The Moment with God Movement Pushing Through Miami-Dade
If you’ve been at MLEC as of late, you’ve likely seen the ring of students who gather in front of the Media Center during lunch. These students, though it may not be obvious at first glance, are part of a movement that began right here on our campus – Moment with God.
Moment with God started off as a small group chat titled “Iron Sharpens Iron,” created with the purpose of providing an open space to encourage engagement in the Christian faith. Senior Adam Anaya was the proud creator of the chat, and he was baffled when the close-knit circle of friends grew into a discussion featuring over 80 members.
The staggering growth led the students to start meeting in person, gathering during lunch and school sanctioned events in prayer circles. It was after one of these conversations that Adam began speaking with freshman Kristopher Guzman about expanding the discussion.
“In November, Kristopher Guzman and I were talking late one night about how our conversations were limited to school. That same night, we decided to create an Instagram account called Moment With God so we could reach people beyond campus. We each posted our first video that night and offered the login to anyone who wanted to share their faith,” said Adam.
The movement focuses on nurturing existing faith, but welcomes curiosity with open arms. The movement’s motto is “God wants a moment with you far more than you want a moment with Him,” a statement that expresses the short moments of reflection that are provided through the movement’s Instagram reel posts.
Though it began at school, the movement is intentionally disconnected from any school organizations. Staying informal has allowed the members of this movement to have open conversation not limited by school regulations. It differs from school organizations such as First Priority, which is a nationwide organization that establishes Christian clubs in schools, in this informality.
“While organizations like First Priority focus on structured evangelism and discipleship in schools, Moment with God creates space to reflect on life’s ideas through a Christ-like perspective by helping people encounter faith not just as a belief, but as a lived moment with God,” said Kristopher.
The co-founders of the movement reflect positively on its local impact, noting that it has allowed students to feel more comfortable in the discussion of faith and built a community that fosters respectful conversation amongst diverse groups of people.
“I think that’s healthy for them, I don’t see a problem with it. They’re allowed to worship their God the way they want to. As long as it’s organized and not, like, disruptive, it should be allowed. It’s just people gathering to talk,” said senior Shemar Alcindor, a student at MAST@FIU.
Despite its origins, the movement has begun reaching students beyond the walls of MLEC. Students in schools such as Barbara Goleman Senior High School have started to take notice, commenting positively on the accounts’ reels.
“I first heard about the movement when I saw my old classmate Kristopher post about it telling us to interact with it. I really liked their whole objective and purpose for starting the page, and everything that they stood for, so I began following them, watching, and liking their videos,” said Ashley Melendez, a sophomore at Barbara Goleman.
The resounding impact is a testament to the perseverance and ingenuity of MLEC’s jaguars. No matter where your own beliefs lie, the movement’s ability to mobilize conversation through in-person discussion and online promotion is one that all groups can admire.
