Skip to main content

God Writes New Chapters

Hey there! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post. I pray that you find it to be encouraging as you read about what God has been doing in the lives of college students all across DFW.
Some of the guys from UT Arlington throwing a birthday party for their new friend Chris.
Over the summer I continue to get to meet with students, study scripture, and spend time enjoying fellowship. Every week we have summer focus where the students come, connect with one another, listen to a sermon together, and worship God together. And after each Thursday Night Fellowship usually we go do something fun and sweet together like the birthday party above. Chris is a guy who is new to our ministry, the rest of these guys have done a great job being his friend, welcoming him in, and making him feel special. Chris' gratitude for his new friendships is so evident when he speaks. Thank you for providing a place for young men to experience friendships like these.
The journals of one of our student leaders Colton Benge
I saw these journals pictured above while I was visiting the apartment of one of our student leaders Colton Benge. The way he had titled the journals caught my eye. It is finished, life in the body, and send me. I asked him why he had titled his journals this way and his response really encouraged me. He said "Each one of those journals is from one of my years in focus. And each one of those journals is titled off something that I believe God was teaching me during each one of those years. So, with the It is Finished I felt like God was teaching me about his grace and how I don't have to work for his love for me, the second one is life in the body, that year I felt like God was really teaching me about the importance of Christian Community and how we all really need one another. And the last one is Send Me, this year God has been teaching me that I am a sent person and I need to make him known everywhere I go."

I was so encouraged by his response that I asked him if I could share that with all of you. Isn't it wonderful that God has been teaching Colton these truths? Isn't it wonderful that he is willing to teach us also if we will just listen? I love that God writes new chapters in our lives. I know that I have yet to fully figure out what it is like to be like Christ in every way. But I love that there are more journals to fill and that God is faithful to fill them.

Prayer Requests
  • I'm about 78% of the way to my fundraising goal for this year. I'm still looking to raise $600 more a month. Would you please pray with me for the rest of this fundraising season? And if you would please also prayerfully consider if there is anyone that you know that might be interested in hearing from me about God's work through Focus?
  • We are selecting our student leader team for this next year. Would you please pray for wisdom for the staff in making those decisions?
Thank you as always for your love and support! Don't forget to read the student testimony below!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SICM, Staff Retreat, and Start of the Semester

 Hello friends and partners in ministry, The summer is over! We are back into the full swing of things, and I got to tell you. God is good and I am so excited for what is to come in just the next few weeks of campus ministry. This last week we got to have our staff retreat in Bridgeport, Texas. The goal of staff retreat is to collectively as a team of ministers recenter ourselves on Jesus and his work in the world, reflect on why we do what we do, and spend time together relationally. Pictured below is our UTA Campus Missionary Team for 2021-2022.  From left to right we have Jalen, Graham, Myself, Bailey, Emily, Sophie, Taylor, Emily, and Sarah. Myself, Jalen, Taylor, Emily, and Sarah are our returning campus ministers, while Sophie, Graham, Emily, and Bailey are our apprentices for this school year. If you don't know what an apprentice is, these are recent graduates from the ministry who are either interested in vocational ministry long term or just want to spend a year learning a

You're Invited to Spring Showcase '21

 One of the most fun and important events that we get to put on each year is Spring Showcase. Spring Showcase is our annual fundraiser for developing future leaders in our ministry. All proceeds go to sending our students to a week long ministry training conference called SICM (Student Institute of Campus Ministry). All week the students are engaged in classes where they learn how to be effective ministers for Jesus to the peers that they meet every day on campus,and every year college students leave the conference fired up to go make disciples of Jesus on the college campus.  So to support this amazing cause we bring together an eclectic gathering of immense talent from all around the DFW metroplex to perform a variety show that we call Spring Showcase. This year showcase is entirely virtual. AND also for the first time ever, showcase is name your own price. So if you want to contribute to a great cause and listen to incredible vocalists, singer songwriters, and world famous mentalist

End of an Era (Tons of Pictures)

 The school year will officially be over in just a few weeks and with that comes the end of an era. Our leader team will be different next year, and several of our seniors are graduating but God has always been faithful to us and he always will be. Pictured above is our UTA Leader Team. I am so proud of each of them. After 2 years of a pandemic these students volunteered this year to befriend their peers and commit to making Jesus known on the college campus and I have loved getting to work alongside them. Every week these students led small group bible discussions with the people in their core, and studied the bible one on one with those same people, and met with campus pastors weekly to receive coaching, feedback, and encouragement. It is a large commitment to be a corefa. But God is so good to bring us these students who are not only willing, but who are excited to get to have the opportunity. So much of what God is able to do in our community is through these students who have step