January '22 Update ~ Refining

What the Lord Does Through Community

Although much over-due, I wanted to share what the Lord has been doing throughout the end of the Fall 2021 semester and the beginning of our semester break. Looking back at that time, there is so much that the Lord was teaching all of us individually and collectively. It is beautiful to witness how the Lord does not teach us lessons and concepts in isolation from others. Rather, if we can take a step back and gain a better perspective, we will see that He is utilizing the community around us to mold and shape us personally and collectively. Thus, at many times, we can learn infinitely more by sharing with one another what God is teaching us because we will begin to see how He is weaving our experiences and our sanctification together.

Calvary Chapel Western European Pastors and Leaders Conference:

At the end of my last update, I mentioned that we were preparing for the CCA Western European Pastors and Leaders Conference, which served as the student’s Outreach Week this semester. It was an incredible week, and I thank everyone for their prayers. We had individuals come from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, France, and of course all over Italy. For me, personally, I had an incredible time meeting and getting to know many of these men. Working the front desk for check-in, serving in the coffee shop, and playing for worship gave me many opportunities to have conversations with them and learn about their stories and ministries. By the end of the week, I felt incredibly blessed and encouraged by them! They were all so kind and concerned with investing in our lives as well as resting and hearing from the Lord personally.

The students did an incredible job serving. We had to be up at the conference center by 6am each morning to prepare and serve breakfast. The students were tasked with cooking and serving each meal, cleaning, and working in the coffee shop. They did so with much joy and laughter. I know that their smiles and fun blessed the pastors and leaders immensely. In addition, God answered prayers in incredible ways. Two of the students got the opportunity to meet with pastors from places that they feel called to serve. One student, specifically, had many concerns in regards to logistics, and the pastor addressed and answered each of those areas without her ever mentioning them to him! Overall, the time at the conference blessed and encouraged those attending and those serving in wonderful and even unexpected ways. All glory to God!

25-Year Anniversary:

Immediately after the conclusion of the conference, we also had the joyous opportunity to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Calvary Chapel Montebelluna! Our guest speaker at the conference, Frank Ippolito, was actually the founder of CCM, and he stayed and spoke at the celebration. Several of the pastors of the other Calvary Chapels in Italy also attended and spoke, giving testimonies to the faithfulness of the church and of Pastor Craig to the growth of the body of Christ here in Italy. They played a montage of pictures from the beginning until now, and it was incredible to see the faithfulness of God in establishing and building His church and His body here. We finished with much food and celebration – it was so beautiful to have fellowship with the body of Christ from all over Italy.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

The Final Stretch!

The next two weeks were packed full for the students as they finished up their course work for the semester. One highly encouraging part of this semester for me was hearing the girls talk about how much they were learning in their classes. So often when talking with them about what they were learning this semester, they would get so excited talking about what God was teaching them practically in their walks with Him through their Evangelism & Missions class and their course on Ecclesiastes. It is a blessing to me to see the work we are doing through the Bible College truly impacting the students spiritually and not just intellectually.

Everything did not go smoothly or perfectly by any means. There were at times difficulties and tensions, disappointments and frustrations, unmet expectations, and timeless friction. However, it is within the collision of our individual worlds and the exposing of our fallen, human selves that walls are torn down, issues are addressed, and growth can happen. For many of the students, and for Sarah and I, this semester was difficult in various ways. And yet, through it all God revealed and taught much. After getting to talk individually with each of the girls, it was a privilege to see how much our investing in them meant to them and how much God changed in their hearts from the beginning of the semester until the end. I found it excited to see what they felt God was calling them into next, and it is an honor for me to get the opportunity to continue in prayer for them.

One of the greatest lessons I found myself learning, personally, was in regards to our identity and roles within the body of Christ. Everyone is always searching for their place, their spiritual gifts, their talents to offer in service to the church, etc. At times, we can look at our God-given personalities, giftings, and training, compare it to those around us, and become discouraged or discontent with what we have to offer. Perhaps we wish we had a different set of capabilities or someone else’s ability to serve or interact with a certain group of people. However, God has created each one of us with specific qualities, experiences, and skills so that we can serve Him. If we all embrace our different roles and encourage one another in their areas of ministry, then the body of Christ will flourish and function beautifully together.

When we covet the roles, personality or giftings of another believer, however, a couple things happen. First, we are ultimately questioning God’s goodness in what He has entrusted to us. We need to come before the Lord in humility, trusting that He is good and right in what He has determined. Second, we stunt and limit our service because we cannot serve well when we are trying to be someone God has not created us to be. In Matt Chandler’s sermon series “Unearthed,” he talks about how when we reject the specific identity that God has crafted for us and reach for someone else’s identity, we can only be a cheap version of that other person, and ultimately, we will be ineffective for the kingdom of God. Instead of rejecting who God has called us to be and what God has called us to do, we each need to trust in the loving plan of our Father and seek to grow in our own areas so that we can best serve God and others. We need to reject the temptation to be jealous or envious of what God has given others and support and encourage one another so that we can be an effective body of Christ.

As I began seeking the Lord on this subject and sharing it with those around me, I found that several others were working through the same issues and concerns. It opened up many opportunities for honesty, encouragement, and growth together. God works through community.

Thanksgiving and Graduation!

Finally, we were so blessed to be able to end the semester with more celebration. The staff and students came

together to celebrate Thanksgiving, and it was a sweet time of fellowship and reflection on the many blessings God has given us. Then, at the very end of the semester, we were able to hold a graduation ceremony for one of our students who was a senior. It was a blessing to hear her speak about what the Lord had done in her life and where He was calling her next!

December

Working the Days Away:

After the students departed, the staff continued to focus our attention on the ministries in the church. Work days at the church continued, and then we began to take on the project of re-painting the entire girls’ apartment so that it will be fresh and ready for next semester! I have been thrilled to get to spend many hours in the church workshop doing my favorite thing: organizing!

I have also been blessed to get to start attending the Women’s Bible study that meets every other Saturday. It is such a wonderful opportunity to meet and get better acquainted with the women of the church. It is refreshing to be able to sit and learn from them. And, of course, it is a perfect space to practice listening and speaking in Italian!

During this time, we also began to prepare for both our Christmas concert and a Winter Retreat for the Youth Group and College Group! We had several practices since we had twelve songs in the set. On Christmas Eve, we held the concert and a short teaching and encouraged people we knew from the community to attend. It was a beautiful time of celebration for the birth of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ ~ Savior of the world.

Only a short few days later, we packed up and headed up the mountain a bit to the same place we held the Pastors and Leaders Conference! This four-day retreat consisted of teaching and worship sessions for the student and young adults, small groups, games, and a celebration of the New Year. Although absolutely exhausting and full of much spiritual attack, the retreat was a phenomenal time for everyone! It was incredibly encouraging to see the Lord working in the lives of those who attended and using the older individuals to pour into the younger students.

Prayer Requests:

· The Students - as they are now home and integrated back into their lives and environments there. I ask that you pray that the enemy would not come in and steal their zeal for serving the Lord. Pray that they will each continue to seek God and to grow deeper in their relationship with Him. Also, please pray specifically for our two students who are seeking to serve God in missions overseas.

· The Staff - Please continue to pray for us as we serve the church and rest and prepare for next semester. During this season, there are many other opportunities that arise to serve the church here and all over Italy. I ask that you would pray for wisdom on what opportunities to say yes to and which to let the Lord raise up someone else. I ask that you all also pray for the physical health of the staff and leadership. There is much need for healing and strengthening physically and spiritually. Please lift up the unity of our team and the body of Christ. The enemy is so good at knowing where people are vulnerable and discouraging us. Pray that we would be able to encourage and strengthen one another.

· The Calvary Chapel Montebelluna Students and Young Adults - Please continue to pray for these ministries! We just hosted a Winter Retreat for the students and young adults. It went well, and the students were blessed. Please pray that the Lord would continue to build relationships between the young adults and the youth through which discipleship can naturally occur. We ask for pray over the spiritual growth of the individuals and for the ability to serve them more.

· For me – Please pray for my ability to continue learning the language. It is a slow but important process. I ask for prayers for patience and endurance. It is easy to want to be much further along in the process than I am and to grow discouraged! Also, I ask for wisdom in how to grow in areas that I feel the Lord has called me to serve here. I am praying for the right opportunities to open up and to know what to agree to in this current season.