” Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ”

2 Corinthians 4:1-2

Share life.

Our home is a vital part of our ministry.  Students meet here for bible study, to eat, movies, games, food, to hang out, snack, etc.  And also to watch our family and be a part of our family.  We want them to see how real life works around our place and teach them about how real life works.  And how we walk through real life with God.

This means our door is open.  This also means we can go through a lot of food.  And it is food well spent when we can share stories, have relationships that are more than superficial or event related, pray together, let students see what we are like at home, talk about how God is working and involved at present, answer questions, laugh.

This is discipleship beyond content and our hope is that it helps all be ready for living their entire lives in light of eternity and God’s purposes, helps many know God personally, helps some become healthy.  It means we are transparent and vulnerable and open for inspection and correction.  Changing the world through God-honoring relationships.

This also means our schedules look a little different.  Its not 9 to 5 and then home.  Our ministry is our life.  We don’t have many early morning meetings with students (at least at CU), we often tell students to lock up when they leave, we never know who may be around for supper, Our ministry is our life. Our life is our ministry.  In fact, many of the things students said they remember learning from us happened in the midst of mundane, unplanned times - not a planned meeting.  So every conversation and comment counts and maybe some of the most teachable moments are those we haven’t scheduled.

I will look at evangelism and discipleship in the next post of What We Do.

Our byline at Christian Challenge is:

Changing the World through God-honoring relationships

We do this first by helping students have a growing, intimate relationship with God.  For some this means entering a relationship with God  for the first time by hearing the Gospel and receiving Christ. For others it means understanding for the first time what this relationship entails and taking it seriously.  And for others it is simply coming along side them and walking with them in the god-ward way they are already moving.

And for all we want to help solidify a foundation of connecting to Christ and looking more and more like Him that they can build on for the rest of their lives.

We also fulfill the objective by helping them know how to be in relationships that honor God.  To be a blessing, to initiate, to practice a holy curiosity,  to clear up relationships, to forgive and ask forgiveness, to serve, to do well in school - these are just some of the areas in which we mentor students.

And then changing the world.  As we practice God-honoring relationships in the places where God has us, people are changed.  But the scope of our vision goes beyond just our present location. We give students a vision for the people’s of the world.  Some can only be informed and pray, while others are able to spend a summer or semester in another country.

This is just a brief glimpse at our overall vision.  In following posts I will describe what this looks like more specifically.

We would appreciate your prayer for a student involved in Challenge.  Andrew T. fell from a tree on Saturday (he loves to climb trees) and landed on his back.  This resulted in a burst disc, two fractured vertebrae, broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken clavicle, and a broken shoulder blade.  He underwent surgery to place screws and a pin to stabilize the vertebrae.

He is in very stable condition now, but in much pain (as you can imagine).  They are slowly moving him between a chair and the bed.  He will have to wear a back brace for 3 months.  His parents are also with him.  In the next few days he will make a decision between remaining in school or withdrawing for the semester.

Andrew is a delightful young man and we always enjoy when he is around.  You can also pray as his friends in the dorm have taken this pretty hard and many may be open to some good conversations.

In 2006, our family had the opportunity to lead a mission trip to Oberlin, LA, contribute to the rebuilding of

First Baptist Church and begin some encouraging relationships.  God used that trip to not only reestablish a place for community in Oberlin, but also to establish a heart for people in our family and a desire to be part of what He is doing in the world and to explain Him to the world.  Of course, the main expression of this heart and desire takes place in our sharing our lives with college students at CU, ASU before that, and OU before that.

     As a continuation of this desire, we have been preparing as a family for a trip to SE Asia.  A former student and his family are now serving full-time among students in this country.  They have seen God draw many students to Himself and have their hands full.  Several people have spent the last two years laboring alongside them and are in their last days and months of service. 

     We will be spending around 7-9 days in country.  During this time we will travel with a group of students who are involved in the ministry with the purpose of speaking into their lives and discipling them as we are able.  We will also be working at an orphanage alongside a mix of Christian and non-Christian students.  Our friend there says that this has been a very effective way of seeing new students move to accept Christ.  Another goal would also be to encourage and pray for our friends and the ministry God has given them.

     Finally, we hope to work out the timing so that we can travel to another SE Asian country close by and spend a day or two with a former associate and his family and our summer team from CU and then join them for the trip home.  This last hope is still very tentative, but is on our prayer list.

    The tentative dates for this trip are July 12-21.  Our estimated cost is $15,014.  We would like to invite and ask you to pray about partnering with us financially and prayerfully for this trip.  An undertaking of this size is far bigger than us and we would value anyway you can be part of this with us.  Contributions for this trip can be made to Christian Challenge and will be a missions contribution as this trip is part of our summer missions program.  Please send to 167 Cherokee Way, Boulder, CO 80303.

Thank you for your prayers.

I was just looking over some comments on a Facebook status I posted and as I chuckled I thought about  how good it is to really be known.  It is a deeply satisfying feeling.  As our pastor says, “Fully known and fully loved” - deeply satisfying.

This is a lot of ministry.  Paul said it this way.

    ¹⁰You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, ¹¹persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹²In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.   2 Timothy 3

Timothy knew Paul fully well.  He had spent untold hours with him, beginning with hearing him speak and then seeing him stoned and left for dead.He knew not only what he taught, but how he lived. You learn a lot by being around someone, not just when you have a Bible open, but when you have your life open.  Paul was not perfect and probably had to work a bit to keep relationships clear and reconcile things from time to time.  Yet he could say to Tim to continue in what he was convinced of because he knew those he had learned from.

Paul consistently and intentionally speaks of this:

⁸We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. ⁹Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 1 Thess. 2

⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4

¹Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. ²I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings,^[a] just as I passed them on to you.  1 Corinthians 11

So it seems Paul’s method of discipleship was not just preaching alone, but fully sharing his life - the good and the bad and how he handled the bad and the good.

And we do all we can to model this method with students.  Our homes are open to students and they are in it regularly - though not all the time.  They are able to see our lives and we are known.  Hopefully and prayerfully and intentionally, people around us are able to be more like Jesus because of this, or at least understand Jesus’ way.

It is good to be fully known and fully loved.  It is good to be used by God to move students closer to Jesus.  It is good to have people know you on Facebook.  It is better to have them in your house.

Last Sunday was a great day (most are for that matter) as we saw two students who are a part of Christian Challenge get baptized.  It was a fun celebration with lots of challenge students around the pool (or hot tub in this case).   Another student also received Christ in the last two weeks and just hasn’t been baptized yet.  Praise God for what He is doing!!  Please be praying for several other students who are in the process of deciding on becoming a follower of Jesus.

The retreat went very well.  Thirty-eight (38) attended which was the most ever for Challenge.  Several international students (from Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Japan) also came.  The man from Brazil had just received Christ (”said the big yes”) just two days before and shared his “history” with everyone.  He said this was why he had come to the US.

We had a very good time on Saturday morning.  Everyone had around 45 minutes to read through the story of the rich young man and then we discussed it during the session.  That story was a challenge for everyone there.

Thank you for your prayers!

Our last ‘normal’ meeting of the semester was last night - Encouragement Night!  It has become somewhat of a tradition at Challenge and displays one of the distinctives of our ministry.  Its all about the heart.

On this night we take 2 or so minutes for each person in the room and others encourage them with how they have seen character or heart attitudes displayed (or gained) in the person’s life and actions. It is really an amazing night as we get to hear how God has used students and how they have been growing spiritually and blessing others.  It also gives us a chance to help students who have a difficult time receiving or giving encouragement.

Now this is not the only time in the year that Challenge students encourage one another and build each other up - it goes on all the time, but it is a time to specifically focus on giving a good word and cheering students’  hearts.

 An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.  Prov. 12:25

It is also fun to hear the creativeness which some people have in giving encouragement.  We don’t always get that privilege when it goes on just person to person.  People’s hearts are also displayed when they share and so we know each other more deeply as a result.

Sometimes in student ministry you get an opportunity to serve at a moment’s notice.  Last weekend we were able to host 5 guys from a ministry in Nebraska who had come to Denver for a big concert.  We found out the details the night they were going to stay with us.  So all 5 holed up in our basement Friday night after the Friday Night Thing.  We had a great time around the late breakfast table on Saturday.

Spring Break - Vision Denver is officially over.  Spring break for us is not a break, but a week to spend more time with students, build their vision, and serve.  Last week we took our group down south - all the way to Denver!  The purpose of this trip was to build a vision for serving where we are and attempt to see Denver through Jesus’ eyes.  Both were accomplished!

Most of the time consisted of learning some of Denver’s history and spending time with people who are serving/ministering in the more unknown areas/peoples of Denver.   We were able to provide man power for a church planter in a downtown neighborhood and a man who is working among thousands of Russian speakers.  We also heard from a young man who spent a year on the streets of Denver and another pastor who ministers to many homeless.  We were able to give a day to serving (a.k.a. hard work that no one else wants to do) at the church which was our home for a week.  We also gave a half day to loading a shipping container with medical equipment and supplies bound for Nigeria.

A mindset seems to prevail among many students which says that real missions is spending lots of money to go to far away places.  Home is where you can return to your normal comforts.  This trip created a new category for students as meaningful, Kingdom-significant missions/serving right where God has them.  Seeing with Jesus’ eyes as opposed to tourist eyes was also a major shift for them.