In my last monthly newsletter I shared about a tool that Cru uses called "Soularium." Because we live in such a visual culture, we've developed a tool to use photos to initiate spiritual conversations. It's easy to use the photos to learn more about the person you're meeting with, and also easy to transition into a Gospel presentation after the photo survey is done.
I love this tool. I've even used it with my Cru staff team and modified the survey so that we can learn more about their lives and where they are at in their walk with the Lord. Another great benefit of using the photo tool - it's FUN!
Anyway, part of my letter briefly shared the story about a college student in Uruguay called Federico. He has a pretty great story and I couldn't fit it all into my newsletter, so here's the full story. There are a few typos and odd statements but I wanted to keep the full integrity of his letter. It's a long story, but definitely worth reading. Enjoy!
Federico writes:
I once believed in God, when I was little. My family raised me Catholic and so we “believe in God” but the truth is, like most people in my country, we seldom practice religion.
I stopped believing in the existence of God when I entered High School, since then my faith had only declined: from professing Catholicism I became agnostic only to quickly embrace a strong atheism. My reluctance to religion was such that I even thought for a long time that Jesus, the man, had never existed. Furthermore, in the “spectrum of theistic probability” that Richard Dawkins talks in The God Delusion I placed myself –like Dawkins– as a 6.9 (the spectrum goes from 1 to 7).
When I was in my first year of College a group of US students approached me wanting to do a survey with images. It wasn’t until later that I found that it was a spiritual survey called Soularium. I don’t know why but I didn’t start a debate about religion and God like I usually did.
Instead, we talked and exchange Facebook profiles and never talked again. I didn’t know that they were part of a Summer Project held by Cru.
My story continues two years later when a series of highly coordinated events took place. First I enrolled to a seminar by mistake. The seminar took place five Thursdays and in order to get the credit you had to attend four of the five talks. I went to the first one but then I missed the next two. When I went to the third I talked with the teacher about it and he said he would see what he could do. I knew I wasn’t going to get the credit and the seminar wasn’t something I wanted to do in the first place, but anyways I attended the last talk and it blew my mind. The topic of the seminar was “Philosophy between Science and Religion” and the speaker was a teacher at my university that has a P.H.D. in the field and is one of the most respected philosophers of South America –things I didn’t know until the last day.
What started as a way to get a credit ended with a conversation that made me realize the existence of God. But I wasn’t prepared to have a personal relationship with Him or similar, instead what my teacher explained to me was that it is one thing to philosophically understand the existence of God and another very different thing is religion. So I was fine accepting God but not religion, especially because I wasn’t sure what religion was right or different from the others.
And here is where Cru gets involved again. First I met one STINTer at one of my college campuses, but I had to go, so I only grasped his first name. Then, two weeks later I was studying for my finals and so when I passed the entrance of the college I see a girl holding the same pictures from the survey I took two years before. I knew they were from the US so I walked into them and asked to take the survey. After finishing the survey they explained to me what Cru is, their mission and vision, and doing chitchat I asked if they knew the guy I met two weeks earlier and they said they did.
So I met with the guy again and he explained Christianity in a way I had never heard before. Then he invited me to the last Cru meeting of the year. I wasn’t sure but I decided to go anyways. At the end of the event they presented a camp, I was on my vacations so I went. It wasn’t what I had in mind but I liked it in some way. One of the last nights I finally accepted Jesus. Later, talking with the stinters, they told me that it was very odd how I met them: I was the only one who the first stint/er talked with in that campus, and the second group that I encountered in the other campus said they never went to campus in the morning.
The last day of camp the staff of Cru invited everyone to a Summer Project, pointing out the theme of the camp “Formers of Movements that Transform the Nations.” For my perspective it was God who was calling me to go, so I did.
At first I was going to stay just for a few days, but seeing how much everyone was excited to share and the love of the family that was hosting us I prayed to stay the whole first week. And I could stay! Then out of nowhere my parents allowed me to stay until the weekend after that. I was learning so much about Christianity and how to develop my personal relationship with God that I liked every moment of the camp, especially the times when we shared the Gospel.
So I prayed again to stay the whole second –and last– week because I couldn’t stay but had to study for my exams instead. But God surprised me again and I could stay the whole Summer Project (Amy here -- this project is similar to our American summer projects and was the first time we tried them in Uruguay.)
Those three weeks –one at camp and two at the Summer Project– felt like a year, but in a good and special way. From being a strong ten-year atheist I became a Christian willing to share the Gospel, the change of my life and His grace with everyone I could (family, friends and classmates).
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Recap of TCX 2013
At the end of December we hosted our annual winter Cru conference, Twin Cities Xperience (TCX). This 4 day event is a chance for college students from around the Upper Midwest to get together with other believers, get encouraged in their walk with the Lord, and be equipped to reach others with the Gospel.
This year, students heard from 3 powerhouse speakers -- including KP Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia. He encouraged students to read as much as they can now- especially books that will "make your life miserable...like mine." He was referencing his book Revolution in World Missions, which you can get for free here. I can say, it changed my view on global missions, and a lot of other things. I read this book right before I finished raising support and took my Global Missions Operations job (which is a reminder for me of God's incredibly perfect timing!) It's a great book, I highly recommend it.My years attending this conference as a student greatly impacted my relationship with God. Not only did I get to see other believers live out their faith, I got the chance to deepen mine. I learned about the sacrifice and perseverance it would take to walk with God for a lifetime.
Even though now, as Cru staff running the event behind the scenes, I see God doing the same things he did in my life in the lives of college students today.
Students today are passionate about living lives that matter. It's an incredible feeling to walk into a room of 1521 college students who are investing time in developing their relationship with God. These students are the future leaders of our cities, states and nation. They are future leaders in business, medicine and law. Investing in their spiritual life now will bring a great return on the investment.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Would Jesus Eat Frybread?
So much happens each month, that there's no way I can cram it all into my monthly newsletter! Last month a couple of my teammates traveled out to Toppenish, Washington for an annual Nations conference called "Would Jesus Eat Fry Bread?"
Nations is a movement of Cru for Native American college students, one of Cru's many contextualized ministries (more about this later). The ministry exists to honor Native American students and faculty by restoring their lives and culture with Jesus Christ.
The "Would Jesus Eat Frybread?" conference is a chance for Native students from around the US to gather together to learn from each other. Similar to TCX (our regional Christmas Conference), students hear from speakers, worship with each other, and have a chance to get to know other Christians who are also Native.
The conference is a partnership between Cru, Intervarsity (another college ministry), and the Calvin Institute of Worship. Over 175 people attended, representing more than 55 tribes from places like North Carolina, New Mexico, South Dakota, Hawaii and Alaska.
For many students, this was the first chance they've had to talk about their questions regarding their identity as Native Americans and Christ-followers- Am I native enough? Can I be a native and a Christian?
I mentioned the word "contextualization" - this is the process of making the gospel accessible within a particular cultural context in an understandable and culturally meaningful way without losing the truth and integrity of the message.
For our Nations movement, this means providing worship using Native drums and languages. This means getting the blessing of a tribe and it's elders before hosting an event (hence my trip out to Washington earlier this year, months before the conference began). Last year, students at the conference took communion using frybread and grape soda, staples in native culture. Instead of staying at a hotel and meeting in a conference room, the gathering was held on the reservation with chairs set up in a circle.
The point of contextualization is to put the gospel in a more understandable, culturally relevant form by using elements of a people's language, customs and traditions. The message of the gospel, that redemption and salvation are possible through Christ, does not change. The method of presenting and transferring the gospel is dependent on the culture.
The website "Reaching Internationals" clarifies this concept with a great list of what contextualization is not:
(Next year, the conference will be held in Northern Minnesota on the Fond du Lac Reservation so I'm hoping to attend in person).
Nations is a movement of Cru for Native American college students, one of Cru's many contextualized ministries (more about this later). The ministry exists to honor Native American students and faculty by restoring their lives and culture with Jesus Christ.
The "Would Jesus Eat Frybread?" conference is a chance for Native students from around the US to gather together to learn from each other. Similar to TCX (our regional Christmas Conference), students hear from speakers, worship with each other, and have a chance to get to know other Christians who are also Native.
The conference is a partnership between Cru, Intervarsity (another college ministry), and the Calvin Institute of Worship. Over 175 people attended, representing more than 55 tribes from places like North Carolina, New Mexico, South Dakota, Hawaii and Alaska.
For many students, this was the first chance they've had to talk about their questions regarding their identity as Native Americans and Christ-followers- Am I native enough? Can I be a native and a Christian?
I mentioned the word "contextualization" - this is the process of making the gospel accessible within a particular cultural context in an understandable and culturally meaningful way without losing the truth and integrity of the message.
For our Nations movement, this means providing worship using Native drums and languages. This means getting the blessing of a tribe and it's elders before hosting an event (hence my trip out to Washington earlier this year, months before the conference began). Last year, students at the conference took communion using frybread and grape soda, staples in native culture. Instead of staying at a hotel and meeting in a conference room, the gathering was held on the reservation with chairs set up in a circle.
The point of contextualization is to put the gospel in a more understandable, culturally relevant form by using elements of a people's language, customs and traditions. The message of the gospel, that redemption and salvation are possible through Christ, does not change. The method of presenting and transferring the gospel is dependent on the culture.
The website "Reaching Internationals" clarifies this concept with a great list of what contextualization is not:
- It is not a watering down or compromising of the gospel.
- It is not assimilating one culture into another.
- It is not segregation. It is not separate but equal. The goal of contextualization is communication. Contextualization may result in more separation but only to the degree that is necessary to produce truly indigenous leaders and movements.
- It does not mean each culture only reaches its own (whites/whites; blacks/blacks, etc).
- It is not going after corporate ‘diversity’ as an end in itself.
(Next year, the conference will be held in Northern Minnesota on the Fond du Lac Reservation so I'm hoping to attend in person).
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Expedition.
This year, Cru sent out 2 teams of interns on European missionary endeavors. The teams are called "Expedition" Stint Teams and spend one month in a different city, for a whole year. Here's a brief update from their time in Rovno, Ukraine earlier this fall:
"While one of the teams was in Rovno, Ukraine, a local pastor saw how the students were challenged with the gospel and how well they responded. Taras, the pastor, shared, "It should not have taken a team of Americans to motivate us to do the work that we should have already been doing ourselves, but it did. Thanks to this group of Americans, we (in our church) will now be taking the Gospel to students."
As with any short-term missionary endeavor, it can be easy to question effectiveness. Our Expedition teams are no different, as they spend only 1 month in each location. But the above story is an example of lasting fruit left behind after our team moves on.
We seek to be what Jim Elliot prayed to be many decades ago:
"While one of the teams was in Rovno, Ukraine, a local pastor saw how the students were challenged with the gospel and how well they responded. Taras, the pastor, shared, "It should not have taken a team of Americans to motivate us to do the work that we should have already been doing ourselves, but it did. Thanks to this group of Americans, we (in our church) will now be taking the Gospel to students."
As with any short-term missionary endeavor, it can be easy to question effectiveness. Our Expedition teams are no different, as they spend only 1 month in each location. But the above story is an example of lasting fruit left behind after our team moves on.
We seek to be what Jim Elliot prayed to be many decades ago:
“Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road;
Make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another
on facing Christ in me.” - Jim Elliott
Monday, December 09, 2013
A line on a page.
This fall I took a Church History class online. On almost a weekly basis I was astounded at how little I knew about the history of Christ followers. It was fascinating to learn more about whole centuries of history, and people who sacrificed so much to make the name of Christ known.
Our textbook for the class was 500 pages (no, I didn't actually get all of it read) and it covered pretty much the entire 2,000 years of Church History.
I happened to be paging through the last chapter one day, when a familiar phrase jumped out at me: Campus Crusade! We showed up in the textbook on page 499, in reference to Pope John Paul II, who attended a Cru retreat as a young man in Poland (here is a very interesting article about his interactions with Cru).
After reading the textbook, listening to hours and hours of lectures, and memorizing dozens of names of important people from church history, I was surprised to see Cru get even one line on the second to last page of my text book.
There have been so many instrumental people, churches, groups and movements throughout the last 2,000 years. Seeing Cru near the end of the book really put into perspective how small the organization is in relation to everything else that's happened in history. It's easy to assume Cru is the end-all-be-all when you immersed in Cru culture - even though that is certainly not true.
Seeing Cru in the textbook also gave me a new perspective on seeing how far we have come as a greater church body, and how close we really could be to seeing the Great Commission fulfilled.
Our textbook for the class was 500 pages (no, I didn't actually get all of it read) and it covered pretty much the entire 2,000 years of Church History.
I happened to be paging through the last chapter one day, when a familiar phrase jumped out at me: Campus Crusade! We showed up in the textbook on page 499, in reference to Pope John Paul II, who attended a Cru retreat as a young man in Poland (here is a very interesting article about his interactions with Cru).
After reading the textbook, listening to hours and hours of lectures, and memorizing dozens of names of important people from church history, I was surprised to see Cru get even one line on the second to last page of my text book.
There have been so many instrumental people, churches, groups and movements throughout the last 2,000 years. Seeing Cru near the end of the book really put into perspective how small the organization is in relation to everything else that's happened in history. It's easy to assume Cru is the end-all-be-all when you immersed in Cru culture - even though that is certainly not true.
Seeing Cru in the textbook also gave me a new perspective on seeing how far we have come as a greater church body, and how close we really could be to seeing the Great Commission fulfilled.
Sunday, November 03, 2013
Imperfections & First Impressions.
Over the last couple months my church has been doing renovations on our new building. It's been really fun to see the building transform into the home of New City Covenant Church. A ton of work has gone into our multiple kids' ministry rooms, our main welcome area that we call the "gathering place," and the kitchen/fellowship hall where we have a meal after every single Sunday service. Things are looking great! There are still some structural things to fix, but really the only main cosmetic thing left to do is the sanctuary.
The thing is, updating the sanctuary was the first item on the to do list, in my mind. I thought it would be the priority because it seems like it's the most important room in our building, and the place where people spend the most time.
A couple weeks ago I had invited a friend to check out New City, and she came today. And if I'm being honest, I felt a little bummed that the sanctuary didn't look nicer. Sure, we just put up new drywall and a gave the place a fresh coat of paint - and it looks really good! - but we still have scuffed floors and beat up pews and hobnail milk glass chandeliers that are so old they're likely worth a few bucks.
Yet, it didn't seem like the imperfections in our worship space mattered to my friend. After the service, she commented on how real we all were. We weren't putting on a show.
Cue the light bulb.
Why do I care so much about the faded carpet and well-worn pews? Three years ago when I started attending my small church plant, we met in a banquet room in a rec center (which also happened to host hockey games each week during our church service). The room was not very aesthetically pleasing, to say the least.
What kept my interest in the church was the people, the preaching and the praise (see what I did there, with the alliteration?) I was able to connect with others in a meaningful way, grow deeper in my faith through sound, biblical preaching, and worship God in a way that made my musical heart very happy.
I didn't care about the cold fluorescent lighting or having to navigate a noisy hockey crowd every week. The community kept me coming back.
Now that we have a building to update and keep up, why should it be any different? I hope we as a church don't buy the lie that we need to appear to have everything together in order for new people to like us. We're so much more than the color we paint our walls or the type of pews we have.
And I hope I don't buy this lie. I almost didn't invite my friend to come check out New City, because I wanted to wait until the church was completely finished. Then I could impress her by showing off our new digs. What's important is not the light fixtures above us or the carpet below us- but the people around us. I hope we continue to be a community of grace and truth, who seeks to love and serve Jesus and those around them.
The thing is, updating the sanctuary was the first item on the to do list, in my mind. I thought it would be the priority because it seems like it's the most important room in our building, and the place where people spend the most time.
A couple weeks ago I had invited a friend to check out New City, and she came today. And if I'm being honest, I felt a little bummed that the sanctuary didn't look nicer. Sure, we just put up new drywall and a gave the place a fresh coat of paint - and it looks really good! - but we still have scuffed floors and beat up pews and hobnail milk glass chandeliers that are so old they're likely worth a few bucks.
Yet, it didn't seem like the imperfections in our worship space mattered to my friend. After the service, she commented on how real we all were. We weren't putting on a show.
Cue the light bulb.
Why do I care so much about the faded carpet and well-worn pews? Three years ago when I started attending my small church plant, we met in a banquet room in a rec center (which also happened to host hockey games each week during our church service). The room was not very aesthetically pleasing, to say the least.
What kept my interest in the church was the people, the preaching and the praise (see what I did there, with the alliteration?) I was able to connect with others in a meaningful way, grow deeper in my faith through sound, biblical preaching, and worship God in a way that made my musical heart very happy.
I didn't care about the cold fluorescent lighting or having to navigate a noisy hockey crowd every week. The community kept me coming back.
Now that we have a building to update and keep up, why should it be any different? I hope we as a church don't buy the lie that we need to appear to have everything together in order for new people to like us. We're so much more than the color we paint our walls or the type of pews we have.
And I hope I don't buy this lie. I almost didn't invite my friend to come check out New City, because I wanted to wait until the church was completely finished. Then I could impress her by showing off our new digs. What's important is not the light fixtures above us or the carpet below us- but the people around us. I hope we continue to be a community of grace and truth, who seeks to love and serve Jesus and those around them.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
When we want to know what's next.
In the last month, three friends of mine have gotten married. As much as I joke about going to/standing up in so many wedding...I love seeing my friends wed their amazing fiances. I'm so excited for each of them as they embark on a new chapter in their lives together. I can't wait to see where God leads each couple in the years to come.
I was thinking about one of these wonderful couples the other day, and a thought popped into my head: I wonder when they will have a baby?? I bet they'll get pregnant really quick. In fact I should actually make a bet with a few other people... I think I would win.
I dismissed these thoughts and went about my business. But later that night as I was settling in to sleep, I realized that my flippant thought was actually pretty similar to another flippant thought I often hear others voice, out loud, to my face:
Do you think you'll ever get married?
When I hear this from people, the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I get a little flushed in the face. I start to sweat. Before the person (usually a total stranger, but also sometimes a close friend) can even complete their question, I know where they are heading.
What I was doing to this friend (in my head) is pretty much exactly what others do to me.
For better or worse, we are always looking for the next big thing. Waiting in anticipation for what's to come. What is it about us that compels us to be constantly thinking of what we don't have, or what might be next, even if it's uncertain? Whether it's pressure from family or the people around us, or society in general- we must always be looking for what's next.
I refuse to treat my married friends this way, bugging them about when they will achieve the "next thing" - whether it's purchasing a house, having a baby or some other major life event.
Sometimes we do this without thinking. Maybe we're trying to fill an awkward silence or just trying to ask someone a more deep question than "How are you?" or "What do you think about this weather we're having?"
Whatever the intent, I refuse to "go there" with my newly married friends.
I was thinking about one of these wonderful couples the other day, and a thought popped into my head: I wonder when they will have a baby?? I bet they'll get pregnant really quick. In fact I should actually make a bet with a few other people... I think I would win.
I dismissed these thoughts and went about my business. But later that night as I was settling in to sleep, I realized that my flippant thought was actually pretty similar to another flippant thought I often hear others voice, out loud, to my face:
Do you think you'll ever get married?
When I hear this from people, the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I get a little flushed in the face. I start to sweat. Before the person (usually a total stranger, but also sometimes a close friend) can even complete their question, I know where they are heading.
What I was doing to this friend (in my head) is pretty much exactly what others do to me.
For better or worse, we are always looking for the next big thing. Waiting in anticipation for what's to come. What is it about us that compels us to be constantly thinking of what we don't have, or what might be next, even if it's uncertain? Whether it's pressure from family or the people around us, or society in general- we must always be looking for what's next.
I refuse to treat my married friends this way, bugging them about when they will achieve the "next thing" - whether it's purchasing a house, having a baby or some other major life event.
Sometimes we do this without thinking. Maybe we're trying to fill an awkward silence or just trying to ask someone a more deep question than "How are you?" or "What do you think about this weather we're having?"
Whatever the intent, I refuse to "go there" with my newly married friends.