the fast track.

Jesus was not born on December 25th. Huh. I never considered the idea that Jesus was not actually born on that date in history. How could we really know the date on which he was born? Does the date matter? Can we figure it out? Why do people say "Dec 25 is Jesus' birthday?" Would it not be more accurate to say, December 25 is the date on which we celebrate Jesus' birth. (Note- I did not end that sentence in a preposition).

I've been hung up on this thought for a good three weeks. I can't help but question the opinions and views about God, Christianity and the Church that I grew up with. (couldn't avoid that preposition).

And not only there, but here. I'm guilty of putting my current church on a huge pedestal. Hillside has made a huge positive influence on me and my relationship with God throughout the last five years. But no church is totally on mark, no Pastor is perfect, no church body is unconditionally unselfish. Hillside is no exception.

I feel like I've been on the fast track to a mature walk with the Lord. Lately I've felt the need to take a step back and ask How in the world did I get here? On the outside, my life up until college was on a great track for corporate, financial and career success. On the inside, I was a mess. I'm so thankful for the following things that God has used in my life over the last 4-5 years to bring me as far as I have come.

Discipleship
I met with Wendy, the Campus Crusade staff member who led me to Christ, once a week for almost four years straight- informally and formally over 100 times. In these times we laughed a lot, and she recited many, many, many lyrics from various 80s hits. But aside from rock'n'roll knowledge, I learned how to walk with God every day, what a relationship with Him means and how to be assured of my salvation and His love and forgiveness. I also learned a lot about Campus Crusade and the strategy behind the organization. While I could see the big differences in my life that God made my freshman year, I didn't really have a for going out of my comfort zone to share the Gospel. Wendy, a big fan of personal evangelism and a prayer warrior, helped me take steps of faith over several years, in both of these areas and many others.

Church Worship
Hillside Church was the first non-Lutheran church I'd ever been to for more than one service. To attend the same church every single week and consistently see people who love the Lord and were serious about their beliefs had a huge impact on me. I learned about a relationship with God through Campus Crusade, and met many college students who were walking with Him. But at Hillside I met people in various stages of life who had strong relationships with each other and with God. I met the Heckathorns, and various other people, who would show me things that I could not learn by being a part of campus ministry. Hillside was the first time I ever saw a guitar in a church- let along drums!- and I loved it. Various friendships built with worship band members helped me grow in my knowledge and skill of playing music.

Campus Ministry Opportunities The movement at USD my freshmen year was pretty small, maybe 10 student leaders and an average of 25 attendees at our weekly large group meetings. We had one men's bible study and one women's bible study. There were about 5 freshmen women who got involved in the movement and were put in leadership positions over the course of our freshmen year. Getting involved right away presented a great opportunity for me to learn about campus ministry, and grow up in it.

Student-Led College Bible Study The a fore mentioned student-led Bible was a great thing to be a part of. I'd never been around people my age, at any age, that knew their Bible and wanted to learn more. This was the first glimpse I had into campus ministry and Campus Crusade.

Bible Character Study at Hillside
Week after week, the Old Testament came alive at a Bible Study at my church. The leader, Chad, was incredibly knowledgeable with the perfect amount of humility. It was here that I learned so much behind the stories I'd heard forever- Noah & the Flood, Moses & the Exodus, Sampson & Delilah, among so many many more. God used this Bible Study to cultivate in me a desire to understand His Word and apply it to my life. Chad was humble and quick to admit when he'd made a mistake. But he was also incredibly serious about knowing the Bible and knowing it well, and knowing why we need to know it well. And he has a heart for helping others understand this, too.

Vespers
An hour of solid worship music every Sunday night, Vespers began my sophomore year of college and through this ministry I was able to enter into God's presence through live music like never before. I loved it! My junior year, Mike and Meghan took over leadership and I was asked to join them in leading a primarily college-student crowd in corporate worship. For ten years I had dreamed of learning to play guitar in a band, and this dream was realized through serving with Vespers. I even had the opportunity to lead the band last year, and grew in many ways. Now when asked to help with worship at various events, I feel incredibly secure in my abilities. I could not and would not have been involved in Vespers if God had not cultivated in me a true heart for worshiping Him.