Hello, friends!
The past few days have been pretty crazy. Not only was there the normal travel stuff, we also had our first Large Group of the semester (more on that later) and I have been out the past few days with a pretty sizable migraine.
I've been battling migraines for I would say the better part of 13 years at this point, really since high school. The cause of it isn't totally clear but we do have some clues. My worst times of the year are March and October. I am sensitive to changes in the weather. Napping for less than 2 hours increases my chance for a migraine significantly. Well, on Sunday afternoon it was super hot. Sunday night it rained really hard, and then Monday morning it was hot again and I had a migraine. These usually last for only a few hours but this one lasted for 3 days. That is, until I got to Large Group.
There must be something about adrenaline, or maybe the power of the Holy Spirit. I can't say for sure whether or the extended headaches were because of some sort of spiritual warfare. All I can say for sure is that I was feeling pretty bad on the car ride to our Large Group spot but as soon as I walked through the doors, I was feeling great! Either adrenaline kicked in and I was numb to the pain or the Spirit came and kicked the enemy around. Either way, I was feeling good.
Onward to Large Group! One of the really cool things about this semester is that we have a Large Group Coordinator. Over the course of the summer, Jordan picked our topics, gathered a team of helpers, and infused a few new ideas into what Large Group was going to be this year. He's been working really hard and today was his debut. I would like to say that it was a smashing success.
While I was hanging out with Jesus on Wednesday prior to Large Group, I read the passage in Acts 10 where Peter preaches to the house of Cornelius, the Holy Spirit falls, and everyone in the house becomes a believer. I got the sense that maybe today was a day for students to make decisions to follow Jesus. I checked with Jordan to see if I could have some time in case I continued to get that vibe. He said that if the Spirit is speaking, I need to be listening.
So, I listened. One of our Sophomores gave a testimony about how much the ACF community meant to him and it was while he was talking that I felt the Spirit give me the ok to go. The student was talking about how one of the things that he loved about ACF was how folk were willing to drop everything to help those in the community. I spent a little time talking about exactly why that is. We don't do it just because we are nice people. We do it as a response to the love that Christ has shown us through His sacrifice. Even though we are messed up folk, Jesus still died for us. Following Him means following his example and laying down our lives for those around us. I then challenged students in 3 ways: to commit to exploring who Jesus really is, to recommit their lives to Jesus, and to commit to serving Jesus through ACF.
Praise Jesus! One student committed to exploring Jesus more. 4 students committed to serving in ACF, and 1 student recommitted her life to Jesus!
That was Large Group. Was it perfect? No. We had some technical difficulties and we ran long but because we were listening to the Spirit, one gal came into the kingdom and another may be well on her way.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Eat 'n Greet!
Hello, friends!
Happy Sunday to you all. The first week of Mizzou classes is in the books, which means that NSO (New Student Outreach) is in full swing! This weekend, I had the pleasure of being in Saint Louis while the ACF leaders put on an NSO event for ACF all by themselves! When I say, "all by themselves," I actually mean it. They conceived the idea, did the promos, bought the supplies, hosted, and are currently working on the follow-up. Hooray for leaders!
Our event was called the "Eat 'n Greet." The premise was actually pretty simple. Folk show up at the Man Cave (my house) to eat food. If you bring friends, you get more food. Who wouldn't want to go to an event like that? Even better, who wouldn't want to bring your friends?! =0).
Here are a few photos from the event. I think you will agree that everyone looks like they are having a good time.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Happy Sunday to you all. The first week of Mizzou classes is in the books, which means that NSO (New Student Outreach) is in full swing! This weekend, I had the pleasure of being in Saint Louis while the ACF leaders put on an NSO event for ACF all by themselves! When I say, "all by themselves," I actually mean it. They conceived the idea, did the promos, bought the supplies, hosted, and are currently working on the follow-up. Hooray for leaders!
Our event was called the "Eat 'n Greet." The premise was actually pretty simple. Folk show up at the Man Cave (my house) to eat food. If you bring friends, you get more food. Who wouldn't want to go to an event like that? Even better, who wouldn't want to bring your friends?! =0).
Here are a few photos from the event. I think you will agree that everyone looks like they are having a good time.
~Adam
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Freshman Initiative...
Hello, friends!
One of the funny things about our job is the relatively short shelf life of the influence that we have when it comes to students. Students will be on campus anywhere from one semester to 6 years (and sometimes longer) and while even the average of 4 years may seem like a long time, it actually flies by pretty quickly. When one considers that Freshmen usually spend their first semester trying to adjust to the college life (which is VERY different from high school) and Seniors have usually checked out their final semester, getting ready for life after college (which is VERY different from life in college), really there's this 3 year window where students are actually in a position to catch the vision and do something with it. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule.
Today I got a call from a Freshman who was interested in joining ACF. That's right, a Freshman called me. Normally, we're the ones who are contacting Freshman, trying to get them to come to our things and get plugged into our community. But, every now and then we get one or two Freshmen who call or email us, looking for a place to land.
These Freshmen come in two types of varieties. One the one hand are the Freshmen who don't actually call us but we are contacted by their parents, or they are forced by their parents to contact us. These students usually have a strong church background but if you look a little deeper, what you see is that their faith actually belongs to their parents. The follow Jesus out of a sense of obligation and when push comes to shove, they probably need some time to really find themselves. We love having these students and we are way glad that they have found our group but oftentimes they aren't ready for mission quite yet. They need some tine to be in community, which is great because that's exactly what we seek to provide!
The second kind of Freshmen is the one who actually contacts us on his or her own. This is the student who led their youth group back in high school, knew about InterVarsity and wants to lead right away. They know the Word. They love Jesus. They love people. The temptation is to plug them into a leadership role right away and start to plan out the next 4 years of their leadership development. The caution with theses students is that while they may be all-stars, the truth is that college is still different from high school. These students can certainly serve right away but it is important to not get carried away and to let them adjust to their new freedom first.
I love Freshmen. I love Sophomores too. Juniors are amazing. Seniors (and beyond) are awesome. Sometimes it is easy in our job to get too tied up in reaching Freshmen. It's important to remember that if we aren't developing students to lead them then we actually aren't serving them.
Prayer Points:
- Tomorrow we have our first ACF events, a prayer walk @ 6pm and a Grill Out @ 8. Please pray that students will join us and that this will be a life giving events for our leaders.
- Right now I am in a time of discernment as far as how to most effectively use my time on the different campuses I have work. Please pray that God will give me good wisdom and discernment during this process as well as peace about letting go of some responsibilities if needed.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
One of the funny things about our job is the relatively short shelf life of the influence that we have when it comes to students. Students will be on campus anywhere from one semester to 6 years (and sometimes longer) and while even the average of 4 years may seem like a long time, it actually flies by pretty quickly. When one considers that Freshmen usually spend their first semester trying to adjust to the college life (which is VERY different from high school) and Seniors have usually checked out their final semester, getting ready for life after college (which is VERY different from life in college), really there's this 3 year window where students are actually in a position to catch the vision and do something with it. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule.
Today I got a call from a Freshman who was interested in joining ACF. That's right, a Freshman called me. Normally, we're the ones who are contacting Freshman, trying to get them to come to our things and get plugged into our community. But, every now and then we get one or two Freshmen who call or email us, looking for a place to land.
These Freshmen come in two types of varieties. One the one hand are the Freshmen who don't actually call us but we are contacted by their parents, or they are forced by their parents to contact us. These students usually have a strong church background but if you look a little deeper, what you see is that their faith actually belongs to their parents. The follow Jesus out of a sense of obligation and when push comes to shove, they probably need some time to really find themselves. We love having these students and we are way glad that they have found our group but oftentimes they aren't ready for mission quite yet. They need some tine to be in community, which is great because that's exactly what we seek to provide!
The second kind of Freshmen is the one who actually contacts us on his or her own. This is the student who led their youth group back in high school, knew about InterVarsity and wants to lead right away. They know the Word. They love Jesus. They love people. The temptation is to plug them into a leadership role right away and start to plan out the next 4 years of their leadership development. The caution with theses students is that while they may be all-stars, the truth is that college is still different from high school. These students can certainly serve right away but it is important to not get carried away and to let them adjust to their new freedom first.
I love Freshmen. I love Sophomores too. Juniors are amazing. Seniors (and beyond) are awesome. Sometimes it is easy in our job to get too tied up in reaching Freshmen. It's important to remember that if we aren't developing students to lead them then we actually aren't serving them.
Prayer Points:
- Tomorrow we have our first ACF events, a prayer walk @ 6pm and a Grill Out @ 8. Please pray that students will join us and that this will be a life giving events for our leaders.
- Right now I am in a time of discernment as far as how to most effectively use my time on the different campuses I have work. Please pray that God will give me good wisdom and discernment during this process as well as peace about letting go of some responsibilities if needed.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Of Leaders and Tables...
Hello, friends!
After yesterday's wedding related post, I thought it would be good for me to post a little bit on the week(end) that was as well as the past few days. After all, this is a ministry blog, right?
This past weekend we had our Pre-Fall Retreat to get ready for the semester. It wasn't meant to be a leaders retreat but somehow it turned into one because only the leaders were there. You won't hear me complaining though. We have some pretty great leaders.
I always think that it is important for retreats like this to have a theme of some sort. A lot of times as staff I think we try to cram too much stuff into 24 hours and instead of students getting one lesson really well, they end up half understanding a bunch of things. It seems to me like we'd be better served (and so would our students) if our students were able to understand a few concepts really well in thrive in those things. But anyway, I digress.
Given that I am only going to be spending a few days a week in Columbia, I thought it would be a good idea if the theme for this weekend's retreat centered around teamwork. These leaders are going to have to work together as a team and they are going to have to learn to rely on each other, especially since I am going to be 2 hours away most of the time. We spent the weekend doing team building exercises, talking about personality types and team dynamics, as well as preparing for the semester ahead as small group leaders. We also spent a good chunk of time preparing our hearts, spending time in reflection and prayer for ourselves and for the year. All in all, it was a pretty great 24 hours. Not only did the team get to reconnect and bond, but we also got some good work done and the students are definitely excited for the year.
NSO, or New Student Outreach, usually leads with tabling, which is pretty much us hanging out in the student center with a bunch of goodies, trying to attract students to come check out all the cool ACF events we have going on these next few weeks. On Friday we are going to be doing a prayer walk which will lead to our "Eat 'n Greet," which is pretty much an excuse for us to grill meat and hang out with each other. Tabling is always a bit of a stretch for the ACFers. Culturally, we aren't a super vocal people who like to call attention to ourselves. Statistically, there aren't a ton of Asians on campus so it can feel a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Spiritually, tabling brings up issues like fear of rejection, performance anxiety, and questions of how good we really think the Gospel is. Today at the tables was not one of our most spectacular days but we made it through and we'll be back on Thursday (well, the students will. I'll be in Saint Louis).
So, my friends, please be praying for Mizzou this week. Pray that we will meet students who not only are interested in our free goodies, but also in the free gift of salvation. Pray that where there is fear God will instead put a spirit of boldness. Pray that this week will lead to a semester of fruit.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
After yesterday's wedding related post, I thought it would be good for me to post a little bit on the week(end) that was as well as the past few days. After all, this is a ministry blog, right?
This past weekend we had our Pre-Fall Retreat to get ready for the semester. It wasn't meant to be a leaders retreat but somehow it turned into one because only the leaders were there. You won't hear me complaining though. We have some pretty great leaders.
I always think that it is important for retreats like this to have a theme of some sort. A lot of times as staff I think we try to cram too much stuff into 24 hours and instead of students getting one lesson really well, they end up half understanding a bunch of things. It seems to me like we'd be better served (and so would our students) if our students were able to understand a few concepts really well in thrive in those things. But anyway, I digress.
Given that I am only going to be spending a few days a week in Columbia, I thought it would be a good idea if the theme for this weekend's retreat centered around teamwork. These leaders are going to have to work together as a team and they are going to have to learn to rely on each other, especially since I am going to be 2 hours away most of the time. We spent the weekend doing team building exercises, talking about personality types and team dynamics, as well as preparing for the semester ahead as small group leaders. We also spent a good chunk of time preparing our hearts, spending time in reflection and prayer for ourselves and for the year. All in all, it was a pretty great 24 hours. Not only did the team get to reconnect and bond, but we also got some good work done and the students are definitely excited for the year.
NSO, or New Student Outreach, usually leads with tabling, which is pretty much us hanging out in the student center with a bunch of goodies, trying to attract students to come check out all the cool ACF events we have going on these next few weeks. On Friday we are going to be doing a prayer walk which will lead to our "Eat 'n Greet," which is pretty much an excuse for us to grill meat and hang out with each other. Tabling is always a bit of a stretch for the ACFers. Culturally, we aren't a super vocal people who like to call attention to ourselves. Statistically, there aren't a ton of Asians on campus so it can feel a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Spiritually, tabling brings up issues like fear of rejection, performance anxiety, and questions of how good we really think the Gospel is. Today at the tables was not one of our most spectacular days but we made it through and we'll be back on Thursday (well, the students will. I'll be in Saint Louis).
So, my friends, please be praying for Mizzou this week. Pray that we will meet students who not only are interested in our free goodies, but also in the free gift of salvation. Pray that where there is fear God will instead put a spirit of boldness. Pray that this week will lead to a semester of fruit.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Monday, August 20, 2012
40 days...
Hello, friends!
A guy once told me that the Hebrew term for "a long time," when translated, translates to the number 40 or something like that. Thus, 40 days in the desert for Jesus (or 40 years for the Israelites), 40 days or rain for Noah, and things like that, all mean that whatever happened, it happened for a long time.
Well, in 40 days, Meg and I will be married. Yesterday we celebrated our 2 year anniversary, and in less than 6 weeks, we will be getting ready to spend the rest of our lives together. Here's the thing: 40 days seems like a really LONG time. =0).
It's really simple. I cannot wait to be married to Meg. She is everything that I could possibly want in a wife (she loves Jesus, she's intelligent, fun in conversation, caring, hospitable, and a great listener, not to mention the fact that she is an incredible cook and is hands down the most beautiful woman in the world, to name a few things) and the 40 days seems like way to long to have to wait before we can be man and wife (or woman and husband).
But, 40 days we wait, and in the mean time, there is still much to do. Mizzou and Flo Valley classes both started today, meaning that my job of having multiple campuses has officially begun and we will see how well I do this commute thing. We had our pre-Fall retreat for Mizzou this past weekend (more on that later), I met with one Flo Valley student to do a prayer walk this afternoon, I am meeting with 2 more staff who are going to be doing a bit at Flo Valley this afternoon, tabling starts for Mizzou tomorrow, and I have a meeting set up with my remaining BCM student tomorrow afternoon. All this is added to the fact that there is still wedding planning to be done to go along with finishing up our pre-marital counseling. Needless to say, these 40 days are going to be full.
So, my friends, please pray for me, the ministry, and Meg as well. Pray that these next 40 days will be full of fruit, on the personal level, definitely for the campus, and for our relationship. It should be fun and I fully anticipate it flying by, just not quite fast enough.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
A guy once told me that the Hebrew term for "a long time," when translated, translates to the number 40 or something like that. Thus, 40 days in the desert for Jesus (or 40 years for the Israelites), 40 days or rain for Noah, and things like that, all mean that whatever happened, it happened for a long time.
Well, in 40 days, Meg and I will be married. Yesterday we celebrated our 2 year anniversary, and in less than 6 weeks, we will be getting ready to spend the rest of our lives together. Here's the thing: 40 days seems like a really LONG time. =0).
It's really simple. I cannot wait to be married to Meg. She is everything that I could possibly want in a wife (she loves Jesus, she's intelligent, fun in conversation, caring, hospitable, and a great listener, not to mention the fact that she is an incredible cook and is hands down the most beautiful woman in the world, to name a few things) and the 40 days seems like way to long to have to wait before we can be man and wife (or woman and husband).
But, 40 days we wait, and in the mean time, there is still much to do. Mizzou and Flo Valley classes both started today, meaning that my job of having multiple campuses has officially begun and we will see how well I do this commute thing. We had our pre-Fall retreat for Mizzou this past weekend (more on that later), I met with one Flo Valley student to do a prayer walk this afternoon, I am meeting with 2 more staff who are going to be doing a bit at Flo Valley this afternoon, tabling starts for Mizzou tomorrow, and I have a meeting set up with my remaining BCM student tomorrow afternoon. All this is added to the fact that there is still wedding planning to be done to go along with finishing up our pre-marital counseling. Needless to say, these 40 days are going to be full.
So, my friends, please pray for me, the ministry, and Meg as well. Pray that these next 40 days will be full of fruit, on the personal level, definitely for the campus, and for our relationship. It should be fun and I fully anticipate it flying by, just not quite fast enough.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Exhausted...
Hello, friends!
The past 2 days I have been fighting some health issues. Wednesday, I had a migraine for most of the day and today I had a headache in the morning that I am still fighting a bit. I don't have the cleanest bill of health, so there are probably a number of reasons as to why these are coming now.
- It could be the weather. I've learned that I am susceptible to changes in the weather. When the weather fluxuates I have a tendency to get migraines. There have been some studies done on the subject that look interesting. But, the weather hasn't changed TOO much over the past few days, so I am not sure that weather is the full answer.
- It could be my hair. Mama insists that the reason that I get migraines is because my hair is too long. I think it's just her way of telling me that I need to cut my hair. =0). Actually, it probably isn't that. I just had my hair cut about 2 weeks ago and I am still in the fairly short range.
- It could be stress. Tension headaches are a normal part of life. With the Pre-Fall Retreat happening this weekend, wedding planning, the beginning of school, and being away from Meg for more than 36 hours, I could be under a lot of stress. But, I don't actually feel very stressed. The planning is coming along in all facets and I have been spending a ton of time in prayer in preparation for this season.
So, what do I think it is? I think it is emotional exhaustion. On Tuesday and Wednesday I had 4 meetings with ACFers. 3 of them ended up being pastoral in nature. The time for those meetings? 100 minutes, 70 minutes, 120 minutes, 150 minutes. So, if you put all that together, I'm looking at over 7 hours of discipleship. If only half of that is spent pastorally we are still looking at 3.5 hours of pastoral care.
For some folk, that is a piece of cake. For some folk, that is a joy! For some folk, that is no big deal. I, however, am not one of those folk. While I have spent the past few years stretching my pastoral muscles, I am still a rookie in many ways. Honestly, I think that my brain is just exhausted from talking about emotions and such with folk. =0).
Prayer points:
- Tomorrow is our Pre-Fall Retreat. I am confident that God is going to do something great. Please join us in prayer.
- Heath. Healing would be great. Thanks!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
The past 2 days I have been fighting some health issues. Wednesday, I had a migraine for most of the day and today I had a headache in the morning that I am still fighting a bit. I don't have the cleanest bill of health, so there are probably a number of reasons as to why these are coming now.
- It could be the weather. I've learned that I am susceptible to changes in the weather. When the weather fluxuates I have a tendency to get migraines. There have been some studies done on the subject that look interesting. But, the weather hasn't changed TOO much over the past few days, so I am not sure that weather is the full answer.
- It could be my hair. Mama insists that the reason that I get migraines is because my hair is too long. I think it's just her way of telling me that I need to cut my hair. =0). Actually, it probably isn't that. I just had my hair cut about 2 weeks ago and I am still in the fairly short range.
- It could be stress. Tension headaches are a normal part of life. With the Pre-Fall Retreat happening this weekend, wedding planning, the beginning of school, and being away from Meg for more than 36 hours, I could be under a lot of stress. But, I don't actually feel very stressed. The planning is coming along in all facets and I have been spending a ton of time in prayer in preparation for this season.
So, what do I think it is? I think it is emotional exhaustion. On Tuesday and Wednesday I had 4 meetings with ACFers. 3 of them ended up being pastoral in nature. The time for those meetings? 100 minutes, 70 minutes, 120 minutes, 150 minutes. So, if you put all that together, I'm looking at over 7 hours of discipleship. If only half of that is spent pastorally we are still looking at 3.5 hours of pastoral care.
For some folk, that is a piece of cake. For some folk, that is a joy! For some folk, that is no big deal. I, however, am not one of those folk. While I have spent the past few years stretching my pastoral muscles, I am still a rookie in many ways. Honestly, I think that my brain is just exhausted from talking about emotions and such with folk. =0).
Prayer points:
- Tomorrow is our Pre-Fall Retreat. I am confident that God is going to do something great. Please join us in prayer.
- Heath. Healing would be great. Thanks!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Let the Games Begin!!!
Hello, friends!
I am writing to you from BEAUTIFUL Columbia, Missouri, where I will be for the next few days. Of course, I hate not being in Saint Louis with my BEAUTIFUL fiancee, Meg, but duty calls and I must answer.
Today marks the beginning of the school year for Mizzou ACF. Classes don't officially start until next Monday but students have begun to move back to CoMo and the campus is already full of life. It was the right time for me to come and make sure that we are well prepared to start the year well.
What does that entail? Pretty much it means a whole lot of meetings with ACF Leaders. I have 3 set up for today with a few more tomorrow and Thursday before our Pre-Fall Retreat on Friday and Saturday. My goal is to make sure that each of our ACF leaders is ready to rock and roll in whatever role they have for this year. If they are leading a small group, I want them to be confident in their abilities as a small group leader. If they are leading Large Group, I want them to be ready to put on a Large Group that will be engaging and enlightening. I want our New Student Outreach to actually reach students. Pretty much, I want us to be poised for the best year ever. =0).
I think I have a special sense of urgency this year because of my reduced role and time in CoMo this year. When I was living out here, the pace was more relaxed because if there was anything that we weren't prepared to handle, I was in town and could handle it. Now, with me only being in town 2 days a week, I have to trust the ACF leaders more. I can tell you right now that they have been doing an excellent job.
So please, pray for us. Pray for our NSO. Pray for our Pre-Fall Retreat. Pray for the leaders and pray for me as I lead them. Pray, pray, pray!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
I am writing to you from BEAUTIFUL Columbia, Missouri, where I will be for the next few days. Of course, I hate not being in Saint Louis with my BEAUTIFUL fiancee, Meg, but duty calls and I must answer.
Today marks the beginning of the school year for Mizzou ACF. Classes don't officially start until next Monday but students have begun to move back to CoMo and the campus is already full of life. It was the right time for me to come and make sure that we are well prepared to start the year well.
What does that entail? Pretty much it means a whole lot of meetings with ACF Leaders. I have 3 set up for today with a few more tomorrow and Thursday before our Pre-Fall Retreat on Friday and Saturday. My goal is to make sure that each of our ACF leaders is ready to rock and roll in whatever role they have for this year. If they are leading a small group, I want them to be confident in their abilities as a small group leader. If they are leading Large Group, I want them to be ready to put on a Large Group that will be engaging and enlightening. I want our New Student Outreach to actually reach students. Pretty much, I want us to be poised for the best year ever. =0).
I think I have a special sense of urgency this year because of my reduced role and time in CoMo this year. When I was living out here, the pace was more relaxed because if there was anything that we weren't prepared to handle, I was in town and could handle it. Now, with me only being in town 2 days a week, I have to trust the ACF leaders more. I can tell you right now that they have been doing an excellent job.
So please, pray for us. Pray for our NSO. Pray for our Pre-Fall Retreat. Pray for the leaders and pray for me as I lead them. Pray, pray, pray!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Goals...
Hello, friends!
At long last, we are approaching the new school year! In just a few days, the ACF leaders and I will be coming together in Columbia to reconnect with one another, reconnect with Jesus, and set our agenda for the upcoming year. This is right about the time when the impending school year really feels like it is on its way. Instead of using the term "next year," it is officially "this year."
With the new school year comes a new set of goals. Understand that I love goals, especially when they are reached. I may not love them as much as this guy but I still think they are a valuable tool to use in order to achieve one's best. Right now, I am working with some of the ACF leaders to solidify what our goals will be for this year.
But, this is where things get tricky. See, campus ministry isn't like a business in that the goals are a little more fluid and harder to define with integrity. There is always a tension between setting numerical goals and using more qualitative goal metrics. Let me give you an example.
Let's suppose we use a numerical goal and our goal is to average 40 people at Large Group per week. The temptation there is to make the goal an idol of sorts and do whatever it takes to make sure that goal is achieved. There are healthy ways to achieve that goal, say, doing better follow up and printing more flyers but there are also unhealthy ways, like guilting or begging students to come and giving out $5 bills at the door. To make sure we do not fall into that temptation, we could go with a totally qualitative goal, like, "this year, we want folk to love Jesus more." The problem with that is that there is no way for us to measure that well.
So, that is what I am working on now. I want ACF, BCM, and Flo Valley to all pursue goals with integrity and trust in Jesus, not the schemes of man. Would you please pray with me as we prepare for the new school year to come?
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
At long last, we are approaching the new school year! In just a few days, the ACF leaders and I will be coming together in Columbia to reconnect with one another, reconnect with Jesus, and set our agenda for the upcoming year. This is right about the time when the impending school year really feels like it is on its way. Instead of using the term "next year," it is officially "this year."
With the new school year comes a new set of goals. Understand that I love goals, especially when they are reached. I may not love them as much as this guy but I still think they are a valuable tool to use in order to achieve one's best. Right now, I am working with some of the ACF leaders to solidify what our goals will be for this year.
But, this is where things get tricky. See, campus ministry isn't like a business in that the goals are a little more fluid and harder to define with integrity. There is always a tension between setting numerical goals and using more qualitative goal metrics. Let me give you an example.
Let's suppose we use a numerical goal and our goal is to average 40 people at Large Group per week. The temptation there is to make the goal an idol of sorts and do whatever it takes to make sure that goal is achieved. There are healthy ways to achieve that goal, say, doing better follow up and printing more flyers but there are also unhealthy ways, like guilting or begging students to come and giving out $5 bills at the door. To make sure we do not fall into that temptation, we could go with a totally qualitative goal, like, "this year, we want folk to love Jesus more." The problem with that is that there is no way for us to measure that well.
So, that is what I am working on now. I want ACF, BCM, and Flo Valley to all pursue goals with integrity and trust in Jesus, not the schemes of man. Would you please pray with me as we prepare for the new school year to come?
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Friday, August 10, 2012
Roster Changes...
Hello, friends!
For better or for worse, professional sports (which I love) is a business. It always has been a business but it seems like lately, it has become more of one. This is seen through endorsements, merchandising, and a number of other avenues, but the one that probably makes my heart hurt the most is rosters. I could be wrong but it seems to me that there was a lot less roster moving back in the day. Folk used to stick with their teams for longer, allowing for chemistry and dynasties to be built. Mind you, some of this was because of things like the reserve clause and I am glad that players have more rights than they used to have. I get that roster changes make teams better and that sometimes change is in order to find that one piece that will turn your team from an also-ran into a contender. As someone who is generally adverse to change, I would love it if players and teams showed one another a little more loyalty but when players change teams I understand that it is part of the business and that life goes on.
Yesterday we had our first Area Team meeting of the new school year. On top of a new school year being in front of us, we also have made a few roster changes. Ashley and Elizabeth have moved on, Ashley moving it Seattle on account of getting married and Elizabeth taking a job with Urbana. We have added Robert to our team as an intern and Howie has returned to be our interim Area Director while we search for a new one. Chioma, Esther, Kale, Will, and I are still on the team but the roster does look a little different.
What will be interesting will be how team dynamics change on account of the roster changes. Suddenly guys outnumber gals (5-2) and PC's outnumber Macs (4-3). Personalities are different, swapping an ENTJ and an ISFJ for an ESFJ and an ESTP. Howie leads differently than Elizabeth does and Robert processes differently than Ashley does. How we interact as a team will be different from last year.
Added to that, each individual has changed a bit as well. With the departure of Ashley, I am now the longest tenured staff in the Missouri Area (Howie has been on staff longer but he hasn't always been with the Area). It's a little odd being the grizzled veteran. =0).
Ultimately, we are a different team. There is no denying that. What I love is that although there may be some roster changes and some role changes, one thing still remains the same, and that is our committment to our students and our dependence on Jesus. We have no choice but to accept the change and I believe that with Jesus guiding us, this year will be better than ever.
Prayer Points:
- Pray for our new team. Pray that God will unite us and that we will work together for the benefit of all our students.
- Pray for me as I prepare ACF's Pre-Fall Retreat. There are many details to cover and I need all the help I can get. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
For better or for worse, professional sports (which I love) is a business. It always has been a business but it seems like lately, it has become more of one. This is seen through endorsements, merchandising, and a number of other avenues, but the one that probably makes my heart hurt the most is rosters. I could be wrong but it seems to me that there was a lot less roster moving back in the day. Folk used to stick with their teams for longer, allowing for chemistry and dynasties to be built. Mind you, some of this was because of things like the reserve clause and I am glad that players have more rights than they used to have. I get that roster changes make teams better and that sometimes change is in order to find that one piece that will turn your team from an also-ran into a contender. As someone who is generally adverse to change, I would love it if players and teams showed one another a little more loyalty but when players change teams I understand that it is part of the business and that life goes on.
Yesterday we had our first Area Team meeting of the new school year. On top of a new school year being in front of us, we also have made a few roster changes. Ashley and Elizabeth have moved on, Ashley moving it Seattle on account of getting married and Elizabeth taking a job with Urbana. We have added Robert to our team as an intern and Howie has returned to be our interim Area Director while we search for a new one. Chioma, Esther, Kale, Will, and I are still on the team but the roster does look a little different.
What will be interesting will be how team dynamics change on account of the roster changes. Suddenly guys outnumber gals (5-2) and PC's outnumber Macs (4-3). Personalities are different, swapping an ENTJ and an ISFJ for an ESFJ and an ESTP. Howie leads differently than Elizabeth does and Robert processes differently than Ashley does. How we interact as a team will be different from last year.
Added to that, each individual has changed a bit as well. With the departure of Ashley, I am now the longest tenured staff in the Missouri Area (Howie has been on staff longer but he hasn't always been with the Area). It's a little odd being the grizzled veteran. =0).
Ultimately, we are a different team. There is no denying that. What I love is that although there may be some roster changes and some role changes, one thing still remains the same, and that is our committment to our students and our dependence on Jesus. We have no choice but to accept the change and I believe that with Jesus guiding us, this year will be better than ever.
Prayer Points:
- Pray for our new team. Pray that God will unite us and that we will work together for the benefit of all our students.
- Pray for me as I prepare ACF's Pre-Fall Retreat. There are many details to cover and I need all the help I can get. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
An Olympic Sized Post...
Hello, friends!
We have reached the halfway point of the 2012 London Olympics. We have seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We have seen the thrill of victory as well as the agony of defeat. We have seen Meg and me getting SUPER distracted by watching the Olympics every night and trying to multi-task. =0). I figured that now would be a good as time as any to post a few thoughts on the Olympics.
Winter vs. Summer: Meg and I both agree that the all the Olympics are awesome. Where we disagree is between which of the games we would rather watch. Meg prefers the Summer games, home to gymnastics, swimming, and track and field. I, on the other hand, think that the Winter games are the most fun to watch, home to hockey, biathlon, and, of course, the greatest Olympic sport known to man.
The joy of obscure events: Sure, we know about the big events. The average individual on the street would be able to tell you about who won gold in gymnastics or how the USA men's basketball team crushed Tunisia but how many know about handball, rowing, or field hockey? See, those are the events that make me smile the most. It could be because I like to know random facts about random things, or that I have a serious addiction to competition, or because I'm just a little odd. Either way, the obscure events are where I find the most excitement.
Rooting interest: There are so many countries that I want to see win! On the one hand, of course, the US of A is first in my heart. But, there is also China, the land of my ancestors. What about Great Brittain, the host country? Or, how about Canada, the country with which I have an unusual (and possibly unhealthy, obsession? Usually there isn't too much conflict but I do have a number of different rooting interests.
Prayer at the Olympics: I was reading a book a while back that talked about "prayer hooks." Prayer hooks are things that remind you to pray for certain things or people. The example that the author gave was that whenever he uses chapstick he prays for his son-in-law, who uses a chapstick a ton. A while back, I decided that the US national anthem was going to be my prayer hook for praying for our country and our elected officials. Usually, this means when I go to baseball games and such but with the US being so awesome at the Olympics, I have been praying for our great nation quite a bit. =0).
Ultimately, the things that I love so much about the Olympics are the competition and the sense of world comraderie that comes from the games. In about a week, the world will go back to focusing on how broken things are. But, for the next few days, the Olympics are a what I would consider a little glimpse of heaven.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
We have reached the halfway point of the 2012 London Olympics. We have seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We have seen the thrill of victory as well as the agony of defeat. We have seen Meg and me getting SUPER distracted by watching the Olympics every night and trying to multi-task. =0). I figured that now would be a good as time as any to post a few thoughts on the Olympics.
Winter vs. Summer: Meg and I both agree that the all the Olympics are awesome. Where we disagree is between which of the games we would rather watch. Meg prefers the Summer games, home to gymnastics, swimming, and track and field. I, on the other hand, think that the Winter games are the most fun to watch, home to hockey, biathlon, and, of course, the greatest Olympic sport known to man.
The joy of obscure events: Sure, we know about the big events. The average individual on the street would be able to tell you about who won gold in gymnastics or how the USA men's basketball team crushed Tunisia but how many know about handball, rowing, or field hockey? See, those are the events that make me smile the most. It could be because I like to know random facts about random things, or that I have a serious addiction to competition, or because I'm just a little odd. Either way, the obscure events are where I find the most excitement.
Rooting interest: There are so many countries that I want to see win! On the one hand, of course, the US of A is first in my heart. But, there is also China, the land of my ancestors. What about Great Brittain, the host country? Or, how about Canada, the country with which I have an unusual (and possibly unhealthy, obsession? Usually there isn't too much conflict but I do have a number of different rooting interests.
Prayer at the Olympics: I was reading a book a while back that talked about "prayer hooks." Prayer hooks are things that remind you to pray for certain things or people. The example that the author gave was that whenever he uses chapstick he prays for his son-in-law, who uses a chapstick a ton. A while back, I decided that the US national anthem was going to be my prayer hook for praying for our country and our elected officials. Usually, this means when I go to baseball games and such but with the US being so awesome at the Olympics, I have been praying for our great nation quite a bit. =0).
Ultimately, the things that I love so much about the Olympics are the competition and the sense of world comraderie that comes from the games. In about a week, the world will go back to focusing on how broken things are. But, for the next few days, the Olympics are a what I would consider a little glimpse of heaven.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, August 2, 2012
It's Time!
Hello, friends!
Happy August to you! Do you know what August brings? No, not just the Summer Olympics, although those have been epic. August also brings the start of the new school year!
That's right. In less than 3 weeks, Mizzou students (as well as Flo Valley students) will be starting classes for the 2012-2013 year. It promises to be an amazing year.
One of the reasons why this time of the year is so important is because it sets up InterVarsity for the rest of the year to come, and even for the next 4 years. Every year, a new class of Freshman enter college. Within the first few weeks of school, they find their group of friends and usually what extra curricular activities they are going to do. These choices often stick with them for the rest of their college careers. Added to that, every year we see students return to school who had a change of heart over summer. Some want to "get back to Jesus." Others want to believe that there is something more to life than what they have now. In either case, those first few weeks often determine whether or not these students will get what they are trying to find.
Friends, the truth is simple. I really want the students at Flo Valley and Mizzou to know who Jesus is and follow Him with their lives. That means that we need to meet them first. These next few weeks, as we prepare for students to return, will you pray with us and for us? This ministry does not happen without your prayers and support. Please join us.
Prayer Points:
- In 2 weeks we will be having our pre-Fall retreat for Mizzou. Please pray that this will be a time of reconnecting with Jesus, reconnecting with each other, and reconnecting with the vision of ACF and BCM.
- Please pray as I continue to do work work connecting with faculty and administrators at Flo Valley. Pray that we will find "people of peace" who can advocate for what InterVarsity wants to do on campus.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Happy August to you! Do you know what August brings? No, not just the Summer Olympics, although those have been epic. August also brings the start of the new school year!
That's right. In less than 3 weeks, Mizzou students (as well as Flo Valley students) will be starting classes for the 2012-2013 year. It promises to be an amazing year.
One of the reasons why this time of the year is so important is because it sets up InterVarsity for the rest of the year to come, and even for the next 4 years. Every year, a new class of Freshman enter college. Within the first few weeks of school, they find their group of friends and usually what extra curricular activities they are going to do. These choices often stick with them for the rest of their college careers. Added to that, every year we see students return to school who had a change of heart over summer. Some want to "get back to Jesus." Others want to believe that there is something more to life than what they have now. In either case, those first few weeks often determine whether or not these students will get what they are trying to find.
Friends, the truth is simple. I really want the students at Flo Valley and Mizzou to know who Jesus is and follow Him with their lives. That means that we need to meet them first. These next few weeks, as we prepare for students to return, will you pray with us and for us? This ministry does not happen without your prayers and support. Please join us.
Prayer Points:
- In 2 weeks we will be having our pre-Fall retreat for Mizzou. Please pray that this will be a time of reconnecting with Jesus, reconnecting with each other, and reconnecting with the vision of ACF and BCM.
- Please pray as I continue to do work work connecting with faculty and administrators at Flo Valley. Pray that we will find "people of peace" who can advocate for what InterVarsity wants to do on campus.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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