Thank you so much for spending time praying for the outreach efforts of all of our staff on over 21 college campuses across Pennsylvania! We want to encourage you with how God has graciously heard and answered our prayer:
At Albright University, one of our staff has been given an amazing opportunity to regularly teach "Sunday Services" to the entire football team! This semester 35-40 guys have been attending, including 3 guys from the soccer team. They also have a Monday night football Bible Study, and one freshman who told our staff he was “spiritual not religious,” challenged all the guys to invite one other guy to Bible study next week! Praise God!
At Lafayette College, two young women came who were first time attendees to the large group meeting came up to the staff who taught that evening on John 20 and, holding back tears of joy, they shared how the message was exactly what they needed to hear. They said they would be coming back this week again! Praise God!
Two years ago, our students at East Stroudsburg University, met "Austin" who defined himself as a "secular Jew", and wasn't interested in learning about Christianity. This summer, God brought friends alongside "Austin" who continued sharing the Gospel with him and it seems like he's placed his faith in Christ! Pray our staff at ESU would be able to continue connecting with him and reading God's word together!
Two of our staff had the opportunity during the first weeks of classes to share the gospel with a freshman at ESU who promptly repented of his sins and confessed Jesus as King! Praise the Lord for a new brother in Christ and you can pray that the gospel would continue to take root in his life and bear the fruits of repentance!
One freshman girl we met at Gettysburg College had been debating between going to college or going straight into overseas missions. She felt the Lord call her to serve Him on campus as a student, and during the first week of class helped one of our senior student leaders share the gospel with a non-Christian friend she'd just met. In my first conversation with another freshman girl, she shared "I often assume people just know the gospel, but it's not true. It's so important that especially on a college campus, people get the chance to hear it explained."
At DeSales University, they had one of our biggest turnouts ever as 33 students attended the first large group meeting and pushed the room accommodations to the limit. Praise God!
Muhlenberg College has had aconsistent 15-20 women attending small group Bible study this semester, many of whom are new to the fellowship. It's been really encouraging for the student leaders and our staff.
A number of our students have chosen to serve as peer anchors, RAs, or honors mentors, positions that require them to care for and be a mentor to younger students. Several have chosen to do this specifically to build relationships with students who might not know the gospel. One student took a step of faith and asked her mentee if he believed in God. This lead to an hour long conversation where she was able to share the gospel for the first time!
One of our staff noted that he's talked to a number of people this semester all with a similar story - "Over the summer I started pursuing my faith. My life has been heading in a bad direction and I'm hoping Christ can help me!" Praise God for sowing seeds of faith this summer. Pray for wisdom for our staff and student leaders as they continue to teach the gospel to these students.
As senior at one of our campuses was stretching after her workout at 11pm and struck up a conversation with the girl next to her. They proceeded to talk for the next 40 minutes and she learned that this student, "Allie", was a new Christian! "Allie" had not heard of DiscipleMakers group, and had been praying earlier in that week to find Christian community. She had planned to go to the gym at 3pm that day, but kept putting it off, until she went at 9pm and this senior from our fellowship struck up a conversation with her! "Allie" kept sharing how her old self is gone and now she has so much peace, and has since gotten to know several other students in DiscipleMakers and gone to church with them! Please praise God with us for this senior's boldness as an answer to "Allie's" prayers, and pray that God would establish her and grow her in knowledge and love for Him.
Answered Prayers: Personal
Thank you so much for your prayers for us personally as we've tried to start a family and gone through many rounds of fertility treatments. The Lord has certainly used this time to sanctify us and deepen our trust and dependance on Him. We know that the Lord owes us nothing and in His sovereignty could answer our prayers with a No or a Yes, and we praise Him either way.
It is with great joy and delight that we get to share that the Lord has answered favorably and granted us a child! Kate is just ending the first trimester and feeling pretty good. We are eager to meet this little one in early April.
Please praise God with us for his gracious answer to our prayer! Please continue to pray for the health and growth of the baby, and for both of us as we start planning for the future of our family.
Keep Praying: Fall Conference
Our annual Fall Conference is fast approaching! In less than one month over 500 students and staff will join together for a weekend of teaching, worship, and fellowship!
Please be praying for:
Student to register by September 29th!
Staff as they prepare their teaching!
Kate as she prepares all the details for the event and coordinates the plans with the Harrisburg Hilton.
Students' hearts to be preapred to hear and receive the gospel teaching during this exceptional weekend.
- Praise God for the answered prayers on campus! Keep praying the Lord would cultivate and grow the seeds that have been planted in students' hearts! - Praise God for our little baby! Continue to pray for the baby's growth and health, and for any new parent anxieties we might be feeling. - Pray for Fall Conference preparations, both for our staff and our students!
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are constantly in awe of God's work on the college campus and delight to share it with you. If there are any ways that we can pray for you, please let us know!
