Hello, friends!
I have done a lot of crazy things in the name of the Gospel and InterVarsity, but this weekend may take the cake. Our staff team is about to put on FOUR SIMULTANEOUS CONFERENCES AT THE SAME LOCATION.
That's right, this weekend, the Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park is going to overrun with InterVarsity students from Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas, as part of our Corners Conferences. The 4 conferences will include: Imani (a Black student conference), Ohana (an Asian American student conference), Mi Gente (a LatinX student conference), and Being White (a White student conference).
A question that I'm sure will come up is, "Adam, why have so many different conferences? Why not just have one big conference? Isn't that being divisive?"
First of all, that's 3 questions, not 1, but I still get your point. It goes like this. One of the things that I've learned in my time with InterVarsity is that culture and ethnicity are things to be honored, celebrated, and taken into account. Black, LatinX, Asian American, and White students experience the Gospel differently. We do musical worship differently. Our speakers are different. We have different life experiences. The point of the Corners Conference is that we want to celebrate this diversity, knowing that God is the author of each of our cultures. There will be some things that we do together as a whole group but we're having 4 conferences because we want to speak the heart language of students, and sometimes, that means being apart for a while.
Y'all, it's about to get crazy. At our Regional Spring Conference, Catalyst, last year, we had 139 students from our 4 states participate. Right now, we have over 400 coming to Kansas City this weekend. Our staff and students have been killing it on the recruitment side. Everyone has been working hard on the planning and logistics. It's been a fun thing to see.
We really need y'all to be partnering with us this weekend in prayer. There are a lot of moving pieces and if we are going to need as much prayer as we can get. Here are a few specific ways to be praying for us:
- Journey's Mercies: Praise Jesus, we have something like 20 students from Mid-MO attending the various conferences, including 6 from Lincoln! Getting all of them safely to KC and back is a huge priority for us.
- Our Speakers and Seminar Leaders: We are going to have some great speakers and our seminars are going to cover everything from Ethnic Identity Development all the way to being a minority in today's America. Please pray that our speakers and seminar leaders will be led by Jesus to speak words of truth.
- Our students: This is easily the biggest conference our Region has ever done in terms of student involvement. Please pray that the students will be receptive to hearing what God might have for them.
One last thing. If you're interested in giving scholarships to help our students attend, there's still time to give! Thanks to various scholarships and discounts, it costs about $40 for a student to attend. If you'd like to sponsor one of our Mid-MO students, you can do so by clicking this link here.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Thursday, January 19, 2017
The Year of Something...
Hello, friends!
Greetings from beautiful CoMO! The weather out here is actually so nice that I was able to bike today! Of course, I waited until the rain stopped. No sense in being unsafe. =0).
Thanks again to everyone who wished me well on my birthday. I had a pretty spectacular day. I got to hang out with Ezra and Meg, Meg and I went to go see a movie, and I ate a lot of free birthday goodies that were really terrible for me. There was supposed to be a major ice storm coming through but it stayed mostly south of us, so that was a huge blessing too. Meg and Ezra got me a new Cardinals cap (to be revealed once the season starts) and my sister got me a shirt. All in all, I'd say it was good birthday.
I don't remember how long ago it was, but a few years back a co-worker of mine introduced me to the concept of making each year the Year of Something. It was her way of saying of asking how folk wanted to spend the year in terms of focus and/or hopes. It could be the Year of Risk Taking or the Year of Running or something like that. I liked the idea so much that I decided that each year, on my birthday, I would make it the Year of Something. Past years have included the Year of Faithfulness and the Year of "Go Big or Go Home" among others. I like to use my birthday instead of the New Year because my birthday is so close to the New Year and it gives me some time to finish out the old year well without thinking too much about the year to come.
Friends, I'm in a little bit of trouble. I really don't know what this year is going to be the "year of"! I've had a few thoughts:
- The year of "yes!", which would be me saying yes to more and more things
- The year of prayer, focusing on intercession and going to God more intentionally and more frequently
- The year of activism, not just talking about the change that I want to see in the world but actually doing something to change it
- The year of implicit bias, focusing explicitly on the idea that implicit bias is a real thing and that if we are going to actually see change in the way that we relate to one another, we're going to have to recognize that
We're almost a week into my new "year" and I'm still not sure how this is going to go. My hope is that as I "try on" each of these ideas, something will just feel right. Your prayers would be much appreciated as I figure this out. Maybe you could send me your ideas, or let me know what your year is going to be. I can't say that I'll go with your suggestions, but it's nice to know you care.
Of course, if you don't have a "year of" for this year, I encourage you to get one! It's sort of like a New Year's resolution but better because it actually changes the way you think. Who knows, maybe this year will be the Year of Group Revolutions. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Greetings from beautiful CoMO! The weather out here is actually so nice that I was able to bike today! Of course, I waited until the rain stopped. No sense in being unsafe. =0).
Thanks again to everyone who wished me well on my birthday. I had a pretty spectacular day. I got to hang out with Ezra and Meg, Meg and I went to go see a movie, and I ate a lot of free birthday goodies that were really terrible for me. There was supposed to be a major ice storm coming through but it stayed mostly south of us, so that was a huge blessing too. Meg and Ezra got me a new Cardinals cap (to be revealed once the season starts) and my sister got me a shirt. All in all, I'd say it was good birthday.
I don't remember how long ago it was, but a few years back a co-worker of mine introduced me to the concept of making each year the Year of Something. It was her way of saying of asking how folk wanted to spend the year in terms of focus and/or hopes. It could be the Year of Risk Taking or the Year of Running or something like that. I liked the idea so much that I decided that each year, on my birthday, I would make it the Year of Something. Past years have included the Year of Faithfulness and the Year of "Go Big or Go Home" among others. I like to use my birthday instead of the New Year because my birthday is so close to the New Year and it gives me some time to finish out the old year well without thinking too much about the year to come.
Friends, I'm in a little bit of trouble. I really don't know what this year is going to be the "year of"! I've had a few thoughts:
- The year of "yes!", which would be me saying yes to more and more things
- The year of prayer, focusing on intercession and going to God more intentionally and more frequently
- The year of activism, not just talking about the change that I want to see in the world but actually doing something to change it
- The year of implicit bias, focusing explicitly on the idea that implicit bias is a real thing and that if we are going to actually see change in the way that we relate to one another, we're going to have to recognize that
We're almost a week into my new "year" and I'm still not sure how this is going to go. My hope is that as I "try on" each of these ideas, something will just feel right. Your prayers would be much appreciated as I figure this out. Maybe you could send me your ideas, or let me know what your year is going to be. I can't say that I'll go with your suggestions, but it's nice to know you care.
Of course, if you don't have a "year of" for this year, I encourage you to get one! It's sort of like a New Year's resolution but better because it actually changes the way you think. Who knows, maybe this year will be the Year of Group Revolutions. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Staff Conference Hooray!!!
Hello, friends!
Sorry about not posting anything last week. I was actually in beautiful Orlando, Florida at our National Staff Conference. Between the meetings, the sessions, the seminars, and the sunshine, and in an attempt to stay fully present, I more or less went offline for the week. It was really nice.
Every 3 years, InterVarsity's entire staff team gathers together to reconnect, be re-inspired, and be reminded of our vision as a staff community. This Staff Conference (SC17) was special for a number of reasons. First of all, it was InterVarsity celebrating its 75 year anniversary! There was a really cool timeline up in our main session space that had our history, both its highs and lows, with photos and quotes and everything. It was pretty cool to see (even though I didn't get through all of it).
The second reason that it was a special staff conference was because of everything that has happened in our movement since the last staff conference, in fact, even in the last year! In the past 13 months or so, we had an Urbana, a new president was named, and we were in the news for our theological stance on sexuality. We had a lot of staff coming in from different places, not only geographically, but also mentally and emotionally.
As is often my nature, here are a few quick bullet points on my reflections from SC17:
- These things sure are different when you're a veteran staff. This is my 10th year with InterVarsity. I am by no means the longest tenured staff with our movement. It's not even close. However, I'm also not a young staff anymore. When I was younger, my Staff Conferences were full of play time, free time, and general chill time. As I've been on staff longer and longer, and taken on more and more responsibility, I've seen that more of my time at these things is filled with meetings. I don't think I had a breakfast meeting but there were definitely lunch meetings, afternoon meetings, dinner meetings, and even late night meetings. When we only get together every 3 years as a national team, you figure out how to meet. Meg's schedule was very similar. It's certainly not a bad thing. It's just a different vibe than from before.
- I know fewer and fewer people every year. I'm pretty sure that when I went to my Orientation for New Staff (ONS) in the summer of 2008 (after my intern year), we were the largest ONS class in InterVarsity's history. There were over 100 of us who joined staff that year. Since then, I'm pretty sure that number has been surpassed but what struck me is that at SC17, I saw even fewer people from my ONS class than in previous Staff Conferences. In one sense, I know that makes sense. I've talked to a number of friends from that ONS class over the year who left staff to go on and do great things. Still, it was a little humbling to walk into SC17 and know that there were a few folk I saw last time that I won't be seeing this time.
- It's nice to be at a conference and not be working at a conference. One of the best things about Staff Conferences is that most of us are there to be participants and not presenters or conference directors. This is a welcome change from the norm. As you know, I've been Missouri's Fall Conference Director for the past 3 years. I've also put on smaller things for students on individual campuses or for Mid-Missouri. Even at Urbana, I'm not directing but my primary concern is making sure my students are doing OK. It's fun work and it's good work but it's exhausting. SC17 didn't have any of that. I could go to a main session and just learn from the speaker without having to think through how students would be receiving the message or how to debrief the session later. If things ran over time, it didn't bother me. I could go to those various meetings and spend time at the pool with my wife and son without any guilt. It was pretty great.
Our theme for the conference was Magnificat. We were in the beginning of Luke, talking about Mary and the birth of Jesus. It was a beautiful time to not only spend more time thinking about the Christmas season but also a reminder that God's M.O. is to do miraculous things through the unlikeliest of people. That was a good word to receive as I prepare for the semester ahead.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Sorry about not posting anything last week. I was actually in beautiful Orlando, Florida at our National Staff Conference. Between the meetings, the sessions, the seminars, and the sunshine, and in an attempt to stay fully present, I more or less went offline for the week. It was really nice.
Every 3 years, InterVarsity's entire staff team gathers together to reconnect, be re-inspired, and be reminded of our vision as a staff community. This Staff Conference (SC17) was special for a number of reasons. First of all, it was InterVarsity celebrating its 75 year anniversary! There was a really cool timeline up in our main session space that had our history, both its highs and lows, with photos and quotes and everything. It was pretty cool to see (even though I didn't get through all of it).
The second reason that it was a special staff conference was because of everything that has happened in our movement since the last staff conference, in fact, even in the last year! In the past 13 months or so, we had an Urbana, a new president was named, and we were in the news for our theological stance on sexuality. We had a lot of staff coming in from different places, not only geographically, but also mentally and emotionally.
As is often my nature, here are a few quick bullet points on my reflections from SC17:
- These things sure are different when you're a veteran staff. This is my 10th year with InterVarsity. I am by no means the longest tenured staff with our movement. It's not even close. However, I'm also not a young staff anymore. When I was younger, my Staff Conferences were full of play time, free time, and general chill time. As I've been on staff longer and longer, and taken on more and more responsibility, I've seen that more of my time at these things is filled with meetings. I don't think I had a breakfast meeting but there were definitely lunch meetings, afternoon meetings, dinner meetings, and even late night meetings. When we only get together every 3 years as a national team, you figure out how to meet. Meg's schedule was very similar. It's certainly not a bad thing. It's just a different vibe than from before.
- I know fewer and fewer people every year. I'm pretty sure that when I went to my Orientation for New Staff (ONS) in the summer of 2008 (after my intern year), we were the largest ONS class in InterVarsity's history. There were over 100 of us who joined staff that year. Since then, I'm pretty sure that number has been surpassed but what struck me is that at SC17, I saw even fewer people from my ONS class than in previous Staff Conferences. In one sense, I know that makes sense. I've talked to a number of friends from that ONS class over the year who left staff to go on and do great things. Still, it was a little humbling to walk into SC17 and know that there were a few folk I saw last time that I won't be seeing this time.
- It's nice to be at a conference and not be working at a conference. One of the best things about Staff Conferences is that most of us are there to be participants and not presenters or conference directors. This is a welcome change from the norm. As you know, I've been Missouri's Fall Conference Director for the past 3 years. I've also put on smaller things for students on individual campuses or for Mid-Missouri. Even at Urbana, I'm not directing but my primary concern is making sure my students are doing OK. It's fun work and it's good work but it's exhausting. SC17 didn't have any of that. I could go to a main session and just learn from the speaker without having to think through how students would be receiving the message or how to debrief the session later. If things ran over time, it didn't bother me. I could go to those various meetings and spend time at the pool with my wife and son without any guilt. It was pretty great.
Our theme for the conference was Magnificat. We were in the beginning of Luke, talking about Mary and the birth of Jesus. It was a beautiful time to not only spend more time thinking about the Christmas season but also a reminder that God's M.O. is to do miraculous things through the unlikeliest of people. That was a good word to receive as I prepare for the semester ahead.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Here's to 2016!
Hello, friends!
As 2016 comes to a close, we wanted to show y'all our end of the year ministry and family update. Two things for you before we get to the good stuff:
- If you are looking at this letter and saying, "Man, that looks great! Why didn't I get one of these?!" The reason is because we don't have your mailing address! You can fix that by clicking here and updating your contact info for our records.
- If you feel so inclined, you can also give a year end gift to the work that we're doing with InterVarsity in Mid-Missouri. All gifts are tax-deductible and can be done by following the link here.
As 2016 comes to a close, we wanted to show y'all our end of the year ministry and family update. Two things for you before we get to the good stuff:
- If you are looking at this letter and saying, "Man, that looks great! Why didn't I get one of these?!" The reason is because we don't have your mailing address! You can fix that by clicking here and updating your contact info for our records.
- If you feel so inclined, you can also give a year end gift to the work that we're doing with InterVarsity in Mid-Missouri. All gifts are tax-deductible and can be done by following the link here.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
~Adam
Friday, December 16, 2016
RSC16!!!
Hello, friends!
First of all, thank you all so much for all of the love and support that I've received regarding my incoming new role as Director for the Asian American Ministries Pilot Project. I have been overwhelmed by the congratulations from everyone. I'm really looking forward to the taking on this new role come January.
Normally, I post on Thursdays but, you'll notice, it's Friday. I had to take a little bit of a rest day yesterday because we got back from our Regional Staff Conference (RSC16) Thursday morning and I needed some time to recoup after 3 days of being in full on conference mode.
As always, RSC was a great time. I did notice though, that while there are some things that I can count on, things still also change from year to year. Here are a few of my epiphanies from 72 hours of staff conference goodness on what's changed:
- I've officially transitioned from "young staff" to "veteran staff." The move was probably a long time coming but I really felt it this year. There are two ways you can tell if you've moved from "young staff" to "veteran staff" status. The first is how you spend your free time, including meals. If it's spent at the pool, playing games, or things like that, you're probably "young staff." If it's spent in a meeting, you're a veteran. The other way to tell is how you spend your 10pm. If you spend your 10pm around other staff, hanging out, playing games, and otherwise having a good time, you're probably a "young staff." On the other hand, if you spend your 10pm asleep or getting ready for sleep, you're probably a veteran.
- Having a kid on site is hard work! Last year, we had Ezra with us but he was barely 6 months old. He didn't really do a whole lot besides sleep and poop so watching him was pretty easy. This year, Ezra was eating solid food, only taking one nap a day, and practically running down the hall every chance he got. I think that Meg and I worked pretty well together in making sure that we both were able to be somewhat present while still keeping an eye on him but it was definitely more of a struggle than last year. It also didn't help that Ezra had a bit of a cold so we couldn't utilize childcare like we wanted.
- The room looks different from before. Every year, at RSC, I look around and notice a few more faces are not there that I'm used to seeing. Staff move away or go off staff. It's a normal part of the job. Since 2008 or so, we've been focused on our "2020 vision" for the area. At ever RSC since then, we've done a status report that included a photo of our staff team from when we launched the vision. Every year, there are fewer and fewer of us in the room who where part of that original photo. It's a little bittersweet, even though I know that everyone no longer in the room is still doing good work for the kingdom in one capacity or another.
Still, with all the changes, there are still things that I can count on during RSC. I can count on great conversations with staff friends who know what I do and have been through similar experiences. I can count on a great vision being cast for our Region and being charged up and ready to take on the upcoming semester. I can count on RSC feeling like a great bookend to an eventful semester. I can count on Jesus showing up and speaking to me in profound ways. I can count on showing up and it still feeling like home and familia. For all the changes that each RSC brings, I'll take those constants any day of the week.
Next week there may or may not be a post by me. I'll be in SoDak for Christmas with Meg's family, so I may take the week off. In case I do, Merry Christmas, and, as always...
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
First of all, thank you all so much for all of the love and support that I've received regarding my incoming new role as Director for the Asian American Ministries Pilot Project. I have been overwhelmed by the congratulations from everyone. I'm really looking forward to the taking on this new role come January.
Normally, I post on Thursdays but, you'll notice, it's Friday. I had to take a little bit of a rest day yesterday because we got back from our Regional Staff Conference (RSC16) Thursday morning and I needed some time to recoup after 3 days of being in full on conference mode.
As always, RSC was a great time. I did notice though, that while there are some things that I can count on, things still also change from year to year. Here are a few of my epiphanies from 72 hours of staff conference goodness on what's changed:
- I've officially transitioned from "young staff" to "veteran staff." The move was probably a long time coming but I really felt it this year. There are two ways you can tell if you've moved from "young staff" to "veteran staff" status. The first is how you spend your free time, including meals. If it's spent at the pool, playing games, or things like that, you're probably "young staff." If it's spent in a meeting, you're a veteran. The other way to tell is how you spend your 10pm. If you spend your 10pm around other staff, hanging out, playing games, and otherwise having a good time, you're probably a "young staff." On the other hand, if you spend your 10pm asleep or getting ready for sleep, you're probably a veteran.
- Having a kid on site is hard work! Last year, we had Ezra with us but he was barely 6 months old. He didn't really do a whole lot besides sleep and poop so watching him was pretty easy. This year, Ezra was eating solid food, only taking one nap a day, and practically running down the hall every chance he got. I think that Meg and I worked pretty well together in making sure that we both were able to be somewhat present while still keeping an eye on him but it was definitely more of a struggle than last year. It also didn't help that Ezra had a bit of a cold so we couldn't utilize childcare like we wanted.
- The room looks different from before. Every year, at RSC, I look around and notice a few more faces are not there that I'm used to seeing. Staff move away or go off staff. It's a normal part of the job. Since 2008 or so, we've been focused on our "2020 vision" for the area. At ever RSC since then, we've done a status report that included a photo of our staff team from when we launched the vision. Every year, there are fewer and fewer of us in the room who where part of that original photo. It's a little bittersweet, even though I know that everyone no longer in the room is still doing good work for the kingdom in one capacity or another.
Still, with all the changes, there are still things that I can count on during RSC. I can count on great conversations with staff friends who know what I do and have been through similar experiences. I can count on a great vision being cast for our Region and being charged up and ready to take on the upcoming semester. I can count on RSC feeling like a great bookend to an eventful semester. I can count on Jesus showing up and speaking to me in profound ways. I can count on showing up and it still feeling like home and familia. For all the changes that each RSC brings, I'll take those constants any day of the week.
Next week there may or may not be a post by me. I'll be in SoDak for Christmas with Meg's family, so I may take the week off. In case I do, Merry Christmas, and, as always...
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, December 8, 2016
A New Adventure Awaits!!!
Hello, friends!
So, some exciting news! Starting January 1, I will be assuming the role of Director of Asian American Ministries Pilot Projects for InterVarsity! I'm super excited about the role and wanted to let y'all know about what I'll be doing for the position.
Q: What is the Asian American Ministries Pilot Project?
A: The AAM Pilot Project is an initiative within AAM, where staff who are interested in seeing more Asian American students reached at a particular campus, whether it be a new chapter, a new small group, or what. Our focus will also be on evangelism so that new groups aren't just created but that we're seeing evangelistic fruit coming from those groups.
Q: That sounds cool. What will your role be?
A: As director of the Project, my role will have a few different facets. On the one hand, I'll be finding campus staff who want to see Asian American students reached on their campus and then pairing them with coaches. I'll also be developing the training and resources for the coaches and staff. On the other hand, I hope to be learning a lot from our National Evangelism Team on different things that folk around the country are trying in terms of Evangelism.
Q: Wow, that sounds like a lot of work. Does this mean you won't be doing your other stuff?
A: Well, yes and no. It's only a part-time position, so I'll still continue on as my role as Associate Area Director for Missouri and I'll still be working with Lincoln University and Mizzou Nurses Christian Fellowship. Those things don't change. However, there are a few of my current job responsibilities that I'll be letting go of so I don't end up sipping too much of that workahol.
Q: I guess that makes sense. How did you get this job, anyway?
A: Back in October, I wrote about going to Boston as a coach for a staff who was working with Asian American students. That was actually part of the Pilot Project. Last year I served as a coach. This year, I'll be coaching another campus while also taking on the role of director. The current director is leaving InterVarsity and asked me to fill the position.
So, that's one piece of big news that's happening in our world right now. Please pray for me as I begin preparations for the new role, especially as I take on new responsibilities and let go of old ones. It's going to be a new adventure and I'm looking forward to it.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
So, some exciting news! Starting January 1, I will be assuming the role of Director of Asian American Ministries Pilot Projects for InterVarsity! I'm super excited about the role and wanted to let y'all know about what I'll be doing for the position.
Q: What is the Asian American Ministries Pilot Project?
A: The AAM Pilot Project is an initiative within AAM, where staff who are interested in seeing more Asian American students reached at a particular campus, whether it be a new chapter, a new small group, or what. Our focus will also be on evangelism so that new groups aren't just created but that we're seeing evangelistic fruit coming from those groups.
Q: That sounds cool. What will your role be?
A: As director of the Project, my role will have a few different facets. On the one hand, I'll be finding campus staff who want to see Asian American students reached on their campus and then pairing them with coaches. I'll also be developing the training and resources for the coaches and staff. On the other hand, I hope to be learning a lot from our National Evangelism Team on different things that folk around the country are trying in terms of Evangelism.
Q: Wow, that sounds like a lot of work. Does this mean you won't be doing your other stuff?
A: Well, yes and no. It's only a part-time position, so I'll still continue on as my role as Associate Area Director for Missouri and I'll still be working with Lincoln University and Mizzou Nurses Christian Fellowship. Those things don't change. However, there are a few of my current job responsibilities that I'll be letting go of so I don't end up sipping too much of that workahol.
Q: I guess that makes sense. How did you get this job, anyway?
A: Back in October, I wrote about going to Boston as a coach for a staff who was working with Asian American students. That was actually part of the Pilot Project. Last year I served as a coach. This year, I'll be coaching another campus while also taking on the role of director. The current director is leaving InterVarsity and asked me to fill the position.
So, that's one piece of big news that's happening in our world right now. Please pray for me as I begin preparations for the new role, especially as I take on new responsibilities and let go of old ones. It's going to be a new adventure and I'm looking forward to it.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Hooray for the Lincoln Semester!
Hello, friends!
Yesterday I had my last Wednesday visit to Lincoln University for the semester. Finals start next week and I've been at this job long enough to know that during Finals season, no one really wants to see their friendly neighborhood campus minister.
In fact, even yesterday was a little bit of a bust. It wasn't the worst of days but the caf was pretty dead so I didn't have too many conversations. One of the women who is in my bible study is also in the band and this week they had a rule that band members couldn't talk in the caf or be seen around boys. So, we had to call an audible and go off campus for some ice cream. Add that to not hearing back from the woman in my other bible study and a potential faux pas in a conversation with a faculty member and it was a so-so day.
Still, it's been a really great semester for a number of reasons:
- New Life at Lincoln. I've already posted about the 2 conversions that happened at Lincoln this semester but I also found out that on Sunday, one of the guys in my bible study is going to be baptized! We've also had a ton of great conversations doing the proxe stations about faith and where people are in their spiritual journeys.
- Trust Built on Campus. I think just by virtue of being on campus for a longer period of time, I'm a bit more of a known commodity on campus than before. It's not uncommon for students to say hi to me when I'm on campus. I've had random people stop by and ask me questions and start a conversation about something. It's good to know that I've developed a reputation as someone who can be trusted.
- A Real Cell! One of my top goals at Lincoln has been to establish a small group, or cell, with missional students who would be ready to take risks and bring the Gospel on campus. Last semester there were some false starts with starting a cell but this semester, we actually got some regular student meetings! It's been really great to see students coming together in community and to be on mission.
- Good Weather. The biggest barrier we had last semester with doing the proxe outside and having to deal with the elements. There were gusts of wind and spotty rain storms that really made life kind of difficult. This semester, though, we really had no weather problems. Every day that we planned to proxe, it was sunny, not too hot, and with just enough of a breeze to make things pleasant. It was pretty great!
All said and done, it was a really great semester. I'm excited to see what God has for the Blue Tigers next semester.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Yesterday I had my last Wednesday visit to Lincoln University for the semester. Finals start next week and I've been at this job long enough to know that during Finals season, no one really wants to see their friendly neighborhood campus minister.
In fact, even yesterday was a little bit of a bust. It wasn't the worst of days but the caf was pretty dead so I didn't have too many conversations. One of the women who is in my bible study is also in the band and this week they had a rule that band members couldn't talk in the caf or be seen around boys. So, we had to call an audible and go off campus for some ice cream. Add that to not hearing back from the woman in my other bible study and a potential faux pas in a conversation with a faculty member and it was a so-so day.
Still, it's been a really great semester for a number of reasons:
- New Life at Lincoln. I've already posted about the 2 conversions that happened at Lincoln this semester but I also found out that on Sunday, one of the guys in my bible study is going to be baptized! We've also had a ton of great conversations doing the proxe stations about faith and where people are in their spiritual journeys.
- Trust Built on Campus. I think just by virtue of being on campus for a longer period of time, I'm a bit more of a known commodity on campus than before. It's not uncommon for students to say hi to me when I'm on campus. I've had random people stop by and ask me questions and start a conversation about something. It's good to know that I've developed a reputation as someone who can be trusted.
- A Real Cell! One of my top goals at Lincoln has been to establish a small group, or cell, with missional students who would be ready to take risks and bring the Gospel on campus. Last semester there were some false starts with starting a cell but this semester, we actually got some regular student meetings! It's been really great to see students coming together in community and to be on mission.
- Good Weather. The biggest barrier we had last semester with doing the proxe outside and having to deal with the elements. There were gusts of wind and spotty rain storms that really made life kind of difficult. This semester, though, we really had no weather problems. Every day that we planned to proxe, it was sunny, not too hot, and with just enough of a breeze to make things pleasant. It was pretty great!
All said and done, it was a really great semester. I'm excited to see what God has for the Blue Tigers next semester.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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