ACTS: Gained, Trained, and Ordained
Written by Steffanie W.
Last Friday, about 70 of us departed for California to attend the much-anticipated ACTS, which stands for All-College Training School. There were various courses offered within those 3 days, ranging from ‘New Testament Survey’, ‘Stress Management’, to ‘How to Share the Gospel in Cantonese’. It was definitely a good time of training alongside our peers from all over the church plants – increasing in our knowledge of the Gospel in preparation for the upcoming school year.
When this picture was taken, Pastor Daniel from San Diego was giving us some insights as to how to respond to different questions and claims about Christianity in the ‘Critical Thinking’ class. I myself took this class and am so thankful that I did, since I learned how to address different tough questions in a clearer and more efficient way.
We were also able to take part in the Ordination Service, when 2 of our team members – Lem Maghamil from Davis and Steve Kim from Riverside – were ordained as pastors. Their testimony was a powerful reminder of God’s grace, where He chooses to work in mighty ways through normal people, just like any of us.
Afterwards, we joined forces with our peers as we play different games against the other classes at gym night. The final victory in dodgeball was taken by…the oldies! Indeed, they are the most skilled from all the gym nights they’ve been a part of :)
After ACTS was over, some of us went on a tour around California. We stopped by Ghirardelli’s and enjoyed plenty of sweet desserts!
We also made sure to go to Yosemite National Park, enjoying the cool breeze and clear, blue water of Tenaya Lake. Wish Texas has one of those too – especially in this hot summer weather!
Through ACTS, our church’s vision of having an Acts 2 church in every college town became even clearer as we’re reminded of why we were there in the first place. Many of us committed to realign our hearts with God’s will – being prepared to do the good work that He has prepared for us beforehand. We also felt challenged to invest not in the temporary – such as money and resources – but in people, who are eternal beings. We’re definitely looking forward to opportunities where we can apply our newly-obtained knowledge and skills this upcoming school year. Hope you’ll be able to join us next year!