What was IndyCC like?

IndyCC Day of Outreach 09
from Ryan Strandt on Vimeo.

Check out more of IndyCC at indycc.org.

3 days after Christmas, as the world prepared to bid farewell to the first decade of the new millennium, nearly 2,000 young men and women from the college campuses of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio gathered in Indianapolis for IndyCC, the annual student conference held by the Great Lakes Region of Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru).

This year, the IndyCC theme was both delicate and personal: “Wrecked into Redemption.” As the title implies, IndyCC ’09 was all about God’s redeeming work in the lives of those who would be willing to be broken by Him—completely taken apart, shattered, wrecked. The main speakers, James MacDonald and Greg & Charmaine Lillestrand, spoke on the topics of repentance, revival, and responding to God’s calling. While the atmosphere throughout the main sessions was worshipful and even solemn, the speakers’ messages to students carried the hope of deep healing, rooted in the simplicity of God’s all-encompassing love.

James MacDonald, a critically acclaimed author, radio host, and founder of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago, didn’t waste any time and cut right to the heart of the matter. As he began his first talk, he warned the students that God was about to do “some major taking apart” in their lives. “Can you take it?” he asked the students earnestly. Throughout the conference, he plunged deep into such difficult and uncomfortable topics as sin, our rebellion against a Holy God, and our need for genuine repentance.

The next speakers, Greg and Charmaine Lillestrand, are quite renowned for being pioneers in international missions. Since the 1980s, they’ve started many Christian ministries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc and are currently serving the Lord in Italy, reaching the young people of Western Europe. Charmaine highlighted God’s unrelenting pursuit of those who seek Him and His work among the nations. She concluded with a question each of us must ask: “Where He leads, will I follow?” Greg echoed this challenge on IndyCC’s closing night. “It’s not about us, it’s about Him,” he affirmed, adding, “I’m asking you to lay down your life for the King.” Greg then challenged the students to commit a summer or a year of their life to ministry. Over 1200 students accepted this challenge. 600+ of them indicated that they would go on a summer project with CCC and over 500 students indicated that they would give 1 year of their lives to ministry for the Gospel.

The conference closed with the traditional “praying in” of the New Year. While many of their peers all over America were out partying with their friends, the young men and women at IndyCC were praising their Lord and Savior in song and prayer, ushering in the New Year and new decade in worshipful adoration of the One and Only, Jesus Christ. Please pray with us that, as our students are processing what they learned at IndyCC, they would allow God to continue His redemptive work in them and use them for His Kingdom on their respective campuses, in their home towns and around the world.

Please Pray

> That students would not get buried in distraction and continue to process with the Lord over decisions they have made.

> We will be taking some time this spring to focus on our support needs.

> Praise for the mini van we were able to purchase this month and not having to take 2 cars when we travel.

“Campus Crusade for Christ bills summer projects as experiences that will change your life. To be honest, we were a little skeptical of this claim. There are only so many opportunities in life for real change. But that’s what Crossroads Summer Project has done – changed our lives for the better.”

The students spent seven weeks working in the Great Lakes Regional Office. While there, they each used their creative skills to equip the students and staff members throughout the region for more effective ministry. It was a great experience to sharpen the talents and passions God has given them as they were able to use them for His glory. It’s amazing what work can be accomplished when college students rely on the Holy Spirit.

Crossroads main project was developing a theme for Indy CC, a winter conference for thousands of students in the region. The students were asked to incorporate the themes of brokenness, repentance, and the Spirit-filled life. It’s not easy to market brokenness to a group of college students who think they are Superman. All the hard work put into creating the theme was worth it. The conference is a direct result of God working through people to bring glory to Himself. It’s an honor to be one of those people.

During the summer, we kept a busy schedule. We spent one night each week looking at movies, music and other media to see how we could relate the message of salvation to current culture. The students also grew closer to God as they learned to study His Word inductively. Rachel was especially encouraged to see how the students’ hunger for God’s Word grew in leaps and bounds. By the second week, a lot of the girls were buying Concordances and Bible Dictionaries, as their study skills were being sharpened. Other nights were spent in prayer or learning ministry skills that the students could use back on their campuses.

I really enjoy leading Crossroads and Rachel loves having students in our home again. It reminds us of why we do what we do – We are going after students’ hearts. It was great to see the students on Crossroads this summer catch that vision as they learned what it looks like to use their unique gifts, in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of His Kingdom and not find their identity in their skills or majors alone.

Please Pray

> Rachel is due Sept. 11th

> The work on our home is still not complete and we are hoping it will be before the baby comes.

> Transition to parenting two Boys to grow up into men of the Lord.

> Start to the fall semester – continued wisdom and discernment as Ryan continues to focus his role.

CSU (Colorado State University, the host campus) summers are always a little more of a strain with the extra traveling, but this year was one of the better times that I have had at CSU. It was hard being away from my family and felt strange without Rachel with me, but the content and focus on the conference was really great.

If I could sum up my time together with 5000 staff members, I would say I left the conference encouraged that CCC was taking a hard look at changing our own internal culture in order to reach the ever changing culture around us.

We heard from speakers like Tim Keller, Larry Crab and Rev. Keith Battle. Even though some parts of the conference were hard, I have come away encouraged by our ministry direction, … for our own ministry… for His Kingdom.