Looking Back
Thank YOU!
I can't believe the 2021-2022 School Year is about to end! I want to share some of the highlights from this semester. None of this would have been possible without your support for me and this ministry! Your prayers, encouragement, and support make my job possible. I am incredibly grateful to all of you!!
God has been so good and faithful this year after much uncertainty last year. I was curious to see what this year would look like after not being on campus last year, but I am left in awe of God and His power, goodness, faithfulness, and desire to make Himself known on the college campus!
CORE
My Core this year is tangible evidence of God's goodness. Each week, we would meet together to share about our weeks, study scripture, pray together, laugh a lot, and even play some Wordle :) The girls in my core were incredibly consistent, making it possible to build on a solid foundation and form lasting friendships. We did something called "Interwebs" each week, which assigned each girl in our core to meet with another girl for lunch, a walk, coffee, etc. This means that every girl in our core got purposeful time with another core member every week this school year! That was a game-changer!
FNF
This semester we did a series on the Ten Commandments. While this sounds like it would be so boring, it was actually incredibly life-giving! One of the major themes throughout all of the sermons is that the laws given are not the target for Christians. If you can think of someone that follows all of the laws in our country, (don't speed, don't murder, and you better not forget to pay your taxes!), you realize that person still isn't very impressive. God's laws aren't the end all be all, but they point to His heart! For example, the command to not lie points to God's desire for His people to live in the light and be community-builders. The command to not murder points to God's heart for His people! People are made in the image of God and should be treated as such. I had the opportunity to preach on the command to not take God's name in vain. I used this as an opportunity to research this command on a deeper level and BOY did God have a lot to teach me! You can listen to this sermon here. Let me know what you think!
FOJ
I had the opportunity to study the Bible individually with seven girls this year! Most of these studies were FOCUS's Focus On Jesus (FOJ) study that walks through the story of the Bible. This type of Bible study setting allows me to get to know the girls on a way deeper level. Outside of the seven girls that I got to lead, the two other student leaders in my core led several FOJs studies, which resulted in every girl in our core being mentored on a one-on-one level. Instead of me speaking on their behalf, here are a few things they had to say about FOJ:
Britni: FOJ has been such a blessing! I was new to the faith starting FOJ and hadn’t studied the Bible in depth before yet God has taught me so much! It’s been invaluable to have the opportunity to walk through God’s word with someone who was so intentional and cared about me growing into a disciple. I’m eternally grateful for the way FOJ has helped me know what it means to follow Jesus, grow in my faith and understanding of scripture and experience godly friendship and community.
Celeste: This is my first year to build a relationship with God and Lindsey made the Bible study very easy and comfortable; it was an open place to question our beliefs and be vulnerable. I started to feel connected with God after listening to Abraham's story, that we were here for a reason; God uses us in a unique way to show his amazing love. He is purposeful. Lindsey had created a pleasant environment for Bible study and it really helped me to crave God more; my view on God had a 180-degree change. I’m really thankful for this program. It is definitely God’s Holy Spirit working in me and this loving community.
Lindsey M: Growing up religious, I knew the basics of the bible and of what it meant in the life of a christian, but being able to delve into its meaning as an adult has been a learning experience i didn’t expect to have in college. I’ve had the chance to grow in my basic knowledge of passages from the old testament while also being challenged to think about biblical topics on a much deeper level.
I love these girls so much. The ironic thing is, I have learned way more from them this year than what they could have possibly learned from me!
TCU
Planting a campus ministry is hard work and requires a deep dependence on God. I am in awe of God and the doors He has opened on TCU's campus already! I've had the privilege to study the Bible with a girl named Lexi. We have formed a sweet friendship and I am looking forward to seeing how God uses Lexi to help build a FOCUS on this campus! She is learning a lot about what it means to follow Jesus and help others do the same. I've met several other girls through Lexi and am hoping to start a Core with them next fall! This year has only confirmed that God is calling us to build a ministry at TCU. Thankful doesn't even begin to describe the emotions I feel towards this opportunity!
Prayer Requests
-Please pray for our ministry this summer! Students will oftentimes struggle once they head in to summer because of the lack of structure. Please pray that God will help them keep up the momentum of spiritual growth that began this year!
-We have "Grad Retreat" coming up! I am putting on an event called Grad Retreat at the end of the month! This event is to help FOCUS graduates transition out of college! We will discuss things such as discipleship in the workplace, community post-grad, and how to plug into your church's adult ministry! Please pray that this event goes smoothly and that the students feel encouraged to take on this next season of life!
-We leave for SICM next week! SICM stands for Student Institute of Campus Ministry. This takes place in Bellingham, Washington, and is where we train our potential student leaders! Pray that our students will be fired up about campus ministry at SICM! I am hopeful that God will teach us all great things about ministry and loving people the way Jesus does!
-Praise God for another great year of ministry!! We had the same amount of people involved in cores this year as we did BEFORE the pandemic! I am so thankful that students on UTD's campus are making friends and learning about Jesus's great love for them!
Here are some pictures that capture all of the fun and life I got to experience doing ministry this year!
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| They surprised me with cookies to celebrate my birthday! |
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| Movie night at my place! |
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| Pizza Theology! We discussed what a right theology of the body might look like. |
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| These are the FOCUS Class of 2022 seniors after they "graduated" in a UTD Parking Lot after FNF |
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| We got to do so many fun things together as a core |
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| Celebrating Lauren's Birthday |
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| Yet another core picture :) |
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| This is my sweet Tania! She is about to graduate. I am so proud of her |
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| Hailey made me sign to cheer me on while I preached :) |
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