Blog

August 24, 2011

The Go Week kick-off started off on First Baptist Church of Tallahassee’s campus with a finger-lickin’ fried chicken dinner, heartfelt worship provided by both FBC and the Baptist Colligate Ministry students, and was wrapped up with a tag team sermon provided by Christian Campus Fellowship’s Michael Mears and FBC’s Zach Allen.

Go Week began with the Christian Campus Fellowship organization, with a group of thirty students volunteering. Last year, around one hundred volunteers arrived to give up their time. And this year two hundred and twenty students gathered. Two hundred and twenty brothers and sisters in Christ from twelve separate organizations came together with a prayer for God to break their hearts for what breaks His upon Florida State’s campus. These students are placed within nineteen groups that will be placed all over the campus to reach out to the Freshman Class. They will be placed outside of all seventeen dorms playing sports while assisting anyone that is moving in. Many steer clear of campus during move in days, but these students flock to it as they realize the opportunity to reach out and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

After an amazing time of worship, Michael Mears started off the powerful sermon by simply sharing his heart. He explained to everyone within the room his prayer for them to allow God to open up their eyes, for them to not just see their campus on the surface, but to dive deeper. Mears stated, “This is not the only week you go. This is a perspective to change the way you see the day to day. This whole semester is go week”. The students began to crave for their perspectives to be opened for not just this week of mission work, but for the every day. Everyday people are placed in certain areas, around certain people for a reason. The students here at Florida State are beginning to see the opportunities that are abundant before them.

Mears allowed each student to understand the importance of the work that will be accomplished over the following days by applying it to each individual. Mears first asked for any student within the room of two hundred and twenty to stand if they had saved by Christ because of a college ministry reaching out to them. Students watched as about twenty of their close friends stood up. Next they were asked to stand if they grew within their faith because of a college ministry within the past year. Most of the room stood to join their fellow friends who remained standing. Finally, Mears asked the students if a college ministry helped them to grow within their faith within the past three years, and with that the whole room was standing. Students from twelve different organizations were standing side by side, realizing the greater calling they have been called to as brothers and sisters in Christ. Twelve organizations brought together representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

As the students sat down together, unified, Zach Allen began. He immediately stressed the importance of relationships. Allen allowed for the students to remember their time as a freshman and how they felt when someone reached out to them and made them feel as if they belonged by simply asking the question of “Who befriended you”? Each student realized the importance of building relationships in order to make others feel accepted and apart of the ministry. “Christ’s love compels us to action”, Allen explains in a summary of 2 Corinthians. Students realized that his is the only evidence they need to go out and to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Recently returning from a mission trip to Haiti, Allen explained the difference between a short term and long term mission trip. By doing this he stressed that after Friday’s Luau it doesn’t all end, that this week is merely the beginning. The students who call Florida State their campus are involved in a constant long term mission trip, the realization of this set the college students on fire to get to work. The students then gathered into groups of three to pray for their campus and the students they were about to reach out to. A roar began to fill the room as each student lifted their voice to their Heavenly Father for guidance, wisdom, and to simply praise Him. If God is with two or more who gather in His name, then imagine how much He was felt within a room of two hundred and twenty college students meeting to let the revival begin.

Go Week 2011 begins tomorrow morning at eight after an awe-inspiring night of praise and worship. Please continue to be in prayer for the students as they begin to have their hearts broken for their campus and continue to praise the Lord for each leader that began this revival.