A group of scientists placed five monkeys in a cage, and in the middle, a ladder with bananas on top. Every time a monkey went up the ladder, the scientists soaked the rest of the monkeys with cold water. After a while, every time a monkey would start up the ladder, the others would pull it down and beat it up. After a time, no monkey would dare try climbing the ladder, no matter how great the temptation. The scientists then decided to replace one of the monkeys. The first thing this new monkey did was start to climb the ladder. Immediately, the others pulled him down and beat him up. After several beatings, the new monkey learned never to go up the ladder, even though there was no evident reason not to, aside from the beatings. The second monkey was substituted and the same occurred. The first monkey participated in the beating of the second monkey. A third monkey was changed and the same was repeated. The fourth monkey was changed, resulting in the same, before the fifth was finally replaced as well. What was left was a group of five monkeys that – without ever having received a cold shower – continued to beat up any monkey who attempted to climb the ladder. If it was possible to ask the monkeys why they beat up on all those who attempted to climb the ladder, their most likely answer would be “I don’t know. It’s just how things are done around here.”
Every culture, church, fellowship, workplace, household, family, friends group, etc has its unspoken traditions and rules that they follow almost like the monkeys. Even we have unspoken traditions that we follow also. These rules and traditions are set in place for most likely good purposes. But when do these rules and traditions become hindrances for us as we try to follow Jesus and bring the Kingdom of God to this earth?
When I came to SFU 5 years ago, I would hear stories of SFU being the campus of death or it's really hard to do ministry up there. In the IVCF realm, I would hear from staff not so good things about the SFU campus. Things like:
- No one from SFU would go to MARKwest
- No one is interested in GUPs or the Internship
- No one will go to Urbana
- It is impossible to do community there because it's a commuter campus.
As I heard these reasons from both my friends and peers, I kept wondering, "Why?" Why is it so difficult? So I went in with the mindset of, "I'm going to prove you ALL wrong!" I'll be honest, I thought I was going to be doing great things, and God did some incredible things in and through me. But, I don't attribute these following growth and numbers to what I have done. Fortunately for me, God seemed to have the same mindset in proving everyone wrong. All the glory to God.
In response to the tradition of not attending MARKwest:
2011 - 7 SFU students went to MARKwest
2012 - 12 SFU students went to MARKwest2013 - 20 SFU students went to MARKwest
2014 - 21 SFU students went to MARKwest
2015 - 30 SFU students went to MARKwest
2016 - 45 SFU students hoping to go to MARKwest
In response to the tradition of not going to Urbana:
Urbana 2015 - 20 SFU students went to Urbana
In response to GUPs
- 2011 - 1 SFU student went to China
- 2012 - 2 SFU students went to VUP
- 2013 - 1 SFU student went to VUP
- 2014 - 2015 - 0 SFU students went on GUPs
- 2016 - 6 students are applying to go on VUP & 1 student is doing a DTS with YWAM.
In response to the IVCF Internship
1 student (Julianna Lei) from SFU is applying to the IVCF internship
1 student (Julianna Lei) from SFU is applying to the IVCF internship
In response to the commuter campus and the lack of community
- We are going to be doing everything on campus now.
- Fall 2016 - The first IVCF SFU Community house is hoping to be on campus.
Looking at these numbers and the quality of students that I have the privilege of being with. I think God is trying to say something here to me and also everyone who is reading this. I think God is saying that whatever rules, traditions, mindsets, expectations, systems, etc, God is not bound to these things. God is above and beyond these things that we tell ourselves to believe and I believe, he LOVES proving us wrong and showing how narrow-minded we really are. Even when I look at these numbers, I realize, God is going to prove me and everyone wrong again.
I believe that this is ONLY the beginning. I look forward to sharing with you stories of people students coming to faith monthly, weekly, even on a daily basis! I look forward to sharing with you how the SFU campus culture is being shaped by God's work through the IVCF Community. God is not done yet. He is only beginning!
This old mindset of SFU is dead now and has no right to be here anymore. God is choosing to use faithful students, staff, and donors (you), and he wants to show each of us and the world what He is capable of doing and that He is worth following.
My dear friends and family, I am happy and honoured to be a part of God's mission and I hope that you feel the same way knowing that you are sowing into building the Kingdom of God at SFU through your prayers and financial support. Keep praying, keep supporting, and pray some more, because God is not done with this. He is only beginning.
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