Reflecting on Summer Highlights in the Bay Area

CSM San Francisco Bay Area City Directors, Apprentice, and Summer Staff

Dan Reeve, the President of CSM, came to meet this past summer's staff and help with training for a couple of days. One of the highlights from training was hearing him say, “This job, CSM, is not your life. Christ is your life.” (Colossians 3:1-4) Later in the week, one of our staff was still in awe that the president would come to meet them and say that. His visit made a big impact on our team and “Christ is your life” became our unofficial theme for the entire summer.
 
We did a lot of praying this summer and every week at the beginning of our staff meetings we shared what God had been teaching us over the last week.  It was a rich time of connecting before being sent out to minister and host groups. We look forward to hearing about where God leads each of the “hosts” beyond their season with CSM.  They are a dynamic group wanting to follow Christ and minister to others.  

Another highlight from this last season, has been what has developed  from a desire of Jason’s heart. For a few years now, he's wanted to find churches to partner with and prayer walk in their communities. This became a reality this summer through a church called SF Mission with Brent Kompelien.  The idea was sparked for Kim at our Winter Training in Nashville when a local man shared about the beginnings of the ministry “we” started… “We being just me and the Holy Spirit because there was no one else with us.”  

When we returned home, we heard an update at our church, Solano Community, from Brent who moved to SF a year ago with his wife (Sarah) to plant a church.  He finished, sat down and Jason said, “We need to pray with him.”  Between that and the Barna article recognizing the San Francisco Bay Area is the least churched area in the country, God solidified for Kim that CSM SF Bay Area needs to be partnering with more churches to build the Kingdom of God HERE to have a lasting impact for eternity.  

Brent led 2 hour prayer walks each week, through different neighborhoods around the city, praying for people.  He taught students to prayer walk, stopping to ask what God was drawing to their attention and saw them grow even during this short activity.  SF Mission’s hope is for “a new gospel-centered ‘simple church’ in every neighborhood, within walking distance of every resident of San Francisco.”  

Please pray for SF Mission and for people to come to Christ and live for Jesus in the Bay Area. 

- Kim and Jason Foster, CSM San Francisco Bay Area City Directors