Swept Up in Seattle

What would it feel like to be swept up into God’s current in a fresh, transformational way? This is what happened in Seattle from August 14 to 17, as 20-somethings gathered from all over the US to connect around the idea of being swept up in God’s current. Our dialogue centered on being swept up in an intimate relationship with Jesus. We then moved to learning what it means to grasp the Misssional Heart of God by living as sent ones among our friends where we live, work and play. Finally, we learned what it means to see the kingdom of God in everyday life and how to connect with how He is moving in our culture.

This gathering was birthed and sustained by prayer. People from all over the country asked the Lord to give us a fresh encounter with Him. As we reflected on the time, it was evident that prayer had been answered on every level. This was a catalytic and developmental gathering, as well as, a time of making new connections across the country that ignited momentum. After the time, Finney, from Los Angeles, said that, “This is the most relevant thing The Navigators have ever done for people my age.”

Another attendee, Poncho, from Virginia, said one of his favorite parts of the gathering was listening to keynote speaker, Michael Frost. “I learned I have to look farther and deeper than my traditional eyes,” Poncho says. Navigators Bob Adgate and Kristie Monteiro also addressed large group sessions.

Poncho said the most powerful moment of the gathering for him was attending Navigators’ National Prayer Director Vic Black’s workshop, Rescued from Shame. He said, “Vic helped me to discover some things that I have to work on, some ‘demons’ that I have inside.” This was just one of six workshops offered on topics such as Connecting the Gospel and Pop Culture and Staying Close to God in a Busy World.

So where do we go from here? Our hope in b2g is to sustain the movement that God has been building for seven years. This gathering gave us momentum to build on for the future. For example: new missional communities are emerging and there is high interest in having another gathering next summer. Plus, we want to sustain the movement by identifying and connecting key young adult leaders from all over the country. We hope in the near future to have young men and women leading this mission to 20-somethings all over the country.