As a 2024 TBP Fellow, Shayla's experience with TBP has invigorated her work in college campus-ministry.
Shayla Trotter lives in North Texas and has a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies with concentrations in Theatre, History, and Anthropology. She's passionate about college ministry and has been working as a campus missionary for 8 years.
Q: How would you describe the TBP experience?
A: I would describe the Truth & Beauty Project as spiritually nurturing and maturing, intellectually nurturing and maturing, extravagantly generous, experiencing bits of heaven on earth, unbelievably hospitable. Very active and fun, as well!
Q: What is your FIAT project?
A: I titled my FIAT project as “La Grazia Vita” or “The Grace Life.” It addresses the challenge of earthly wisdom that many are captivated by and living out of (myself included at times), especially college students. The kind of earthly wisdom that produces unprecedented rates of anxiety. The social atmosphere of a college campus can be cruelly punitive.
Now, I am certain I don’t have God’s grace fully internalized, I don’t think I’ll ever be an expert! However, I’ve experienced enough of God’s life-changing grace that I cannot keep it for myself. My goal and challenge is to live out of a place of adoption, free of condemnation, and to be made new by repentance because of receiving God’s grace. I believe living out of this place as initiated by the Spirit will pour into the ministry God has placed me in. I meet weekly with several college girls for mentorship, guidance, friendship, reading scripture, and my prayer for them is that they will be changed by God’s grace. What excites me most about it is the unlimited potential for that kind of internalization for young people and for them to light up the secular college campus with His grace.
What excites me most about [the FIAT Project] is the unlimited potential for that kind of internalization for young people and for them to light up the secular college campus with His grace.
Q: What's a particular moment or story from your TBP Immersion you will never forget?
A: One day, John taught us our morning lesson under the shade of the Vatican Colonnade. While there, and learning from John, I couldn’t help but reflect on the historical nature of the architecture and the people spending time near or under the colonnade. John explained to us that these columns, designed by Bernini, have lasted almost 400 years. The columns were meant to communicate the Lord’s arms embracing His people. The fact we were getting to experience the multifaceted purpose of this architecture was incredible to me! Not was our group experiencing this, but the poor as well - benefitting from the shade and stability and beauty. I shared this thought with Ashley later, and she mentioned the common criticism of the cost of building such grand structures and why not just give that money to the poor? She wasn’t sharing her own opinion. Then I shared “Jesus says the poor will always be with us, and have they not benefited from the shade and stability for 400 years? More so than handouts that run out?” And then Ashley shared “Exactly. Does beauty not also belong to the poor?”
Q: In your opinion, why is TBP important for the culture?
A: While culture isn’t inherently bad, it also is not inherently good. Culture is inherently syncretistic and powerful. Therefore culture is confusing and often dictates what is accepted as“ truth.” Many of those “truths” are lies, especially those having to do with historical Christianity. I think TBP is important for the culture because it offers a unique and loving route to discover Christ in a new way, and by virtue of Christ, reality. Not a competing reality, but reality itself. In discovering Christ in a new and real and mature way, our minds are renewed and transformed, and there we are agents of renewal in the culture for the sake of Christ’s love for creation.
Comments