Sep 23, 2013
Looking back at Team REDEEMED
The following are excerpts from testimonies of Summer Christian Service Corps (SCSC) and Stained Glass members after their 2013 projects. Enjoy reading tidbits of what God is doing through this program.
People were asking, “So what are you doing this summer? Are you interested in doing SCSC?” My answer was, “I have to think about it,” but all I could think was, “No. No way. Not going to happen.”
As I was praying about what to do, I heard God quietly whisper that I needed to do SCSC. As time went on, I grew more anxious, but God assured me that He would be with me during the summer.
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SCSC project had just begun, and I was told that my time there would be great, but a lot of work at the same time. Besides that, I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
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I didn’t know what to expect this summer, which is a little weird for me because I usually give this a lot of thought and prayer. This year so much was going on in my life that I didn’t stop to think about why I was doing Stained Glass or what God would have in store for me. While I sat out on the porch during training, I was praying to God. I asked Him to give me the opportunity to connect with people. During the tour, it was awesome to hear people’s stories and to share my story in return.
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Throughout project, I saw God’s gifts for me actually being used and growing. I realized that God had a plan for my craziness and it could actually be used by Him. That just baffled me because I came into this thinking that I was just an idiot who could not be used by God at all. I realized the Lord was using me, being myself, for His glory.
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The greatest joy for me was to visit many different churches, with many different personalities in many different settings, and seeing all that God is doing through each group of people in each situation.
He also taught me some things about the different roles in ministry. At the beginning of the summer God was using me in a completely different way than towards the end of the summer.
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Through SCSC, God showed me things in my life that need to change, so I can successfully move with Him. I learned that even if it doesn’t seem like what I am doing is making an impact, I need to keep doing it for Him. I was so blessed to be able to see Him move in people’s lives, young and old, and I am glad I got to be a part of it.
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I’ve been able to use my gifts and strengths to serve God in many different ways. God used this time to deepen my love and trust in Him. He also taught me the importance of His own love for me and sharing that with others. May I remember from these lessons and experiences, and use them to faithfully point others closer to His loving and good character.
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God is amazing; He has taught me more this summer than what I have learned about life in my 19 years of existence. When next we see each other, I will not be the same person you see before you now. I look forward to seeing what happens, as today marks a new beginning for me. I look forward to attending SCSC next year.
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Suffice it to say that God was CRAZY good to me this summer! He has changed the way I see myself and others. I look forward to applying what I learned this summer in college and the rest of my life.
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Thank you all again so much for supporting me financially and prayerfully during this process. All glory goes to God who made all of this possible and worked mightily through all of us this summer. We are so blessed.