November Ministry Updates

 I am so excited to be writing this blog! I have got to experience many exciting things this past month. The fall is just the absolute best in my opinion. I love getting to watch the leaves change color, fun cinnamon and pumpkin fall treats, and just the crisp air. Here are some of the updates from this month! 

Halloween!

Each year our staff does a Halloween costume, this year we all were Shrek. So enjoy these terrifying pictures! 

WORLD SERIES!

The Randers won the World Series and I love parades plus Iman had never been to one. I get to study the bible with her every week! It is such a Joy! 

Fall Camp                                                                                

We had our annual Fall Camp, and it was amazing! We had over 100 students come, we had such a great experience. 

NEWS!

• I am preaching this week at UTA, anyone is welcome to come if you would like to hear me preach! It will be over media and entertainment, and how to think about it through a Biblical Lens! 
• Giving Tuesday is coming up on November 28, 2023, this is the day of FOCUS' annual Keep Focus Growing Fundraiser! If you are interested in giving there will be fundraisers on Facebook as well as our online giving service! 

October Ministry Updates

Hi everyone! Thanks for another awesome month of partnering with me in ministry. I have felt so excited about this year, and it just continues to be amazing. God is showing up left and right with our students. I am so impressed with the corefa team, and just the overall attitude. I forgot to take as many pictures this month, so it just a few moments, but all good! Thank you again for the blessing you all play in my life. I could not do what I do if you all didn't do what you do. 

Snapshots 

My peer team from my first year on staff reunited. It was so sweet to get to catch up! I love getting to see and spend time with them. 

This is Amelia from TCC NE, she and I have been getting closer. Our whole group of students went out for bowling and laser tag. I forgot how much FUN laser tag is. It was seriously such a blast  

This is probably the oddest thing on a ministry blog post. I baked my first loaf of bread ever! I have been wanting to get into bread making. I always love to bake and bread making is a newer layer to that, so this was the first attempt. What made it even more sweet is that our church got to use it for communion bread. 

My friend Katy had her birthday, so we all got together to celebrate her. Fun Fact: We broke 3 chilis Ipads that night, well actually the system was just down it wasn't actually us.

This is TNF from our new room, we have grown in student size so much this year. It has been amazing! 

Important Info 

Did you want to buy a FOCUS Shirt? YOU CAN! 

Student Testimony 

September Ministry Updates

 Another month has come and gone how crazy! August is truly one of our busier months, and it is always SO fun! I love getting to meet so many new students, plan amazing fun events, and just overall get to see God be known on campus. I find it to be so joyful. So here are some little snapshots from this past month. 

Welcome Week 

We did zombie tag, karaoke,  and hung out at Canes! It really was so neat to see then that first Thursday how many people came and worshipped God all together. 

There is a video down below from our United Worship Night 

  

Staff Retreat 

We spent the beginning of August as a staff learning more about how Jesus was tempted in the desert. Then how those temptations are still relevant in our life and then also in our ministry.

Prayer Requests

• Our student leaders as they are starting their cores. They have been absolute rockstars these past few weeks. If you could be praying for them as their cores start up, and they start up their FOJS. 
• I have one student I am meeting with who is going through some hard mental health stuff. She is really struggling, and if you could just be praying for safety and health for her. 

• Then if you could be praying for TCC SE, the majority of the campus is going online this semester. It is already so challenging to build community there, and with a majority of the student population going online it will add an extra challenge. So if you could just please please be praying!! 

August Ministry Updates

 Hi everyone! Hope you are having a great start to August, and this Summer has been so fun! I feel like this has been one of my favorite summers ever. I just enjoy getting to slow down, read more books, and spend quality time with some of my favorite people. I have loved seeing pictures of fun places you all went, and hearing such fun stories! Here are some fun moments from this past month for you all! 

Just Girly Moments

This season is so fun for spending extra time with students! I have been reading through Mark with a couple girls. Then some student have met every Monday and read 1 and 2 Timothy. We also all went to see Barbie. It just has been a fun girly summer! 

Ministry Moments

I have loved doing ministry during the summer. It looks so different. I got to go share my testiminy with a YA group at Rush Creek Church, and felt super honored to be there. Then we had Bible Boot Camp where many college students over the course of a week read almost the whole NT. 

Then my friend Jessica and I read a book on Body Shame. WOW! That was such a life giving experience. If you need a good book to read I HIGHLY recommend Breaking Free from Body Shame. 

TRIPS

I got to go to NYC with my Mom! I saw two musicals and went to a museum that had a HUGE Taylor Swift exhibit. It was amazing. We saw Funny Girl with Lea Michele so that was just so fun! 

Prayer Request: 

• School is starting in just a few short weeks! Please pray for TCC to have a revival and many students are met with the love of God, and that all of our welcome weeks go well! 
• Please pray for our new corefas, that their anxiety is subsided, and they can go out and meet new people. 
• We just as a staff took on 10 new apprentices, please be praying for them as they start reading through the narrative of the whole Old Testament. I am already so proud of them! 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

We are selling T-Shirts, the order closes tomorrow!!! There are NINE colors to choose from! 

Our Licensing Ceremony is coming up this SUNDAY! You are all invited, and if you can not make it there is a link to view it as well. I am getting relicensed as I renew my commitment for another 3 years. 

July Ministry Updates

 Hi everyone! Hope you had a great Fourth of July, and got to spend some good time with the people you love! Summer is definitely a lot slower, and so it is a tiny update, but some fun pictures for you all! 

Sweet Moments

     

Julianne got married! Here is a sweet pic I got of her and Emily! 

My brother and sister in law popped by during their layover in Dallas! It was so fun just getting to see them!

Kassidy and I got to check out the Taylor Swift collection at the Arlington Museum of Art! It was so neat! 

 Here is Remi and I, he is just so stinking cute! 

I got to get time with Sam! She is one of our students, she is so thoughtful and kind. I am super thankful for her! 

Prayer Requests! 

• Our students who are on Summer Break and back at home, and missing people 
• For the students working and being out in the heat, it is hot hot in Texas 

June Ministry Updates!

 Hi guys! Hope you are having a good summer, and getting to spend some time relaxing with friends and family! I am sure you wonder what does a college pastor do in the summer when a lot of the students are gone. It is actually a great time to connect with different students from other campuses, or meet with the students who are in town, something a lot of my colleagues and I love is what we call pool ministry! It is getting with different students and spending some quality relational time by the pool! Summer is an excellent time to build good relationships! I am also reading through some different books, so if you have any recommendations please leave me a comment. I am trying to read about 3 books a month! Here though is how the month of May went! 

Graduation Station!! 

Top Row L-R Julianne, Clarissa
Bottom Row, Hailey, Robert 
Middle Girls- Kenny, Hailey, Juli, Sarah

    I got celebrate so many of my sweet friends   graduating! From nurses, to sociology, to biology,   and then to my sweet cousin graduating high school!   It was a busy couple of weeks celebrating big   accomplishments! 

Life Moments

My friend Jana is having a baby soo soon! I got to celebrate her! 

Then my friend Kayla got married! It was fun getting to see her walk down the aisle, and hang out with some other friends. Kayla and I studied the bible together this year! 

Summer Ministry 

My friend and colleague Sophie and I have started a summer girls club, it is a great way for girls to build relationship, and also be in scripture! We also kicked off SUMMER FOCUS! It is when all of our campuses come together each summer to worship every Thursday! 

Prayer Requests! 

• If you could be praying for my fundraising. I am looking for just 3 more people to partner with me in college ministry at $100 a month. If any of you know anyone please send them my way. I feel so thankful for how God has blessed our ministry this year, and my ministry of fundraising this year so far! 
• Our students as summer continues just seeing the need for connection growing! 
• Praying for the campus of TCC SE as we are preparing to be back on campus in the fall, that a revival is there and students find Jesus 

May Ministry Updates

 Happy Star Wars Day everyone! The semester is wrapping up this week, and our students are finishing up their finals. It has been such a fun and exciting semester! This past month especially was filled with so many good moments as we closed out the month. 

Last Core of the Semester 

We wrapped up our core with encouragements to one another, and a beach side picnic in Arlington. We all took pictures and it was so encouraging to spend time with them! These are all pictures of the girls I meet with consistently every week, I LOVE THEM!

Baby Mayhem

 Children's ministry has been so fun! We got to do an egg hunt for Easter! Getting to add that on to my job this year was so joyous for me, and I just deeply love those kids. 

One of my dearest friends had a son earlier in January. He is just the chunkiest and sweetest guy! I love this photo of my friends and her as we all look on him. We all became friends through campus ministry, and so getting to now see her raise her kid is so sweet. I just feel so honored to walk alongside her during this. Love him! 

Amazing Ministry Moments 

We had an event called 72 hours of prayer at UTA, all the campus ministries came together to pray for nonstop 72 hours. We had our Spring Semester Pizza Theo on Wisdom Literature! Then, My core did a PowerPoint core, the girls brought their own PowerPoints on different Biblical topics. It was hilarious, but also super informative! 

Best Moments

Juli and I got to go to the Bluebonnet Festival in Ennis! It was seriously so beautiful! I also got to celebrate Alisa and Lizzy's birthday with some pickleball! Then, I went to see Taylor Swift 2 times! I went with my mom March 31, and my dad April 23. It was the absolute best!

Prayer Requests 

• For this upcoming fundraising season! I have in the past had a harder time with finding people who are excited about college ministry who are wanting to partner with me financially. If you could be praying for me as I just need 10 more people at $100 a month to reach my goal. God is super generous and 
• I know he is excited about college ministry. Thank you all so much for your support already!! 
• Prayers for our students as some are heading home. Going home can be fun for many students, but it can also feel very lonely and isolating for many of our students.  
• We are sending our students to Student Institute of Campus Ministry in a couple weeks up in Bellingham, WA. If you could please pray for safe travels, and just overall good attitudes and protection while they are there