Personal Lessons Learned in my GLINK Year

Generation LINK has taught me a lot about ministry, a lot about community, a lot of leadership, a lot about discipling and being discipled.  But if there is one subject I have learned more about than any other, it would have to be: myself.  A friend of mine and I often joke about how unaware I can be of myself.  This manifests itself in so many ways including my clumsiness which has resulted in a broken window, a broken sink faucet, a broken toilet paper holder, and plenty of cut fingers (all in the past 3 months).  This manifests itself also in the fact that I seem to have a self-realization about myself every week.  It blew my mind a few weeks ago when I found out that I am an “F” according to the Myer-Briggs test.  I always thought I was a “T.” It destroyed my view of myself so much that I talked about it constantly for the entire week, established it as apart of my identity and even had a roommate yelling at me to stop talking about it!  And while everyone said, “Duh, Mary Emily, you are definitely an ‘F,’’’ I just never thought I made decisions that way.  I have learned so much more in the past year and half than just that I am an “F.”  During my time as a Generation LINK staff member I have learned that I hate change; I love, love, love admin work.  I love, love, love serving; I am an introvert; I really don’t like sharing chocolate ice cream; I actually do like Taylor Swift; and large crowds are terrifying.

Most importantly, though, God has been teaching my stubborn (I’ve known that for a while) self that I am human and I am all the things that come with being human.  I am weak. I am limited.  I am sinful. I am broken.  This past Sunday I spent over 12 hours at the church rarely off my feet.  The next day was similar but longer as I had the privilege of helping host Crosspoint’s Thanksgiving Day Fellowship that fed almost 600 of my closest friends and family.  By the next day (today) I could feel the length of my days in my bones.  I’m not superwoman.  I’m just so limited and three straight days of long work takes it out me. In these moments of tiredness, I am weak and often find myself not being obedient to my Father as I should.  The continual battle of these long days is whether I spend them in my own strength or in my Father’s.  As I become more aware of my humanity and more aware of how weak, limited, and sinful I am, I spend more time in prayer begging for strength, begging for tact, begging for gentleness, knowing if any of it comes, it comes from Him.  I’m not perfect. There are plenty of moments my weak, limited, sinful and broken self battles back resulting in glorifying my own name or hurting a friend in the process.  But as one of my brothers on Generation LINK reminded me yesterday, Jesus covered it all.  He quoted 1 John as he reminded me that my identity is not in being an “F,” an introvert, a hater of change, or a Generation LINKer.  My identity lies in Christ and He is the one that provided a way for me to be with the Father.  He is the one that gives me hope that I will one day not sin and fall short.  He is the one that strengthens and gives purpose to my ministry.  My gaze often falls from Christ and lands on earthly things but I am thankful that God continues to call me back to him.  Thankful that as I become more aware of myself, He is more glorified in my eyes. 

Posted by Mary Emily Slott

Meet the Team: Joel & Jennifer Smith

            Where did you graduate from and what did you study?

 Joel and I both graduated from Clemson University. Joel studied American Sign Language and I studied Special  Education.

             What led you to do Generation LINK?

 A year and a half ago, Joel got the opportunity and privilege of leading the SummerLINK team to Boston. We were engaged at the time, and while he was there, he kept telling me how much he enjoyed getting to know and learn from the leadership team at Redemption Hill Church. Over the summer, Joel grew a great respect for Tanner and John, the pastors of RHC and wanted to spend more time learning from them how they led their church. That summer, before I came to visit the SummerLINK team in Boston, Joel asked me to pray and consider if the Lord may be leading us to move to Boston. It was during my visit that the Lord made it clear that He was calling us to Boston. We spent time prayer walking through the city, and it was during that time that we felt the Lord leading us to move here. Generation-LINK provided the way for us to move to Boston, be trained theologically and equipped in ministry under the leadership of Redemption Hill Church.

Which location and what areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?

Joel and I serve at as College Ministry leaders at Redemption Hill Church in Medford, MA (Greater Boston).

 What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?

It is our prayer that these students would grow in their love of the Lord and commitment to His word, and zealously share the good news of Christ with other people on their campus and in their spheres of influence. We are most excited about seeing Christ exalted as students come to faith and grow in their love and knowledge of our Savior!

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?

Well besides the Bible…  :) 

- “Death by Love” by Mark Driscoll (Joel)

-“Desiring God” by John Piper (Joel & Jen)

-“The Gospel Primer” by Milton Vincent (Jen)

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

Joel: Fishing & Camping

Jennifer: Anything outside, hiking, exploring New England, and talking with friends

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          What is your typical coffee shop order?

We both are pretty plain…just a coffee (but I leave room for cream and lots of sugar!)

By: Jennifer Smith

Evangelism Q&A: Part I

On Friday, November 8^th Crosspoint Church hosted an evangelism training to equip believers to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. A portion of this training was devoted to responding to questions from the audience, but unfortunately we did not have enough time to answer all of those questions.  We decided to commit a few blog posts to respond to those questions. 

“How do I start or initiate 'The Story' in conversation?”

There is no one right way to generate conversations on spiritual matters.  A question I often use is, “in your opinion do you think man is basically good or basically bad?”  This question allows me to understand a person’s view of man, which can lead me to their view of God.  Ninety-five percent of the time they will say man is good, which means man must have been created good (Gen. 1:31).  You can follow this question with “if man is basically good, then why do so many people do bad things,” which leads to discussing the Fall.

With these questions you can lead the conversation to God’s initial design in Genesis 1 and 2, but then man rebelled against God in Genesis 3.  Once you mention Creation and Fall the conversation will naturally lead to our need for Rescue, which allows you to proclaim Jesus Christ and his Redemption for us if we repent and believe in him.  I would recommend Randy Newman’s book “Questioning Evangelism” if you want to learn other ways and questions to transition conversations to the gospel. 

“As a bio major, I'm daily faced with challenges of the Gospel, specifically creation. How do I approach questions from non-believers on this subject?”

I can fully relate to this question, because I was a biology major when I was a non-believer, and I would often question Christians specifically on this topic.  The first thing we need to remember is that Christ did not command us to proclaim reasons for creationism or evidence against Darwinian evolution, but he commanded us to proclaim his saving grace (Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Tim. 4:1-2).  Because of this it is beneficial to start with a person's sinful position before God instead of evolution or creationism.  Non-believers will not turn to Christ unless they believe they are in desperate need of a savior. 

In my own life I was hardened to the gospel because I didn't believe I needed a savior and therefore I rebelled against God and the Bible.  I was blinded to the truth until God used a few faithful Christians to talk with me about my sin and the hope of Jesus Christ.  It was through those conversations and relationships that I heard the gospel and was transformed by it.  Once I believed in Christ and submitted to his authority I studied the scriptures with other Christians, and my attitudes and beliefs changed from a secular mindset to a biblical mindset.

So my advice would be to love your friends who are biology and science majors.  Invite them to be a part of your life so that they see how your life involves Christ, and tell them how the risen Son of God has transformed your life (2 Cor. 5:17).  And finally pray for them.  Pray that God will work through you as you witness to them.

*A resource that would be beneficial for answering question about Darwinian evolution would be Lee Strobel’s “The Case for a Creator.”

“How do we connect the gospel message to people who either don't want to hear it or think it's foolishness?”

I believe these are the most common responses when I evangelize on the Clemson campus.  People normally don't want to talk about God, or they think Christians are foolish for believing the Bible.  My suggestion is that we need to counter theses attitudes with love.  We should talk with people and find out why they feel hostile to God or the church.  When we speak with them it should not be with an agenda to convert them but to love on them.  I am not saying that we should not desire their conversion, but that our desire for their conversion will naturally lead us to love them.  This does not mean accepting their rebellion against God, but tolerating their lack of faith.

This means that we should seek to know them and to know what they do believe.  I normally ask questions about what they believe of God, death, Jesus, truth, etc., and why they believe what they believe.  Most of the time you will find that they don't know exactly what they believe, and that they have very little Bible knowledge.  I then use that information as an opening to ask them if they would be willing to investigate the Bible and to see if the Bible gives answers to their questions. 

If they are willing to explore the Bible, then God has given you a great opportunity to proclaim the gospel with his own words.  Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers to their questions, because the Bible does.  Use those moments to create other times to meet up so that you both have time to investigate the Bible further for those answers.

Invite them to coffee, lunch, breakfast, so that they feel welcomed and comfortable, and pick up the tab!  Show them that you care for them. Give them your time and your love, just as Christ did for us (Matt. 20:28).  Also, tell them your own testimony of how you came to believe and trust in Christ, and ask them if they can relate to your testimony in any way.  And finally pray.

“How do you share the gospel with someone who goes to church and claims to be a Christian but doesn’t seem to really know the gospel and doesn't live it out?”

This is a great question because we can easily think everyone who attends a church service is a Christian.  A great place to start is asking them to share their testimony with you.  Ask them how long they have been a Christian, and how they came to the faith.  Be careful not to do this accusingly, but joyfully because it is joyful to give testimony of God’s work in our life (1 Cor. 1:4-9).  After you hear their testimony, you will hopefully be able to better discern if they are a believer or a non-believer, though we need to be careful not to judge a person to quickly as a non-believer, because they might merely be weak in the faith (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

If you are still concerned if they are a non-believer, or if they are weak in the faith, invite them to study the Bible with you and let the Word do the work (Heb. 4:12).  Ask them if they would start meeting with you once every week or every other week to pray together and read through the Bible.  If they say yes then you are pursuing discipleship.  If they say no then continue to love on them and pray for them.  Invite them into your home and show them how you are pursuing God.  I would also recommend speaking with your pastor especially if they are a member of your church.  

*A few resources to use for daily Bible reading are David Helm’s “One-to-One Bible Reading,” Ken Ham & Bodie Hodge’s “Begin: A Journey through Scriptures for Seekers and New Believers,” and Kent Hughes’ “Disciplines of a Godly Man.”

I hope these responses have been beneficial for you.  I know that each of these questions could merit their own blog post.  I would encourage you to continue to resource yourself with good books that are gospel centered so that you are “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pt 3:15). 

I will post the remaining questions from the training in Part II of this blog post, but until then feel free to send me comments or questions that you might have regarding evangelism.  Also, if you happened to have missed the training you can access the media and materials at Crosspoint Church's website by clicking HERE. I hope you have a blessed day

Soli Deo Gloria,

Sean Alford

salford@generation-link.org

Kid's Connection at Crosspoint Church

Every Sunday evening, around 80 kids come to participate in our Kid's Connection program.  Some come running, others skipping, some more quiet and reserved, but all come to hear about the work of our Savior and to dig into His Word.  Each week, the children are taught a new Bible story through small group activities, games, and crafts.  They worship God together through singing, engaging in the lesson being taught, and enjoying dinner with their friends.  Each Bible story is related back to the Gospel, as emphasis is placed on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the need for every man, every child, to repent and believe.  It is encouraging to see children memorizing scripture and grasping onto truth each Sunday night, and it is evident that God is working in many of their lives. 

We had a western-themed Kids Connection last Sunday.  The kids loved coming dressed up in their cowboy and cowgirl outfits!

By Emily Schneck

Meet the Team: Sammi Fife

This post is part of a series called "Meet the Team" introducing you to our Generation LINK staff. We hope it will help you get to know Generation LINK staff members serving around the country a little better.

Where did you graduate from and what did you study?

I graduated from Clemson University in the spring of 2012 with my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Currently, I work as a registered nurse alongside working at Crosspoint on Generation LINK staff.

What led you to do Generation LINK?
I joined Crosspoint fall of my freshman year of college. The following summer I did SummerLINK in Hilton Head. From then on I was deeply involved with the youth at Crosspoint and the life of the church. Generation LINK was something I felt very knowledgeable about but never “called” to do. I was in nursing school, which required a lot of time and it would be frowned upon greatly for someone to graduate from nursing school and then not move on with that degree to become a great nurse. My senior year brought a great surprise and trial; I no longer wanted to be a nurse. I didn’t do well in the hospital; the only thing I wanted to do was work with the youth at Crosspoint that I loved so dearly. The Lord was showing me strengths in teaching; he was giving me a deep desire for His word and for leading in the local church. My parents were not thrilled that I wasn’t pursuing nursing, but I did not have a peace about working as a nurse. The opportunity to serve on staff at Crosspoint Church in Clemson through Generation LINK kept being presented to me, only clarifying what the next step was upon graduation. To put it plainly, the pieces fell into place; the Lord changed my desires and gave me the courage to pursue where He was leading me. I am now doing my second year of GLINK and am working part time as a nurse. The Lord taught me through the process to trust Him to lead me toward tomorrow in faith. People told me that if I ever wanted to be a nurse, I had blown my chances, yet now, I am working as a nurse. He has restored that desire and is allowing me to use nursing for His glory! He is ever so faithful to His children.

Which location and what areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?
Student Ministry, I have the privilege to lead and serve the middle school and high school girls at Crosspoint.

What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?
I am a middle school girl at heart! I love spending time with students that are daily seeking out their identity. The aim of our ministry is not only their present knowledge of the Lord, but 10 years down the road. We are equipping these students now that they may seek the Lord not only in high school, but as they move through adolescence.

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?

1. “When People are Big and God is Small” By: Edward T. Welch
2. “The Reason for God” By: Timothy Keller
3. “Feminine Appeal” By; Carolyn Mahaney

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?
I love to drink coffee, have the occasional dance party, go for walks, workout, take pictures, cook, write letters, blog, watch the Red Sox play (this is a new found hobby) and travel!

What is your typical coffee shop order?
It is typically a seasonal latte! I had a Soy Gingerbread latte from Starbucks this morning! Rather than my favorite order, the more important question is: “What is my favorite coffee shop?”, and the answer to that question is without a doubt Caribou Coffee!

Theologizing & Philosophizing: A Seminary Update

Being able to take seminary courses while serving on staff with a local church has been one of the tremendous blessings of Generation LINK. It is easy to see how God is using formal theological training to sanctify me and prepare me for current and future ministry. I already appeal to much of my past and current course work when ministering to people and preparing for teaching opportunities although I'm only 24 hours into my degree. The opportunity to learn in this context has been extremely beneficial. However, it has also been challenging.

This semester I have quite the "heady" course-load. (Yes, heady, not heavy, although it is certainly that too when all required textbooks are accounted for.) The two primary courses I am taking are Philosophy and Systematic Theology—PHI5100 and THE6110 for you seminarians. The material I'm learning has been extremely difficult at times, requiring much patience and study on my part. I have already had plenty of late night study sessions since August, causing my wife to at times refer to herself a "seminary widow." (I think she's only joking...I think.) She, like many other gracious and godly wives of seminarians, has been a real blessing to me as I've labored in my studies, listening to me ramble on about the newest theories and ideas I've been processing and helping me think through all that I've been learning. Working in a ministry setting while taking online and extension center courses certainly creates tension when it comes to balancing family, work, and education, not to mention informal ministry opportunities and one's personal devotional time. There is always sacrifice involved. But God has taught me a lot through this process, and already I see the fruit of pursuing a seminary degree in this way.

The most immediate application from my studies this semester has come from learning proper argumentation and logic. I've learned how to craft a formal argument by following the rules of logic and avoiding common fallacies. Already I have seen this pay dividends as I've interacted with others on beliefs different from my own. I'm learning to work hard at understanding others' arguments before assuming I know what they are saying and automatically disagreeing with them. I'm also learning not to primarily interact with the character of another person, but rather with the argument they are presenting. In other words, God has used this training to make me slow to speak and quick to listen when discussing theology (or anything else) with other people. God has also humbled me by exposing how often I have argued with common fallacies in the past. The whole process has been profitable in stretching me and how I interact with others.

Of course, in practice, this has resulted in much better conversations with college students on campus and in my small group. Not only am I equipped to think through my beliefs and communicate them more accurately and effectively, but in doing so I am also able to lead others to think properly about different issues. As I've applied these lessons in philosophy to the theology I'm also learning, I'm able to better disciple the students I'm leading. In this way, formal theological training is immediately impacting my work toward fulfilling the Great Commission.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow both formally and informally in the context of the local church. While I am certainly ready for the day when I never again have to write a research paper or take an exam, I hope to never stop being trained and sharpened through theological training.

Gray Gardner, Generation LINK Clemson