[This post is part of the “4 Hour Campus Plant” series. I am live blogging my attempt to plant a ministry at a new campus with only 4 hours a week. This is a continuous story that builds, so make sure to start at the beginning.]

This week students from Long Beach State, a neighboring campus with a strong InterVarsity chapter, came to pray at Long Beach City College (LBCC)

I have been away from Los Angeles for more than two weeks and I couldn’t be more proud of how Kimy is holding firm in the efforts to plant LBCC. Let me remind you that it is the summer, not a ton of students are around, and in many ways this is a terrible time to plant a ministry.

But we feel that this is vital time to pray and prepare the ground for the people God will drawn in during the Fall.

Kimy has a ton on her plate, and is fighting every day the desires to not be there at LBCC. This is not something she has “time” for. Originally when I started this blog series I thought it was to encourage staff about “tithing” their time to reach unreached places. But now I am seeing it goes much broader – students need to be spoken to by God about tithing their time as well. If we are going to plant all 4,000 colleges and university, then we have to allow God to call us into these places and to fill our time and presence with his power.

I Don’t Want To Be Here

“I just don’t want to be here”

“What do you want me to do here God?”

“Kimy, sacrifice your time and just wait. Wait and see what I will do.”

If we want to be effective for God, especially in starting new things with him, then we have to develop resolve. We have to learn to battle our inner emotions, more sexy offers of ministry where things are already happening, and what it means to press into God as things get tough, or more simply, unfocused.

I COULD NOT be more proud of Kimy – especially as I have been away for two weeks. It has been incredible to receive her videos and to hear how she is being honest before the Lord but also letting him speak to her about the role of planting and partnering with him on the fringe.

“People who take on complicated creative projects become lost at some point in the process.” -Ed Catmull (Pixar)

Take the 3min and watch her reflection. She will challenge you as a planter no matter how old or experienced you are.

Reinforcements Continue

As I mentioned in the last post, Tyler from Long Beach State was going to rally some students from that campus to come pray with LBCC. Well, this week they brought a handful over to LBCC and they prayed together. Long Beach State students are getting excited. How cool is it that students, from multiple campuses, are doing this together with no staff!? Here is their reflection:

What I am Learning

I am learning two things:

1. Every planter has to go through a process and given time so God can dig them out. When you step out to start something new you may be incredibly excited and optimistic. But every entrepreneur will hit that place when they come to their end. I don’t know if it is next week or next year. But starting something new for God requires that you step into a space that hasn’t been filled and ask God to fill it. It will rub up against the most self-relying parts of ourselves. Every part of our culture has told us since birth, “you can do it” and planting – true planting – is where that voice goes to die.
2. Space is actually needed and our friend. It is a good thing in this situation that I am out of town, and or giving only 4 hours a week to LBCC. It is allowing God to minister to Kimy, and call her to love and own her campus. I can’t do that for her and more time isn’t helpful. God needs to speak. Plus, Kimy is a special person and has an incredible calling on her life. She needs this space to let God expand her. As a leader I could get in the way of that expansion. But whether LBCC explodes or folds in the next year, I am just so happy that Kimy is getting this experience with God. It will serve her for the rest of her life.

What I am Thinking

I am becoming more and more obsessed with the idea of students planting ministry and really taking the reigns on campus. College ministries have become too littered with staff members leading the ministry and students helping. We need to get back to the roots of the Student Volunteer movement when students actually led revivals. I love that Kimy is doing this, and Long Beach State is joining her. It is one thing for a student to plant, and another for students from a neighboring campus with more experience pitching in and fanning the flame.

My prayer is that this would become a new model for ministry around the country. Students helping students plant.

[This post is part of the “4 Hour Campus Plant” series. I am live blogging my attempt to plant a ministry at a new campus with only 4 hours a week. This is a continuous story that builds, so make sure to start at the beginning.]

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