going deep

this last friday i had a blast with four students who came down to lincoln from columbus.   chris (the other intern who i work with on my team) had invited them to come down to see jeremy camp in concert, so we were provided with a fun opportunity to hang out with these all-star students who help lead the crusade group at columbus community college. 

maintaining a healthy ministry at a two-year school, where there is a high turnover rate in student leadership and often times more of commuter feel to campus than a community feel, can definitely be a challenge.  the students at columbus have accepted this challenge and have been moving forward all semester in steps of faith.  every weekly meeting new students come, and their group has grown to over 30 students!  many of them are planning to come to our christmas conference over break this winter.  that is definitely God at work.  these students are continually finding new ways to reach out and communicate the Gospel on their campus.  it is such an encouragement to see God at work, not just in the number of students involved, but in the personal lives of the four students who visited –skip, mike, kim, and jodi.  (skip and jodi are pictured above with me and chris)

i got a chance to really connect with kim and jodi, whose hearts for the Lord are so apparent.  they have different spiritual journeys and family backgrounds, but both testify to their need and love for our Savior.  working with 23 different campuses, my scope can seem too wide to be able to go deep with the girls who i work with.  but God is so faithful in that He knows i crave to be able to connect beyond the surface in relationships.  He knows because He created me that way!  I am so thankful for jodi and kim’s willingness to share with me who they are.  and i guarantee you that’s why the movement at columbus is growing.  with leaders who are willing to be vulnerable so that they can share who God is and what He has done in their lives, it’s hard to imagine how growth wouldn’t happen.

a month into ministry

it’s hard to believe that just over a month ago, i was raising the last of my support, anxious to come on staff with Campus Crusade.  i have learned so much in these last weeks in the context of full-time ministry, and i doubt it’s going to slow down anytime soon.  i work on a team of four who travel the state of Nebraska working with students on 23 campuses to spread the Gospel.  every day and every week looks different, but there has yet to be a day where i haven’t seen God at work.

at Columbus Community College there is a solid group of over 20 students who meet together and share the same vision of reaching their entire campus for Christ.  God is definitely moving at Wayne State College; there have been new believers in the last month, and upperclassmen are stepping up into spiritual leadership roles.  i have been absolutely blessed to meet with two girls at Concordia College in Seward and see their hearts for their Lord and their common desire to see fellow students experience Him.  the women’s ministry at Midland in Fremont is absolutely thriving with some stellar student leaders heading it up.  and new movements have been started on five campuses since the start of the school year.

there is so much to do, and the laborers are few.  i am humbled that God lets me in on what He’s doing in college students’ lives all over the state, and i pray His power is made perfect in my weakness.  if there’s anything i’ve learned at the beginning of this year of ministry, it’s to believe God can do immeasurably more than i can ask or imagine, and i need to expect Him to be at work long before i show up.