Hit the Ground Running
This month so many fun things have happened! We got to pick our D Groups (Discipleship Groups). This year in Thrive School for the second year class, they are facilitating co-ed D Groups for the second year students. The first year students still have girls D Groups and guys D Groups. Since we are doing co-ed groups (more like real small groups outside of Thrive School), we have much bigger D Groups. But we haven’t let that keep us from risking real relationships and going deep in our friendships as brothers and sisters in Christ. We have a group of twelve, five guys and five girls with a male and female leader. Jenny and DeVon are my D Group leaders, and they have already been challenging me and calling me higher just from the first month of being together. I also was assigned to an accountability group, which basically just means those people are supposed to be the ones you prioritize relationships with. Sarina and Addsison are my accountability girls, and we’ve had so much fun hanging out together.
This month, we also got to pick and be assigned to our internships and campuses. I am a worship and production student, which means I get assigned to a specific Bayside campus. The campus I felt most called to this year was Bayside Midtown, and that is where I got placed! I am so excited to be a part of the Midtown family, and have already been able to have such amazing opportunities and experiences there. I had the opportunity to do announcements for our recorded weekend services. You can see a picture above of me on tv doing announcements with another Thrive School intern named Paige. Additionally, I was given the chance to run slides for both online service recordings and our first in person preview service we hosted the last weekend of September. I have also been working with Gilbert Acevedo, who is the youth pastor at Bayside Midtown, and have been co-leading worship services with Bennett, another Thrive worship intern. The student services are streamed live from YouTube. You can see in the pictures above from the recordings of worship services I’ve been able to lead for youth services. I also help Paige lead a 5th-6th grade small group of boys and girls. This is a new ministry she just launched to help bridge the gap between elementary and middle school students. I also have helped with production for the live student services we record, you can see a picture of that above as well.
This month, Thrive School has also been able to have some really awesome bonding times together as well. Above you can see a picture from our girls night hosted by my friend Amy, a second year student, to help facilitate friendship and unity between the first and second year class of girls. We also have had multiple fun bonding activities with the worship and production Thrive students. You can see a picture above of us all outside of Fourscore Coffee.
In September, we also had our first intensive as Thrive School: The Essentials Intensive. This intensive was three days, hosted at the Bayside Folsom Campus, and based around the essentials of the Christian faith. Some of the essentials of the faith that we discussed throughout the different sessions were truth, humanity, grace, and the church. We heard from many pastors and leaders in the church who gave amazing sessions based on Scripture. At this intensive, I had an amazing conversation with God about Him being enough for me, and me being enough (not needing to worry about tomorrow, not needing the approval or affection of others, but being absolutely complete in my Father and our relationship). The LORD has been doing much work in my heart, and I am so excited to see what He has for me as this year plays out.
Thanks for reading!
SHAE'S JOURNEY 