August Ministry Update #1

Dear ministry partners,
 
Hello and welcome to my blog!
As of August 1st, I have officially started my ministry apprenticeship. I pray these monthly updates are a sweet reminder of our partnership and your impact on Collin College students, and an encouragement of how God is working!
 
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests. I am so excited to have you on my team this year and it would be a blessing to pray for specific things in your life!
 
The Beginning 
 
On our first day, I and 18 others were licensed as campus ministers for the next 10 months. We made 8 commitments before God and a crowd of witnesses (including students we will be ministering to). It was a humbling and solemn reminder that I am working on the Lord's strength, not mine. 
 
If you would like to watch the ceremony, here is the link (it starts about 9 minutes in): https://fb.watch/7eHghiHk86/
 
If you would like to read our commitments, here is the program: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dumiCbiSyRjTZDYFzEnBsZlEN1QsDB0b/view
All 19 apprentices! Everyone is so fun and I know classes with them will be a blast :)
I'm living with 2 other apprentices this year: Siena and Claire. I love them bunches and I'm so thankful we can share these experiences!
Staff Retreat
 
After a brief orientation for the apprentices, the entire FOCUS staff (over 50 people from 9 DFW colleges) gathered at a camp in Bridgeport, TX for a few days. While overwhelming at first, I left with deeper relationships among my coworkers and a bolstered conviction to further God's Kingdom. I got to hear the testimonies of each person on the Collin team, and learned that the laughter that defines each of their personalities is a result of God transforming their lives. This realization fit well with our theme of the week, Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." 
All of our staff team on the retreat!
All of the Collin staff ladies (minus 1). The picture doesn't do their humor justice. 
SICM

Every year, FOCUS sends potential and returning leaders to a week-long leadership conference, Student Institute of Campus Ministry. (Some of you helped me raise funds to participate myself 3 years ago!) It's described as a "firehose of information" about the Scripture behind discipleship and the practical details of developing spiritual friendships and small groups. Usually, it is held in Washington state in May, but due to Covid we are holding it this week at Camp Eagle near San Antonio. I'm ecstatic about this change because it means 150 students will have discipleship fresh on their minds and hearts as they enter this school year. Usually, SICM includes contact evangelism at a nearby university, but this time that evangelism will happen directly where students live!
Our location for SICM this year! The heavens do indeed declare the glory of God. 
Up Next...
 
Us apprentices are diving further into the Old Testament next week, including reading whole books as a group and listening to lectures. After that, it's Welcome Week! This is the most pivotal time all year. Students are eager to make friends and more open than usual to invitations. With the loneliness of this past year, I think this time is more strategic than ever!! I will be mostly at the Central Park campus in McKinney, where student life has mostly died out due to online classes. By God's grace we will build a godly community from the ground up!
 
Thank you again for partnering with me to spread the Kingdom at Collin! I am deeply grateful for your generosity and hearts for Christ, both of which are already making an impact at Collin. 
 
In Christ,
Alex
Prayer Requests
  • For me and the rest of staff to die to ourselves and live by faith
  • For the students at SICM to learn how to be disciples who make disciples
  • For incoming students to have hearts open to God and friendship
  • For staff and students to have energy for Welcome Week and to listen to the Holy Spirit's prompting
  • For community building at the Central Park and Wylie campuses, both of which have little to no student life

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