Dear friends,
We are very excited for this coming season in a new space, a reopened campus, and renewed vision of ministry. Over the past year, we have been praying, discerning, adapting, and practicing some different approaches and rhythms to life and ministry, sensing God’s invitation to “go deeper” in order to “go wider” in multiplicative discipleship and establishing a movement of missional communities.
Despite (or in light of) the restrictive nature of the pandemic this last year, we experienced His transforming grace, mind-blowing provision, and gentle prompting to “come and see;” to join Him in His work, rather than just asking Him to bless ours.
A profound part of this process has been the movement toward a more integrated and “polycentric” approach to leadership; incorporating the fullness of leadership gifts, guarding against the creation of silos, and incorporating a wider and more intentional model of leadership development with students and non-students. In this “unprecedented year,” we were able to go deeper with fewer in order to both establish roots and create a trellis for the multiplication of healthier, better equipped, more passionate, and Kingdom-focused disciples of Jesus. God has been growing us organically, even as He was building the brick-and-mortar house.
There has been an invitation throughout this past year for a shift in rhythms and practices toward integration of worship and work, prayer and play, creativity and sabbath, and personal character growth within a context of a family on mission. As we open the doors to the new Campus House, the challenge is to continue to respond to Jesus’ invitation to keep our eyes on Him and obey His calling; to welcome the curious while keeping our collective gaze on the longer goal of making disciples (not just filling seats); to be a hub of worship, prayer, and pastoral care and ministry; and be a missional outpost that equips and sends Jesus followers throughout the campus community and the world.
There will be challenges and push-back, and the novelty of a new building will fade a bit. But He invites us to be “all in”— to pray big prayers and step out in faith and obedience. We want to respond to God, whose own imagination and grace have no limits or shelf-life, as we seek to live for and reflect Christ and His Kingdom, and as we seek to listen to and move with the Holy Spirit.
Please pray that we continue well as we “begin again” in this calling and journey.
In Christ,
