Retrospect

El Puente

Resources  |  College Students

Retrospect: Reviving Grassroots Christianity is a ministry of NCI designed to help emerging leaders reach their generation for Christ. This is no easy task, for the western church is quickly losing credibility in the eyes of college students and twenty-somethings. However, the organic nature of the early church speaks loudly to those from a postmodern worldview who are looking for authenticity and community. We believe the key to connecting with this generation is to return to the roots of the faith. God deserves the worship of every generation, and therefore we must raise up new leaders to reach new subcultures in new ways.

God is doing a new thing. Retrospect’s training course is just a small piece of a much bigger picture. We have already witnessed God’s Spirit connecting students from all walks of life to live on mission with Him. These students have stepped out of the event-driven paradigm and into a mindset of incarnational evangelism. In simple terms, rather than bringing their friends to church, they are bringing the church to their friends! Jesus ate with sinners and told us to be lights in the dark places. As we place ourselves in the middle of culture, and as we bring the church to every subculture, we will identify with Jesus and revive the impact of the early church.

A generation is rising up. Our strategy is to embed authentic faith communities within secular groups so that the world may witness true spirituality and grace. Our mission is to identify groups of people without a community of believers living among them and then to send students to those groups like missionaries. Our commitment is to make sure the living Lord is found within geographic, linguistic, and cultural access of every single person on a campus. Our vision is that communities and cultures are transformed from the inside out by healthy, reproducing faith communities that are easily accessible and that share the gospel in relevant terms.

We give you the tools. Retrospect is for those of us who have witnessed the changes in our society and sense that God is doing a new thing but aren’t sure how to get involved. We’ll unpack what exactly an authentic faith community looks like and then teach you how to start them in your dorms, student organizations, or favorite hangouts. We also give you a fresh look at evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development from within the postmodern context. Dialogue, role playing, and group discussion are key components of the class. Retrospect is divided into six sessions.