By Emily Crutcher
It has been described as a turn-key event for your women’s ministry and it’s coming to a Bryan College Station church on Oct. 5. The Unknown Tour, produced by Lauren Lucille Vasser, is a powerful and fun time, packed with worship, comedy, music, and three speakers who get real about what it means to choose faith over fear with practical applications.
Fear is a true struggle. It comes in many forms and haunts us when we feel vulnerable. Vasser, a College Station native, puts her years of experience working in New York City — where she starred as a professional equity musical theater actress in tours such as Pippi Longstocking and Babes in Toyland — to use now in promoting the Gospel.
“I could go audition for Broadway, but right now God is calling me to a different stage,” Vasser says. “People are in the thick of life and while it’s beautiful, it’s not easy and I have the gift [of] lighting a fire under people. … I’m a motivator.”
Being a College Station native has definitely played a significant role in Vasser’s life. “I love College Station,” she says. “I’ve gotten to live [all over the U.S.] in my adult life and the culture of College Station and Aggieland is just home for my heart. College Station is all about community and the importance of family.”
That sense of community has led to her call to help other women by building community and ministering to their hearts.
“I love the verse in Proverbs 27:17 that says, ‘Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another,’” Vasser says. “Sharpening each other and encouraging each other by activating our feet and walking toward the calling of God and not living in fear is what this conference is about. ... We’re not alone; other people struggle with fear. The more we bring things to the light, the less the enemy can use our insecurities against us.”
This event can bring peace and joy that is missed in the busyness in life. It begins with much needed laughs by comedians Shonda and Rhonda who are straight out of the ’80s. It is then followed with worship led by the talented Jordan Danielle, followed by three sessions of Spirit-led speakers Britni Bryan, Michelle Discavage, and Vasser.
“I’ve personally battled deep-seeded fear and spent a lot of energy on that fear instead of relying on God,” Vasser explains. “This, along with my heart for helping women and my gift for performance, inspired this tour, which I am so excited to bring to the women of Texas this fall.”
This roughly two-and-a-half-hour event will contain three sessions. In the first session, Unpacking for the Unknown, Bryan will speak on the essentials we need to pack for the journey through the unknown in our lives. With our lives being slammed with the unexpected each day, this session will help women be able to hit the stop button on panic and discern how to bring peace to unplanned situations in life.
Session two, led by Discavage, will speak on trusting God as we wait for His promises. Vasser closes the night in session three with tips on how to choose faith over fear.
This time of fun, praise, and community is hosted by A&M Church of Christ at a retreat center in Round Top on Oct. 5. The tour will also be in seven Texas cities this fall.
The tour partners with Compassion International, and there will be booths set up for you to sponsor a child if interested. To attend a local event, contact A&M Church of Christ at (979) 693-0400. To see the promo video or more information on how to bring the tour to your own church, visit www.theunknowntour.org.
