Becoming, Not Just Knowing
Biblically, formation is not just about learning truth, it’s about becoming like Christ. And often, God uses people, challenges, and real-life experiences to do that shaping.
Over spring break, I had the opportunity to travel with a group of students to Japan. From shredding the mountains of Niseko to the energy, technology, and chaos of Tokyo, it was filled with incredible moments, new food, new rhythms, unfamiliar systems, and adventure. Everywhere we went, students were navigating language barriers, different currency, public transportation, and the reality of being far outside their comfortable Colorado familiarity. It was exciting but also stretching and testing us in new ways.
One of the most formative moments happened on our very first night. After a long day of travel and culture shock, we found ourselves starving and sitting in a small restaurant, unsure how to order or even where to begin. A young man from a nearby Japanese family stepped in to help. With enthusiasm, he guided us through the process, welcoming us into something we couldn’t figure out on our own, excited to use his English. In that moment, we weren’t just learning about a culture, we were experiencing dependence, humility, and the kindness of others. The students quickly realized, if you’re willing to try, people will often meet you there. It set the tone for the entire trip, learning to enter a new place as guests, observing, listening, and engaging. In doing so, we not only encountered others’ stories, but began to create our own.
A couple weeks after returning, we asked students what moments still came to mind. Interestingly, many didn’t point first to the mountains or the sights, but to the people, the culture, the interactions, the feeling of being different, and the way others lived. It was a reminder that much of our formation happens through people and those we travel with and those we encounter along the way. Information can be taught, but it is often people who shape how that knowledge takes root in us.
This is why experiences beyond our normal rhythms matter so much. There are things we simply cannot learn by staying comfortable or within what is always familiar. Stepping outside of Littleton, into different cultures, different systems, and different ways of living, forces us to see the world with new perspective. One student shared in our debrief, “I don’t think I realized how big the world really is.”
But those moments don’t fully form us on their own. Formation deepens through conversation and through slowing down enough to ask not just what did I do, but what is this doing in me? As students process their experiences, they begin to recognize how God is using people, challenges, and unfamiliar environments to shape their character, their perspective, and their faith. This is the heart behind experiences like practicum—not just for what students see or do, but for who they are becoming as they learn to live, engage, and follow Christ in a much bigger world.
I am grateful for a place like FRCS that intentionally creates these opportunities, helping prepare students not just to understand the world, but to faithfully engage and impact it for Christ. I love who our students are becoming and their willingness to engage in meaningful conversation, to step into challenge, to seek growth, and to make choices that glorify God. It is powerful and exciting to see how God is shaping them as culture-makers for Christ.
