It's Not a Weekend, It's a Way of Life

In early March, amidst the vibrant atmosphere of South by Southwest (SXSW), Steiger’s North America Team threw themselves into the heartbeat of the festival. Their mission: to infuse the bleeding-edge energy of music, technology, and films with a message of hope and redemption through Jesus Christ.

A restaurant called Stubbs, nestled in the heart of Austin, became their headquarters for teaching, learning, going out from and then later returning to debrief.

The Steiger team members taught local Austinians about creative evangelism–a means of getting people to open up and initiate actual conversations, rather than just yelling at them or boring them with a dry presentation. Then after some briefing, the teams dispersed into the crowds of 300,000 people, armed not with pamphlets, but with creative evangelism tools. They returned, not just with stories, but with a renewed sense of purpose.

“I’m so encouraged,” said one participant. “I feel like I can talk to people at my workspace in a different way now, I have more courage and boldness now. It’s just a little courageous step to initiate a conversation or pray for someone.”

One group of two young men had a conversation with a woman who was so ready to hear the gospel. As soon as they began sharing the basic story of Jesus suffering and dying for her, her eyes welled up with tears and she thanked them for this simple but powerful reminder.

For Filipe, the experience was transformative. Witnessing 75 believers step out of their comfort zones and embrace discomfort all weekend for the sake of connection, fueled his spirit.

Steiger plans to return to the event next year, hopefully with an even stronger presence, maybe even bringing in No Longer Music to perform. 

It wasn't just about the festival; it was about catalyzing a lifestyle that would extend far beyond the weekend. Many of the local folks who had gone out with them set up times to get together with people they had met during the festival in the following days and weeks, after the Steiger Team had left. They realized this is not a one-time event, but an ongoing way of living, and will carry that energy far beyond the SXSW festival.

Pray that God continues opening up doors for us in this city, and keeps the fires burning that were lit in this weekend’s participants.