JDC on our last Project Group Day together.
This is a quote from Bill Hybels' extraordinary book Courageous Leadership, and it basically sums up my experience here at Colorado Leadership Training 2012. God really has been revealing to me a kingdom vision, and I'm super stoked about it, albeit a little scared/nervous. When you have to decide whether or not to devote your life to something, it's not a light decision, especially when you're only 21 years old. But I do think that is what God is leading me to do. I truly believe in the vision of the newly renamed Collegiate Ministry, of which my home church, The Rock, is a part of, and I want to be a part of it's future.
God has really been growing me through this program, in more ways than just showing me His "kingdom vision" for my life. I feel like I've been maturing in my relationships with other people, learning how to deal with conflict better, and, possibly most importantly, growing in my knowledge of God and His Word. I've been more faithful this summer with my daily quiet times and Bible reading than I ever have been before, and God has really been blessing that. I've also read several amazing books this summer, and I'd recommend them to everyone that reads this.
First of all is the book I mentioned above, Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels. Hybels serves as the senior pastor for Willow Creek Church in Chicago, IL, a church I was lucky enough to visit on Father's Day with my dad in 2010. I noticed almost immediately once the service began that this huge auditorium with probably 15,000 people in it was on fire for God, and I think Hybels deserves a lot of credit for that. His way of "doing church," with an intense focus on small group interactions and leadership development, is an outstandingly effective tool for the Kingdom, and it was nothing short of inspiring to read this amazing man of God's thoughts on leadership. I will definitely always keep my copy of this book, and I'll probably reread it regularly.
Secondly, I read a book called Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler, who is the lead pastor at Village Church in Flower Mound, TX, and serves as the president of Acts 29 ministries, which is an awesome network of evangelical and Reformed churches around the U.S. The book is all about returning to the true Gospel message, and Chandler does a spectacular job not only breaking down and explaining the Gospel of Christ, but also motivating the reader to follow through and live a life fully devoted to the Gospel.
Like I said, I strongly recommend both of these books. They've both played an important part in my spiritual growth this summer.
10 days from now I will be leaving Colorado and heading for home. I'm both excited and a little sad. I've met some amazing people (one of which is actually most likely transferring to Mizzou and I'm stoked for everyone back home to meet him), and it will be extremely tough to leave them. But at the same time, I miss my friends in Missouri and I'm ready to serve alongside them this year.
