Welcome to the team, and my first official newsletter update! If you are getting this update it means that you have either met with me or are supporting my ministry with DiscipleMakers in some way. Thank you so much, the Lord has worked mightily in my first month of support-raising! I'd love for you to read through these newsletters each month so you can keep up with what I'm doing, and pray more specifically. But, if at any point if you wish to stop receiving them you can just go the the bottom and hit unsubscribe.
Growing as a Ministry
The first week of 2017, DiscipleMakers had it’s Winter Staff Conference where we brought in speakers Dr. Scott Hancock and Dustin and Lori Butler, in hopes that we can learn how to better minister to African American students. Dr. Hancock is an associate professor of History and Africana Studies at Gettysburg College and the Butlers minister to minority students at the University of Georgia. One of my big takeaways from their teaching is that with diversity, we can get a bigger view of the Gospel and of God’s kingdom through ministering to people in other cultures. In Revelation 7:9 it says “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb….”.
God at Work
I spoke with a friend from who is still a student at Shippensburg and asked them how they have seen God at work on campus this past semester. They told me about a student (S) who has been serving on the worship team and how God has been at work in him. God has been working in S by changing the way he handles conflicts, leads worship, and portrays Jesus through his actions. He is learning to solve conflicts sooner rather than later, so he doesn’t store up bitterness. S has now stepped up into a leadership position in worship, selecting songs that clearly display the gospel and talking with the speaker for the next large group meeting to pick songs that go with their message. Through a deepened understanding of Christ’s servitude, S is increasing his learning to serve others before himself, imaging Christ’s sacrificial service.
Prayer
Pray that I trust in God’s providence, and believe that raising funds is an easy task for the God who created the universe by speaking.
Pray that I can meet with more people, share with them what God is doing on the college campus, and boldly ask them to partner with me in my ministry with DiscipleMakers.
