Fall is Here!

Hi guys! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog post for this month! 

I wanted to take some time to thank my donors for their generosity to allow me to do campus ministry full-time this year. I also appreciate all those who are praying for the ministry and the campus! Ministry and college studies are particularly challenging this year.

God has been hard at work this month! Let me catch y'all up (also, sorry for the lack of pictures this week guys). 


Core

With some of our guys being able to only join us for core every week online, my co-leader (James) and I decided to move our core completely online.  While I definitely preferred being in-person with a small group of guys this year, I don't mind being online if that means our guys are comfortable and safe! So far, we've been casting a vision for the guys what we want core to look like this year: a group of us that aim to be vulnerable and explore our faith together and build strong friendships along the way.  We also spent a couple weeks talking about God's character, how his love for his creation not only looks like his mercy and grace for us but also his just nature.  

Outreach

UTD's FOCUS ministry has a team dedicated to outreach. Rhett, Sarah, Lindsey, Andrea, and I make up that team and have been hard at work determining how to best reach those students we didn't meet at our welcome week events.  Right now, all that looks like is us going two-by-two and starting conversations with the students we meet on campus.  Honestly, I didn't think it would be very fruitful, but God has certainly proved me wrong.  Rhett and I met a couple guys one week, one of whom is a member of my core now and is studying the Bible with me! Praise God! Just a couple days ago, I went with a core member to do outreach and we met another guy who has been looking for friends since the semester started.  I can't wait to form a friendship with him.  Please be praying for him that God would open his heart to the love of Christ, and please pray for me and all the other folks he may meet in FOCUS that we could effectively show him Christ.

Worship Night and Deep Dive

Since we can't incorporate typical worship into our large group meetings this year since they're online, we've started doing our first monthly socially distanced in-person worship night.  It was a great time to get together as a community and worship God for his goodness and grace during this season.



In place of our typical large group in-person meetings, we've been taking a look at the Gospel of Mark every Friday online on Twitch.  Rhett has been leading these teaching times every week, and he has done a great job exposing us to scripture in a more detailed way than we're used to in a typical sermon.

Prayers

I would like to ask for continued prayers that God would continue to open the hearts of the students on the college campus to him and his love.  Also, please continue to pray for the FOCUS staff for wisdom and creativity to best reach out to and minister to the college campus this year!


Check out this month's student testimony!

In Christ,

Jacob :)

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