Summer LINK Clemson: Week 3

Go and tell the world!!! This past week we CLINKers really focused on being good stewards of our down time and going out intentionally to share the gospel. Monday was the first night we talked about this desire to be good stewards of our time. We met at the men’s GLINK house and had a wonderful meal prepared by the Alfords. It seriously was some of the best baked spaghetti that I have ever eaten in my life! After we devoured the food we gathered together and had the privilege of hearing some of the Alford’s testimony and how God put them together and has grown them as a married couple. I am honestly blown away at how God works and uses different situations and people in our lives to grow and mold us. The Alfords definitely exemplified that Monday night through their testimony.

After good food and an awesome testimony we dove into a book called The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman.  This was the start of a thought-provoking and challenging conversation about how we use our downtime and what changes needed to be made to effectively spread the gospel. It was very encouraging to hear from all of my fellow CLINKers that they were not satisfied with what they were currently doing and that they recognized the growth and change needed to occur. What was even more encouraging was that the growth and change that they were talking about did not necessarily have to deal with the structure of Summer LINK; rather, it had to deal with themselves and how they were stewarding their time. This was exciting for me to hear and be a part of because to me that is a sign that God is truly working in our hearts and is molding our hearts to be more like His. After that encouraging conversation we split up into male and female groups and talked about being peacemakers and what that entails.

Tuesday and Friday we had a great opportunity to work a booth at Clemson student orientation where we were able to meet new students and their parents and speak to them about Crosspoint. What makes this totally legit is the fact that we were able to get contact information from some of the students and follow up with them. Sharing the gospel and getting them plugged-in is totally legit! We are actually going to be able to work most of Clemson’s orientations for the rest of the summer! That is super exciting!

On Wednesday we were able to setup the WOP wall or Words of Praise wall for all the staff. Everyone on staff has their own bag posted up with their name on it. What is great about the WOP wall is that the staff can encourage each other by writing notes or leaving a little gift in each others bag. Words of affirmation and encouragement definitely aid us in growing in Christ and in growing together as a staff.

Saturday was one of the best days ever!  We as a team went to Turtle Back Falls at Gorges State Park in North Carolina. The car ride there was full of awesome conversation, singing, dancing and laughter. Once we arrived there we hiked the mile and a half up to the falls talking to various people along the way and petting every dog in sight. There had to have been at least 15 dogs on that trail! Once we arrived at the falls a few of us braved the cold and the current and slid down the falls. It was so much fun! After an hour or two we hiked back and headed towards Clemson. The car ride back was very different from the car ride there. Instead of dancing and laughing there was silence and sleeping. Everyone was tired! That night we had a fun game night over at Emilyn’s apartment and played Apple’s to Apple’s and attempted to watch the NBA finals only to find out that they were supposed come on TV Sunday instead of Saturday.

All in all this past week has been a time of great fellowship and sharpening from each other. God is so good and He continually shows His faithfulness everyday!

Update by: Michelle Ellis

Summer LINK Clemson

Summer LINK Clemson: Week 2

What a great week to be CLINKED up. On Monday night, the Chasteen family blessed our group with biblical wisdom and delicious food. We got to gnaw down on some chicken and rice, salad, carrots and topped that off with some splendid dessert. Afterwards, we had the dessert after the dessert, the Word of God. We explored purity in biblical context. Of course the group ended up splitting into gender groups, but that made the conversations so much more meaningful. Accountability was taking place, which was AWESOME!!!

Tuesday was an ULTIMATE day. And for those of you who do not catch my drift, the college team put together an ultimate frisbee event to be had every Tuesday starting at 8:30 PM. Ultimate Tuesday was a great time to come together and fellowship and get some exercise on. We had staff meeting earlier that morning and it was encouraging to hear our brother’s and sister’s testimonies. Brock and Laura graced us with the story of how God gave them grace, which was truly an encouraging experience. 

During the week, we work in what is now named the Think Tank. It is the place where we congregate and build community. Whether by joking around, working steadily, or even passing through, the Think Tank is lit up with wonderful lights of Christ. It is encouraging to be able to come into work with my fellow Summer LINKers, because it spurs me on to greater works.

Thursday was a monster of a day. We got the monster of grills, the 8–Burner Event Grill. This puppy can cook 65 burgers or 126 hotdogs AT ONE TIME!!! This grill would play an important part to our cookout the following day. A group of us went to library bridge to invite people to come to the cookout we would be holding that coming Friday. The night came upon us and one of our own, Brock Bass, lead our CP group. It was a refreshing night in 2 Peter, and boy did we learn and get a good handful of knowledge.  

Friday was gameday. The day we had been preparing for all week, College Cookout Day. Jonathan Whittle and Red Schroeder manned the grill while the rest of our group manned the evangelism and invitations. We had a great turnout and it was awesome to have those intentional conversations about the Gospel and Christ. This was an area on which we were able to keep out focus.

Our weekend kicked off with a Friday night Bonanza. We met at the Union on Clemson’s campus and bowled, played ping-pong, some air hockey, and even a little bit of cards. It was an encouraging time of fellowship and out-of-office fun. Afterwards we went to Cookout to get dinner/dessert and just laughed the night away. 

Saturday morning at noon the group decided to go thrifting. Some of the locations visited were Goodwill, the Jamaica Relief Store, and Goodwill again. There were some great deals to be had and it was a great time to be a bargain shopper. Later that night we all gathered to hang out and watch a movie.

Overall, it has been a great week to be part of this wonderful fellowship. We have set the bar high, and by the grace of God we will continue to pursue growth together. We are Summer Link Clemson, hear Christ roar from within us!

Update By: Red Schroeder
Summer LINK Clemson

Summer LINK Clemson: Week 1

Thursday, May 24th marked not only the beginning of Summer LINK Clemson, but also the beginning of new friendships, adventures and a summer we will never forget. I think all of us would say that we are excited to be a part of the team and even more excited to see God work in and through us this summer. The fellowship that took place even on the first day was a sure sign that this was going to be a fun summer, which has already proven true even in this short amount time. 

It has been so encouraging to see that in a group full of very different people, we all have a unified vision - not to contain the joy that we have in Christ, but to spread it to Clemson and beyond. I think this reigned true with our outreach event we had on Friday morning. The extraordinary heart and passion this group has for ministry was clearly portrayed as they knocked on every door at University Place, serving the students with the ultimate aim of sharing the Gospel.  We plan to return there throughout the summer to serve them and reach out to them.

On Friday night, May 25th, we gathered together for a cookout. We ate and played the game “Family.” It was great to get to laugh and bond together. And let’s be honest, it was even greater for me because I won both rounds. All jokes aside, it was a wonderful evening, which was but a glimpse of the fun that we are going to have this summer.

We also started our college CP group this past week as well. It was a blessing to see that the vision of the Summer LINK team was not limited to us, but shared among our college community here this summer. In the midst of familiar and unfamiliar faces, we came together and were reminded of many of God’s great attributes and the greatest commandment. I think God will do great things through our time together every week. 

To finish off the week, Saturday (June 2nd) night we went to Greenville for the baseball game. Among all the conversation and laughter, I was reminded of how happy I am to be a part of this team. As much as I thought that an internship elsewhere was the only thing that was going to suit me this summer, God showed me otherwise and I thank Him so much for his sovereignty. I can’t wait to see how God works through me as well as the team in the next nine weeks!

Update By: Katrina Ross
Summer LINK Clemson

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.” Psalm 51:12-13

Generation LINK Community

Whenever I share with people that I live with 5 other girls, their initial response is always: "is that hard"? I always respond with a resounding, "no"! I absolutely love the 5 women I live with.

I've had this post rolling around my head for a few days. I'm not quite sure how to get my love for these girls and our time living together out on paper.

Community is one of the five core values of Generation LINK. The program is strategically designed for all participants to live in community and have fellowship with believers.

This year has far exceeded my expectations as far as community goes. I've never enjoyed a season of roommates as I have this past year with Jenna, Caroline, Savannah, Lauren, and Leslie. In fact, just tonight as I sat at the kitchen table with a few of my roommates, we talked about how sad we are to see this season come to an end as a few of us are moving on to different things in life like marriage and new jobs, while a few of us will stay and some are still trying to discern the leading of the Lord.

I know that this year will stand out as I look back to this season of life. It will be characterized by laughter, love, correction, confession, encouragement, accountability, tears, and a deep joy that my words just can't quite express.

I'm going to miss coming upstairs most mornings seeing Leslie do her stretches while she waits for the water for her tea to boil. And every morning when Savannah comes down the hall in her blue robe and goes straight for her Honey Bunches of Oats :) Or how every time I'm in the hallway and Jenna comes out of her room I have to let her know I'm there or it will scare her (which is always hilarious - to me). And when Caroline comes in the door each night excited to tell us all about her "crazy day"! And hearing the blender each morning as Lauren makes her chocolate, banana protein shake! 

These girls are simply the best.

But it's not just their personality traits and quirks I love and will miss. It's their deep love for the Lord and his Gospel that spurs me on to love Jesus more deeply.

This is played out in all sorts of ways. Whether we are having dinner together sharing about what's going on and speaking encouragement into one anther's life.

Or when I've sinned against one of my roommates or they see an unhealthy pattern in my life and they come to me with correction that points me to the Lord and leads me to repentance, all while extending much grace.

I love how easily and how often we are engaging in conversations about the Lord, who He is and what He is doing in each of our lives.

Matt Chandler says about community: "It is apparent that community is not some peripheral Christian teaching but is central to the outworking of God’s purpose in the world. God is glorified when He is properly reflected; by dwelling in unity, we rightly image our communal Maker."

God has been gracious to teach and remind each of us to keep short accounts. We have had many opportunities to extend the grace of the Lord to one another and spur one another on as we run this race together. We have learned what it is to image our Maker in this way.

I would say that for the first time, I've experienced what it is to live in real, raw, messy, biblical community and fellowship. And I'm humbled and deeply grateful for this year with these girls.

One night recently we were all up late laughing and having the best time. Caroline said it best then when she said, "These sweet moments are some of the best things in life :)"

I couldn't agree more. 
Thank you Lord for these women that love you, image you, and daily point me to you and your Word.

Posted by: Krystal Brummitt

Serving with the Student Ministry.

Over the next few weeks I will be part of a team that teaches our youth about biblical relationships.  This is somewhat overwhelming and certainly humbling.  I am grateful for the opportunity to speak truth into the lives of teenagers at Crosspoint Church through Generation Link.  Take a look at the post from the Crosspoint student ministry blog about the upcoming series.

The past few weeks have been busy for the student ministry as well.  During their spring break Caroline Cole and myself were able to get out of the office to invest in students while they were out of school for the week.  Ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and an orphanage outreach kept us busy.  That week proved very valuable in deepening of relationships with our students.

post by Will Jackson

Building Relationships Across Cultures

One of the greatest privileges that comes from serving with Crosspoint Church is the opportunity to build relationships with a diverse group of people within the community. Living in a college town, we are blessed with the presence of international students from countries all over the world. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know many of these students at different international events throughout the year.

Over Spring Break, Generation LINK staff and Clemson students had the opportunity to continue building these relationships on the spring break trip, The Great Southern Adventure. While touring Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston, we had numerous opportunities to have good conversations and have fun with international students. There were so many highlights to the trip, but I'd love to share a few that were especially meaningful for me.

Sunday morning we joined Blueprint Church, a church in downtown Atlanta, for worship. Several internationals decided to join us and we even had two Muslim women ask if it was ok for them to come. It was very exciting to see their openness to Christianity expressed in this way. Before service, my roommate and I were able to have a great conversation with an international student staying in our room. What began as questions about her personal beliefs, led us to a presentation of the gospel and further questions. After sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, she asked us questions about Christianity compared to other religions, and she desired to know how she could be certain that it was the only way. The conversation went on for almost an hour before church. My roommate and I were both very challenged but very encouraged by the conversation and it set a great tone for intentionality the rest of the week.

My second favorite experience of the trip was an opportunity the Lord presented while visiting Folly Beach. Several American and international women went for a walk down the beach and as the walk progressed we slowly broke off into pairs. I had the opportunity to enter into a spiritual conversation and ultimately share the gospel with a Chinese student with whom I was walking. I was blown away by her interest in spiritual things and desire to talk about Jesus and the Bible. Since the trip, she has joined us for International Women's Time as well as worship at Crosspoint.

It's very exciting to see the Lord graciously providing fruit from this trip in many different ways. Students from the trip are full of stories of great conversations and relationships built with Internationals in our community. Please pray as we continue to engage them in relationships and seek to share truth with them. We have been blessed with such a unique opportunity by living here in Clemson with these students, and we pray expectantly that the Lord will draw some of them to himself for His glory.




Post by Kimberly Sherman

Restore Conference: Reason for Faith to Coexist? The question of (in)tolerance

This year’s Restore Conference: Reason for Faith once again delivered quality Biblical teaching to the Clemson community with five hundred in attendance.  The conference focused on preparing our congregations, Clemson Presbyterian and Crosspoint, and other Christians within the community to engage unbelievers with the Gospel—to reason for faith.

Dr. Bruce Ashford, dean of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Dr. Ligon Duncan of First Presbyterian, Jackson, Mississippi taught in our three general sessions.  Dr. Ashford discussed how the Biblical narrative explains the whole world and Dr. Duncan discussed the exclusivity of the Gospel and exposited Acts 17. 

In addition to the main sessions, the conference offered eleven breakouts ranging from more practical application discussions to heavier theological training.  Topics ranged from new claims of atheism to engaging atheists with the Gospel to dealing with doubt to discussions of after life. 

The conference provides much more than a great opportunity to sit under great teachers of God’s Word.  The conference also unites evangelical Christians of different denominations and campus organizations as we worship God together through music and Biblical teaching.

The conference also allows for great times of fellowship in between sessions whether grabbing a snack, eating lunch, or volunteering.

Also, the conference bookstore allows for further reading and investigation of topics addressed throughout the conference.

This year, the conference provided a youth track where the youth looked to navigate through life and hold fast to Biblical truths as anchors in their life.  After the Friday portion of the conference, many of the youth discussed the teachings further in respective host homes and stayed up late hanging out with each other.

I am thankful that I had the opportunity to use my gifts to serve Crosspoint Church and the community for the sake of the Gospel.  I am blessed and encouraged by how well the conference went.  God truly blessed us this year with great teaching and proclamation of His Word, opportunities to sing worship to him, to encourage one another, and to serve for the edification of one another and the advancement of the Gospel. 

Look for media recordings at: www.restoreconference.org

One of the important facets of this conference was to equip local believers to engage the community with the Gospel with the event Coexist? The question of (in)tolerance.  Ravi Zacharias and John Njaroge arrive at Clemson University’s Littlejohn Coliseum on March 8^th to challenge the idea of religious tolerance and the intolerance of any religion that claims an exclusive access to God as Christianity proclaims.  The format will include a forty-five minute teaching from Ravi followed by a question and answer session.  It is our hope to engage the pluralists and skeptics among Clemson’s campus with the exclusive Gospel of Jesus Christ.  When Ravi and John leave, it is up to us, the evangelical Christians, to continue to engage our community with the Gospel and to reason for faith.

www.coexistclemson.com

Praise be to God!  For He alone is worthy of praise!  And it is only by the blood of Christ that man can be reconciled before God.  Pray for the salvation of souls in the Clemson community, that the Spirit would convict the lost with the Word of God.