A Glorious Day

The day began with an early commute to the Lubbock airport. From there, our plane cut through a beautiful blanket of cloud to reveal the sunrise over an ocean of white. If this morning was any indication of what the rest of the day would hold, then I was in for a glorious time. When I arrived in Dallas, God continued to reveal Himself.

The GoNow 'interview' was much more than the stereotypical awkward and uncomfortable business-type introduction. Rather, it was a building of community, fostering of disciples, and equipping of missionaries. The 'interviewees' were actually teachers, leaders, and ministers who cared about me more than they cared about whether I 'got the job' or not. I met with a key leader who has sent hundreds of student missionaries around the world, and another who has first-hand experience and love for the people of England.

The day flew by quickly with a sense of determination, just as the plane I was in and the calling that God had revealed only 3 weeks ago. But the profound implications of this day and this call will continue to be felt long after the plane departs. As I drove back to Wayland, with the red sun descending to my left, I sang with a revived passion, "You are glorious..."

GoNow: North East England

SERVING YOUTH IN A CULTURE OF RELIGIOUS DECLINE

In addition to the Oxford program, I plan to head north to Gateshead from July-December to be a youth worker interim. Mind you, I have not yet been officially accepted into the GoNow Missions program, but I will still explain below what I understand of the mission so far. I trust that God will work out all the details according to His will.

GoNow is a mission sending service for college students in Texas. I've had a few friends travel all across the world and serve in different ways through GoNow. They have told me how wonderful the staff is, how much they learned and the amazing things God did; they also shared the difficulties they faced, which enabled them to grow in Christ. The specific program I applied for is a mission to Gateshead, England, to minister to youth.

The Millennium Bridge over the River Tyne, in Gateshead

In Gateshead, I will serve children and youth (11-25 yrs. old) at Durham Road Baptist Church (DRBC). The GoNow site explains things well: "You will run games, lead discussion and give talks at established youth group meeting. As well as conduct home visits and arrange social events to maintain contact with youth group members and to reach out to other young people. You will help in local secondary schools in Religious Education classes and establish and run Christian Union groups. You will also establish links with students at Gateshead College and develop ways to include them in outreach activities."1

DRBC HISTORY

I have been studying the decline of Christianity in England for a research paper in my World Religions class. DRBC is a testament of that decline, but also to the resilience (and even growth) of the faith in an area of secularization. The church was established in 1877, and enjoyed life and vigor throughout the years. Yet, from the 1950s to '80s, it was struck by the effect of secularization, and declined in membership and influence. By the time the 21st century rolled around, the church was struggling to survive. Yet, through great leadership and the power of the Holy Spirit, the church is back on its way to being a powerful positive influence in the community.

YOUTH

The youth group is still in its infancy, but is growing in depth and breadth. The programs that I will be involved with include:

The Rock Solid Club
A weekly club for ll-14 year olds. This club includes games, small group discussions, and Bible study.

The Fit for Life Club
A similar club, but for youth 15 and older.

Other Opportunities:

• Home visits and social activities to build relationships.


• Speaking at or attending religious education classes, Christian Union (CU) meetings, and other involvement in the local schools.
  
• Building relationships with students at the local college. Working to establish a CU group at the college and, possibly, enrolling in courses there. Also, attending social and church activities with these older students to encourage spiritual growth.


• Possibly, attending summer camp with youth from the church.
  

REQUEST:

I am overwhelmingly excited about serving alongside brothers and sisters in Christ across 'the pond.' Please pray that all the details will be worked out: forms, visa, finances, and an interview on the 29th. Pray for the church and youth in Gateshead: that God will continue to work in them and draw them to Himself. And please pray that God will use me in an effective manner for His glory.

BestSemester: Oxford

As I said in the blog below, I am headed to Oxford this summer for a month's study. My college, Wayland Baptist University, has partnered with BestSemester, a study abroad program. BestSemester is under The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), which unites over 100 colleges around the country.

The Oxford program is aimed at teaching students about the Christian Tradition in the British Isles and continue their prior learning in specialized studies. I will study from June 12- July12 at the distinguished Wycliffe Hall. This Oxford college "was founded in 1877 by a group of evangelical churchmen in response to growing ritualism and rationalism in the Church of England."1

I plan on taking 2 specific seminar courses: Philosophy and the Christian Tradition and The Bible and the Environment. In addition, all students attend the lecture series, The Christian Tradition in the British Isles. This course surveys the history of religion and culture in Great Britain. Many lecturers are guests from one of the 40 or so Halls and Colleges which make up Oxford University. Others are Oxford Summer Programme (OSP) staff and tutors.

Philosophy and the Christian Tradition is a discipline seminar which questions the assumption that belief is voluntary. It will be interesting to compare this course to a college course I am currently taking, Christian Theology, which examines this question from the opposite position. The Oxford philosophy class will be taught by Dr. Kevin Kinghorn, who literally wrote the book (at least our textbook: The Decision of Faith) on the question of belief and faith.

The movement to take care of the environment has been rising in popularity for years. Consider the worries of Global Warming, sustainable energy, and biodiversity loss. The Bible and the Environment "will examine the biblical relationships between God, humanity, and the rest of nature." 2 This course will go along with a class I took at Wayland a year ago: Faith and Science. There, we studied everything from evolution to multiple dimensions to ethical issues like abortion, stem cell research, and the environment. At Oxford, we will focus in on the mandate of Christianity to take care of the earth (Genesis 1:28-30).

So, that is the plan for my month at Oxford. Please pray that I can get all the forms, flights, and payments worked out as I prepare to study. Also, I have four books to read for the Oxford lectures before I get there: pray for discipline. Finally, please pray that I will have a safe trip and an awesome learning experience.

God's Plans are Much Grander than Ours

I applied to study at Oxford this summer through a study abroad program called BestSemester. I have been accepted and I'm in the process of preparing to study in the 'city of dreaming spires' from June 12-July 12. I have the amazing opportunity to study The Christian Tradition in the British Isles and attend two seminars: Philosophy and the Christian Tradition and The Bible and the Environment. These courses will compliment my current studies at Wayland Baptist University. My excitement about this program is indescribable, and yet, God's plans are "Immeasurably more than we can hope or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20)
God's revelation of His vast plan began a couple weeks ago with a seemingly insignificant e-mail from an organization called GoNow. They sent a mass e-mail with dozens of mission programs for the summer and fall. I glanced at it and happened to see something about England, but I thought nothing of it. Then, just a few days ago, I received a similar e-mail with bold red letters saying "application deadline..." That is all I read of the e-mail, but I left it in my inbox, in case I ever actually wanted to read it.
Sometimes God can show us what He has for us through whispers and nudges, other times He has to spell it out and get our attention with a much louder voice. The latter occurred to me just a couple of days ago. It began with a conversation between my friend Kevin and I. We talked about our summer plans, and I mentioned the trip to Oxford. He congratulated me, and then mentioned a church program that he had heard about in England: "I talked with this guy about working as a pastor or something in England, it sounded pretty cool, but my parents didn't want me to take a semester off of school." I replied by telling him about some kind of mission trip to England that GoNow offered. It sounded like two different opportunities to serve in England.
So, urged by the talk with Kevin, I decided to look into the GoNow trip. I called their office, and found out that I still had a week to get in an application (I thought the deadline had passed). They also gave me a contact number for more information. I called the contact, Chuck, and he told me all about this great opportunity to serve as a Youth Worker in northern England. I was excited about the chance to stay in England for a longer than a month, so I began the application. Chuck called back, then by the end of the conversation, I put 2 and 2 together. I asked him if he knew a guy named Kevin from Wayland, and he quickly replied, "Ya, I know Kevin. I've talked to him about this program a couple times." The connection was made: the two opportunities were actually one in the same.
If that wasn't enough to get me on a plane right then and there, God gave another boost of encouragement when I talked with my parents. College students often fear that their parents will stifle their (sometimes careless) plans; yet, when I called them with the unfolding news, they wholeheartedly supported me (thanks mom and dad!!). God opened a door, made the door wider, put flashing lights up pointing to the door, then firmly ushered me through the door of this prospect.
So, the next couple days, I filled out applications and sent out reference requests (thanks to all of those who quickly responded), and began preparing to go to England, to study and to minister. While my own preparation has only started recently, God has been preparing me since the beginning for this God-sized chance of a lifetime.