Mobilise USA - What’s in a Name Change?
In the USA, students and twenties have been gathering for the past few years for an annual event called Clear Vision. This year, Clear Vision became Mobilise USA, and what appeared to be simply a change in nomenclature actually represented a significant transition for the conference. Comparing this year’s conference to those of years past, Bryan Mowery, the Location Pastor of Jubilee Church, St Louis, observed, ‘The call to impact our campuses and the strategic importance of the campus as it relates to the great commission was more clear this year than ever.’
Mobilise USA opened with worship led by Simon Brading and his band. Throughout the weekend, we were served by these friends and benefited from their skill and sensitivity to the Spirit. Tom Shaw, who leads The City Church Canterbury and has responsibility for student work in the UK, was the main speaker for the conference. His first message was a passionate appeal to see college campuses as fertile grounds for the gospel. He laid a foundation for thinking about student work by instructing us to love college campuses with our heads (knowing God has predestined students to be saved), our hearts (genuinely caring about people), our mouths (sharing the fantastic news of the gospel), and with our feet (connecting to people and walking through life with them).
Josh LeMasters, a university student from Joplin, MO, was especially impacted by this talk. Discussing it a few weeks later, he said, ‘I felt a strong sense of urgency for the church to embrace the universities. It has made me look at our local university campus and the students there in a new way.’
The next morning, Bryan Mowery challenged us to make ‘huge, audacious decisions for Jesus’ about colleges, careers, and finances. Through passages in the book of Acts and the example of Timothy, he helped us understand what an authentic Christian life involves. Bryan talked about dying daily to ourselves, boldly following Jesus wherever he goes, and investing in others as a means of displaying the tremendous grace we’ve received.
Tom’s final message on Saturday night was about the snare of the fear of man. He profiled two different types of people who suffer from this fear, Mr. Wrong and Mr. Perfect. In both, the fear of man is rooted in elevating self and/or others above God. Most of us are familiar with the signs: need for acceptance, fear of rejection, envy, anger, resistance to correction, a tendency to flatter others or compare ourselves to them. But even if we can see the signs, how do we escape the trap? Tom offered this solution: ‘If the fear of man is having an excessive concern about what people think about you, then the solution is this—to have an equally and yet even greater concern about what God thinks about you.’ We develop this concern by recognizing that our status changed for eternity when we became Christians and by remembering who we are, which will help us act rightly.
John Lanferman, who leads Newfrontiers USA, closed the conference with one of his ‘fireside chats.’ These grandfatherly meditations are a part of the conference that long-time attendees look forward to each year. With great affection and humor, John shared his stories, his wisdom, and his heart with us. This year, he spoke about calling and purpose and urged us to ‘see our whole life as revolving around this person of Jesus’ and to attach our significance to Him, not to a task.
While this year’s conference was ripe with themes of mission, community, and strategy, many attendees also sensed God speaking to them personally. McKenzie Warren, a first-time attendee, reflected on her experiences at Mobilise USA: ‘God showed me that even though some of my friends have really incredible giftings, it doesn't mean that mine are insignificant. Because of this weekend, I've seen myself trusting in God's will for my life a whole lot more.’
Lynn Fleshman
Christ’s Church of Joplin, Missouri
