This Story Touched My Heart

I have a special place in my heart for Richland College since it was the original birthplace of FOCUS when I was still in high school. That campus is still sending out new leaders to bless people in other places. This story is so sweet.

Invitation for UTD FOCUS Alumni

If you've ever been a student or worker in our UTD ministry, we are inviting you to join us for Friday Night Fellowship later this semester! Of course, any of our supporters are welcome to visit any time, but this is a good chance to see old friends and reconnect.

A Book to Check Out

Speaking of alumni, one of the young men I had the honor of mentoring while he was at UTD has written a short book sharing his testimony. Adam has become a son in the faith, and I'm so proud of the man he has become in Christ. His story here (some details of which I had never heard before) was a powerful reminder to me of why we do what we do on campus, of how we have the opportunity to intersect someone else's story--often a story we couldn't even imagine--and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. I know you would be encouraged if you have time to read it.

The Words of Jesus On Campus

Lastly, I want to tell you about a project we have bringing the words of Jesus to our campus. Yard signs have always been one of our most effective ways of communicating with the campus, so we decided to go a step further than using them to tell about our events and let Jesus' words speak directly to the campus. Stian, our newest pastor at UTD, designed these eye-catching signs--66 signs, each with a unique teaching from the Gospel of Matthew. Here are some examples.

Our goal is for students who may never go to a Christian event to get to consider the words of Jesus for themselves. And it has not been without some controversy! We put these out on 33 double-sided signs, and a week and a half later, only 12 remained. Others were thrown away, damaged, or simply disappeared.

 

While that might seem discouraging, we are actually encouraged! It means they are being noticed and getting some of the same reactions that people had when they originally heard these words nearly 2000 years ago. These signs probably cost about $15 each all considered, but we are replacing the ones that we've lost and are planning to do a new set of teachings from the Gospel of John in the coming weeks. Please pray that the seed of Jesus' words will bear much fruit on campus! (Mark 4:1-34)