Impact Brings Young Adults Closer to God

"Let God be God" was the theme of Impact, a youth group that deals with the everyday struggles that young adults deal with, last Tuesday, March 5th. 18-25 year-olds gathered at Centerpoint Church in the Student Ministries building to listen to scripture and talk about wisdom in a series of sermons called The Quest. They are in the process of reading through the book of Ecclesiastes. The group's pastor, Jim Spellman, who has been with the group since January explained the purpose of the group. "There are a lot of college students in the area; many go to Valley College, Cal State University San Bernardino, or University of Redlands." Spellman stated. "The years right after high school are an interesting time. There are a lot of challenges, questions, and doubts that young adults face during these years. Impact is a great place of support and prayer for young men and women to find their purpose in life." Spellman shares that the book of Ecclesiastes is appropriate for learning how to deal with the challenges of life. Spellman cited the Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 that night to remind the young adults that they can't control everything in life, but that this should not be a reason to feel helpless. "Wisdom is a good thing. But there are those who are addicted to wisdom, and can't live without some uncertainty. Uncertainty is part of life. In those scary moments of uncertainty is when we should trust God the most," Spellman said. Members of Impact shared their reflections about the sermon in smaller groups later on in the night. "It's okay to say 'I don't know' sometimes," Jorge Vargas, member of Impact said, quoting Greg Laurie. "It's not about looking at life and thinking about how unfair it is that others have it better than you, it's about being happy for their success. We don't know the life of other people, and what they had to go through to get where they are today." Damian Bright of Impact said, "Being bitter helps nobody, especially not yourself." "In those times of confusion and anxiety, its great to know that we aren't expected to know everything. Nobody knows everything," Impact member Romain Arrietta said. Kim, who has been with the group for four years, shared that Impact changed her life, "It's a place of hope, a great support system." "Impact changed my life and brought me closer to God. I have more compassion and patience," said Paul Grant, another member of the youth group. The group meets at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays, and even serves snacks to those who come with a hungry stomach. Spellman shares that the group is event-oriented and has a beach trip and a Colorado trip planned for the summer. On Sundays, the Student Ministries building hosts Coffee House night, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., where people can come to study, use the free wifi, or just hang out.