From seeing a few students cartwheel across the middle of Ark Globe Academy after church, having an impromptu boxing match in the Tinies room, to frantically chasing Sarah (our student worker) during a game of Pictionary relay, Student Focus has been a joyful, chaotic, and exciting part of church life.
A large part of that has been because of the student leaders, in the way they lead, encourage, and come alongside us in our walk with Jesus. In my second year of university, a friend and I built up the courage to ask some of our leaders questions about the Bible. They not only answered our questions but invited us to meet regularly and read Scripture together. We met throughout the term, and as we studied the gospel in Romans, God grew my love for his word immensely. It is a joy to sit with a God who speaks, and who has given us his final Word in Jesus Christ! “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17). It has been a comfort to know and to go to people who are walking with Jesus a little longer than we have, and who are eager to pour into us what they have been learning from God’s word.
As the church has grown, so too has the student group. I often find myself gravitating towards people I already know and am comfortable with, rather than being intentional about getting to know newer students. It was easier to settle into familiar friendships and overlook opportunities to welcome others into the community.
Yet I am both challenged and encouraged by the early church in Acts. Following Pentecost, three thousand Jewish believers were baptised in Jesus’ name. Soon after, they devoted “themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42). In other words, they devoted themselves to Jesus’ teaching through the apostles, had deep and lasting communion with one another, shared meals around the table, and committed themselves to prayer, just as Jesus prayed. Many of these people had gathered from every nation for Pentecost and seemingly had nothing in common. But what bonded them to one another was Jesus! This image of the early church is an invitation to be a family so compelled by the gospel that we stop at nothing to help one another see more of Jesus. I still struggle with this at times, but whether I’m speaking to someone I’ve just met or catching up with a friend, I grow in gratitude as I see God’s work in their lives. There is a newfound awe at the beauty of the gospel displayed in others through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Being a student has been such a formative season in my walk with Jesus, and I have really enjoyed doing it alongside other students. One of the biggest encouragements has been witnessing many of our friends be baptised. In their own words, “university life in London can feel like a lonely place […] but following Jesus means trusting Him more than my own fears”. Following Jesus also means knowing that “he welcomes us in our anger, sadness, joy, questions, and struggles and is not intimidated by it,” and that “being united with Christ is what we were made for”. Their testimonies are powerful and beautiful examples of how God has brought them from death to life in Christ and into the family of God. My prayer is that we, too, would continue to be a church family that delights in seeing more of Jesus in each other’s lives.
If you’re interested in joining Globe as a student or investing more in our student community. Check out our students page on the website.