DISCIPLESHIP
“Abide, belong, make disciples”
These words are some the Lord has been speaking to me as of late while in CGA. We of course are learning many things in and outside the classroom that are built upon the foundation that we are sons and daughters of God–accepted, known, filled, and purposed to bring who we are to the table for the building up of the Body and for engaging the world around us with who Jesus is.
God led me to CGA with the draw that I would be learning what discipleship was, what it looked like, and how to walk it out for the rest of my life. “This is your life’s work,” He keeps saying.
With all of this vision in mind, and in the Lord’s sovereign and good timing, I was recently presented with the opportunity to go back out on the field in AUGUST (meaning 2 weeks after we all finish up our time with CGA!) for 2 months to be an alumni team leader.
AND I SAID YES!
Basically, an alumni team leader gets placed with one of the teams from their new squad and stays with them month 1 and 2 of the Race. As an alumni team leader, I get to begin the journey of the World Race with men and women who have said YES to the Lord with such trust, not knowing much about what will ensue in 11 months. This is such a privilege!
This means I will fly out with L Squad the first week of August and be with them while they are in Chile and then Peru!
As an alumni team leader (or TL, as we say..) I will get to cast vision for practically brining Kingdom wherever we go, model healthy team norms, demonstrate host-Racer relationships, and get to know this little family God is knitting together! I get the chance to pour into each one of these unique and powerful people who are so moved to follow Jesus. I will get a glimpse into what the Lord has been doing in their lives and then walk alongside them for a small chapter of their Race. I will begin the Race with this squad and LOVE them and INVEST in them with what has been invested into me, and then I am able to step back and watch them take ownership of those things and LEAD themselves and each other into all that God has for them the rest of the Race and the rest of their beautiful lives!
LITERALLY I just want to GIVE AWAY everything that the Lord has poured into me thus far in CGA! Things like truth about identity, engaging God to stand firm in the midst of spiritual warfare, digging into lies we have believed in the past so that we can be free sons and daughters of Him, walking in emotional health, knowing ourselves in order to love and celebrate the diverse others around us well, etc, etc. There is SO MUCH I have gleaned and taken in lately, and I am so thankful for this chance to turn right around and give these tools and truths away. Please pray that God would give me the grace, words, and passion to articulate these things and pass them on in His perfect timing. I know that I am not the one who facilitates transformation and cultivates depth in these Racers hearts and walks with the Lord, but I AM called to disciple and walk with them in learning to disciple others.
I am so beyond confident that THIS is the Lord’s next step for me, as it aligns with the ways He has been shaping and filling my heart for years now!
I’ve really been clinging to these verses lately that Holy Spirit has kept bringing me back to:
“27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.”
Colossians 1:27-29
This is the big picture: presenting EVERYONE mature in Christ. As everyone is matured in Christ, the Body of Christ will be SO beautiful and accurately reflective of Christ Himself on earth as He intended in gathering people together to be the Church.
I am LABORING for this! For these 2 months with the awesome L squad and for the rest of my life anywhere I am. I was made for this loving, worshiping, and following Jesus so that others would be reconciled to God and do the same.
For the past few days, I have been part of a “training team” for L squad, observing, building relationship, praying over them, and assembling teams as they are being trained here in Gainesville for 10 days before we launch out to the field in AUGUST!
Here are a few pictures of these angels:
In taking this next step to alumni team lead (totally unforeseen, I might add.. but that’s walking by faith, right?!), I will need to fundraise a little for my time on the field with L squad. Would you consider being part of my support team, surrounding me and my new squad with prayer and giving financially to make this happen?
My support goal is $2,500.
My launch date is a little less than 2 months from now.
If I raised 44 dollars a day for the next 2 months, I would be FULLY FUNDED to alumni team lead by the time we launch in August.
[**side note: I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I am already fully funded for CGA!! God knows these details so well!!]
If you’d like to donate, please just click the orange button at the top of the page!
I’ll send more updates about CGA and my preparation with L squad this week at their training camp soon!
Thank you for always being on board with me to obediently take every step the Lord lays out in front of me!
LOVE YOU ALL!
-Abby
