Barrington’s June Update
Hello again! The months are just flying by!
Here is the JUNE nutshell…
1. Student Mobilization Centre is now a 501(c)3 (registered non-profit organization) in Colorado and we have a clear strategy for SMC North America!
2. Brazil was awesome… It is all “green lights” for us as SMC to partner in existing community development projects in the “favelas” (slums) of Rio de Janeiro!
3. We will be at the University of Wisconsin from January to March to help run a SMC “School of University Ministry and Mission.”
…and JULY’s coming attractions…
1. Our NINE70 van outreach at BREWFEST is going to be featured in a national level magazine called “Outreach.” Look for the July edition next week at WWW.OUTREACHMAGAZINE.COM with the title “Want a ride?”
2. We might have to move again! UGH! (The house we lease is being auctioned on 7/1.)
3. Fundraising! Or should we say “fun-raising”? We love talking to all of our friends!
Thanks for all your prayers and support! We love you!
Dustin and Denise
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THE REST OF THE DETAILS FOR THE COURAGEOUS!
SMC 501(c)3
The IRS is really clamping down on non-profit organization registrations. Without getting into details, it is really good news that we are now registered as a non-profit organization in Colorado!
SMC NORTH AMERICA STRATEGY
We have been praying about the direction of SMC in North America and we feel that God has given us a very clear and simple strategy from Judges 6-7. We are calling out 300 young leaders to directly engage leading universities in the United States and Canada. Following the example of Gideon, we intend to involve over 32,000 people in reaching the social and cultural center of the next generation’s leadership.
Our Strategy is: call out 300 young leaders, supported by the resources of 10,000 and the intercession of 22,000. As the SMC Director, I am setting an example by personally calling out for 33 resource supporters and 73 intercessors to join me. Denise and everyone working with us will do the same. We will be contacting soon to see if you are willing to become one of our 300 or 10,000 or 22,000.
SMC BRANDING
A huge part of successfully calling out 300 young leaders will be having the ability to cut through the “noise” in order to communicate directly with them. This is the purpose of what marketing professionals call “branding” (the right message, look, feel, etc… to capture the attention of our specific target audience). Please pray that as we go through our branding process that we get God’s message for 300 young leaders of the next generation.
SMC “COMMUNITY BRIDGE” IN BRAZIL
I recently spent a very productive week in Brazil.
In only one week I renewed my Brazilian Permanent Residency Visa (like a US “Green Card”), visited family, and spent 2 days with the leaders of YWAM Rio de Janeiro laying the ground work for a partnership with SMC. For over 15 years, one of YWAM Rio’s primary activities has been community development in “favelas” that surround the city, resulting in YWAM health clinics, daycare centers, after school and vocational training programs, sports camps, etc.
YWAM Rio would like to partner with SMC in establishing a “Community Bridge” to provide volunteer internships for university students to create and implement community development projects in Brazil that make a tangible difference among the poor. Setting up this “Community Bridge” will probably require us to spend a few months in Brazil later this year.
SMC SCHOOL OF UNIVERSITY MINISTRY AND MISSION (SUMM)
We will be staffing a 12-week SUMM at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) from January through March of 2010. We are very excited about this opportunity because it is through this training program that we will be equipping some of the 300 young leaders we intend to send out. Denise is not excited about the weather forecast! BRRRRRRR!!!
TRAVEL
In August I travel to Kona to teach at the University of the Nations on Missions Research & “Best Practices” and meet with leaders from the different colleges about partnering with SMC. ($1,000 already paid)
In September I travel to one of the four UofN Workshop locations to be officially installed as the SMC North America Director and to recruit students for our upcoming SUMM. (Switzerland $700, Ukraine $1,000, Egypt $1,200 or South Africa$1,400)
In October and November we will possibly travel to Brazil to set up the SMC “Community Bridge” with YWAM Rio and raise support in Brazil. ($2,800)
In November we will travel back to Colorado for a missions conference and support raising. ($??)
In December we will travel to St Louis for the Urbana09 Missions Convention to recruit leaders and staff. ($500)
In January we will travel to Wisconsin to staff the SUMM. ($500)
As you can see, we have about $6,000 in travel expenses coming in the next few months… could you please pray about helping us?
MASTERS THESIS
Some of you have been asking… “What was it about?!” The simplest answer is “Jesus.”
The next simplest answer is not as simple. The generation that will determine the fate of Christianity in America for the next century are influenced strongly by postmodernism. This presents a real problem for Christians that can only make sense of their faith by using the “orthodox” categories of systematic theology developed by the Early Church Fathers in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Since most Christians fall into this category, the only way to reach the next generation is through a “cross-cultural missions” approach.
Where do we start?? Well… Understanding Jesus in His original Semitic context paints a refreshing picture that, oddly enough, is very compatible with postmodernism and most non-western thinking (where the church is growing the most). Therefore…
My thesis is about the message and praxis of Jesus. His words and actions, in their original context, were directly related to the moral and ethical tradition of Israel’s prophets. His prophetic interpretation of the Law informed His responses of compassion and confrontation and was what put Him in direct contention with religious and civic authorities. It was His confrontation of their injustice and exclusion that ultimately resulted in His death. Living as He lived produces non-violent positive change, and often, conflict.
I believe this perspective is a more accurate representation of Jesus as He actually was. It is a message that will resonate with the postmodern generation and it will ignite a movement in the next generation like the “Jesus People” of the 1970’s.
What you understand about Jesus influences everything!
If you read this whole thing I congratulate you!! Wow! That was a big one!
We love you and thank you for all your support.
Dustin Barrington
Have a great day!
