Ever since training camp, there was something different about this group of people. When we came together for the first time in Georgia and we started to mesh as a group, we instantly began taking on our own identity. Along with the culture AIM has already fostered with the people who work with them, we started to form our own culture as well. It is a culture of freedom, joy, and seeking God in everything we do. I like to call it “Kingdom Culture”.
Now in this culture, like most cultures, we have developed some of our own slang words and phrases that help us identify with others in this culture. Some are serious, and some not so serious, but I would like to share a little bit of our kingdom-speak with you all!
To speak out / over – Basically, this is used in the context of how our words have power over our identity and our situation.
Ex: “Guys, I look like a dirty gnome today after our 30 hour bus ride.”
“Uh-uh girl! Don’t speak that over yourself. You are a beautiful child of God!”
Rebuke – Sort of like to negate something someone speaks out
Ex: “What if our bus falls off a mountain while we are driving to Ecuador”
“No, honey! I rebuke that!”
Let’s Go / Come On – An exhortation often said when God is moving in a big way. Sometimes said during sermons or messages when he/she is really on fire.
Ex: “Hey y’all. Our Uber driver accepted Christ today!”
“Let’s go! That’s amazing!”
Funky Fresh – Feeling good or refreshed
Ex: (After a meal after a long day of ministry) “Is everybody feeling funky fresh?”
“Yeah, girl! Let’s go!”
Steward – To take care of the gifts and blessings God has given us. Can be physical or spiritual
Ex: “In order to be good stewards, we ask that you turn off the water while you are lathering up in the shower”
“God has given you the gift of teaching, so in order to steward that gift well, don’t be afraid to get up and share your teachings with others! God has entrusted you with that gift, so use it wisely”
We livin that Holy Spirit life! – An encouraging phrase when we are feeling down or low; a reminder that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us and because of that, we can overcome anything
Ex: “Hey guys, we need to be a little better at honoring our host, because we livin that Holy Spirit life, and we want to pour that out on our host, too!”
Freedom V – A phrase that explains how we have more freedom the higher or wider the V is, but if we abuse that freedom or, by our own convictions, want to limit our freedom as a personal discipline, the V becomes smaller and narrower
Ex: “Sometimes you have pretty wide freedom V, but if you are not being wise about using that freedom, we will tighten the V not because we are punishing you, but because we want to be stewards of the Kingdom of God, and we want to make sure that you are reflecting that in how you live”
System 1 / System 2 – This explains how we react to strenuous situations. System 1 is our gut reaction, and system 2 is what we do once we simmer down and think before we act on what we may be feeling. System 2 is how God calls us to react to stress and adversity.
Ex: “Ugh! That guy just took the last piece of bread and I didn’t get any! I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind!”
“Hey, you’re in system 1 right now. Take a step back and think before you do that. What’s your system 2 reaction?”
“He probably needs food, too, and there wasn’t enough bread for everyone anyway, so I’ll be fine without it. Thanks, Joan!”
Rude! – What we say when the enemy does mean things
Ex: 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” RUDE!
The Enemy – Another word for the devil, but it also encompasses spirits and demonic forces that could be at work
Ex: “When we were at Agua Panela, we could feel the enemy in those places. We saw people possessed by demons, people worshiping satan, and many people dressed promiscuously and consuming alcohol and drugs. But good thing we have Jesus, because He already defeated the enemy and all of his schemes in our lives, and we want to free others from those schemes, so that’s why we were there!”
Get that bread – Originally in reference to earning money, but has developed a broader definition over the past months, It can be getting literal bread (which we did a lot), receiving the Holy Spirit, or just getting anything that is good and joyful
Ex: (About to go play soccer with local kids) Let’s get that bread!
(About to eat breakfast in the bakery) Let’s get that bread!
(About to have a rocking night of worship) Let’s get that bread!
(Going to the ATM) Let’s get that bread!
Intercession – Praying for people as they go to do the Lord’s work, and praying for open hearts, open minds, and for the Holy Spirit to protect them
Ex: “Tonight, we are going to have intercession for our squad mates at Agua Panela. We pray that God protects them from the schemes of the enemy and that He prepares a way for them in that place”
Y’all – This one isn’t as specific to the World Race, it’s just that a lot of people say it here and it’s rubbing off on me! This is true of “Girl” and “Honey” as well.
Ex: “Y’all, I just had the sweetest encounter with Jesus in worship today”
“Girl, He is so good!”
“Honey, the Holy Spirit is so alive in you and it is beautiful!”
He gon’ find you! – What we say when people aren’t initially open to the gospel
Ex: “We heard the Lord tell us to walk up to a man in a coffee shop, but when we said hello, he did not acknowledge us and walked away. At first we felt discouraged, but then TT reminded us that Jesus has their number and he gon’ find them!”
Vision Casting – This is how we unify our vision for ministry. We explain our vision and give steps to achieve that vision
Ex: “So let me cast some vision for you guys. This month, we want to focus on taking risks for the kingdom, so we encourage you to take a risk twice a week to help achieve that goal”
There Here Path (THP) – A tool for vision casting. It establishes where you are now (here), the goal you want to achieve (There) and how you are going to achieve it (Path)
Ex: “This month, I want to invest in community. My there is to be a contributing member of the group and to be able to trust and rely on my teammates. Right now, I feel like a passive member of the group, to that is my here. My path will be having intentional conversations with a member of my team twice a week”
Ha! – An exhortation said during times of worship when you are just so overcome by how awesome and glorious God is
Ex: “God, you are so good and you love us so much, even though we don’t deserve it. You still love us. Ha! You are so powerful that though a ‘Ha’, you changed Abram to Abraham! HA!”
To me, these phrases are helping me to live out my faith. These definitions, even though some of them are silly, are how we express the love of the Father on a daily basis. It is through these exhortations of our lips that we glorify God every day we spend together, no matter where we are in the world. And the best part is, we get to invite people into it on a daily basis, too! This Kingdom Culture is not something that divides, us, but brings us together. Even though we may say things differently, we are still showing our love for God through them, and people can see that, and that’s an incredible community to be a part of.
