Conviction and Resolution

Hello, friends!

I was having lunch with a few of my friends Saturday and a thought came to mind so I asked them both this question:

Have either of your churches made any reference, or even mention, of the racial tensions happening in St. Louis and what the role of the Church (Capital "C") is supposed to be in the midst of the tragedy?

Both men thought about it for a bit then both agreed that neither of their churches have made any mention of the incident in the 2 months since it has happened. My church hasn't either.

We're going through a series at church about the Church (with a capital "C") and its role in the Kingdom of God. Our pastor made the points that the Church is supposed to reflect God's power and majesty. I couldn't help but get the feeling that reflecting God's power and majesty also means making note of issues that are happening just down the road from us that are issues of injustice and racial tension. I can't speak for other churches in the community but I can't help but feel like we are letting the Church down by not making this a point of conversation.

Of course, that immediately made me think of my own ministry and sphere of influence. I've done my best to make mention of Ferguson in the teachings that we have on Wednesday nights but I'm sure there is more that could be done. In some ways, I feel paralyzed by ignorance; I don't know what to do from 120 miles west of where everything happened. But, I'm sure there's something I can be doing and I'm sure it could be more.

A few weeks ago I was talking to some of our ACF students, right after Michael Brown was shot, and they actually had no idea of what had happened. These are students who live in St. Louis County but still hadn't heard about the situation just a few miles east. It breaks my heart to think that there may be more that I can do to get students to think about justice and racial reconciliation.

So, my friends, my hope is that you'll join me. Regardless of where you are in the country, join me in praying for wisdom in how to be a bridge builder for St. Louis. I'm not sure what conclusions we will reach or what God will call us to do. What I do know is that it will almost certainly be more than what I am doing now.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

What Did We Do to Deserve This?

Hello, friends!

I'm writing to you from the basement of one of the student centers here at Mizzou, getting a bunch of admin done before the start of a new week and new craziness that always seems to come with working with college students.

As I sit here preparing for the week ahead, setting up meetings, trying to put my week together, and working on what needs to get done, I was struck by how much Megan and I have been blessed by God in the past few weeks. In all phases of life and ministry, God has continued to be faithful, in ways both large and small.

Campus wise, things can always be better, but honestly, I can't help but feel blessed. The International Student Ministry that Megan has been planting continues to grow. I've been having fun working with a small group in the School of Nursing and I've also felt a lot of peace about the fact that ACF is not as big as it was last year in terms of students participating.

There are other parts to ministry as well. I mentioned last week that I'm spending much more of my time working on our funding, getting it to a healthy level so that both Megan and I can continue to do what we do. Just in the past few weeks we've seen our deficit drop from $20,000 to just under $16,000 in unsolicited partnership.

We were also blessed this past week by having Megan's sister, brother-in-law, and nephew come to visit us for a few days. I'm so thankful that we have family that loves us and wants to spend time with us.

Friends, this season is always a busy one during the semester, when things are constantly happening and usually something is going differently than we plan. I'm encouraged that my attitude at this point is one of optimism. My body and mind are definitely tired but my spirit is upbeat and strong. My prayer is that this will continue as more craziness comes.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

On Conferences, Roles, and Other Things of Interest...

Hello, friends!

I hope this blog finds you well. I have to confess, in the midst of all the craziness that has happened these past few weeks, being diligent in my blogging has not been a strength of mine. I sincerely apologize.

Friends, this is my 8th year working for InterVaristy and I can say with all honesty that this year is the busiest I have ever found myself. Normally, as I enter a new school year, my mind is focused on only one thing: How do we start off the ACF year strong. However, this year, the number of things on my plate and hats I has put me in unknown territory. Here are my roles for this semester:

- Staff for Mizzou Nurses Christian Fellowship. One pleasant surprise from the summer was learning that there was a Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) at Mizzou! At the beginning of the year I was able to connect with the students and faculty who lead the group and am now resourcing them with all the goodies that InterVaristy has to offer. Two students even joined us for Fall Conference!

- Fall Conference Director. Speaking of Fall Conference, this past weekend, 150 students from Columbia and St. Louis came together at Re:Act, Missouri's Fall Conference, to hear the Word, be in community, and reconnect with Jesus. Our speaker was Elizabeth English, whom I affectionately call "La Capitana" from back in the day when she was my supervisor. La Cap taught on Acts 1-2, talking about what it means to hear God's voice and how to then follow Jesus into mission. 18 Mizzou students came for the weekend, and of the 150, one student gave her life to Jesus for the first time and another 7 made re commitments! I had the honor of directing the conference, which meant tons of preparations as my team and I planned each session, seminars, rec time, hospitality, and registration. I'm not saying it was exhausting, I'm just saying that last week I put in close to 70 hours of work.

- Cambodia GP Director: It's hard to fathom that it was over 2 months ago that we returned from Cambodia. Still, it's something that still has an impact in a number of ways, one of which is that the first month of this year (The InterVarsity year starts July 1), I spent time in Cambodia instead of preparing for the school year. You can learn more about my trip by checking out the super blog.

- Supervising Staff. This is the second year I am supervising staff for InterVarsity. There is one full time staff, one intern, and one volunteer who all have different needs, personalities, and growth edges. It is such a pleasure to be able to supervise staff and help then through these first few years of staff life. 

- Fundraiser. Through a combination of events, including Megan moving to Columbia, an increased budget to take into account our new roles as team leaders, and the general craziness that comes from transition, Megan and I find ourselves a bit behind in our fundraising. I do not doubt that God will provide but I know that $20,000 is no small number and I am going to have to put my best foot forward to make sure we are fully funded come the end of the year. 

- Area Leadership Team. A new role that I have this year is as a member of the Area Leadership Team. This role includes shaping the vision and direction of the Area, making sure that we are all moving in the same direction as a movement, and not just a collection of individual campuses. 

- Staff for Mizzou ACF. I intentionally put this last because in many ways it is the role that has suffered the most this year. With so many other responsibilities, the fact of the matter is that I can't devote the same time to ACF that I was once able to devote, nor should I. It has been a hard transition, not spending most every hour of my day thinking about ACF, but I believe it is a necessary one. 

So, friends, please be praying for Megan and me. Pray for our funding. Pray for the students and staff that we are influencing. Pray for rest for us and for good boundaries to be set. Pray that we will be filled with the Spirit as we pour out into others. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam