SHIFT Series reCAP: theVISION (Part 2)

Here's part 2.

Week Two - What We Do & Why We Do It

This is what God has called theSHIFT to do for the college/20 somethings in Cheyenne & Laramie County.

A. To connect with them where they’re at in life.
It doesn't matter what a person may be dealing with, whether it be home sickness, a broken relationship, questioning their faith, or if everything is going well, we are here to connect to them. Jesus met people where they were at. So many times in the NT Jesus went to where people we’re to meet their needs. Whether it be healing a blind man, calling a tax collector or fisherman, or forgiving an adulterer of their sin, He connected Himself to them and brought them up from where they were. The way that theSHIFT is set up promotes connection on both levels and is intended to lead to community. Our Sunday night experience is vital to this connection. We will always look for way to not only make our Sunday night relevant, but revolutionary to people’s life. Sunday is where we have an opportunity to introduce people to the idea of a community that loves them.

B. To provide a community of acceptance, where love is experienced.
It doesn’t matter what a person does, or what they believe. If they are in this city, in this demographic, we are called to be community for them. We aim to accept people where they are. Jesus spent His time with people that society had deemed unworthy and sinful. In Mark 2:15 it says this about Jesus, “Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)” We are to love the hurting without expectation. That means we can’t expect someone that is hurt to love us back, but we still love them and provide a place that challenges them to grow in that love and give it to others.

C. To challenge them to grow.
We also desire to have a love that isn’t relevant, but revolutionary. Revolutionary means that we are “introducing radical change.” That means we want our love to challenge people to come to know personally a growth that changes them in a radical way. The idea being that no longer do people associate love as this feeling that can fade out, but as this power from Christ that lives inside us and changes everything about the way that we see His people.

So why do we do what we do? Here the three simple answers:

a. We love them. We are loved by Christ, so we are called to love others. (That’s it)

b. We’re called to it. Christ called us to serve others and take the Good News to them. This is the group we’re called to serve & reach.

c. We see a need. 76% of college / 20 somethings are searching for meaning and when they don’t find it, they turn to drinking, sex, and some of them give up and end it. They are hurting themselves, hurting each other and they are literally DYING for what we have! We CANNOT and will NOT keep Christ to ourselves!

Week 3 – When We’re Called & How To Respond

Christ calls all of us to these three things (there’s more, but we’ll focus on these):

1. Called to Righteousness.

2. Called to Love God and others.

3. Called to be His witnesses.

When you get to that place where you feel like God is leading you through these three things and you feel called to theSHIFT as a place that you receive community, but you feel like there’s more. More challenge, more to give, how can you answer that call?

Here’s some ways: Sunday Night (Set Up, people at the door, hospitality), Outreach/Events (Service, MESS), Life Groups (Expo-night).

Ask a family member for other ways.

Week four – Where We’re Called To

The simple answer is Cheyenne and Laramie County, WY. The last week we wrapped up with going into our community and serving together. We call it Planned Acts of Kindness or PAKs (previously known as Random Acts of Kindness). We are called not only to serve the college/20 somethings in our area, but to also serve with them.

I am so STOKED for what God is going to do through theSHIFT in our community this year! It’s gonna be SWEET!

Radical – Not Relevant,
Bruce