The Semester is in Full Swing- Exciting Welcome Week Updates
Thank you guys all for your prayers this past month. God has really showed up in some amazing ways on both of our campuses!
We had such amazing welcome weeks and met more students than we ever have in weeks past! Something as simple as inviting students to play Uno in front of the dining commons had us meeting so many students. And what’s more is that we all have a felt a shift in the culture on campus- going from students being closed off or not interested in making friends, to SO many students being open to hangout, talk and make new friendships. I can’t help but think that this comes from a hard year of COVID and so many people being lonely and isolated. And even though I wouldn’t have ever wished for COVID, it is so amazing to see how God can make something beautiful even in the worst of times.
I wish I could tell you about every event and student we met these past couple of weeks but instead I will just cover a few highlights!
At SMU, I have felt most encouraged by the amazing group of leaders we have this year. They have worked so hard, putting in so many hours and energy, to meet students at our events and make them feel loved and establishing friendships with them. They also have worked hard to not just meet students at events, but in their classes, in the dinning halls and in their dorms and invited those students into our community! I find this so exciting not just for campus ministry, but also because I see God using these same students to go out into our world after college and be ministers wherever God calls them.
At at our first Thursday Night Fellowship at SMU, we had so many students that we ran out of seats! Although this seems like it might have presented some stress, it was such a cool problem to have and one that is so encouraging. After these past few years of trying to build a community at SMU FOCUS, it was so exciting to see just how many students God is bringing in.
The last thing about SMU I wanted to share is that we have had more pre-Christians (students who are not yet Christians but interested in learning and being a part of our community) coming to our events and Cores (small groups) than we ever have in years past! We keep hearing things like, “Christianity is new to me, but I have felt welcomed and loved here and want to learn more.” Praise God!
I can’t wait to see how God what more God will do this year at SMU. I believe He has big things in store!
What’s more is that at our first core at TWU Dallas, we had 24 girls come! That is more than we have ever had before! And it wasn’t just about quantity, we had a “share your story” prompt where girls got to share different elements of life growing up and life events that have shaped them and our girls were so vulnerable and real, right from the start. I was very aware that God’s Spirit was moving powerfully in those girls and it made me so excited for what God will continue to do.
God has done some amazing things, but this is only the beginning! I would love your partnership in prayers with a few specific things:
Pray that our student leaders would remain rooted in God first and be given the Spirit’s strength and wisdom.
Pray that our Pre-Christian students would experience Jesus and accept Him as their Savior!
Pray that we would faithfully love and show Jesus to all the students God has entrusted us with, in the Lord’s strength!
Pray for safety and good health for all our staff and students and those they interact with.
Thank you all again for your constant support. God is creating beautiful things on our campuses, and I am so grateful you guys are a part of it with me!
Comments
Post a Comment