Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/583785
O SAILING ALONG Following God's call, Chris Wilson keeps taking it step by step. CHRIS WILSON IS PURSUING AN MA IN JUSTICE AND MISSION AT DENVER SEMINARY AND IS THE PASTORAL RESIDENT AT MOUNTAINVIEW COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN HIGHLANDS RANCH, COLORADO. HE HAS A VISION TO EQUIP CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN THE MAJOR URBAN CENTERS OF THE WORLD. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DENVER SEMINARY'S MINISTRY RESIDENCY PROGRAM, VISIT DENVERSEMINARY.EDU/RESIDENCY. HOLY INTERRUPTION Often, our pursuit of God's call resembles the zigzagging progress of a sailboat rather than the straight path of a train track. Chris Wilson, a second-year student pursuing an MA in justice and mission, has followed the zigs and zags of his calling for years. In an undergraduate marketing class, Chris defined his life's purpose in this way: "Equipping the saints to reach the nations to the glory of God." To that end, he thought he would go straight from his bachelor's degree to Denver Seminary. However, after Chris graduated, the Lord closed multiple doors leading to Denver Seminary only to open one in full-time ministry as the Missions and Outreach pastor at Foothills Church in Glendora, California. In the two years he held that position, he grew in his knowledge of practical ministry. But the position also confirmed two significant things to him. First, Chris recognized he had greater access to world-class teaching and education than people in many other parts of the world. By receiving advanced training at Denver Seminary, he would be better able to pour into the nationals he intended to train and equip to reach their own people for the glory of God. Second, after experiencing the real-world difficulties of expressing the gospel cross- culturally, he recognized that his own thinking needed to be deepened, broadened, challenged, and refined. He needed time to think through the complex issues of justice and mission in an environment where others were doing the same. "Most Christians share either the gospel or their lives with people. Rarely do they share both, and we need to," says Chris. These two factors drove him to reapply to Denver Seminary. This time the Lord cleared the way for him to begin in August 2014. Within days of his move on campus, he was chosen for a coveted residency position at Mountainview Community Christian Church. The residency position was generous in every way. But Chris and his wife have an 18-month-old son, and after a year of studies, their family felt a financial strain. Chris evaluated whether or not he should finish his degree. When he voiced these concerns to his church family at Mountainview, not one, but two people said, "Let me know what you need in order to stay, and I'll make it happen." Stunned by the Lord's provision, Chris suggested an unusual solution: moving into the basement of one of these patrons to eliminate the burden of rent. Now Chris is entering his final year at Denver Seminary. Though his path has had some twists and turns, he's still pursuing the same calling: "Equipping the saints to reach the nations to the glory of God." 6 FALL 2015 aragami123345/iStock