"Trading the American Dream for the Kingdom reality."
The Red Initiative exists to transform the minds of students away from the American dream of consumerism and selfish living towards the Kingdom reality of prayer, worship and service.
This is not a communist ploy, rather a shift of thinking. If we truly believe that the kingdom of heaven is near, then we must seek to live as though it were true. The Red Initiative desires that students follow the words of Christ and seek to live for him through a transformed life. This includes changing our attitudes and behaviors of towards the temporary substance of this world. We do not deny that things are useful and necessary and are not calling students to be mendicant (begging) followers of Christ, rather we wish to refocus students' attention towards the things of heaven, and the call to show what the kingdom of heaven is like to those around us.
How do we do this? Through a regular and dedicated pursuit of the spiritual life. This includes prayer and contemplation, as well as worship, which leads to service and in turn leads back to prayer and worship. It is a spiritual cycle meant to engage the entire being of the student. With a different monthly focus and special gatherings intended to propel students towards a greater spiritual walk, the Initiative is an ambitious and ongoing project.
Why the name The Red Initiative? This comes from the words of Christ. In many bibles today, one can read the words of Christ found in red ink. This is not meant to say that these words or more or less inspired, but they do provide a initiative to the new covenant believer. There have been previous calls to live out the red letters of Christ, but this is more of a refocus onto what is important in the life of believer. Whether through his sermon on the mount, his words to his disciples, or through his post-resurrection dialogues, the words of Christ give us an initiative for the spiritual life of a believer. We are called to live like Christ, so the Red Initiative seeks to make that a reality in the lives of students through encouraging students to live like Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, and to the glory of God the Father.
Starting in Fall 2010 and moving beyond, the vision of The Red Initiative will be infiltrated within the RidgeStudents ministry focus including The Gathering, LIFEgroups and our other planned events. For more thoughts, dreams and visions of The Red Initiative, contact Coleman.
