Hi guys! As the summer term comes to a close, I’ve spent some time reflecting about my first year of university and CCF. It’s amazing to see all the ways God has subtly worked in my life over the past few terms, and I want to share some of those experiences.
One of the biggest ways God has worked in me is through discipleship groups (or DGs for short). For those of you who don’t know, DGs are single-gendered groups of four or five people who fellowship together. Pretty simple, right? What that means exactly can vary, but what’s common among all DGs is the way we get involved in each other’s lives. We pray together, read together, eat together, and walk together in our faiths. This description might be unclear, and at the time, it was unclear to me too. But I found out quickly enough, and one of the best examples of that was the very first meeting of my winter DG.
We had found a table at E7 after a nice dinner together, and one of my DG leaders began sharing his testimony. He opened up about the big struggles in his life — the ones that affect you deeply and profoundly, the ones that make you cry late at night, and also the ones that I never would’ve shared with anyone. The willingness with which he described God’s work during the toughest parts of his life was incredible.
A couple weeks later, I shared my testimony for the first time ever. It was one of the hardest things I did that term. A testimony is about sharing all the ways God has worked in your life, and it’s really hard to do that without also sharing your innermost struggles and burdens. So I found myself opening up and being vulnerable.
The emotional nature of my testimony wasn’t surprising because I had planned what I was going to say beforehand. What was surprising was my DG’s reaction. I expected there to be more talking after I was done, but there was none. They simply offered to pray for me and that was it. No clichés or meaningless encouragements, just a silent appreciation for my honesty and a recognition that we would spend the rest of the term keeping each other accountable for the struggles we shared. It felt like we were on the same playing field, facing the same hardships and fighting the same sins. Sure, some of us may have been further in our faith than others. But there was a togetherness, a unity in our fight against sin and pursuit for God.
Over time, God used my DG to show me how to care for others, how to strike a balance between casual conversation and serious discussion, and most importantly, the power of prayer. It’s incredible to see the way God worked in my life through the brothers I fellowshipped with.
The other piece of advice I have for incoming frosh is to join one of the CCF intramural sports teams! CCF is a big group and it can sometimes be intimidating to meet new people (especially upper years 👽). Sports are a really great way to bring people together, and the upper years might not seem so scary when they’re huffing and puffing. Even if you aren’t a natural athlete and just want to get in some exercise, there are definitely beginner teams that you can join!
As a closing remark, university can be scary and overwhelming. But it’s during those very times that you grow the most. God can work through the most unexpected people in your life, and I’m so thankful for all the caring people that God has put in mine.
