Celebrating tre's 5th Birthday!!
We are officially into August, and we could not be more excited! At tre, we say that quite a bit…but this time the extra energy is tangible! Why? Because August marks tre Ministries’ 5th birthday! In August 2018, tre was officially established!
For this month’s blog, we sat down with tre’s CEO and founder, Sandy Berven, to talk all about 5 years! The journey, the milestone, looking back on all God has done, and looking forward to all that is coming!
tre Chapter One: A Vision + Open Doors
You likely hear and see it all the time on our social media and website (and in this blog just a few lines up!) — tre Ministries exists to be a community of belonging, purpose, and hope. Our mission is to empower and equip young adults to live out their God-given purpose…whether they know and love Jesus already, or whether they do not yet know Him!
What you may not know is where it all started: with one text. Well, one text sent to more than 65 people! An invitation to simply show up at a time and place to hear and dream about what could be…to be part of a vision that God placed on Sandy’s heart in creating a safe space for young adults to know Him and be in community with one another.
Sandy, a lot has changed since that day, at least outwardly. What’s remained the same throughout it all?
It may sound cheesy, but I’m just going to say it because it’s true. The young adults. It’s belonging, purpose, and hope. Everybody that walks through the door is looking for those things. It’s a never ending need in us to crave them. We know those come from Jesus Christ, and we all go through stages where we need one or more of those all the time.
Since that first day, we have seen thousands of young adults walk through our doors, and it is only just beginning! (To see more about tre’s introduction to the community, check out this video!)
tre Chapter Two: By Young Adults, For Young Adults
In the walls of tre Lounge on 33rd Street, in the context of a coffee shop, a movement started and a community was being formed. Bible studies, bingo and open mic nights, hangouts, study groups, trivia…all ideas were on the table! Young adults rallied together and created space for one another to ask questions, to be challenged, and to grow together. And the impact went both ways: while tre impacted young adults, young adults also impacted and shaped tre.
But the beginning also brought its own challenges. What tre was becoming was hard to define, since it was not affiliated with one specific church or nonprofit. A principal value since the start was to partner across denominational lines and with multiple organizations to pursue unity in the body of Christ and to work together to see the kingdom of God grow. Though tre was faced with many doubts along the way, one thing was clear: the need for community was real, and young adults were absolutely bought in:
For 2 years, there wasn’t an employee of tre. The people that cared about tre showed up — staffed [the front desk and ministry], kept it open, believed in it…and they were all young people. tre has been built from something believed in by young adults…It was fun to see! It’s always been a space that they get to use how they want to use it, and it’s not about the location or the facility, it’s really about the passion of the young adults.
tre Chapter Three: Clarity + Pursuing God’s Call
Fast forward to 2020 and a move to 11th Street, it is amazing to think back to what tre once was — an idea, a decision, a faith step, and a commitment and continual “yes” by so many.
When people go into ministry, there are so many struggles you just don’t know about…I think back to that first day I said yes to tre in a parking lot in Fargo, North Dakota outside of Wells Fargo… and then that next day going “Oh my gosh, this is it.” The challenging and the exciting part is continuing the process, growth, and the experience of what you said yes to 5 years ago!
Five years has brought with it testimonies, expansions, full-time staff, a wide array of programs, and a continued challenged to narrow in on who and what tre Ministries is. This season, we have been amazed to see the amount of young adults reach out, bring friends, and be open to call and direct message us on social media looking for community! The overwhelming sense we have as a staff is that true and genuine community is being craved by this generation. Anxiety and fear are prevalent in every facet of life, but there is a renewed boldness and courage to step into the vision God laid before us 5 years ago. Belonging, purpose, and hope is just as relevant now as it was then.
tre Chapter Four: An Ongoing Pursuit
What are you sensing in Young Adults, and how can we pray for them?
My prayer for these young adults is for their excitement! I can feel their excitement of a change, almost like when spring comes and everyone is getting a little jazzed about what’s happening. You start feeling that now — whether it’s from going off to college, moving off to grad school, or there are weddings and babies — there is all of this stuff happening, so you see a lot of excitement! Pray for continued excitement for young adults to find the community they are looking for, and to get back to whatever community they feel they can settle into. Continue to pray for all of the anxiety and all of the stress in young adults’ lives, but really pray for the excitement. That they can continue to step into the joy that He has for us.
Through each part of tre Ministries’ journey, God’s faithfulness has been abundantly clear. And while we have said it before, we’ll say it again…we are so excited to continue sharing God’s call and direction for tre Ministries! If you’ve been around tre long enough, you know things can change pretty frequently. And we are honored to say even greater things are coming!
As always, we are so grateful for your support of tre over the years. Whether you have given your time over the years, you’ve given financially or you have supported the mission through prayer and genuine love for young adults — this community is better for it. Thank you for your role in cultivating belonging, purpose, and hope in generations to come. If you are interested in supporting this mission financially, donate here!
Here’s to the next 5 years, and all that it will bring!
Blessings ONYA!
