Disciple Making in Arizona: September, 2014 New Collegiate Church Plant!

Article for Fuel

I was able to write an article about what is happening at GCU for an AZ SBC blog (http://www.azsbc.org/blog/?p=1125) and I wanted to share it here:

Grand Canyon University is no longer a story of what was lost by the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention but a story of what is gained. Although the college was sold and has become a for-profit entity, it is still a place of ministry for Arizona Southern Baptists. In fact, it is a strategic launching point for a brand new strategy.

GCU has five other strategic colleges within a 17 mile-radius, making it the perfect location for our strategy. But this can only happen due to a collaboration between two different ministries.

First Southern Baptist Church of Phoenix is right next door to the campus — so close that GCU holds classes in the buildings. They have been able to provide space for a large worship gathering as well as the encouragement of a loving, kingdom-minded pastor, Steve Hayes.

Christian Challenge is a ministry to college students able to put campus missionaries on the ground on campuses all over the Valley. In many cases in metro Phoenix, it is the only official Christian witness on campus.

In an effort to break through the glass ceiling of 50 students, which seems to be the limit of students that a single staff member can reach, these two ministries have come together to form a Collaborative Seasonal Church. We are collaborative because Christian Challenge is part of the body truly valuing the other members. We are seasonal because we want to stay focused on college students, so we know when students graduate they are going to be attending churches with childcare for their new families or becoming youth pastors and pastors, something we’ve seen all over the Valley. We are a church because students need the church and that is God’s plan.

Over the last few months, I have been encouraged by a true partnership. There is a sense of community and a desire to struggle and fight together for the kingdom and its impact on students who are so lost. There is no claim to who “owns” the students, but there is an open-handed approach to reach God’s students whom he desires to come to repentance.

On Aug. 24, more than 175 students attended the worship concert at our fall kickoff. We are expecting great things from God with this new church.

Thank you, Arizona Southern Baptists, for giving through the Cooperative Program to help support the ministry of Christian Challenge on campuses throughout our state. Thank you for investing in students.

Planting a Collegiate Church

I’m sure many of you have been keeping up on Facebook with what is going on, but we are at full throttle. I have tried to come up with a good analogy, and I am telling people that fall semester is like throwing a grenade and catching all the pieces as they fly at you.

We had a welcome back cookout for students which was a God given success. We had over 180 in worship with us, which essentially DOUBLED the entire Metro Phoenix ministry of Christian Challenge.

It is really a movement of God what is going on at this church plant. Students are starting to move into servant roles as the workload to set up and tear down and do things with excellence and organization have dramatically increased.

The evangelism efforts have increased as well because GCU has moved up to Division One, which means they are bringing in athletes from all over the world. I have spoken to people from Nigeria, Ukraine, Serbia and France. Many of these students are coming from non-Christian backgrounds and are in dire need Christ. Please pray as we are trying to reach them.