Pictures of the UCLA Greek Plant from fall 2012
By Beau Crosetto
Just this week we saw a student come to faith in the Greek System at UCLA. You can read his story here.
The reason we moved to start work in the 17 Greek Systems in Los Angeles was so that we could see students connect to Jesus for the first time! Students who are intertwined in sin, confused in purpose and lost in shallow relationships.
I love starting things for God in difficult places. That is my calling in life and the Greek Systems in LA are one of those places over time I will be called to partner with God to see communities of faith start.
I write this post as a simple reminder to myself and to you about two things:
It’s About Conversion
In a start up ministry, you are always wondering if you are on the right track or not. Some of that is anxiety and some of that is purely the unknown. When you plant a seed you just can’t tell how it is doing until it sprouts. Well, one of the clear cut indicators of health and being on the right track in planting ministry is conversion and this is one of three things that Nick and I evaluate the success of our plant at UCLA by.
Are people coming to faith? Are people previously unreached by churches and fellowships turning their life over to Christ through our work? Are we even rubbing shoulders with people who are not touched by other groups?
If we are not seeing people come to Jesus and lives are not being transformed, then we need to reevaluate what we are doing. For all the ministry we do, bible studies we lead, discipleship programs we have, if conversion isn’t happening, we have to stop and ask, “What is wrong”? God is not about us just being busy doing stuff for him. He is about working in the harvest that is plentiful and ripe…a harvest that is so ripe there are not even enough laborers for it. When we partner with God in the harvest, conversion happens.
He is about us partnering with him to go into dark areas and bring people into the light. He is asking us to go into the strong man’s house with him and plunder Satan’s goods. God’s bound up people. (Mark 3:27)
We have the privilege of seeing Jesus raise people to life in his spirit and then we get to take the grave clothes off like the people do in John 11. We get to unravel people from the bondage that is keeping them now.
Are We Celebrating Conversion?
But today is also a day to celebrate! Jesus Reyes is now a brother in Christ and now eternally catapulted into his God given destiny. He is now starting a new life in Christ where he too will discover who he is as a son of God, what his gifts are, and what those works are that God has prepared for him in advance to do!
Tonight, Nick is going to take the Greeks at UCLA out to celebrate Jesus’s decision and new life in Christ by enjoying the best ice cream cookie LA has to offer…Diddy Riese.
This is a time to celebrate because a son was lost and dead and now he is found and alive! The angels are rejoicing in heaven and we need to as well!
Are you seeing conversion happening in your ministry structures? If not are you willing to change them? Where and how are you celebrating conversion in your ministry? Share with us in the comments any good ideas you have!
[Read the story of Jesus’s conversion here]
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Great post, Beau! It’s helpful to remember that planting isn’t just about gathering Christians into new groups. It’s about seeing the lost get found!