Heather, Ryan, and Shari talk with Shana Drenning and Zack Potter on some things coming up at Converge in 2021. 

Converge’s classes will be returning soon!

Shana is a leader at Converge.  Core 4 classes help students to learn what Converge is all about. It is a good way to begin to understand what we believe and who we are. It is more like a family time, hanging with your friends, in a smaller setting and learning. Don’t be put off by the word “class”. It is the pathway to get involved in serving or trips. It is a great way to meet people and get started. It is a great way to learn more about what you believe. You also learn interesting things like the Gates of Hell is an actual place in Israel. And the walls of Jericho fell outward, not inward, showing external evidence when excavated that the Bible is true. 

CORE 4 isn't a class just for students coming to church or Converge that want to serve or go on trip, but alos for those who don't have a belief or foundation as well. 

CORE 4 classes are the 4 main beliefs of Converge: 

1. The Bible is God's word and it's true.
2. God has a plan for you right now.
3. Jesus is our Savior and we need him.
3. We are better together.

Links:
God’s Whole Story podcast

Heather and Ryan sit down (part 2) with Shannon Kahn on how God has worked through his own life.

Shannon has dealt with sexual identity issues growing up and has dealt with marriage and divorce.  Male influences in his life were extremely hurtful, abusive, or dealt with sexual abuse growing up, so didn’t want to be a male. Almost all the men on both sides of his family have dealt with alcoholism. Anger went along with alcoholism with most of those adult males. Doesn't remember being told "I love you" much growing up. Didn’t have a good view of what it meant to be a man.  Didn’t want to be that type of person what he had seen. In his  head he didn't want to be a man like that, but also knew he didn't want to be a women. Had mostly girls as friends because they were safe, the guys his age were also that way so wasn’t comfortable being around them.  That all shaped his difficulty with sexual identity. Sexually abused when he was young and introduced to porn at an early age.  Called gay during middle school, because he was different, didn't fit into the normal. 

Where you in church circles at that time? Parents dropped them off at church but it was pretty conservative. He didn’t remember hearing about salvation. Just tried to do good things and be a good person.  Always had a basis of understanding that there was a God and he knew that that was not how God created him. There was always something to prevent him from crossing the line. The struggle was always in his head than external.

How did you work through that? He eventually saw what other father figures looked like in a healthy way with other families as he got older and that changed his view. He got to see other family dynamics and that helped him to heal and grow. And also to be around community. It is crazy the power of influence. What you see is what you know. 

Was saved his senior year of high school. Went to Creation; that was the first time he remembesr hearing the Gospel message. The assumptions that we make as Christians are so powerful and harmful. There was a constant that he knew God didn’t create him that way. As believers there is always something that we have to deny ourselves of.  If we did everything our human nature wanted it would be disaster.

How could have the church helped? Doesn't  remember being in environments where sexual identity was actually spoken about.  A lot of guys don’t want to talk to other guys about it. The enemy is winning when we don’t talk about it.  It is so easy to isolate and believe that you are the only one going through this. 

Resources:
Wounded Heart,  book and workbook by Dan B. Allender

Joe Dallas, author, has written several books that can be helpful.

Every Mans Battle, by Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker, Mike Yorkey

 Be real, Be open. You are not alone in what you are going through.

Ryan and Heather sit down and talk with Shannon Kann about all things TLR, The Living Room, the young adult ministry at WC. Shannon is the Young Adult Pastor here at WC.

TLR is known to build community  –  Foundations class is where you learn the heart behind TLR and what is means to live in community before serving there. Serving on a team is the best way to meet/connect with people. Also after the service they can leave the main auditorium and can connect right away to a group. Serving is like having instant community. 

Young adults crave community. We challenge them to initiate community where ever they are and whoever they are with. We use the 4 C's: Connect, Care, Challenge to grow, and Celebrate. The need for community is not unique to TLR, but young adults talk about it. Community is not just sitting around a table drinking coffee, there is more to it. It is doing things together, doing life together.

People want a safe place to be able to be open and talk about life.

What is unique or special about TLR? The biggest thing Shannon hears from young adults is that they didn’t feel like there was a spot or place for them to be involved at their church. The desire to lead is high. We don’t have volunteers, we have leaders. You either attend their as part of the community or you are a leader. Leaders have a say; they are a part of the vision.

Why is it important to find a community wherever you land after high school? Life it not fun to do alone. Community is very important.

How would you go about finding a community? Often campuses have groups, but be bold to step out and find one.

How do you know if you found the right one? A safe place where you can go with your junk.  

TLR gives a lot of opportunities to share and grow. His entire life people took chances on him. His phrase for the year is “Risk it ____”

Links:
TLR website
Instagram
Facebook

Questions? 
Shannonk@worshipcenter.org