I don't believe I've ever had such a simultaneously unique and powerful opportunity as Elevate. It is definitely the most consistently challenging, encouraging, and growing season I have ever experienced. That being said, it is often so difficult to describe to anyone that hasn't been involved with it somehow, simply because it is such a unique concept. No, it's not a seminary, no it's not a full-time missionary school; and no, not a cult either. But those things are more widespread ideas than a "discipleship training school", which can cause some confusion. For this reason, I thought this would be a good place to offer a few basic thoughts on the school, what it actually is, and the point of it.
The school actually began around 20 years ago when Jimmy and Laura Seibert began what they originally termed "Master's Commission". From those humble beginnings of meeting in usher's closets and random rooms with only a handful of students, God began a great work that He has continued to bless all the way through to this year and my life. Oh, and by the way, what a debt of gratitude we owe the Seiberts for the way they've lived for and loved Jesus. They have literally sold everything they owned and given more of their hearts to God's work than I thought was possible. I don't think we'll ever completely comprehend it this side of Heaven. There are plenty of more famous people, but none I'd rather follow than them. They started with the simple question, "What if the local church owned the whole process of training and equipping people to live wholeheartedly for Jesus and be sent out to do His work?" These days, despite two name changes, 20 years of sending out workers all over the United States and the world, and over a thousand students the heartbeat remains the same: to "empower disciples of Jesus to love and obey Him."
What that really comes down to is applying ourselves to the Great Commandment (to love God with our whole person) and the Great Commission (to reach the ends of the earth with the Good News of Jesus that a way has been made for us through His life, death, and resurrection). Elevate is simply one church's attempt to make healthy disciples in the context of Antioch Community Church and biblical community. In simpler terms, the goal is for life transformation by seeing Who God is more clearly, understanding how much He loves us, and learning to follow Him in every part of life. Extremely simple, but it's more powerful than you'd (and I did) expect!
Practically what it looks like is actually two schools in Waco- a day school and a night school. Both are essentially the same but the night school offers more opportunity to those who have families and/ or full-time jobs. I am in the day school with 71 of my closest friends (some I knew before, most I didn't). The duration is essentially one school-calendar year given to God in a focused way. We meet four mornings a week, worship together consistently, have a teaching most days, serve another ministry in the church of our choosing, memorize scripture, read the Bible, get discipled, disciple others, share the Gospel in our city, and take one U.S. mission trip and one overseas trip to share God's love.
The purpose of doing all this for 9 months is obviously that it would last. Life transformation is given priority over information. And God is doing great things, both on an individual level and a corporate scale. If you're interested at all, I'd definitely encourage you check out the website and pray about it. You won't regret it!
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