Repost from the VLP Blog
For years I have been wanting to go to South Carolina to take part in STP, and this year was finally the year that worked for me. I had heard of all the fun stories of socials, group dates, and adventures with friends. I had heard the stories of my friends' lives being changed by Jesus, and the ways that He moved every single summer at project. When I got the news that we wouldn’t be going to South Carolina for the summer, you could say I was bummed—like very bummed. I dreamed of the mornings spent reading the Bible with the girls in my room or watching the sunrise over the ocean. I even dreamed of Walmart. Asking myself questions like, “What department would I have worked in? What kind of relationships would I have formed with my coworkers?” I had many dreams and ideas of what it would look like to live in South Carolina for the summer with a bunch of other college students, but I knew that wasn’t going to be the reality anymore. It’s okay to still think of the “what ifs” of what the summer could have looked like. It is also okay to be sad over cancelled plans. However, it is just as important to continue moving forward. Although this summer is not the typical STP, I remain confident that God is still going to transform us this summer and help us to see Him in new ways. Without knowing what anything was going to look like this summer, we all chose to participate in this entirely new type of project called Virtual Leadership Project.
Virtual Leadership Project kicked off last week on June 10th. All of the students, Team Leaders, and staff logged onto Zoom to hear more of what this unique summer has in store. We all sat in front of our computer screens, some excited, some sad and wishing to be in South Carolina, some truly not even understanding what this whole thing really even is still. And, after months of planning, and replanning, and keeping it a secret, the theme of the summer was finally revealed! VLP 2020’s theme is…
FULFILLED
This theme word was chosen out of the book of Acts and comes from 3:18:
“BUT WHAT GOD FORETOLD BY THE MOUTH OF ALL THE PROPHETS, THAT HIS CHRIST WOULD SUFFER, HE THUS FULFILLED.”
The night of our first theme talk, Reid Jilek, who is one of Campus Outreach’s North Area Directors, spoke on this word, Fulfilled. He began the talk by bringing up the point that Jesus is the fulfillment of all scripture. He showed a video that spoke of how the Bible is a single narrative in which every story and character points beyond itself to the person of Jesus. It talked about how Jesus is true and better than any character of the Bible. For example, Jesus is a true and better Abraham, a true and better Job, a true and better Esther. The Bible is not a series of disconnected stories, rather it is a single story that points to one person: Jesus.
Later Reid talked of how Jesus is the only thing that can and ever will fulfill us. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The enemy will do everything in his power to make us believe that we won’t find fulfillment in Christ. He will try to convince us that friendships, romantic relationships, success, or even certain wellness practices will cause us to be satisfied. When in reality people are people so they will disappoint us, success will eventually dissipate or lose its excitement, and getting enough sleep, eating the right foods, and having the perfect schedule will still leave us feeling empty. The only thing that can ever truly satisfy us is Jesus. He desires to give us life, a life that is overflowing. He desires us to be filled spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically. And one day when Jesus returns He will restore all things! We will live with Him in His kingdom forever without sin or temptation to draw us away from Him. We will live in the new heaven and new earth where all illness, division, injustice, brokenness, pain, and tears will be no more. And that is great news.
Reid set a great foundation for the rest of the summer, and I am confident that we will continue growing in an even greater understanding of how Jesus is the ultimate fulfiller. I pray that every time we open our Bibles we will see how much each page is soaked with who Jesus is. I cannot wait to continue to unpack this theme as we progress throughout our time in VLP!
Ginnie Sannes, Senior
Bethel University
2020 VLP Communications Intern