July 15 is it. That’s the deadline for you to apply to join the Centurions Program, which in my opinion is the finest and most rewarding Christian worldview program out there.
I remember the first time I was invited to speak at one of the Centurions residencies several years ago. I had been teaching worldview for many years with Summit Ministries to students and parents, but this was different.
There I was, just a young guy, giving a talk on worldview, and there was Chuck Colson sitting in the back of the room. It was kind of like giving a talk on how to survive a global flood with Noah in the room.
Chuck personally invested himself and his time in the founding and developing of this program he considered to be part of his legacy. So to say that I was relieved when Chuck graciously congratulated me on the talk is an understatement.
But even more than relieved, I was impressed with the Centurions Program that Chuck had put together.
We all know that Chuck was not just a thinker; he was a doer. He didn’t just want people to learn worldview; he wanted them to be transformed and to actually live it out. It’s easy to go to a conference and learn information, but that’s not what Centurions is all about. In fact, Centurions are required to teach what they learn, and to develop and implement a personal ministry plan—and I and other Centurions leaders are committed to helping you do it.
The second thing that really impressed me was Chuck’s restorative approach to worldview. You know, there are a lot of worldview programs where the main goal is to learn what’s happening in the world--mainly what’s going wrong in the world or what’s going wrong in the church. And there’s certainly a place for understanding that.
But Chuck didn’t think a Christian worldview ended with learning what’s wrong; he thought a Christian worldview draws us into participating in God’s redemptive program. Chuck understood the scriptural narrative of creation, fall, redemption and restoration.
It’s the story of the world. So in Christ, we’re actually called to be involved in His restorative work in all things.
And that’s what our commissioned Centurions are doing all over the place: applying what they’ve learned in neighborhood schools, among prisoners, in town halls and businesses, working with the disabled, you name it.
Is the program too difficult? No. Is it intense? Well, yes, it is. You, and I, and your fellow Centurions will be reading a lot of books and articles, watching and reviewing and discussing films, sharing ideas for ministry, and working together to prepare ourselves to share with others the hope that’s within us.
And that’s another thing that blew me away about Chuck and the Centurions. The whole program is based on the hope that we have in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yes, the world, the culture, is a mess. But we have no grounds for despair, because Christ has risen. He has triumphed.
I could go on and on, but let me add one more thing. T. M. Moore, Chuck’s spiritual and theological advisor, is one who really shaped the Centurions Program, and he’s said that Christian worldview isn’t just what you know in your head or what you believe. Rather, it’s how you’re shaped personally by God’s truth. And as we are transformed we become a catalyst for transformation.
So, are you a young professional interested in an integrated Christian life? Maybe you’re moving into retirement and considering what you can do next for the Kingdom. Whatever your station in life, if you’re interested in deepening your walk with Christ and understanding of the world, then please, apply to the Centurions Program.
The deadline again is July 15th. And you’ll need to submit some references with your application; but that’s ok, because we don’t need to receive those until July 22nd.
Please, come to Centurionsprogram.org, that’s CenturionsProgram.org, for everything that you’ll need to apply.
BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today’s news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions.
John Stonestreet, the host of The Point, a daily national radio program, provides thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.
Publication date: July 8, 2014
