Brook Hills College – Blog

  1. Easter 2010 – Brook Hills

    March 31, 2010 by Britten Taylor

    Category: Church, College Life, Uncategorized Comments (0)

  2. Radical Initiative – India

    March 29, 2010 by Britten Taylor

    Below is some useful information from our website concerning our Radical focus globally.

    In a country like India, with a population of 1.1 billion people and 41% of the world’s poor, the urgent spiritual and physical needs are overwhelming. The challenges of this complex society are vast—with a myriad of languages, religions, castes, and people groups. In light of these challenges, we have found it necessary to focus our efforts in India on the North Indian Ganges plains region (including the mega-cities of Delhi and Kolkota) and the Indian Himalayas. These regions of India are plagued by vast lostness—with less than 0.5% professing to be evangelical Christians—and suffers from persecution of Christians by Hindu nationalists and militant Muslims.

    What will change in India?

    Because of your sacrificial giving, we are directing $1.1 million to meet spiritual and physical needs in India. As a result:

    • 1,050 mother/child units will have access to food, medical care, and the gospel
    • 40,000 people will have access to clean water
    • Over 150 villages will be engaged by local church planters
    • 2 million people will have access to an audio New Testament in their own language
    • 7 million people will have access to oral Bible stories in their own languages
    • Thousands of national believers will be trained to share their faith and make disciples
    • Hundreds of national church leaders will be equipped with theological training
    • Dozens of church planters will be trained to plant health churches


    Pray for India

    As a faith family, we ask you to pray for North India in the coming weeks:

    • Pray that the families who will now have access to water and other basic necessities will see the gospel through these tangible demonstrations.
    • Pray for the church planters who will be sent out to start new churches.
    • Ask God to work in the hearts of those in the villages where the church planters will minister in the coming days.
    • Pray for God to use His Word to change the lives of many who previously did not have access to Scripture.

    There will be several opportunities for members of Brook Hills to serve on short-term mission teams going to India and other parts of the world. Please visit www.brookhills.org/go for more information about these opportunities.

    Category: Mission, Uncategorized Comments (0)

  3. “Put Your Game-Face On” (via East Asia)

    March 23, 2010 by Britten Taylor

    Here is a glimpse into what Christ is accomplishing in and through one of our students (Courtney) who decided to postpone her education by spending a semester overseas in an unreached context. As I pray for her and her efforts, I am also praying that God would raise up a gazillion more students to follow in her footsteps!

    Today marks our 8th week on the field. Finally, we have obtained somewhat of a tentative schedule. At least now, we can live having an idea of what is to happen from day to day. This structure is something that I highly value. (If I may, I’ll take this moment to express that I really miss my paper-clipped, color-coordinated, sticky-noted planner!) However, when orderly life was becoming semi restored, I noted something interesting. As my world of uncertainties began to fade…so did my hunger for Him. My craving for the Word was either begrudgingly pretended, overcame by my shallow amusement in various sites of the cyber world, or suppressed by my seemingly important “to-do” list that offered a variety of excuses. And my conversation with Him was small-minded, at best.

    I cannot pinpoint the reason for my blatant stubbornness. I suppose I could blame it on the recent, gloomy weather or the longing to post “Spring Break” and “beach” in a facebook status along with my college counterparts. But ultimately, there is a Deceitful One who has come to blind the eyes of our hearts. Consequently, I sometimes do not want to read the Word. I do not want to converse with the One pursuing my ultimate good. Nor am I desperate for the Spirit.

    Since my change in living conditions over the past two months demanded a new level of dependency on Him, it was easy to notice this change in heart. However, by grace He placed authors and a wise supervisor in my path to show me that my assumption was partially false. I was not becoming less desperate for the Spirit, but rather more ignorant of my desperate need. It is in times when I begin to consult my self-sufficiency that I am the most desperate…I just may not realize it. I desperately need His help to break free from this moral confusion. My mind is brought to the analogy of the duck that believes he is satisfied while splashing in a muddy puddle, instead of going to the ocean nearby that is waiting to welcome this water-dependent creature. Silly, I know. But, often times, I am the duck. I allow myself to believe that worldly things can provide pure satisfaction. When in reality, it derives from His glory. And His glory? is His SUPREME PASSION and my SUPREME SATISFACTION.

    As everything in life, anything worth something, costs something. As I’ve mentioned before, I am convinced that to see and savor His glory (His supreme passion and my supreme satisfaction), we must fight. This means violence against our enslaving desires. I am still learning how to do this. How to live in a way that flows from the truth that joy in Him is sweeter, deeper, and stronger that anything the world can offer. And I’m learning what to do when I simply don’t desire Him. I agree with Matthew Henry when he says, ‘The joy of the (Father) will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of the taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.” I have decided to “put my game face on” and take steps to further sharpen my weapons for this spiritual battle. A few of these ways are diligently committing His words to memory and taking actions to make my physical body a better partner in seeing and savoring His glory. These are certainly not the only ways (far from it actually), but I share these as a form of accountability. Feel free to ask me how it’s going. :)

    If you’re reading this, my hope is that He rises up a people who declare an all-out combat to themselves in order to experience more of His glory. May we live and die to see, savor, and share it.

    College students, listen to me! You find yourself in a stage of life that allows you unparalleled opportunity to serve an extended time engaged in the mission of Christ- “make disciples of all nations.” Whether it is a summer, a semester or a few years after graduation, you can be used of God to impact nations with the Gospel.

    For those who want to join Courtney and are willing to forgo a semester of school to engage in the mission of Christ, or you are about to graduate and are willing to give a year or two of your life to cross-cultural missions, then contact us ASAP!

    Category: Mission, Uncategorized Comments (0)

  4. Radical Initiative – Birmingham

    March 17, 2010 by Britten Taylor

    Below is some useful information from our website concerning our Radical focus here locally.

    The month of March kicks off our Radical Experiment initiative for Birmingham and how we as a faith family are going to put our faith in action to address urgent spiritual and physical needs right around us. Our focus in the Birmingham area will be the East Lake/Gate City community. This year our Local Disciple-Making team will be mobilizing Small Groups into relational disciple-making through many avenues in this community.

    Watch or listen to the “Fear or Faith?” message from March 7 and “Love God, Love People” message from March 14 to learn more about the Local Radical Experiment initiative in Birmingham.

    Why East Lake/Gate City?

    Here are some startling facts about this community–right here in Birmingham:

    • 73% of Gate City family households with kids are led by a single adult (East Lake, 71%)
    • 34% of Households make less than $20,000 a year (15% less than $10,000)
    • 93% of all students in Gate City and East Lake qualify for federal discount/free lunch program
    • 62% of grandparents are responsible for grandchildren in East Lake
    • 41% of men are unemployed
    • 51% of women are unemployed
    • 29% of the working population in East Lake are on disability

    As a faith family, we urge you to begin to PRAY this week for East Lake/Gate City community:

    • Pray for favor among the people in these areas as we begin to build relationships with residents.
    • Pray for guidance and open doors with people and partners that we can join in making disciples.
    • Pray that God will call some of us to move to the East Lake area to be His feet and hands in the community.

    There will be numerous ways for Small Groups to get involved in this initiative. We would like to encourage Small Groups to attend one of two orientations to hear specifics about the initiative and how groups can become involved.

    Birmingham Initiative Orientations

    • Sunday, March 28, 6:00pm – Student Building (large room- Ekklesia will provide coffee for purchase)
    • Wednesday, March 31, 6:30pm – Modular A (next to the student building)

    Attending an orientation is necessary in order to be a part of the initiative. Topics will include serving and ministering in urban communities, working with local partners, relocation to the community, and additional initiatives for Small Groups.

    Category: Mission, Uncategorized Comments (0)

  5. Rolosution #17

    March 5, 2010 by Britten Taylor


    Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
    ~Jonathan Edwards

    Category: Church, College Life, Uncategorized Comments (0)

  6. Gospel Change=Community Project

    March 4, 2010 by Britten Taylor

    “Carry each others’ burdens . . . and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2)

    We are convinced that Small Groups are not just another program to plug into, or a weekly event to fill up your already overcrowded schedule. It is LIFE!! …in more ways than one.

    First off, it is how we grow in the Gospel inwardly . You show me a Christ-follower who is isolated and I bet he/she is stagnating in their personal growth in Christ and will eventually fizzle out of the race. This is not a Brook Hills truth, but a biblical truth. (Eph 3:14-21, Heb 3:12-13) We need each other. Simply put, God’s transforming work in our lives is intended to take place in the context of biblical community.  We are in desperate need of hearing the Word of God from others’ lips (TEACH) and seeing the Word of God in others’ lives (SHOW)! Not convinced?…keep reading.

    Secondly, it is how we grow in the Gospel outwardly.  You show me a Christ-follower who is isolated and I bet he/she is inconsistent at best in their ministry of the Gospel.  If not, it will not be long until they become inconsistent.  Biblical community is the channel for God-honoring perseverance.  Whether it is in Karachi, Pakistan or on a university campus in Birmingham, Alabama… we need each other to grow outwardly. (Heb 10:24,25)  We need to be encouraged and held accountable through our Christ-centered relationships to consistently and passionately proclaim the Gospel (SHARE) and to do justice (SERVE).

    With that said, really there are only TWO types of Christ-following College Students reading this blog:

    1. You are already involved in a disciple-making small group. Congrats! Make sure you do everything you can do, from prayer to pleading with your group, to ensure you all are intentionally doing life together in Christ! Make it a high-priority in your life, not just an add on to your crazy schedule.

    2. You are NOT involved in a disciple-making small group. Uh oh! Choose one of the these two ways to connect.

    a) Connect to an existing group HERE.

    b) Form a new group on your campus among your peers (don’t start hyperventilating, College Ministry staff can come alongside you to help in this). For steps on how you can begin this process, go HERE

    And as always, you can contact us (College Ministry Staff) if you have any questions or are in need of a little help connecting to or forming a new disciple-making small group.

    Britten

    Category: Gospel, Uncategorized Comments (0)