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What we didn ’ t see until now are the many things we have gained at Calvin by doing ministry differently . Though we have seen many blessings during our time at Calvin , one huge blessing has come in seeing kids ’ lives changed through Bible memorization . Where we once relied on crafts as “ take homes ,” the Lord has instead allowed us to use His Words hidden in the hearts of children as their take home . This was a special lesson I learned one Sunday as one of our four-yearolds , Evangeline , walked up to me with great excitement and started sharing with me her memory verse , motions and a recap of all she had just learned in class !
Greater sense of community Calvary Kids has the opportunity every week to minister to both sweet little babies and their parents . However , we have been learning that God not only allows us the opportunity to care for babies in our nurseries , He also blesses us through the development of a deep sense of community among staff and volunteers . This year we had the privilege of walking alongside a volunteer who unexpectedly lost her job . Our staff lifted her up in prayer until God provided the right job and , in turn , the strength , courage , and dependency on God which she displayed encouraged us to keep going in hard times too . We are thankful for the many who give of their time and effort for the sake of God , the children and each other !
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During my first three years at Kendall College of Art and Design , I knew I was supposed to be making a difference at school but didn ’ t know how . I felt that if I spoke about my faith too much , I would lose a lot of my friends on campus , and I didn ’ t want to be the weird religious person with no friends . However , the summer before my last year of college changed my life .
I went on the Guyana mission trip and felt strongly convicted that I need to be sharing the gospel at my school . I also had heard about a Discipleship Internship at church and applied after much encouragement from those who thought it would help my spiritual growth . While the mission trip planted the seed of being bold in my faith , the Discipleship Internship is how God watered and grew that seed .
Through our weekly readings and meetings , I learned how to build relationships with others , to share the gospel with the people around me , and to lead and tend a small group . Part of our internship required that I do prayer walks on campus , lead my own discipleship group , and share the gospel on campus . I never wanted to do any of those things before but through what we were learning , God changed my heart . Instead of being shy and wanting to blend in , I wanted to stand out on campus and was not as scared anymore
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of what people would think of me . One of the passages we memorized was Psalm 56:3-4 , “ When I am afraid , I put my trust in you . In God , whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid . What can mere mortals do to me ?”
Our God is greater than all of our fears how could I let fear hold me back from being effective ? Even when I was feeling discouraged , God gave me the discipleship family to turn to for prayer and encouragement . God made it possible for me to share the gospel in front of two of my classes last year and I know that I would not have had the courage without God and the support from the internship . God has blessed me more than I could ever imagine through this internship . By having the courage to live my faith on my campus , God was able to use me to share the gospel with many of my friends at Kendall and challenge my professors to live their faith more openly at school . If this is how God is able to work in my life , what more can He do for you if you let Him ?
Emily Franklund College Discipleship Intern
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