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Hello again, it’s time for your ministry update. 

I feel like I finally feel into the swing of everything in October. I have my bible studies in order. I figured out how to organize our Thursday service. We are good!

Ministry has been going well at UTA. I have been doing 5 studies: each with unique conversations to be had. I have been blessed to be able to enter into such different places in people’s walks. I have a girl who never read the Bible. Two other girls who are at pivotal spots in their faiths. Do they fully trust the Lord and give themselves over? I feel like that question is something we all have to ask ourselves… every day! Pray for these girls and that they will come face-to-face with Jesus. Pray for wisdom and discernment.   


I want to give an update for some girls I ministered to last year. In October, we had a leadership conference. This is where we invite students with leadership potential and listen to different speakers. Our conference was on creativity and innovation in the church which was very cool. This event is also a great opportunity to catch up with students across FOCUS’s many campuses. I had the pleasure of serving last year at UTD, so it was sweet seeing my people from last year. Emma and Jessica were two girls I spoke about a lot last year. They became dear friends of mine while we studied the Bible together. I got to see them at the conference! 


Emma has been leading a small group at UTD this year! I felt proud to hear of how she has grown since our time together. God has really been placing her out of comfort zone, but Emma has been leaning into the discomfort. I see this in how she is balancing her busy schedule and prioritizing ministry. Emma was always more controlled and quiet, but she has grown through leading her group and facilitating discussions. The thing I am most excited about is her studying the Bible with Jessica. 

Jessica is blooming into her faith. I can’t help but look back, praising what God has done in her. She was not interested originally in studying the Bible when I met her last fall. While she wasn’t against faith, she had no experience with God or why it even mattered. Jessica was at the leadership conference this year. It was sweet seeing her begin to catch a vision for ministry and creativity. What a blessing it is to see her interacting with the Lord! 




The last glimpse I wanted to give y’all was what outreach has looked like this year. Our setup is simple: we post ourselves in a high-trafficked area with thought provoking questions. We invite students to answer the question and discuss their responses. There are a lot of no’s, but I believe that was true of Jesus’s ministry. We are available for those who are seeking. I have been encouraged by the number of students who commit to help with outreach each week.





 Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership in ministry! 


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