Skip to main content

November Update!

 


November is my favorite month. I am excited for the leaves to change and for the weather to get colder. Students are counting down the days till they can go home for Thanksgiving break. I cannot believe there are 5 weeks left of the semester. Pray for our students as they prepare for tests. Anyways, let’s get this show going. 

Ministry has taken a while this semester to settle for me. I am leading a small group at UTA and helping with TCC. I felt like the first two months were full of meeting people then October hit and I was left wondering how one person can hang out with all the people I’ve met. God has been bringing such neat people into my life this semester. My small group at UTA is going well. Our group consists of some ladies who are in their second or third year in our ministry mixed with new girls. So, our veteran members have been taking initiative to include the new ones. Sam and I have been thoughtful in considering what topics to talk about. There is an opportunity in our group to dive deeper because of the students we have. I am being challenged to pray and consider what does discipleship look like when you’ve been around the ministry for a long time. A question that has been in my mind is: What does it look like to still be discipled when you are not actively leading?




This semester, I have been so lucky to help with the TCC start up. God has been so evident at TCC this semester. Both at Southeast & Northeast campuses, FOCUS is officially a student organization. We have been able to advertise and attend different events to get our name out there. I have been blown away at the commitment our staff has had in reaching out on those different campuses. At the Southeast campus, FOCUS is one of the only organizations on campus providing community. Three of the TCC students from this campus came to our UTA Halloween party. 


At Northeast, there has been a consistent group of four students coming until very recently. We attended a fall festival and were able to get our name out. Our staff passed out candy and casted the vision to anyone who would listen to what FOCUS is wanting to do. The following week five new students attended the small group we held on campus. That was just from standing at a booth!! Be praying for these new FOCUS plants. Pray that students will make space in their schedule for the TCC core (we are meeting in the middle of the day since many students are working and have complicated schedules). 




TCC has been sweet to be able to see grow. I have helped some at the Northeast campus, and have found those first few faithful people so special. As a group, we went to the Ft.Worth zoo because one of the students works there. They had free tickets and decided giving them to us. It’s these early memories that blow me away. How does God draw in certain people when something is starting out? FOCUS at TCC is not glamorous. We just recently got a room. Yet, I see God in that. I see God in how people decide to come along early on. At the most recent small group, students were saying they were excited to be a part of something to grow their faith. Pray for these students and that they will come to know God better through these friendships and times spent together. 



Lastly, 

So as many of you guys are aware, our pastors raise support, but it takes so much more than that for us to do ministry! There is outreach supplies and activities, administrative support, we are currently planting new campuses like TCC, and then also health and retirement benefits! So we are kicking off our Keep FOCUS Growing fundraiser. This is an annual fundraiser that is focused on being around for the long haul and expanding our reach as a ministry. Some of our generous donors have banded together and agree to match up to $50,000 in total donations during this campaign! So if we receive a total of $50,000, they will donate an additional $50,000! If you are thinking about giving the first day to do that will be November 30th! This is also known as giving Tuesday! The best way to give will be through Facebook, and the various KFG fundraisers that we will be sharing, also a check with KFG in the memo button, or you could give a one time donation to anyfocus.churchcenter.com (where you set up recurring giving) and there is an option for Keep FOCUS growing 2021! Thank you guys so much for already being so generous in supporting me as a pastor, and thinking through this additional opportunity! 






Thank you so much for your support of this ministry. 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

August Update!

  This update is full of prayer requests and news! Let’s get started.  I just got back from our summer staff retreat with our entire staff team. One of the key parts I want to underline is: we have not had our entire staff together on a retreat since my apprentice year. Our staff has boomed in size because we are taking on nineteen apprentices this year. Nineteen. It’s exciting to experience a surge of new people and to see our team grow. I had a strange moment during the retreat where I realized some of these apprentices were students when I started back in 2018. Now, I get to partner with them in reaching our campuses this fall. I guess that’s what happens the longer you work at a place.  One of the most exciting updates I have is that we will be pioneering five new campuses this fall. Each team is focusing on a different campus. One thing that has blown me away during my time in FOCUS is how the Lord has worked on community college campuses. I remember visiting a Colli...
1 comment
Read more

May Update!!

Greetings! Hello team. I have delayed writing this update. I believe that is because anytime I sat to write, a wave of nostalgia and grief came over me. My time with FOCUS has been the vehicle of all my favorite things about my life. It was my first job out of college. FOCUS is where I was raised up into a mature leader through multiple opportunities like seminary classes and many books. I met my husband and had a baby while doing this ministry. I have had the privilege of befriending and mentoring many students; some of whom have become pastors themselves.  These are just a few of the blessings I have lived while working with FOCUS. Your generosity and your care for college students made these beautiful things possible. I hope you see this transition as a celebration of life and ministry. Thank you for all your kind words and ways you guys have personally connected with me in this time. Thank you for seeing the college campus as something worth investing in for the kingdom.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

April Update!

Our 2024-2025 UTA Leader Team!!! We have five more weeks to go!  March flew by. Did it for you? This past month was jam packed with small groups, people getting discipled and many students making decisions to follow Jesus more closely. This is the time of year where the rubber meets the road for many students. There's just something in the air. People know they have little time left before summer. It's the perfect time to encourage someone, or challenge them. I know for myself and all my other pastors, we are in the thick of those conversations. Be praying that students make decisions that will help them walk more closely with Christ. Pray that the summer won't rob these students of what they've learned this year in ministry.  I want to start by saying thank you for supporting me in campus missions. I wanted to share a big life update with you all. At the end of May, I’ll be transitioning off FOCUS staff. This decision has come after a lot of prayer and thoughtful conve...
Post a Comment
Read more