Weekend Part 2

As we prepare to love the world in deed and word (See Part 1 for more details), we are doing so in a way that is very strategic. We believe that in order to best be used by God, there are a number of things we must do. As followers of Christ, our compassion for others comes from an overflow of love and mercy that we experience from our Lord and Savior (Matt. 22:37-40). If we are going to love the world well, we must first realize that we all, at one time, were in desperate need ourselves. (Eph. 2:1-10) The goal for all of our students is NOT for them to "go on a trip" or "have an experience," but to continually become more like Christ. Instead of "doing" missions, we want them to become missional. God's mission for us is not contained to a few weeks on a summer calendar or even by specific locations. Therefore, we think every minute of every day is reason to learn how to love our neighbors the way that Christ loves us.

Here are a few practical steps of preparations for all of our students:

1 - Pray. We need to be in constant prayer for the people we get to minister to. (1 Timothy 2:1-5)
2 - Know Your Neighbor. Just like Paul in Acts 17, we must know the strengths, needs, and unique culture of the people we are in community with. (Luke 10:25-37)
3 - Know Yourself. Understanding who God made you to be and how he has created you to serve him will have a huge impact on how effective you can be. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
4 - Get Equipped. Preparation is key. Each experience is different and requires unique training. (Proverbs 1:1-7).
5 - Go. The core of becoming missional is that you can't stay put. Movement is a necessity. It may be across the street or it may be across the world. (Matt. 28:18-20)

Please pray for our students and leaders as we continue the process of becoming missional.