A New Year is Here! Updates in Ministry and Hope for the New Year
Hello Everyone! I hope your new year has been off to a great start and you been able to enjoy the holidays with those you love!
I am excited to share about some of my ministry updates from December and also my hopes for this next semester!
At SMU and TWU Dallas, we finished ministry with most things being virtual (as SMU went completely online after Thanksgiving break and TWU Dallas students starting to go back home for break). But despite being virtual, our students remained faithfully engaged and God continued to be at work!
Some of the fun memories from December were the Christmas parties we had on zoom for both campuses. Although these looked different, we were determined to celebrate and make memories together! And so we got creative. At TWU Dallas, we assigned "secret Santa Christmas cards." Students were assigned to another student and sent them a DIY Christmas card with a riddle to help them guess who their secret "santa" was. Our TWU girls were so thoughtful and SO creative!! We had so much fun opening them and reading through clues to guess who our "santa" was! At SMU, we also had a virtual Christmas party that was complete with Christmas themed Skriblio and a "in-your-own-home" scavenger hunt!
Both parties were so much fun and it was sweet to be able to laugh and have fun together, even though we were physically distanced.
Here are some pictures of this past month together!
My SMU ladies making smores!
___________________________________________________________________
I think a theme I have seen this semester is that God can work, even in the least ideal of situations. Throughout this whole year, despite the obstacles placed in front of us for ministry and our daily lives, God has continued to work. And for our ministry at SMU and TWU Dallas, we have had a more successful semester in ministry than ever before. We have more students faithfully pursing God, deeply committed to friendships and Christ centered community and dedicated to look daily more like Jesus. If, that isn't good news for this season, I don't know what is!!
And as we close the chapter on this year, I took some time to reflect and offer thanksgiving on not only what God has done in ministry, but in my life. Through a new job, a new marriage and being blessed to help in a new church plant, God really has been so good, even through the many tears and hard times. I would invite you to reflect on this past year and how you have seen God at work in your life and those around you.
And I believe God will be faithful to continue to work this next year. Emmanuel means God with us, and God is with us as we enter this new year, no matter what may come with it. I have hope that God will continue to work in the lives of our students, and my vision is that our students will become even more in love with Jesus and fired up to be disciples for Him! I have this hope because I have seen Him already do it, and the character of our God is faithful to do it again!
Thank you for your support in bringing the message of hope in Jesus to our college campuses. It is one that is desperately needed and that is actively transforming lives. I pray that this hope would also transform and renew your relationship with Christ and you would draw you nearer to Him this year!
Love you all and stay safe!!
(also...here are a few extra pictures I wanted to share that I captured over the break if you want to look through them!)
Angie (my sister) and I!
A fish my Dad and I caught over Christmas!
Comments
Post a Comment