Wisdom for Dummies

Over the weekend I got to do part of the teaching for our Spring Pizza Theology entitled Wisdom for Dummies. Three of our younger pastors helped us look at the messages of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job, and then I finished by looking at the idea of wisdom more generally. Prepping for this message was especially meaningful as I got to spend a significant amount of time quizzing Ronnie Worsham and Brady Bobbink for their insights. It was a great night of teaching attended by hundreds of our students. It's well worth a listen if you want to take the time!

I received an incredibly encouraging email from an alumnus the other day that reminded me of the importance of teaching times like this--how formative they are to young people learning to think like a Christian. Here's an excerpt:

I was listening to a podcast I subscribe to that’s based in the Dallas area. They were talking about a church down there that hosted a worship night and then the pastor started preaching for full acceptance and support of the homosexual lifestyle, basically saying it’s blasphemous to separate two people in love. My podcast was discussing the importance of being able to think and reason through scripture so we’re not led astray by false teachings.

Immediately I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the solid foundation I gained upon coming to faith in FOCUS. The biblical literacy I learned, let alone the ability to create family culture and disciple others, while there has greatly impacted the trajectory of my life. For that I am profoundly grateful.

Thank you for supporting this important kind of ministry. The church (not to mention the world!) needs more men and women who are equipped and experienced at thinking biblically, carefully, and deeply about the tough challenges that face us. That's slow work, but it pays off over the long run!

Senior Epistles

Every year we let our graduating seniors at UTD write and read letters to our community in the last weeks of the school year. They are so encouraging! I wanted to share a couple with you here. I think you'll see how much your support impacts young people and how much wisdom they have gained in these years!

Student Testimony

Help Protect Our Mission in 8 Minutes or Less!

The US Department of Education has recently announced plans to remove existing protections for religious student organizations at colleges and universities across the nation. Their reasoning is that these rights are already protected under the Constitution, so students can take their colleges to court if these rights are infringed upon.

However, most 18-year-olds are pretty unaware of their rights and have neither the desire nor the resources to sue their own college. And we've seen that before the existing language was put in a place a few years ago, universities were inconsistent in how they protected or did not acknowledge these rights.

Would you be willing to take 5-8 minutes to write a personal comment on this proposed change before March 24 (the deadline for comments)?

We've put together a website that will show you exactly how to do it and give you some ideas of things you might say. It does not need to be long, but ideally it would be personal and highlight one of more reasons why the DOE should give colleges guidance in protecting the 1st Amendment rights of students.

We want to generate hundreds of comments from our network alone!

Here's the website that explains everything: anyfocus.org/campusaccess

(one quick note: when it asks you "What is your comment about?", that's just a weird way of asking what category you are in. You will most likely put student, parent, or individual.)

Thank you!

Encouraging Posts

 A couple weeks back, one of our student leaders shared these screenshots from a Facebook group for UTD Parents that her mom is a member of. These are in response to parents worrying about their kids being lonely and not finding good friends. I found them so encouraging!

And then this was posted on Instagram by a new student in Denton. This is the vision guys! Thanks for being a part of it!

Funny Videos

I meant to share these last month. Our staff always makes a funny video for the opening of our big Winter Retreat. This year the joke was all around inflation and our pastors trying to make some extra money. (It's in 2 parts, but only a few minutes total.)

Checking up on Focus on Jesus studies

In February each year we pause to take stock of the FOJ studies we've started that year. At UTD we have completed 17 studies (completing is always a miracle haha), have 95 studies that are currently happening, and another 12 studies that began and have stopped for some reason. That's 124 students that have been receiving weekly one-on-one instruction and discussion about how the gospel intersects with their lives, usually in addition to discussions in Core and biblical teaching on Friday nights. It also means so many of our students are the ones teaching those studies! They are getting real experience ministering to their peers and sharing the good news of Jesus!

Officiating a Wedding

I don't do as many weddings as I used to because I work on such an amazing team of pastors, but it's always special to officiate for people who are special to me! This past weekend, I got to officiate Cullen Capili's wedding. Cullen was in my Core back in 2009-2010 as a freshman, and I got to study FOJ with him that year. We've stayed friends the many years since he graduated and went on to become a physical therapist. Congrats, Dr. Capili!

Why are those lights so shiny!?

Student Testimony

Thank you for your support, encouragement, and prayers! You make this ministry possible and share in its fruit!

A Tough Month, But Also a Blessed One

We've had a number of tough things happen this month. Three days before our Winter Retreat/Camp, our biggest event of the year, we found out that Andrea's mom (Andrea is one of our pastors at UTD) has cancer that has metastasized in a number of places. Andrea was even scheduled to speak at the retreat. That same day our administrative director Paul was injured playing sports and required surgery. We made it through the retreat, and then a few days later, while at FNF, two of our students leaders (one was Mick who I introduced last month) got the news that their 18-year-old brother had died in a car accident. I got to drive the boys down to be with their family in Houston that night and go down again for the funeral. So many hearts are heavy in our community right now. I could tell a number of stories that aren't as dramatic but are very painful to those involved. Would you stop and pray right now for the Lord's comfort for all of these young people as they navigate grief and loss?

Winter Retreat itself went so well! We were at a new location that I think will work well for us for years to come. Our messages were preached by FOCUS pastors from 1 John. We also did a special extended session on Theology of Work and Vocation, helping the students think about how their careers fit into God's plan for their lives. All of this content is available on Spotify if you are interested.

The Impact of Our Shared Ministry to Young Leaders, continued

Jadon (left) and Paul (right) are the other pair of core leaders I meet with weekly this year. They are incredibly thoughtful and insightful young ministers. I'm so impressed by them!

I asked Jadon and Paul to share in just a sentence or two how being a leader in FOCUS is impacting them:

Paul writes, "One way I am learning from being a leader in FOCUS is realizing how true community is not something that always comes naturally, but often takes effort to build, resulting in support and love."

Jadon said, "Being in FOCUS has taught me the importance of intentionally pursuing others as a means to community building. Growing up, my friendships required very little conscious effort in order to maintain, but learning how to be purposeful in my relationships has helped me mature and enhanced my relational depth."

Thank you for all the ways you invest to make this ministry to students possible! I think it will pay rich dividends for the Church in the years to come.

San Diego Visit

I missed the annual Dallas ice days during a visit to San Diego last week! Among other things I got to travel with my good friend and coworker, Garrett Davis, as well as connect with some amazing UTD alumni who I miss very much!

Got to hike with Luke Anderson, one of the sweetest and most loving guys I've ever met. He was in my peer team a few years back.

Spent a few hours with Daniel Colina, such a wise young man of God. I was deeply encouraged to see how he is passionately pursuing the Lord in a new place and season. It was chilly, but the beach was beautiful!

Garrett has been my friend for well over 20 years at this point. He's a good one to have! FOCUS is blessed to have all of his gifts from the Lord serving our students and pastors.

Student Testimony

Happy New Year! And a Little About How the Last One Ended

Finishing Seminary!

It will be a few months before I get a diploma, but, assuming I and my advisor didn't make any mistakes, I finished my last seminary class in December! So I should be earning a Master of Arts in Theology. It was a great experience overall and one that I am VERY glad to be done with! I think two master degrees is enough for me, and I have no plans to pursue any more degrees in the future. I love reading and listening to lectures, but unless the Lord specifically tells me to, I am DONE writing papers with footnotes and bibliographies. 

One of my biggest takeaways from the whole experience is that I am so proud of the continuing education experience for the pastors on the FOCUS staff. Our pastors are perpetually learning and processing material together. The things we learn are very much at a graduate school level, and we are learning and applying in community. We also have the luxury of going back through material again every few years, both to bring new staff along and to review and process anew for those who have been around longer. My seminary experience has enriched what we do for our team by expanding my list of topics and resources in a huge way! I'm still working to share the things I've been learning.

I think there will always be a place and need on our staff for a few people to pursue this kind of formal education and use that extra gift of knowledge to bless our students and protect us from inadvertently becoming heretics! Thanks for supporting me through this three and a half year season where I've had a bit less mental space to devote to our students in hopes that I would have more to offer in the future.

In lieu of a real graduation in California, my sweet wife made me a fake diploma and had a small graduation ceremony at our staff Christmas party. I'm told the cap belongs to a high school girl.

The FOCUS staff at our Christmas dinner

The UTD Men Staffers. What a fantastic group! (Peter, Me, Cort, Stian, Rhett)
But I'm asking the question I ask most days: "What is Rhett wearing!?"

The Impact of Our Shared Ministry to Young Leaders

During the semesters, I spend time every week with a few of our core leaders. I wanted to give you some brief insight into how they see the experience of being a leader in FOCUS shaping them.

Michael (left) and Mick (right) are one of the Core Facilitating pairs that I meet with weekly this year. They are such a blessing to me!

Michael writes: "Being a leader in FOCUS has shaped my view of a relationship with our Savior from something that is a part of our life, to the entire purpose of our lives."

Mick writes: "Being a leader in FOCUS has blessed me with a zeal for God like I have never felt before. It has kept me focused on the Cross at a time where so many others walk away from the faith."

I invite you to join me in praying for these two as they step back in for semester #2 in a couple of weeks. I look forward to introducing you to another pair next month!

Student Testimony

Thank you!

After celebrating Thanksgiving this past week, I want to say a big "THANK YOU" to all of you who pray and give to make our work on campus possible. Because of you, this semester we have been able to:

• Offer a weekly service on campus where students can hear about a loving God and the Good News offered through His Son, Jesus.
• Provide weekly Bible studies that meet throughout campus that allow students to explore faith, experience Christian community, and build deep spiritual friendships.
• Mentor student leaders to evangelize and make disciples of fellow students.
• Build intentional friendships with many people who don't yet know Jesus.
• Provide financial support to students who need specialized Christian counseling in addition to pastoral care.
• Purposefully reach out to different ethnic groups on our campus and provide them with a place to be seen, heard, and valued at UTD.
• Teach a 4-hour class on the book of Revelation to over 400 students who showed up ready to take notes and learn!
• Provide safe and substance-free social activities and parties for students on campus.
• Support students as they seek freedom from sexual addictions and substance abuse.

The list could go on and on. I deeply appreciate your investment in these young men and women. May God bless you and your families and deepen your knowledge of His incredible love, grace, and compassion.

TODAY is Giving Tuesday and our Keep FOCUS Growing Campaign!

We have $54,000 in matching funds pledged to help us reach our goal! So much of this campaign is about being able to support our amazing administrative team. Three points come to mind:

1. The work they do in the background frees up our campus pastors to spend more of their time with students and less on administrative tasks. I think of them as laying the tracks that the campus ministry train runs on. We wouldn't get very far without them!
2. By raising this money through this special offering, it frees our campus pastors from having to spend more of their time fundraising to each raise a share of the overall ministry budget. Again, that means more time devoted to the mission.
3. All of our administrative team are past small group leaders in our ministry, and all continue to do some meaningful pastoral ministry to college students. So they both indirectly and directly support our mission to make and mature disciples to God's glory!

Not all of the funds raised today go to pay administrative salaries. We also use these funds for new initiatives, special needs for our new campus plants, and seizing unexpected opportunities that arise. Please pray about giving a gift to be matched today! (We'll definitely be taking money after Giving Tuesday too! :)

You can give here!

This Month's Testimony

If you haven't seen them, check out all the neat student testimonies posted on Facebook for KFG this past week or so! 

2022 KFG (Keep FOCUS Growing) Campaign Coming Up!

Every year, we raise money on Giving Tuesday after Thanksgiving to cover administrative costs (so the pastors don't have to raise those in addition to their own salaries) and have money set aside for growth initiatives. Please keep this on your radar as you prayerfully consider any year-end giving!