here for? Definitely.
“What really did God call a college student up to the rocky mountains of Colorado for a summer away from friends and family,” you may ask. When I originally answered that question for myself, I thought to build churches, help out some ministers, grow my leadership skills, maybe write a little bit, and spend some time in an environment that would be more challenging than back home. These are good answers on the surface, however, the more I learned, I found that I had put God’s desire for how He wants to use me this summer in a box. This realization came when fostered by the much needed time of evaluation and study during our orientation with the director of Longs Peak Baptist Association of Churches, John Howeth, who serves as our supervisor or as what he likes to refer to himself as a “coach,” through our time as summer missionaries. What he reminded us of was as simple of a concept as any but extremely vital for every aspect of life! In all things we should strive to just be at Jesus’ feet. While leading worship, making fliers, interviewing locals, coming up with creative outreach, serving the communities and being in God’s awesome creation are all good tasks to be completed, they are completed in vain if each individual on the team has not taken time to be with Jesus. How can we expect to be effective in this ministry if we are not taking time to humble ourselves before the One who’s ministry was and is, perfect? The various ways of being as Jesus’ feet vary- some are more contemplative, intellectual or enjoy being in nature to most effectively connect with God while others get to that place of closeness with Him through their senses, enthusiasm, or serving others. Putting my “being Jesus’ feet style” into practice makes all the difference. If I am taking time out everyday to get to a place where I have been at Jesus’ feet to best learn from Him than I am at the “right place” and the evidence of Christ in my life will overflow into everything else that I do.
All that being said, God called me to commune with Him humbly at his feet so that each person I come in contact with will see the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and essentially will want to experience it for themselves. The ultimate goal is eternity. We hope to be vessels of Living water to the spiritually dry region that is the Longs Peak region of the Rocky Mountains.
“What really did God call a college student up to the rocky mountains of Colorado for a summer away from friends and family,” you may ask. When I originally answered that question for myself, I thought to build churches, help out some ministers, grow my leadership skills, maybe write a little bit, and spend some time in an environment that would be more challenging than back home. These are good answers on the surface, however, the more I learned, I found that I had put God’s desire for how He wants to use me this summer in a box. This realization came when fostered by the much needed time of evaluation and study during our orientation with the director of Longs Peak Baptist Association of Churches, John Howeth, who serves as our supervisor or as what he likes to refer to himself as a “coach,” through our time as summer missionaries. What he reminded us of was as simple of a concept as any but extremely vital for every aspect of life! In all things we should strive to just be at Jesus’ feet. While leading worship, making fliers, interviewing locals, coming up with creative outreach, serving the communities and being in God’s awesome creation are all good tasks to be completed, they are completed in vain if each individual on the team has not taken time to be with Jesus. How can we expect to be effective in this ministry if we are not taking time to humble ourselves before the One who’s ministry was and is, perfect? The various ways of being as Jesus’ feet vary- some are more contemplative, intellectual or enjoy being in nature to most effectively connect with God while others get to that place of closeness with Him through their senses, enthusiasm, or serving others. Putting my “being Jesus’ feet style” into practice makes all the difference. If I am taking time out everyday to get to a place where I have been at Jesus’ feet to best learn from Him than I am at the “right place” and the evidence of Christ in my life will overflow into everything else that I do.
All that being said, God called me to commune with Him humbly at his feet so that each person I come in contact with will see the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and essentially will want to experience it for themselves. The ultimate goal is eternity. We hope to be vessels of Living water to the spiritually dry region that is the Longs Peak region of the Rocky Mountains.
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