Wrapping Up

     What the actual heck. I am in shock that it’s the last month of my apprenticeship with FOCUS. What a ride it’s been!

This was our LAST Thursday night together with our UTA community before students head home for the summer

     I wanted to start with sharing a post from social media that my friend, Sarah, posted to remind myself and each of you reading why college ministry is so uniquely valuable:

"My first year of college was sort of hard for me. I had a hard time making friends because of my introverted personality and looking for a church that was welcoming. I tried different churches around the area by myself and just couldn’t find the one I loved.

This year was different. The second week of school, I was walking to my room from work when this girl called me over to a booth that was set up and asked if i was interested in joining a campus ministry called FOCUS. I was hesitant but wrote my name on the list. Apparently, my roommate also saw the booth and wrote her name down that same day. Later, the girl we met at the booth invited both of us to a small group bible study called, core. Lizzy and I were unsure about it and said to each other that we would never go back if we didn’t like it. But here we are right now going to core and Deep Dive every week because we loved it! The people in FOCUS are amazing. They are so welcoming that they want to get to know you and want to be your friend. They are so kind, loving, and show how Christians are special...

Through this campus ministry, I have seen myself grow a lot. I’ve come out of my comfort zone to meet new people, invite people to join FOCUS, and also got to lead a bible study with my friend, Melina! I am so grateful for the girls in my core who encourage each other and love each other. Despite covid, we got to gather together to worship and learn about God, go on a trip to Oklahoma, And also do fun activities! We might not be in the same core next school year, but i know that we will continue to spread our loving energy to the new people we get to meet and i am so excited to see what God has planned for each one of us!"

This is Sarah and I celebrating our last FOJ one on one bible study!
She's so right to notice her growth this year!

A ministry that impacts people for Jesus like this wouldn't be possible without all of our supporters. The cause you’re giving to is one God is really working through and one he really cares about. We appreciate you!

     As I’ve written before in a previous post, I am staying on our UTA staff with FOCUS and will continue my role as a campus pastor there for the 2021-2022 school year (WOOHOO!), but I wanted to share some things I learned specifically in my apprenticeship year before solely looking ahead.

1. I can and should be assertive with others because Jesus was assertive.
2. My value is not in my performance- it’s okay to mess up and own up to my shortcomings.
3. The Bible is full of different genres and contextual elements that affect what it communicates to us about God and how we should respond to it.
4. God’s ability to move and work is not limited by my expectations (thank goodness).
5. People being displeased with me doesn’t necessarily mean God is displeased with me.
6. Jesus’ first concern isn’t what’s right or wrong, he’s primarily concerned with bringing LIFE. He’s not a moral police but a life-giver.

I hope maybe one or a couple of these things ministers to you! Feel free to comment, email, or text me if you want more details about any of those things...or ask how you can hear my sermon on May 27th where I'll talk about some of those lessons more in depth!

All of our apprentices this year with Ronnie!! He's a pastor in our family of churches and has spent weekly time pouring into us. Love him, love my apprentice friends.

Prayer requests:

• Over my fundraising! If you are interested in financially supporting me for this upcoming school year, please contact me! And whether or not you are able to contribute financially, if you could pray for me to reach my support goal, that’d be great!
• That I would finish well- taking advantage of last moments with students before they go home, being purposeful with the time I have left with my roommates (I get the keys to my new apartment May 31st!), and soaking up all I can from my last few classes.

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  That's my core! And that's a wrap!