Citylight Church exists to multiply disciples and churches. We do this through three primary rhythms. We gather as one church on Sundays, we scatter throughout the week in smaller communities and we equip ourselves with the knowledge of God through classes and studies. Within Citylight, there are ministries who have the same rhythms for a specific demographic.
One ministry in our church, the Salt Company, has made gospel-centered connections on college campuses in the Omaha metro area. They have seen God's favor in that he has multiplied their Thursday night gathered church, multiplied their scattered communities, multiplied disciples and baptisms, and called young men and women into serving and leading the church.
Earlier this month, Salt Omaha sent over 200 students to the Salt Company National Conference. There thousands of other students gathered to reconnect as a family, to worship together and to capture a vision for what God will do next as new churches in The Salt Network are launched. Below are a few stories and prayer requests from those who attended from Salt Omaha.
Tanner Hosick, Salt Student & Leader
"The Salt Conference was an experience that you just can’t explain. It’s life changing. It’s beautiful. Going into the conference I was carrying some weight of my sin. I felt trapped, like I couldn’t escape. During one of the break-outs I came to the realization that I’ve been lying to myself. I now understand that when you give your life to Jesus you enter a spiritual battle. It’s completely normal to be tempted and we need to expect to experience temptation. In James 1:13-14 it states that our own desires cause us to sin. Our desires will give birth to sin, and our sins will give us death. When you act on sinful desires, it is not the end of it, but it’s only the beginning. It will lead to more. BUT, it also states that God can’t be tempted by evil. God does not want us to fail and that’s good news! So, the habits I create now will only give me life, or they will put me to death. I understand now that I need to love Jesus more than my sin. I will break these chains and kill my sin now that I understand how much weight it holds. God is so faithful and will not let us be tempted more than we are capable of. The devil is limited. When you fail, the perfect and righteousness of Jesus Christ covers you. He carried all the weight of it to the cross. Jesus won.
Another way God has moved in my heart this past weekend was to consider full-time ministry. In Luke 10:2 it explains that the harvest is plentiful, but laborers are few. I have felt a calling to go into ministry and throughout the weekend, spending time in prayer and in His presence, I came to understand that there are so many people out there who don’t even know Jesus. It breaks my heart. The problem isn’t that people won’t accept the gospel, but they are not invited to accept it. People will believe, they just need to hear. Individuals need to know the Good news. I was crying out to God asking him what I should do with my life, and something life-changing came to me. It was this: “Why would I waste my life, when Jesus gave His?” And it hit me in a way I’ve never experienced before. So I thought to myself “Go. Go for it! Why not? Jesus is so worth it. Give him everything you have and make His name known, so everyone can experience what you have experienced.” The joy, the truth, the love. Jesus is the way, the only way.
If I had to summarize the weekend I would say God will break in and change you. You are never too far gone. The truth is in the gospel. Jesus has bought us, and paid the price in full. We are not needed by God, but we are WANTED! Praise God! Like I was saying before, we feel rejected but God says we are accepted. Believe what God has said about you. God has made us who we are, so that we can make the whole world know who He is. Our names will pass, but the name of Jesus will never. It’s only about Jesus. It’s always been about Jesus."
Brody Sexton, Salt Student
"This past weekend at the Salt Conference was something special. Something that God can only do. I felt emotions that I had never felt before. I remember during worship on Saturday night, I stopped and looked around the venue. I saw everyone just praising and worshiping the Lord. It just hit me like a train ... How powerful God is. It's changed me not as a person but how I view life and my walk with Jesus. Also, after the conference, my buddies and I were talking to Alec (Salt staff). Alec asked me what I thought and how I felt about everything that went on at the conference. I explained to him how amazing everything was and for the first time in my life I told someone out loud that “I AM ALL IN FOR THE LORD!" I can tell you this today that the Salt Conference truly changed my life."
Nate Moquin, Salt Student
"Before the Salt Conference I asked my roommate to describe how it was going to be. He told me he couldn’t. That I would just have to wait and see. Now, being asked to describe it, I have the same answer. It was a life-changing experience. It was the first time ever in my life that God spoke to me 1 on 1. It gave me chills and made me realize that the most important thing in my life was my walk with Jesus. Being there and worshipping the same God with everyone was a very moving thing to see. I have never been a part of something like that in my life and it is so cool to be a part of the work that God is doing on college campuses around the country."
Salt Staff Team
"We are celebrating so much from the conference and invite our church family to pray. Please pray for:
Numerous students felt called to ministry full time after college. Would you pray for discernment as to what next steps are for these students, guidance from the Lord as to where to do ministry, and confidence in their calling?
Overall there was a renewal in students' hearts. It was a spiritually restful weekend that casted a vision for our students to live missionally. Please pray that the seeds planted and the conference high would bear fruit in the lives of students and in the lives of non reached students on the college campus?
For the students who shared their stories and for the other players and coaches on the UNO baseball team with them. Pray for more people to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior."
Connect with Salt Omaha >>> citylightomaha.org/saltco
@saltomaha