Is Faith a Noun or a Verb?

"Faithing"

A campus missionary to the University of Vermont wrote these words recently:

We often think of "faith" as a noun. Either you have it or you don't. You keep it or you lose it. You hide it or you share it. But for many emerging adults, faith is much more a verb. It's a journey of exploring, wrestling, deconstructing, reconstructing... Their "faithing" is a process of seeking and finding an adequate faith that makes sense of an increasingly complex world.

I don't think that definition is limited to emerging adults, but it is certainly true for them. It is a joyful privilege as well as a bundle of challenges to walk alongside them through this season of figuring out how to live on their own in this world. Our hope is to provide them with a community that exalts Jesus as Lord but where they can honestly and openly wrestle with doubts, ask any question, and go through real experiences of trying to love and follow our Lord in a world that doesn't honor him.  

I hope you see your own faith in these terms as well--not as something static or under threat of being lost, but as something active and growing and developing. Some of us need to deconstruct; just don't neglect the reconstructing as well. That would be as foolish as demolishing a section of your home for an exciting new renovation and then never rebuilding the section you destroyed. The rebuilding usually takes more work and time than the destroying part! But it's worth it in the end. God is big enough to handle our questions and doubts and fears, and he's certainly not threatened by them. He actually seems to like the people who will wrestle with him the most--men like Jacob and Job and Moses and Peter. So wrestle away!

Individually, and collectively as churches, there is often "remodeling" that needs to be done in our "faithing," and I pray 2024 is a year for it. Jesus deserves nothing less!

Thank you for investing in me and praying for me as I work in this important mission field! Here's a sweet story from the community college front to remind you that for all the negative college stories we hear, there are so many stories of God at work as well!

Reflections on Godly Leadership

I meet weekly with a number of young leaders to help develop their faith, their character, and their leadership skills. This week in those times we've been reading over an article by my dad, Ronnie Worsham, laying out some core essentials for spiritual leadership. We've had great discussions, and I thought I'd share it here for your reflection:

Leadership

by Ronnie Worsham 

False leaders lead you to them; godly leaders lead you to Him.

 

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7).

 

Leaders can only lead us to where they are actually going. Character is much more caught than it is taught. If even an unwise association can prove harmful to our character, then most certainly associating with a bad leader can prove devastating to our inner being—“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Cor. 15:33). Too many are those who end up in horribly frightening places in life because they naïvely followed bad leaders.

 

To be led by others means to be guided down a path by them, either by their showing us the way or telling us where to go. Leadership can be exerted on us either directly from the leader to us or indirectly from the leader through others. The leadership exerted on us by others can range in scope from quite broad to very limited, spiritually, religiously, morally, socially, politically, philosophically, and so forth. A leader’s impact is ultimately determined by the willingness of others to follow them. 

 

Worldly leaders are by definition incapable of leading us in God’s way because they are in the flesh and not of God. Being “under the influence” of God is not at all the same as “being under the control” of God. Their leadership is corrupted even though certain of their character traits and life principles may even, within themselves, appear good—“For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God” (Rom. 5:5-8, Amplified Bible, italics and brackets are part of quote).

 

And all leaders along with their leadership principles and practices are a packaged deal; the bad comes mixed in with the good. Because of our inherent nature, made in the image of God, character is more caught than it is taught. Thus the worldly people we associate and live in partnership with, and especially the leaders we follow, will have a profoundly negative impact on who we are presently and what we are becoming—“Don’t be deceived, bad company corrupts good character. Sober up by acting like you should and don’t sin. Some of you are ignorant about God—I say this because you should be ashamed of yourselves!” (1 Cor. 15:33-34, Common English Bible). God is completely holy, meaning he is completely “set apart” from all that is not of him. And because we are like him, we must follow his example, especially in our associations. If we are ignorant of his nature, we are ignorant of our own nature. And because of who we are, bad associations will lead to the corruption and continuing erosion of our core character.

 

God has given each one of us individually the right to come into a relationship with and follow him, without any necessary approval of others—“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12–13). Further, he has given us, as his children, the wherewithal to hear his voice over and above the din of all others, and he expects us to follow his voice rather than others—“They will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice” (John 10:5, italics added). Our following another then must always be based on their following Christ—“Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s” (1 Cor. 11:1, Common English Bible).

 

Thus it is the responsibility of each of us to take care in determining our leaders—“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matt. 7:15, italics added). Carelessness and naiveté on the front end of our following others can lead to disaster on the backend! Because we are morally and spiritually vulnerable beings, we must choose most carefully those we allow to influence us in any way!

 

The test of authentic, godly leadership is in the long-term outcome, not in any short-term appearances. The one who leads best for God is the one who lives best for God—“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). And the fruit of one’s life is not to be measured by short-term appearances but rather by the long-term effects of our life on others. Short-term impressions can be most deceiving—“They come to you in sheep’s clothing…” Looking like a harmless, domesticated sheep does not make one a harmless, domesticated sheep. Let the follower beware.

 

Satan is a liar and a deceiver. Thus, so are those leaders who are, wittingly or unwittingly, being influenced by him—“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:13–14). Looks and words can be most deceiving. The test of a leader must then be the “outcome of their way of life,” the only “fruit” that cannot be faked.

 

Godly leadership is the exact opposite of worldly leadership in all the basic ways. Worldly leadership seeks control; godly leadership seeks surrender. Worldly leadership assumes power; godly leadership surrenders it, instead choosing to empower others. Worldly leadership seeks attention for itself; godly leadership eschews attention and seeks to call attention to God. Worldly leadership seeks personal gain; godly leadership seeks, in this life, nothing for itself. Worldly leadership follows in order to lead; godly leadership leads in order to follow. Worldly leadership seeks to be served; godly leadership seeks to serve. Worldly leadership is prideful, even if it may at first seem humble; godly leadership is humble, even if it may at first seem prideful.

 

The one who leads best for Christ is the one who follows Christ the best. Christ is the one who calls and places leaders among his people—“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–13). Before we follow others, we must ask whom they follow, how they follow, and how they came to be in the positions they are in.

 

Christ’s authentic leaders understand that their calling and appointment is from him, that it is not earned, that it is not a right, and that Christ is the supreme Lord and leader. Therefore they understand that their purpose is to go make disciples of Christ and to mature those disciples in their ability to follow him (Christ), not them—“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). Although there is always weakness and humanness in all leaders, there will ultimately be no equivocation in the direction and purpose of a genuine Christ-appointed leader. Godly leaders know their abilities and their calling are from God and not from themselves or others, therefore they seek only his interests.

 

Bad leaders always lead followers; godly leaders lead leaders. Bad leaders want no rivals; therefore they mature others primarily in the skill of following them rather than maturing them in personally following him (Christ). Bad leaders are at their core filled with pride and will always seek to be at the center, in control, and recognized. Godly leaders are humble and are always seeking to elevate others to the leader’s own spiritual maturity level and beyond—“The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2, italics added), and “He must increase and I must decrease” (John 3:30, Common English Bible). The perfection of Christ is the goal, not conformity to anything worldly—“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28).

 

Bad leaders lead from the top down; godly leaders lead from the bottom up—“You know that the rulers of the non-Jewish people love to show their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority over the people. But it should not be that way with you. Whoever wants to be your leader must be your servant. Whoever wants to be first must serve the rest of you like a slave. Do as I did: The Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people” (Matt. 20:25–28, Easy-to-Read Version, italics added). Godly leaders strive to look and lead like Christ and therefore they serve others on behalf of Jesus. They eschew esteem, honors, titles, and the best seats and parking spots. Godly leaders lead as lowly custodians rather than as high-minded CEOs.

 

The test of leadership is in the long-term outcome, not in the short-term appearance. Bad leaders will often at first seem confident and secure but in the end be found to be fearful and insecure, as was King Saul (1 Sam. 15:24). On the other hand, godly leaders may at first seem unwilling and unconfident but in the end show themselves to be most surrendered and therefore supremely bold, as was Moses (Exod. 3:11). Godly leaders will ultimately see themselves as the least, the last, and the worst because they see Christ as the greatest, the first, and the best (1 Cor. 15:9, Matt. 20:16, 1 Tim. 1:15).

 

Godly leaders will also always be seeking God’s approval by careful regard for scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit—“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), and “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Rom. 8:14). They seek to please only one—“We make it our goal to please him [Christ]” (2 Cor. 5:9, bracket added).

 

Because of the seriousness of the responsibility, godly leaders will choose to lead out of humility before God and will do so only after carefully considering if such a role is God’s will for them or not—“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). Any reluctance they may have to leading is only a reflection of their reverence for God; not a fear of others.

 

Godly leadership will be most careful in the charge of leading others to and for God—“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16). Because godly leaders are seeking to lead us to him, not to them, their careful leadership will constantly point us only to Jesus—“I’m deeply concerned about you with the same concern that God has. As your father, I promised you in marriage to one husband. I promised to present you as an innocent virgin to Christ himself” (2 Cor. 11:2, Common English Bible, italics added).

 

All in all, godly leaders not only look like Jesus, they are like Jesus, and the outcome of their ways will bring the life of Christ to those who listen to and follow them—“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

 

 

A Prayer:

 

Lord, help me to follow only those who follow you.

And help me to influence and lead others only to follow you.

Give me trusting eyes that are wary only in the right way.

Give me a careful heart that discerns rightly.

Be my only supreme leader, and lead me to life everlasting!

Amen.

I hope you are encouraged by that in your own leadership, whether in your family, your friendships, your church, or your workplace. Thank you for all you do for college and university students, as well as for all your other contributions to building the Kingdom of God. In His economy, even small things can have far reaching significance, so don't grow weary in doing good!

KFG Fundraiser Update

We are almost there! We're still accepting donations and hoping to get all of the matching funds. If you'd still like to give a gift, you can at anyfocus.org/kfg. 

Student Testimony & Prayer Requests

Introducing Our Apprentices! (Plus KFG Coming Up)

Since 2010, the FOCUS apprenticeship has been a key part of expanding our mission and preparing a new generation of leaders. Each apprentice has completed at least a bachelor's degree and commits to working on one of our campuses for the entire school year. We have a fantastic group of 10 this year, and I want to let you know who they are. Thank you for making stories like these possible--your prayers and gifts are bearing good fruit!

Student Testimony (one more from a current student!)

Our Annual Fundraiser Coming Up

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)

Into the School Year

We made it through another Welcome Week! Which is actually Welcome WeekS--14 days in a row when we put on 1-3 events every single day with the ultimate goal of spreading our nets wide to meet, befriend, and ultimately bless some of the 32,000 students who showed back up for college this fall at UT Dallas. We did all sorts of things! We hosted game nights outside the residence halls every day that the freshmen were moving in. We had field nights with lots of sports. We played "Zombie Tag" in one of the classroom buildings. Lindsey and I taught a college-level class on the book of Jude for more students who were curious about the Bible. We had special events for black, Hispanic, and Asian-American students. And so much more! 

Thank you for supporting me to be present on campus during this key time! 

Just a few snapshots below:

This year's "Black People Meet and Greet" had nearly 150 students show up! Only about 5% of UTD students are black, so this is an underserved group.

At our Asian-American social, students made friends, drank boba tea, and did trivia games. One of these little rounds told me they became such good friends that night that they took a group picture and set up a GroupMe to stay in touch!

We worked together with the Baptist Student Ministry staff to host a lunch for all of the Christian campus ministers at UTD a few weeks ago. It was our biggest turnout since before the pandemic! At our table are ministers from FOCUS, from ICF--the main international student ministry, and also from...FOCUS--Fellowship of CATHOLIC University Students. Ha! We love our fellow FOCUS ministers! They are truly such great partners in the gospel.

We had tables like this one out on campus for a few hours a day for nearly 2 weeks. We gave out many gallons of cold brew coffee, sooo many bottles of water, campus maps and tours, church fans with our event information on them, and the opportunity to sign up to be in a FOCUS core group.

God Goes Ahead

As the year approached, I was praying for the returning student leaders that I work with. For one of them, I had a sense that God wanted to upend some of his well laid plans for the year, but a bit of trepidation about saying that to him! But I wrote him this message and quickly got a response. It's a great reminder that I don't initiate God's work--He just lets me take part sometimes.

Student Testimony

Fun Trips

Our FOCUS Staff from all the campuses got to go on a retreat before the students showed up. This is the crew for 2023-24! (minus a couple of maternity/paternity leave people)

Most of my men's staff team from UTD went to Colorado together in July. Here's a picture of me and Peter at the highest point in Colorado!

After Welcome Week, Sarah and I took a quick 2-night trip to NYC. She loves Broadway!

An Encouraging Message

I was reading some updates from UTD this month and came across this blurb about one of our former FOCUS corefas:

I reached out to encourage Justin, and he shared that the award was cool but he has found his experience as a Corefa to be more helpful in his career than his CPA certification. I'm excited to share with you his response:

My job is a business analyst at Capital One, which is a mix of data analysis and strategy. It’s basically using data to make different business decisions. 

I think being a corefa built up a ton of skills for me, but maybe most importantly it has boosted my communication and relationship building skills a ton. My job involves quite a few presentations and meetings, and leading core was great preparation. It has been very helpful for being able to read the room and ask good questions. 

I also feel much more prepared to talk to and relate to people that are very different than me, which is much more important than I expected. Being able to be purposeful in relationships, relate to others, and manage conflict are all some of the most important things to my job and I’m sure many others. Many FOCUS axioms fit in here!

I loved my time in FOCUS and learned a ton - thank you for being a determined, thoughtful, and purposeful leader!

What a testament to our shared work among university students! Your gifts and prayers and support for FOCUS are making an impact on campus and beyond. Thank you!

Spending the next couple of days with this group from our pastoral staff at the Global Leadership Summit. I'm excited to invest in their development as thoughtful, strategic leaders as we prepare for the 2023-24 school year!

Thinking Ahead to New Leadership

Well it's summer, and that means lots of conversations are happening with young men and women about stepping up to lead a Core in the coming year. It's a big commitment, probably 12-15 hours a week, but we never have trouble finding students to serve. They work with a partner to meet new students, recruit their own small group, plan a weekly meeting, develop their group into a community of spiritual friends, wrangle them into our larger community, and offer a one-on-one discipleship experience to each member. Some of them are doing all of this at 19 years old! It's no wonder they grow so much! It makes me excited for the future of the Church, knowing that we are sending out skilled and experienced leaders into so many different churches, workplaces, homes, and other environments. At UTD, we already have 23 guys who have committed for the year, and another 6 that are still prayerfully considering. Please pray that God will prepare these young men (and their counterparts among the women) for the opportunities ahead and that He will be preparing the hearts and minds of the students they will meet in August. I'm confident that divine appointments are already being booked!

I recently read a very compelling reflection on Luke 5:36-39. (You can read it here)

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

The author posits that we have missed the point of this teaching of Jesus because we haven't paid attention to its context, a meal at a tax collector's house and questions surrounding the differences between the disciples of Jesus and the disciples of the Pharisees. What if this is not a comment about the old and new covenants of the scripture but rather commentary on why Jesus did not choose his disciples from among the best and brightest religious minds of his day? I won't recount the whole argument, but it has me thinking about what Jesus was looking for in those he "called to be with him" so he could "send them out to preach" (Mark 3:14). 

Jesus didn't play it safe, taking the ones who already knew the right answers. He didn't pick apathetic men and women, but rather passionate ones--sons of thunder who wanted to call down fire from heaven on people who wouldn't listen, a zealot who wanted to overthrow Rome with violence, people who wore their questions and even lack of faith on their sleeve. He included a betrayer, a denier and a woman who had been demon possessed.  He was doing something new, and he wanted people he could shape, who were eager to receive his message and adapt to it. 

Choosing these core leaders is not as significant of a decision, but it is significant. They are sent out two by two as well. They do not know what they will encounter, but there are still sick to be healed, truths to be preached, and demonic forces to be encountered. These young disciples are just as raw; they struggle with big questions, deep hurts, and very real temptations. But like those original disciples, they show up and step up, facing their fears and making sacrifices for the chance to be a part of whatever Jesus is doing. And like Jesus, we try to prayerfully and discerningly give them a chance to be a part of something amazing. 

Last night I sat with one of those young leaders from last year as he tearfully talked about a painful relationship with a deeply hurting guy he has built a friendship with. "Why me?" he told me he'd been asking God. Why? Because it's important work, Spirit-work. Every year we see our axiom come true: "Your misery can become your ministry." I get to build deep friendships with and mentor young men of all races and from across the globe. I get to sit and hear their heartbreaking and deeply private stories of abuse and personal failure; I get to celebrate with them their victories and triumphs. Why me? I guess because when I got the invitation I said yes. And now I get to extend that invitation to a new generation in my little corner of God's kingdom. It's one of my favorite parts of campus ministry. We never know what God will do next!

Some Big Staff Transitions

This is more for those of you who know a lot of the staff. Feel free to skip this section if these names don't mean anything to you! 

For a campus ministry, our staff team is amazingly stable over the years. Even yesterday I had a director from another ministry at UTD asking for insight on how to make this a viable long-term option for his staff so he doesn't lose them just as they gain some experience and wisdom! But transitions do happen, and God is so faithful to us through those transition periods. This year we had some long-term staff members transition off the team to new opportunities. Leah Lorenz (one of the founders at UTD!), Victoria Seiler, and Casey Worsham all transitioned off of our admin staff. Leah and Victoria will be spending more time with their kids, and Casey is stepping up to full-time hours as lead pastor of East Plano Fellowship, the church he helped start in 2020. We are sad to lose them, but I can very confidently say that they each left us in a significantly better place than when they started. They set up systems, refined processes, resourced creative solutions, and built key relationships. As a result, we are going into the coming year with a significantly leaner admin team (both in people and overall staff hours) supporting a bigger ministry than every before (a lot of that is also due to our amazing admin director Paul Ueng). 

On the campus side, after a time of prayer and discernment, Jalen Quintana (one of our UTD alums) has left our UTA staff after a few years to pursue opportunities in software engineering. He has been such a huge help over the years in laying the foundation for our ministry in Arlington (as well as a great friend to my wife!). Rhett Hayes is leaving UTD after 5 years to take Jalen's place in Arlington and lay groundwork for a TCU plant in the future. While we are losing Rhett, we are getting Laurence Glenesk back! Laurence worked on our team for years but then left to pioneer a ministry at SMU. The SMU ministry is stronger than ever, but Laurence is looking to work closer to home now that he has two little ones, and we are excited to have him back on our team! Garrett Davis will be overseeing the SMU ministry moving forward. 

Student Testimony

I Graduated!

I think I'm done with degrees. I know I'm done with footnotes! I finished my coursework back in December, but I (and Peter along with me) finally walked across the stage on June 10 in Pasadena, CA, where Fuller Theological Seminary is located. It was a very special and spiritual ceremony, and I was moved to tears when we sang "I Give Myself Away" in the middle of it. I was moved to a different kind of tears sitting through 400 names being read, but at least it's over!

I couldn't believe how many people got to come to our graduation so far from where any of us live. It was such a blessing to me! A number of people from the FOCUS staff, my wife and parents, and Peter's entire family got to be there. The special thing Peter did to get that red stole hanging down was just being Asian American. But the special thing he did to get the red hood (around his neck) instead of my white one was taking 50% more classes than me!

I've been reflecting on seminary and its value and place in campus ministry. Because campus ministers typically come straight from the secular university (for example, I have bachelors and masters degrees in business from UTD), relatively few have a seminary education and almost none start their ministry with one. A big part of going to seminary for me was answering my questions about it. I have a couple of initial reflections.

1. There's incredible value in studying slowly while actively being a minister. I thought I would not like online school as much, but what was unexpected was that, rather than sitting in a classroom with a bunch of full-time students, I was actively learning alongside a bunch of full-time ministers. We were trying to figure out how to use what we were learning realtime. I got to be in classes with church pastors, other campus ministers, missionaries, chaplains to various hospitals and prisons, Salvation Army officers, youth ministers, and more. They brought a richness to what I was being taught, but so did talking it over with the university students and alumni I get to meet with every day! I loved taking this degree one or two classes at a time, slowly pondering and integrating what I was learning. 

2. What we've been doing in FOCUS all along for education is REALLY GOOD. We've long had a commitment to continuing education for our pastoral staff. We are always reading, listening to lectures, or otherwise pursuing deeper understanding of the scriptures and ministry leadership. Our staff reads multiple books together each year, and our commitment is to graduate level learning. We believe that if we are to lead university students, we should be operating at their level or above. Fuller has expanded our list of resources and given us new topics to explore, but I believe anyone on our team for a few years will ultimately come out ahead of someone with a one-and-done seminary education before they start their ministry career.

I am soooooo thankful for this education, and I assure you I'm using it every day. Through your gifts, the ministry helped pay for it and gave me the time to devote to it. It has raised my game in teaching and leadership, and I'm passing that on to these younger pastors that I mentor. I've gotten to do things I never thought I'd get to do, like make my own translations of scriptures from the Greek and Hebrew! I know it will take a few more years for all of this learning to sort of settle in my heart and mind, but I'm committed to blessing our mission what what has been invested in me. So thank you!!

SICM!

SICM was a huge success, as usual. We are busy meeting up with all these wonderful students and talking to them about making a commitment to serve and lead their peers next year. The future is looking bright!

This is the group we took to SICM from FOCUS this May. The crazy thing is that it doesn't include about 5 people who were not there at the moment and another 5 we sent in June!

This is the group of guys Peter and I hosted (minus one) at a house in Bellingham all week. They are all UTD guys--a really neat bunch!

Student Testimony

Stories from the Year

Last Friday night we had our last FNF, which is always one of my favorite nights of the year. Instead of a teaching time, we open up the mic for students to share about how they've seen God working this year. The stories are so sweet! Here's the prompt we use:

We always cover the "ABCs of Sharing" to help make the time as meaningful as possible.

You would have been so encouraged to hear the students sharing on Friday night, but you still can be! Just click here to listen students share about the impact the Lord has made in their lives through your prayers and generosity!

In other news, I joined in this year's Parking Lot Graduation ceremony to celebrate my new seminary degree!

Since I was walking, Rhett handed out the "diplomas," which are actually a letter of blessing and sending from our pastors to the graduates.

We had 43 graduates this year from UTD alone!

Student Testimony

Thank you for loving young people into God's kingdom!

Links from Last Time

I realized that when the email when out, it didn't have the links for any of those videos or audio! I got too fancy in making my blog. You can always click through the email to get to those things if that happens again. I'll also include them again here. (Hopefully it works this time. If not, I'll have to call IT. :)

Here's the audio from our Pizza Theology on Wisdom, linked on Spotify:

Here's the senior epistle from Kim:

And here's one from Jared:

And as a bonus, here's a pic of me and my UTD directors team when we all wore pink for Easter Sunday!