Carol and I were invited to join our North Campus home group on their spring break trip to Destin, Florida. To our joy, Steve and Emily Gray, recent empty nesters, were asked to join as well. It felt like a full circle moment. Steve was a freshman during my first year on staff. The last spring break we spent together was more than 20 years ago, and I remember Steve pulling me aside to talk about asking his girlfriend to marry him. That worked out!

As older people, you sometimes wonder, Am I going to be in the way? Will this be awkward? But what we experienced over the next week was anything but. We had meaningful cross generational conversations about walking with Jesus over a lifetime, dating, parenting, managing money, careers, what to do when struggling with faith, politics and religion, and decision making. It was a joy to see.

Life-on-life discipleship is fertile ground for developing the character of Christ, and I was reminded again of the power of that discipleship when it happens across generations. We are not just a campus church and we are not just a city church. We are a multigenerational church with a heart for the next generation. There is tremendous potential for the kingdom of God as we continue to create spaces for meaningful relationships between campus and city.

I believe the students benefited from our presence on spring break. But what we received was a renewed hope and passion for the gospel of Christ to transform the world. The world can feel dark at times, but the week we spent with these students was a powerful reminder that God is still raising up the next generation of faithful men and women. If this group is any indication of the future of Christ’s church, we have much to look forward to.

Rick Keith, on Behalf of the Elder and Minister Team