The Summer of Conviction
See what's coming down the pipe this summer for our students and how unshakeable convictions about Jesus will cause young men and women to change the world
The Summer of Love? Lame. What about a summer forming a strong conviction that can change the world? I’ll take that!
A lot of our students that are involved with Called to Greatness will be back in Lawrence this summer to grow and commit themselves to being with community here. It’s pretty amazing to think that these college students could choose to do a lot of things during their summer break, and they are choosing to come back to Lawrence, KS to grow with their peers. Praise God!
The summer will look a little different for us and our students this year. Usually we have a two month program that we take students through. The past few years it has been helping to shape their worldview. This will not happen this year because it is absolute madness (in the best way possible!).
Here is a quick overview of what our summer looks like so you can be praying for the students involved. Warning: I’ll be speeding through these like you’re listening to your favorite podcast on 1.75 speed.
For starters we just wrapped up our full weekend garage sale (June 6&7). All of our proceeds go to funding students on Spring Break and we raised $5,400. Praise God!
Next and coming soon, we send a crew of 7 people to Uganda on a missions trip (June 12-27). Please pray for Mason! A student I disciple and will be heading with the team there.
While they are off in Africa, we are sending people to Chicago for a youth missions trip (June 15-20 trip #1 and June 23-27 trip #2). A couple of our staff and students will be heading there. And then we will send a second wave of people after this. Go cubs.
After the Fourth of July fun dies down, we have a crew going on a mission trip to Estonia (July 3-13). It is largely a disc golf camp where they preach the gospel. Too bad I suck at disc golf!
While our Estonia friends are doing their thing, a big group of CTG staff and students will be heading to Wisla, Poland for our yearly Poland Missions Trip (July 9-22). I went to Poland in 2019 and it was incredible for many reasons (which I won’t share now because remember we are at 1.75 speed).
Poland is our last mission trip of the summer. Sprinkled throughout the summer for students that will be around and not on a mission trip will be weekly times of building camaraderie and talking through their convictions. Great transition to circle back to this word: Conviction.
This brings us to the last main discipleship training event we will have this summer, something we are calling our Summer Intensive. From July 27th to the 29th we will be with around 20-25 students in KC for two days helping them break out of lies they might be believing and form a strong worldview around God’s word and God’s reality. We want our students to be able to withstand the pressures of culture, the attacks of the enemy, and live victorious lives. In order to do this, they (as well as myself!) will need firm convictions. Convictions that are not shaken by pain, suffering, persecution (whatever that may look like), trials of many sorts, and the storms of life.
We wonder, how are missionaries willing to go die for their faith?
What within the great William Wilberforce made him continue fighting against all odds to abolish British slave trade?
Why in the world would Desmond Doss (from the movie Hacksaw Ridge, great film!) continue to stand by his word that he would not bear arms DURING WAR. World War 2 for that matter. He would commit to being a pacifist and save lives.
I would venture to say these people had unwavering conviction about something. A conviction that was worth giving their lives to.
We believe the Gospel of King Jesus deserves this kind of conviction (please hear my heart here! Not suggesting our students go overseas to a dangerous area). And we are believing this time together for our Summer Intensive will help students form an unwavering conviction that will help them be world changers the rest of their lives.
Please be praying for all the students that will be heading to missions trips and here in Lawrence! Pray that God would do a great work in their lives and that they would want more than ever to live lives fully for Jesus.