Dear Friends,
One of the exciting events of this summer was Joshua Fellowship holding its Summer Intensive. In mid-August, Joshua Fellowship wrapped up the Intensive with its Capstone Retreat. I am so grateful for our volunteer leaders Jon and Jeremy who led us through the weekend’s activities, as well as for the alumni that came Saturday to share testimony and help with ministry time. I had the privilege to attend as well, leading worship and giving a few teachings. Seeing God show up in powerful ways is always a honor and delight. God is on the move!
While I have my own reflections and thoughts on the weekend, I wanted to first have attendees share for themselves about the Capstone and the Summer Intensive as a whole. Below are testimonies from two of the participants, as well as from the new volunteer leader for Joshua Fellowship.
Jeremy, Volunteer Leader
Jeremy has participated in Joshua Fellowship for a few years and has gone through the Summer Intensive twice. At the beginning of this summer, Jeremy was asked to step into leadership with Joshua Fellowship, where he has been learning and growing in what it means to walk as a Christian leader. He plans to continue volunteering with Joshua Fellowship.
“As a first time leader, the Joshua Fellowship Capstone Retreat was a precious time to reconnect with God and with my brothers in Christ. I cherished the time spent together as a group, and found the Lord reminding me of not only how much He loves me, but how far I’ve come under His leadership.”
Participant 1
“I was part of the Joshua Fellowship Summer Intensive and Retreat this summer, and I was blown away by how much the Lord has been teaching and encouraging me through this community of fellow God-fearing men. God’s Word feels alive again to me after journeying with these men, which I haven’t been able to say in a long time. After the Summer Intensive, I also have much less doubts about potentially being able to be a husband and father someday. This is reassuring, despite what I’ve been through in my life. I’m so thankful for Jon, Jeremy, and this group of men. Singing, praying, and doing life together for 3 days at the retreat was such a blessing. Because of some of my past circumstances, I have often felt isolated from other men and doubted whether I truly ‘belonged’ or could be truly respected by other men. It was healing to walk alongside the other men this summer and slowly solidify in my heart that I am respected, valued, and created in God’s image, despite my struggles. It was beautiful to take my struggles, shame, and guilt and lay them down at the Cross of Jesus. He paid it all!”
Participant 2
“I feel like I’ve opened some old wounds that I’ve been holding down for most of my life. The JF Summer program showed me how to bring bottled up feelings to the Lord, and I feel like I’ve stepped forward in my walk of Faith.”
Scott’s Reflections
During the final night of the Capstone retreat, the leaders and alumni came around the participants to pray over them and commission them in what God has for them to do as men and as leaders. The men had spend the whole retreat in lots of prayer and times of encounter with God. They had been pressing into some very difficult things and receiving God’s presence and words for them. After all of this, it was now time to send them out as good gifts God wants to use to bless their communities. During that commissioning prayer, God brought Galatians 4:19 to my mind: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…”
It is easy, I believe, for us to focus so much on our own needs, problems, and desire for comfort that we lose sight of God’s work in the lives of people around us. Yet God calls us to serve and love one another, bearing each other’s burdens and working to see Christ formed in each other. Rather than retreating to our own comfort and self-protection, God desires us to undergo spiritual birth pains to see Christ formed in those whom He has entrusted to us. These men, having just had powerful experiences of God, are now called to not avoid such pain, but to embrace it as they embrace Christ and His great love.
God may not call them to spectacular things, and their names may not be remembered. But God, who works all things together for the ultimate good of His children, can do amazing things that echo for untold generations. This is true for these men, and this is true for those who have come before and will follow. While one life cannot make a difference alone, God can use many lives to change the course of history and bring Gospel fruit to bear. Getting to serving these men and point them to Jesus was an incredible honor and privilege for me and for the other leaders and alumni. I look forward to seeing how God molds them and uses them to make an impact on the Kingdom!
Relaunching Joshua Fellowship
While the Summer Intensive has been a great opportunity to pour into these young men, we are excited to announce that Joshua Fellowship will once again be holding regular meetings throughout the year! The Summer Intensive is a deep dive into what it means to follow Jesus out of our broken identity and sexuality into the wholeness He provides. Regularly recurring Joshua Fellowship meetings have the ability to support young men more deeply and teach them more broadly about living into their embodiment. The Summer Intensive is like drinking from a fire hydrant; support group meetings are like coming to a well. In my own journey, attending the Joshua Fellowship group regularly was a crucial component of seeing God change my life. Please pray for the group as it relaunches and for those who come through our doors. May they find hope, healing, and identity in Christ. I am excited that we are able to offer that to those who are seeking Jesus once more!
Joshua Fellowship will be meeting every other Monday starting September 30, 2024. Meetings include a time of worship, large group teaching, and small group discussion and prayer. Topics range from overcoming sexual addiction to growing in healthy relationships with men and women. The goal is to give young men a space to share openly and grow in their relationship with God. We are so thankful for our leaders who make these meetings possible.
If you would like more information on Joshua Fellowship, check out our website and click on the “What We Do” tab. If you would like to get involved, or have questions, contact us through our website.
