News & Views
DNAers serve at ReAct - Urban Saints' initiative
written by Jo Nicholls
published on 17th August 2010
As part of our DNA year, trainees are offered a serving opportunity called ReAct (put on by Urban Saints). The idea behind ReAct is that you spend ten days with a group of young people – the first four days are spent in training and preparation and the last six involve putting on “family fun days” (in my case these were around the SE of England but there is also a Northern tour).
I set off not really knowing what lay in store but what I learned really surprised me and challenged me more than I could have anticipated. Myself and Matt Burden were assigned a team of eight young people and spent all ten days in this team. Our training involved hearing talks from various leaders and a few of these talks were similar to those I had heard during the course of the year on DNA. That was when it hit me exactly what the DNA leaders sow into our lives, and what a privilege and a momentous thing it is to be involved with encouraging and teaching young people. God shapes their destiny but uses us to carry His truth to them. It was so humbling and awesome.
The young people threw themselves into various tasks – learning how to face paint, hair braid and balloon model, putting up marquees and taking them down at lightning speed (ok, not quite lightning...!) and then we set off to the first venue. Each venue was slightly different as to how things fitted together but each fun day lasted for 3 hours and we were given 4 x 45 minute slots to do either face painting/hair braiding, prayer/healing tent, bouncy castle supervision or helping with on stage activities.
The fun days gave us many opportunities to speak to visitors about God and we encouraged the young people to step out and use tools such as treasure hunting, prophesying and healing prayer, which many had not done in such a direct way with strangers before. God really blessed us in what we did, though, and we heard stories of a disabled lady in a wheelchair getting up and walking, God giving people words and pictures for others, and using the treasure hunts to encourage many people.
In working with my team and seeing them grow and allow God to stretch them and use them so powerfully, I learnt a lot about the heart of the Father for them, and their hearts before Him. It was a privilege to serve in this way and I am looking forward to hearing what God continues to do in their lives.
