in n r a W h t
EXTREME THE WORD Tru s in a t n
January 2009
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Welcome to another edition of The Word, a publication of the Impact Movement
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So, What can you expect from this edition of The Word?
chapter at Carnegie Mellon University. In these next few pages you will get a glimpse into the heart of our chapter and see how we are sharing with others the love and peace we have found only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This semester was a unique time that
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T h e Lo c k-In
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involved a lot of firsts for our chapter. Before you read, we must warn you that this newsletter does contain the truth of Jesus Christ. Those who read it be ready to hear of the love of Jesus Christ!
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The Lock-In You can think of the Lock-In as a sleepover of sorts packed with plenty of time to get to know our fellow students. This Friday night was filled with fun and food as well as a time where we opened the floor, allowing for anonymous questions that we answered with scripture from the Bible. The summary on this page is one student’s take on what happened at the Lock-In. - Mark Thornhill, Senior (University of Pittsburgh)
*Alright everyone, that was our last round… Now we’re going have a time for discussion. Right now we’re passing around slips of paper for you to write down questions. We’ll place those questions in a box and draw them one at a time for the group to discuss.* *Alright everyone we’ll give about one more minute for you to finish your questions.* …I’m tired man. Can’t even really think of a question… I’m thinking ‘bout how uncomfortable this corner is, dagg… *Ok everyone, if we could have your questions.* And so the night began… After finishing a high energy session of Taboo, I was spent! Still a part of me wanted to witness what laid on the minds of the believers. Tired, I forced myself to wake up so I’d be able to. I’m glad I did. The conversation that ensued over the next three and a half hours was genuine and transparent. The questions ranged on topics like depression and minority status on campus to relationships, marriage, manhood/ womanhood, and yes, we even shared our fears about the “friend zone”! More than anything I witnessed the ability of the Body to build up its members with words of wisdom and encouragement. Even without submitting a question, I feel as if I might have benefitted the most. Sometimes, it’s simply nice feel, and genuinely be, a part of something. Rarely throughout the week do I find myself in a situation with fellow brothers and sisters comfortable enough to open up and let my guard down. This night was different. Through a madman’s round of Taboo, I experienced the benefits of fellowship and the privilege of a sense of being a part of something. In the discussion time, I was able to connect with brothers and sisters, seeing the Christ in them as we spurred one another on with biblical truths. *Ok everyone that was our last question. Now that we’ve heard all the prayer requests, let’s pray. “God thank you…”* [2]
The blizzard of 2010 When Pittsburgh got hit with 2 feet of snow in just one weekend, everything was closed even church on Sunday. So, about 5 Christian groups from CMU and Pitt came together and held a service on campus. And the say Sunday is the most segregated day of the week...
SNOWED IN... On a college campus with students from across the world, it is still challenging to get outside of your comfort zone of friends. This massive snow storm gave us the opportunity to meet some new faces, connect with some old friends, and most of all, be united as Christians. Students from different races, cultures, Christian organizations, and even colleges (both Carnegie Mellon & the University of Pittsburgh) came together on Sunday morning to worship God. The memorable service was led by
two students from the Impact Movement, who led a discussion using the Bible Study resource “The Grill”. The topic was definitely relevant to college student: worry. From tests, to extra-curricular activities, to paying for school, there are many things that are on a student’s mind. On this snowed in Sunday we shared together our own struggles and encouraged one another in how God wold have us view all that is going on in our lives. It is important that we truly put our trust in Jesus Christ and trust in His plan for our lives.
Romans 15:5-6 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
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From Rags To Righteous Black History Month Gospel Concert 2010 The premise for this year’s concert was simple. It aimed at tackling the issue of pride that we saw all too often in our communities. It is even more prevalent on a college campus where people can become reliant on their own intellectual abilities and abandon any thoughts of needing God. The struggle with pride does not end once you come to know Christ, but rather becomes an internal battle between your old self and the person God wants to shape you to be.
The Bible says it best in Romans 7:21-23, “21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body...”. No matter where we are in our spiritual journey we must recognize one thing: when we choose to live without God we are nothing (hence Rags), but when we choose to live for God in humility we have a life made Righteous through Jesus Christ. In portraying this message, we had a lot of help from some really talented artists. Corey Lankford and the Oasis Theatre Company started it off with a dramatic presentation of the internal struggle between you and your inner monster that only wants to reap havoc in your life. He then passed the baton to Pittsburgh’s own hiphop artist, Mele Mel. With songs like “Only You” whose lyrics declare that “Only You God can save me from my sin” and with his own personal experiences, he truly expressed to us his heart for God and the humility and love it takes to live this life as a Christian! By this point the theme was pretty evident, the artists were excellent, and the concert was just only beginning. Returning to the stage was Corey Lankford, this time with the rap group Bloodsent. They brought an unbelievable authority and intensity to the stage. As soon as they got on the
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stage, you could really feel the energy in the room. They rapped about letting go of all the things that are not like God and do not line up with His word, the Bible.
“Get it out of me. Take it off of me...”
they proclaimed about
ungodly things and ways of life. Corey then broke it down to us even further as he spoke on the topic of pride and the internal struggle we all face. To finish it off, we had the young, talented neosoul artist Leah Smith. At just 21 years of age, her voice and ministry showed the maturity and dedication that can come only from a life in right standing with God. Her single from her recently released EP “Beautifully Made” was right in line with the flow of the night. The single called “Monster” wrapped up all the things the other artists had said and was just what we needed. We are all running from the monster that’s on the inside of us, but we can know one thing- through a reliance on Jesus Christ in our lives, we are saved from ourselves and what we would foolishly make of our lives. The next few pages give a more personal look into a few of the artists from the concert; Corey Lankford and Leah Smith. Check it out!
Hear from Corey Lankford on the process of creating the concert’s opening dramatization
Running From a Monster... It is a privilege beyond belief to be able to tap into the infinite creativity of God and even more to be able to use these gifts to transform lives! Working with the Impact Movement allowed me to reach into the depth of this art and make what others merely think of become tangible for all to see and understand. In the process of coming up with the blueprint of the skit titled "Monster" I was intrigued by the hit song "Monster" from recording artist, Leah Smith's, demo. It was this theme that would manifest itself into the psychological, emotional and spiritual illustration we demonstrated.
about except him and his alter ego friend whom only he alone could see!
My approach was to create something that every individual can relate to- whether wealthy, poor, popular, unpopular, attractive, shy and even saved or unsaved. One thing that everyone can relate to is their secret issue, or struggle that wars against their mind that no one knows about. While brainstorming with Impact Movement representatives (Chris Streeter and Brianna Kent) I used the movie "Mr. Brooks", starring Kevin Cosner, as a visual parallel to the direction I wanted to go. It was a movie about a millionaire CEO who had a secret addiction for killing that no one knew
To those who are believers in Christ, we realize that this struggle is between the spirit and the flesh. It is the constant spiritual warfare that wages against our members consistently and fervently...everyday! Where many would simply believe that its just human nature, these illustrations bring light to the fact that our rebellious nature is destroying our need to be obedient to the word of God. I bring to light the inevitable truth that If we don't subdue our "Monster"...it will soon subdue us!
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Leah: Life, Love, and Lyrics I was nervous when I was given the opportunity to interview the lovely Leah Smith, but after actually talking to her, the nervousness died down a bit. Not only is Leah a talented and unique artist, but she is a great person as well. They say that first impressions are lasting impressions, and I will always remember Leah as a friendly, open, down-to-earth person with a good sense of humor who unquestionably is going hard after God. This, singer/ songwriter/musician from the streets of Philly definitely has it going on. I hope the interview blesses you. - Chloe Lynn Oxley, Freshman
CLO: First I want to say thank you for doing this interview. Leah: Thank you. CLO: So, how did you get started in the music scene? Leah: When I was around 4 years old. I sung first in school, and then in church. Different adults would affirm that I could actually sing. I was in and out of choirs… “I knew I wanted to be a singer.” Eventually my demo got in the hands of Israel from Israel and New Breed. When I was a senior in high school, I relocated to Houston, TX. I had to have my schoolwork mailed to me. The funny thing was it never got lost. I did my work through the mail. I sang and toured for about a year and a half and it wasn’t until then that I decided to go solo. In October 2008 I did my first solo work…
CLO: What is your motivation behind writing songs? Leah: It’s different at different times. I may be going through something and decide to write about it, or I may see someone going through something. “A good way to express human experience is through song. Looking at how music has strayed from Christ and His expectations [also] motivates me to write. I write to give a different point of view of life through the 3-4 minutes of a song... I almost always write intentionally.” CLO: As an artist, is it sometimes harder to live because you are always being watched? Leah: “Yes... Yes. Yeah.” “Even though I am a low-key artist at the beginning of my career, there is constant critiquing. There is a struggle on a daily basis, or every other day basis with feeling watched or
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critiqued. And then there is pride. Everyone struggles with pride. I don’t want to let people down. I am learning to take correction and critique. It is a lovehate relationship.” CLO: How does it feel being on stage? Leah: “I always get nervous. But once I make a big mistake, I think: it can only go up from here, they already heard my worst note... I pray for strength.” “But when I’m up there, it’s a zone and it’s like it’s not me. I am not doing it in my own strength.” CLO: How do you balance your relationship with God? Leah: “Work flows out of my relationship with God. It influences every piece of my work. For example, the ethic behind it, how I act…etc.” “Jesus is the vine and my job is the branch…” CLO: Who is the person behind the music? Leah: “Silly. A Goofball. I like to read and learn. I am family oriented. I enjoy the quiet and being alone sometimes.” Random questions… CLO: What was it like singing with David James? Leah: “So cool. I enjoy him as a person and I enjoy his music. He is a man with a lot of integrity.” CLO: For all the ladies wondering, what do you use on your hair? Leah: Water and a whole bunch of other things that I just experiment with. CLO: Lastly, any words of encouragement for those reading this? Leah: “Abide in Christ. You can’t go wrong.” I couldn’t have said it better myself….
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The Impact Movement
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Carnegie Mellon Chapter Email: impact.cmu@gmail.com
Facebook Group: “The Impact Movement: Carnegie Mellon Chapter”