After Killing the Giants week, students (and staff!) were tired but thankful for all that we saw the Lord do. More than 100 people heard the gospel just in week 3 alone! Incredible to see students use a large majority of their free time, and even breaks at work, to share their faith. We heard reports of students sharing their faith for 7+ hours per day, and initiating with more than 20 people in a row. Following our "Giant" week, we entered week 4, which we call "All for One." During this week, we focused on building intentional community and pushed students to depend on others. Each day we give them clues that challenged them to do things, or relayed information to them that they would need later in the week. Not a big deal until we asked that students go "technology free" to create an environment with less distractions. As a result of shutting off their phones and putting laptops away, students were able to more easily connect with each other. They also got to love and serve each other in new ways. One of the clue challenges involved a cooking ban -- you could only cook for others, and you couldn't make your own food, for several days. As a result, one student got up at 530am on his day off to make pancakes for dozens of students, staying in his kitchen until Noon to cook and clean up. Students really found themselves connecting better with their roommates and friends in Bible study since they couldn't turn to their phones / tech to distract them. The week culminated in a secret meeting where staff and students battled each other in competition, further encouraging their "all for one" focus. After that we lead a debrief time asking students what they learned, and it was really cool to hear that so many of them felt a lot more connected to their friends without the distraction of technology. At the beginning of the week we set the vision for the week by talking about unity and the body of Christ, and by the end of the week there was a real difference in the way students were connecting with and serving each other. We talked about Ephesians 4, and unity being found in the Spirit of God- in which case we don't need to look to ourselves to create or force unity. But as we are all pursuing the same thing (following Christ, living surrendered lives, giving God glory as we serve Him), that unity and community will be a byproduct. It can be easy (and very tempting) to pursue Christian community and then get stuck in that bubble. But the ultimate aim for Christian unity is not for our own benefit or growth- but for the glory of God. “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.” - AW Tozer
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Amy WellnerEncouraging others to intentionally live out their God-given identity. Archives
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