Monday, September 14, 2015

Finding the Groove

So here we are week 4 of being in Altoona! There's still a lot of adjusting going on and trying to get into a set schedule, but it's coming along!

The past couple weeks have been fairly productive. I've been helping out at the church with youth stuff on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. I've started a Bible study Wednesday nights at the church for college aged people. We've gotten a new Vice President. Our curriculum that we're developing for our theme for the year is coming alone nicely. Things have been going good.

In reality we got a lot of spinning plates right now, but we're working one keeping them all spinning!

Right now we're:
-Working on creating a new identity as a distinctive campus ministry
-Growing numerically
-Growing spiritually
-Getting student leadership in place
-Getting involved in campus
-Getting connected with the church
-Developing our leaders
-Planning different events for the semester
-Figuring out who we are
-Continuing to work on our curriculum

Like I said, we got a lot of plates spinning at the moment. I know that this is not going t be an incredibly easy job to do, but that's fine by me! Our ministry is taking one thing at a time as they are needed to be completed so that we can set this ministry up for excellence in the future as opposed to mediocrity now.

As I sit here and look at this list I notice a lot of these things have differing priorities. Yet all are important and need to be started. Some need to be completed sooner than others, but all need to start now.

For example, I need to keep working on our curriculum so that we have our lessons for the year. I also need to get CSF connected even more to the church so that we can have more and different kinds of support as we go throughout the semester. We need student leadership in place so that we can have them help out with growing numerically, spiritually and create a new identity. But we need to grow numerically before we can do that. Plus I have to develop the leaders to take on some of the responsibility.

Essentially I'm starting a campus ministry from the ground up, but one that's been here for 6 years. I know that this is something that I can do, because God has given me the gifts to do this. And I trust Him.

The good news though is that through our meetings I've been laying a firm foundation for our study this year. Those that are investing with us, not those that come, but those that invest, are going to grow a lot this year and are going to learn to put their faith into practice which I'm really excited to see.

I ask that you keep this ministry, and especially me, in your prayers. We got some big tasks in front of us, but God will give us strength, resolve, and wisdom. I just ask you help us out with that through prayer and words of encouragement.