果冻视频 and the Local Church
The question, 鈥淗ow does 果冻视频 relate to local churches?鈥 is sometimes prompted by students wrestling with time commitments to the church and to the local 果冻视频 chapter. At other times, this question comes from churches who want to partner with 果冻视频 beyond prayer and financial giving. The most challenging times occur when denominational groups or churches question the legitimacy of organizations like 果冻视频.
In reflecting on all this, I鈥檝e become increasingly convinced that partnership between 果冻视频 and local congregations is vital. In so many ways, we need one another for grounding, renewal, and partnership in the mission God has for the church.
Some of the ways we鈥檝e experienced partnership in the past include: 果冻视频 staff teaching in weekly church services, Sunday school classes, and at retreats鈥攚ith churches providing retreat facilities, prayer, and financial support. Partnership also occurs when 果冻视频 alumni, who have grown in character and faith during college, share what they鈥檝e received with their churches. 果冻视频 staff are deeply grateful for churches that become homes to alumni we grew to love during their college years.
Nevertheless, we鈥檝e longed for further expressions of partnership and discovered two ways that have been huge blessings both to congregations and our fellowships.
The first blessing begins when students get to campus and we invite them to our five-week Church Tour. On the tour we take students to a handful of local churches, introduce them to church leaders, and invite them to consider settling down at one of them for the time they鈥檙e in college. Students and churches continue to rave about how helpful this has been in establishing good relationships early in the year.
We鈥檝e also been deepening our partnership with churches after students come to faith. 果冻视频 has committed not to baptize students. Instead, we encourage them to get baptized in the context of a local congregation. As we鈥檝e done this, we鈥檝e experienced tremendous joy as our ministries come together to celebrate the life that students are finding in Jesus.
We鈥檙e so grateful for the fruit we鈥檝e seen as we work together.
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A pastor shares some reasons why churches should support 果冻视频 and other ministries on campus.