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As I travel to spread the vision for the Every Student Sent, one thing is apparent to me personally. There is a desperate need to train young adults how to make disciples and start missional communities of Christians embedded in all arenas of culture.
Faith in Christ is best preserved and grown by taking risks to share your faith with others. Models of church where a few spiritual specialists known as ‘pastors’ pour into the lives of many don’t produce life change. However, smaller groups where everyone is expected to actively participate do produce lasting disciples. This is especially true when members of that small group work together to reach out in social circles they share or the location where they gather as a group. (i.e. a group of employees at a company or a group of students who all live in the same dorm)
To this end I am creating a separate ministry effort called ‘Tribes’ entirely focused on training and multiplying missional students, young adults and others how to make new disciples and multiply these ‘simple expressions of church.’ Tribes will work in tandem with Every Student Sent for any students who want to live this out on the college they plan to attend. Tribes will focus on youth and young adults but, will also work with people of all ages who desire to see a complete reformation of how the church shares Jesus, makes disciples, and gathers. By making this separate from ESS it allows it to progress faster and remain singularly focused.
We have been busy laying foundations to start citywide models that use Every Student Sent to ensure every college bound high school graduate from their city thrives in their faith and is on mission during college. Since ESS tracks participants no matter where they go we can help groups of churches in a city train and track every college-bound student in their youth groups whether they go to college in town or go to another state. By testing out a few model cities we can build clear examples to be replicated anywhere. Read below about several of these efforts.
Blessings, Campus Renewal/Every Student Sent |
{ #Rethink Student Ministry }|
San Diego, CA Citywide Movement |
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A group of about 100 Christian business people in San Diego, CA are interested in helping ESS setup a citywide model there. I gave a presentation regarding ESS to their group. John Decker, ESS Strategic Partnerships Director, and I also met with leaders from a very influential local church that is interested in using ESS in their youth group and large Christian high school. |
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Dallas, TX Citywide Movement |
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We made several presentations at citywide gatherings in Dallas. Movement Day Dallas is a united movement between many of the churches in Dallas. They called a citywide meeting of business leaders and pastors entirely focused on growing and preserving faith among youth and young adults. We made a presentation there and have been in talks with them as well as partnering with several other Christian business networks in Dallas to setup a citywide initiative using ESS. |
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Kansas City, MO Citywide Movement |
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We were invited to present to about 150 business leaders in Kansas City to engage them in building a citywide initiative to preserve the faith of every college bound student in or headed out of Kansas City. They have responded strongly to the presentation. We are presently following up with one on on one meetings with each of those who filled out forms expressing interest and ideas on how they can help implement ESS in Kansas City. |
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National College Ministry Directors Begin Gathering Again! |
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Over 20 years ago, a few other leaders and I started a gathering of the national directors of the college ministries for Christ centered para-churches (like Cru, Navigators and Intervarsity) and church denominations (like Assembly of God or Baptists) to pray, deeply connect and encourage one another. I have had the privilege of gathering with multiple generations of national directors as different people have rotated in and out of those roles since then. The disruptions of COVID had temporary caused a unprecedented break in these gatherings. I am pleased to report that we have now begun meeting again! This May, we met in Springfield, MO as a small group for a time of fellowship, fun, sharing, prayer and learning from each other. These meetings have catalyzed a new era of trust and missional partnership that has multiplied the effectiveness and reach of all of these ministries. |
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Every Student Sent/Campus Renewal, PO Box 8327, Round Rock, TX 78683-8327, 5123315991 |
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