Austin's FOCUS Ministry Blog

  3 new apprentices and one other new teammate,a pastor who transferred from another campus, is joining our pastoral team at UTA this year. The apprentices will spend all year growing in their knowledge of scripture as they engage in seminary level courses and class discussions, while also being apprenticed by our older staff, myself included, on how to pastor college students well. I'm so excited to see what God will do through them and I'm so honored to be on the team with such godly. wise, and loving copastors. Please pray that Jesus will be made known this year through these campus missionaries. UTA starts their Maverick Stampede (Welcome Week) this Thursday. New college students will come pouring onto campus and we will be there to welcome them, befriend them, and invite them into a christ centered community where they will learn more about Jesus and be invited to grow in their discipleship to him. I was one of those students, and I'm so grateful that God had students ...

This month has been full of encouragements, starting with another one of our young college guys deciding to get baptized! Garrett Hinote was on our worship team last year and will be serving as one of our core facilitators this year. I was so excited to see him wanting to take this step, declaring Jesus is Lord in front of all his friends and family after church. I'm confident that this is only the beginning of Garrett's walking in step with the spirit. Another point of encouragement is our weekly summer FOCUS services on Thursday. Here's a glimpse of  worship from the ground level.  I hope it encourages you to know that this was actually taken two songs AFTER the intended closing song of the set. The students just wanted the time of worship to keep going and the band obliged. Here's a screenshot if you don't have time to watch the whole video. That same night I had the pleasure of being invited to preach the sermon for all the students that were gathered. My one po...