Spring Term Blog

 

Writen by Robert Gnann, Director of Student Life

Colorado: Manhood and Missions — Days One & Two

Colorado: Manhood and Missions is off to a great start after our first two days! We were thankful for smooth, efficient travel from Kennesaw, Georgia to Greeley, Colorado—and surprisingly, it’s actually been warmer here than back home. Who knew Colorado might be the place to find mild winter weather?

After arriving, we headed straight to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater to take in its incredible natural beauty. Walking through the historic amphitheater and watching the sun set over the rocks made for some unforgettable moments—and some pretty amazing photos. There are worse places to end a travel day than Red Rocks at sunset.

One of the primary focuses of this all-guys trip is Biblical manhood. Throughout the week, we are digging into God’s Word to learn what it means to be men of God. Our first day centered on leadership. We studied the example of Nehemiah and his approach to leading with vision rooted in prayer and alignment with the Lord’s will. This is a model we also see in Jesus, especially in His final moments on earth. God created men to lead, and we left day one encouraged and challenged to lead wherever the Lord places us.

On Sunday morning, we spent time serving alongside our church partner, Salt Church. The guys jumped right in—serving in the parking lot, greeting guests, making coffee, and retrieving donuts. We even discovered that a few Chick-fil-A employees in the group came prepared with some very useful skills! We also had the opportunity to worship and hear Pastor Jonathan Randall preach on what it means for the church to be “salt.” His three key takeaways challenged us to provide forever hope, deal decisively with our own sin, and devote ourselves fully to Jesus. We’re looking forward to continued devotions and service opportunities with Salt Church throughout the week.

After church, we headed to Topgolf for some Sunday afternoon fun. While Topgolf was a blast (professional golf careers are unlikely), one of the highlights was actually the drive there—filled with laughter, singing, and views of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Once back in Greeley, we returned to our focus on Biblical manhood by studying Psalm 15 and John 11. We discussed what it means to be a “tender warrior”—a man who stands firm in righteousness, shows strength and courage, and also leads with compassion and tenderness. Mr. Morgan did an excellent job guiding this conversation and connecting it back to Nehemiah, who modeled both strength and humility while rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls.

We wrapped up the day with dinner at Chili’s, where food comas quickly set in. But the night held one more unforgettable moment—a powerful and unexpected God encounter that left jaws on the floor once we realized what had unfolded. Be sure to ask your student about it—they would love to share how God is clearly at work here in Colorado.

Tomorrow, we head to Wind River Ranch to serve at the base of the Rocky Mountains. We’re excited and expect it to be another incredible day!

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Writen by Robert Gnann, Director of Student Life

Colorado: Manhood and Missions — Monday + Tuesday

Monday and Tuesday for the Colorado men have been all about service and biblical manhood. It has been an incredibly powerful two days, and we are deeply grateful for the service partners the Lord has placed in our path.

We kicked off both mornings at Salt Church, where the staff led us in worship and devotion. On Monday, Pastor Keith guided us through a devotion centered on mountains and what they teach us about God and manhood. Mountains are strongholds—they are majestic, intimidating, and yet provide comfort and protection. Keith walked us through several mountains in Scripture, each tied to significant biblical moments, making it the perfect kickoff before heading into the Rocky Mountains later that day.

On Tuesday, College Pastor Jordin led us through Psalm 13, where David cries out to God with raw honesty before reminding himself of the Lord’s steadfast love. Jordin shared how this kind of prayer—real, relational, and unfiltered—has drawn him closer to God. It was a meaningful start before spending the day serving with Youth for Christ.

After Monday’s devotion, we drove to Estes Park in the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s difficult to put the scenery into words—it was truly breathtaking. We spent the day serving with Wind River Ranch high on the mountain, where we met incredible men and tackled hard but meaningful work: chopping wood, building fences, painting a house, cutting down trees, and digging out posts. Almost the entire day was spent working in the snow, making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience that many of us will never forget. Ranch leaders Scott and Cowboy Nick also poured into us, reminding us that real men are courageous and take responsibility for their actions.

After leaving Wind River Ranch, we hiked the Devil’s Backbone Trail, taking time to enjoy God’s creation and reflect on His Word. Our manhood study that evening focused on men and their relationships with women. We studied Ephesians 5, discussing the call for husbands to love their wives with agape love—the sacrificial love Christ shows the Church. It was a powerful way to end the day (and steaks at Texas Roadhouse certainly didn’t hurt).

On Tuesday, we served with Youth for Christ in Greeley, Colorado, a ministry that reaches over 200 kids each week by providing a safe place to play and hear the gospel. Our team deep-cleaned vans, painted, patched drywall, repaired weather stripping, cleaned an oven, and tackled countless other projects. The men showed strong initiative and made a significant impact. Afterward, we had time to enjoy the basketball court, racing simulators, and ninja warrior course.

Tuesday’s manhood study focused on friendships between men. We examined Mark 2 and the relationship between Jonathan and his armor-bearer in 1 Samuel 14, learning that real friends are loyal, honest, courageous, and faithful. Mr. Morgan also shared part of his testimony, explaining how friendships ultimately led him to the Lord. One of the greatest blessings of this trip has been the intentional time spent together in God’s Word.

We wrapped up Tuesday night with a fun stop at In-N-Out Burger—hats included, of course, for the full experience.

We’re looking forward to a hike in Boulder on Wednesday morning and more opportunities to serve alongside Salt Church Wednesday afternoon!

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Colorado, Manhood & Missions: Wednesday & Thursday Recap

Colorado, Manhood & Missions closed out Wednesday and Thursday with experiences that pushed us, stretched us, and challenged us—ultimately reminding us of who we are called to be as men of God. We have been immeasurably blessed during our time here, and while we’re looking forward to returning home to our families, we will greatly miss the week we spent together. God is so faithful!

Wednesday:
We kicked off the day with an early wake-up call and a quick breakfast before heading to Boulder for a challenging hike up to the First and Second Flatirons. The hike covered nearly 3 miles with over 1,000 feet of elevation gain, and the views of the Rocky Mountains and the Colorado horizon were absolutely breathtaking. God’s goodness and power never cease to amaze!

After the hike, we returned to Salt Church for a manhood study focused on battling temptation and sin. Using Jeremiah and 1 Corinthians, we discussed staying close to Jesus rather than testing how far we can go without falling. Humility and community are crucial in this fight, and we reflected on how living a Christlike life is challenging—but it is our highest calling.

Wednesday’s service project had us helping Salt Church invite neighbors to church. In pairs, we hung door hangers and had conversations modeled after how Christ sent out the disciples in Luke. Though we were a bit nervous at times, we are trusting God to use these efforts for His glory.

The evening ended with fun at Hatchet House, where we threw axes, throwing stars, knives, batarangs, cards, and even a saw blade! The boys had a blast, and many got to try something completely new. Sometimes, guys just need to throw stuff!

Thursday:
Thursday began with an unexpected challenge at Dayspring Christian Academy in Greeley. The school asked us to repaint their locker rooms—a task that involved moving heavy lockers, scrubbing floors, and painting many small areas. While it tested our patience, it was a God-given opportunity to check our hearts and practice humility, remembering that God calls us to make ourselves lowly so that He can be magnified. We were also blessed to have lunch with some of their student leaders and quickly made new friends.

After serving, we headed to Denver for the Beat the Bomb challenge. In four teams, we laughed, dodged paint, and navigated a laser maze, discovering we’re more agile than we thought!

Our final manhood study, led by Mr. Morgan, focused on serving others, drawing from Romans 6 and Romans 12. We were reminded that as living sacrifices, we have the freedom and calling to serve every day because of the Gospel.

This week in Colorado has been incredible. We pray that our hearts continue to be transformed by all we’ve seen, done, and studied. We also pray for the hearts of the people we’ve encountered—Greeley and Northern Colorado quickly became places we fell in love with. While we are excited to return home, we will miss the people, adventures, beauty, and fun we experienced here.

God is so good!