Spring Break Denver GO Trip: Persevering in a gospel-needy city

By Sam Sofio

In the bustling streets of downtown Denver, Colorado, a young woman named Natasha searches for a place to rest her head – hoping it will not be in the streets. If she could stay sober and clean, there’s a chance she could get help but she can’t. 

Now, all she can do is warn the group of Cedarville University students in front of her not to do what she did – not to ruin their lives.

When the group ran into Natasha for the second time that day, she burst into tears. She didn’t have a place to stay that night. A Cedarville student gave Natasha their phone, so she could call for help. 

After a phone call, she found someplace to rest her head and took all of her belongings – a bike, the dinner she received and a medium-sized bag, and she rode off. 

Natasha’s story is heartbreaking, but her story is echoed in the lives of many across Denver, Colorado, a city with only 2% evangelical Christians. 

Cedarville’s Global Outreach ministry’s GO trips provide students an opportunity to see the fruits of gospel-barren cities and serve the few evangelical churches fighting for people like Natasha in gospel-needy cities. 

During spring break, from Feb. 28 through March 7, 21 Cedarville students served on the Denver, Colorado Church Planting GO trip. 

On their first day, they enjoyed church at Calvary Bethany and then went to Calvary Inglewood to hear church members on a panel answer questions regarding careers in Denver and being a faithful church member.

“A lot of people think that you need to be a pastor or some leader in a church to make an impact in your community,” Bryant Bronner, a senior Psychology major and leader for the Denver Synergy Initiative group, said. “But really you just need to stay faithful to what God has for you in your church and outside of your church. So, stewarding your family well and whatever career path you’re in, using it for the gospel and to give glory to Him.” 

To finish the day, the team circled Calvary Familia church, a spanish-speaking church and prayed. Afterwards, students spent time with young adults from Calvary Englewood and worshipped. 

On Monday, students received evangelism training to prepare for the following days. Later, students toured Denver, Colorado and learned about the Calvary family of churches and their convictions. 

That night, the team observed a weekly Calvary shepherding meeting. Elders prayed and checked up on their members, casual attenders and visitors. 

“They really love,” Bronner said. “Their goal is that you shouldn’t be able to walk into our church, sit down, go through service and walk out without someone talking to you or asking how you are.”

Even though Calvary Inglewood has around 700 members, they account for every single one of them. 

The next two days the team distributed around 1,000 flyers, advertising a new evangelical church – Calvary Veritas. Additionally, they learned how to minister to those in poverty through a local church and ministry called Jesus on Colfax – a ministry that serves impoverished people in motels, in the streets and in welcoming them into Christ-centered life-changing programs. 

“People grow up in families where parents want to protect them and their safety,” junior Primary Education Christopher Manion said. “And so it’s like ‘hey, don’t talk to that homeless person. They could be dangerous.’ And they could be and we are called to use discernment. But it kind of instills the idea that they’re innately bad and dangerous. But they’re human too.” 

Students went to the streets, passed out lunch and prayed for the homeless and impoverished.

Later that night, the team went to downtown Denver to serve with a group of Colorado Christian students. Cedarville students served alongside of them and handed out dinners and prayed with the homeless. 

“Those conversations, I noticed, were a lot longer,” Bronner said. “And I feel like part of it was because in the homeless population they’re out there on the streets not talking to people for eight hours. And the second that they get to talk to someone they just are more keen on opening up. Someone’s willing to listen.”

They heard stories of trauma and neglect. 

On Thursday, students enjoyed a hike at Loveland Mountain and saw the Continental Divide. At 11,000 feet in elevation, the students heard from a pastor about how to faithfully lead a small church of 50 people. 

For their last day, students cleaned out a broken-down motel to prepare it to be used for a Christian rehab ministry. 

“We basically demoed the place because it was in bad shape,” Bronner said. “We tore up the carpets, washed the walls and the ceiling because of drug use.”

While the students had to get their clothes dirty, wear gloves and masks in 30-degree weather, it was a highlight of the trip for many. 

After a debrief, the students’ trip came to a close. 

“For me, the most encouraging part was just to see the passion each of the pastors and leaders had. I went on last year’s trip, and their passion has not waned at all,” Bronner said. “If anything, it’s only increased, especially for a place where being a Christian is seen as negative.” 

For Bronner, doing ministry with brothers and sisters in Christ encouraged him.

“Being with Cedarville students outside of the bubble is always really cool,” Bronner said. “Because a lot of students open up more, share their heart for ministry for what they want to do in the future, and it’s a picture of what Cedarville students can do faithfully in a church after graduation.” 

When choosing where to live after graduation, students may tend to decide based off of comfort, family, jobs or security, GO trips help students see why it’s important to keep these things secondary. It’s easy to stay away from the mess of other people’s situations. 

“Jesus could have said the same thing, ‘Why should I care? It was their own fault for going against God’s command,’” junior Primary Education Christopher Manion said. “Why did he do it? Because he loves us.” 

Sam Sofio is a junior Professional Writing and Information Design major. He enjoys spending time with his brothers and sisters in Christ and aspires to write for a Christian organization.