Skip to main content

The Making of Disciples (End of the School Year)

 

When I think about all that I want to praise God for this year. These two guys are near the top of the list. On the left is Sudeep, and on the right is Manny. I had the absolute pleasure and honor of getting to meet weekly one on one with both of these guys all school year to read the bible together and talk about what it means to live as followers of Jesus. Both of them have grown immensely to look more like Jesus over the course of that year. Both have made intentional decisions to live more wisely and lovingly as a result of their discipleship to Jesus. And both will be attending our upcoming leadership conference, the student institute of campus ministry where they will learn the skillsets they need to keep spreading the  the good news of Jesus Christ on their college campus. When I started campus ministry 10 years ago I prayed to God, "Lord if I could just be a part of helping one college student experience getting to know you, like you did for me through others in campus minstry, that would be enough for me." And these guys are just more and more of God's generous answer to that prayer. I have no doubt that within this next year both of these young men will go on to play a very similar role in someone else's life. Making and maturing disciples of Jesus for the glory of God.

Among the list of people I want to praise God for is my dear friend Sarah Worsham, the laughing/crying  woman in the middle of the picture. Sarah and I got to co-plant focus at UT Arlington starting 10 years ago and last week she had her last TNF at UTA. She's continuing with campus ministry in FOCUS, but at a different college campus in the fall. We invited our current students and several of our alumni to come and pray for her, and one of our other ministers also departing, Emily Spencer. Sarah delivered a powerful appeal to our students to carry on the work of laboring for the Lord today, in hopes that the fruit of that labor would be available for those who will be on this campus 10 years from now. There's no one I know more capable of delivering that message in earnestness as one who has run the race. I know that she will one day receive her prize. And I'm grateful to God for how He has used Sarah to shape me and this particular campus ministry over the last decade.
And lastly, I'm so grateful to God for my daughter Lucy! She's one of my greatest joys. But man oh man, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked at how quickly she's growing up. Starting Monday, she will be starting daycare with other kids as opposed to the babysitters in home we've been blessed enough for her to have up to this point. We think childcare will be really fun for her, but I'm still coming to terms that this is just one of many more moments to come where I won't be there with her as she faces the world. But God will be with her wherever she goes. And while I do my best, and people tell me I'm doing it well, he's an ever better father.

Thank you for supporting campus ministry and for helping me be here to make disciples of Jesus at UT Arlington for the last 10 years!

Before I posted this, one of our core facilitators, Vincent asked if he could make it into the blog. And because I am also grateful to God for him. Here is Vincent. He served God this year by leading his peers to know and love Jesus more. Thank you for your investment in him. Also check out the student testimony below.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

More Winter Retreat and Lucy Update!

  The fruit of winter retreat is evident! God really used that time to bond our guys together and point them more collectively towards following Jesus. Since winter retreat we have been able to identify several guys that we are excited to invite to be leaders next year in the ministry from Austen, to Josh, to Manny, to Chris (who's testimony is below) God is raising up young men who are eager to not only know Him but to share him with their peers. I couldn't be more grateful for you who helps to make that kind of heart transformation possible! One of our core groups, led by Ian and Crew has been in a particularly healthy place. These guys look forward to spending time together, reading God's word, praying for one another, and sharing their lives. Here they are hanging out an arcade together recently. But every week they are learning about Jesus together and growing as disciples! Speaking of Growing, Lucy is getting bigger. This photo above was from her first wedding recentl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Learning From the Wise

Dear Friends, Thank you for taking the time to read this ministry update. This winter season has been particularly encouraging and I am excited to tell you about what is coming up soon! The month of December began with a celebration. The school semester was coming to a close quickly so we threw our annual Focus Christmas party in the first week of the month. Talk about Christmas come early. The event was filled with sweet memories, worship, and funny skits put on by the various weekly core groups. Watching those skits is always a highlight of the year as everyone in the core often participates and everyone gets to see each others silly sides. A couple of guys at the UTA Focus Christmas Party. In the bottom picture, one of the roommates couldn't make the event so the rest of the guys thoughtfully chose to find a way to include him in the picture, no matter what.  Once the semester was over and the students went home for the holidays, I had a lot of time to read. Over the ...
2 comments
Read more

The Master Plan Of Evangelism

 In 1963 Robert Coleman published a book called The Master Plan of Evangelism. This book has, through the years, been to me one of the greatest encouragements as to why college ministry matters. In the book Coleman argues that the way that Jesus did evangelism was to call men simply to be with him, that they might observe his life, learn from him, and be sent out to be with others, that others might observe their lives and learn from them the things that Jesus had instructed. When I think about raising up leaders for college ministry I get so excited about this model. A campus missionary, who has walked with Jesus for a long while, inviting young, moldable, excited students to come and be with us a while, that we might continue to both model the love of Jesus, and instruct them in the ways to live according to Jesus. In hopes that in the next year they would meet multiple young, moldable, excited to students to come and be with them, that they might both model the love of Jesus, an...
Post a Comment
Read more