November Newsletter

New Year, New Students

On this year’s Move-In Day—the Saturday before classes started in August—we attached flyers with our website and information about our weekly Pursuit meeting to water bottles and hangers. We set up tables with “Free Water” signs at the dorm parking lots and handed out 21 cases of water. A couple guys grabbed stacks of hangers and walked through the halls of the dorms, sharing about Chi Alpha as they went.

Jazzy, a freshman from central Montana, was one student we met that day. Walking outside her dorm on Move-In Day, Jazzy met two Chi Alpha students at a “Free Water” table, and they invited her to come to Pursuit. She was one of a handful of new students at the first meeting of the year.

The second Saturday after the beginning of classes, Chi Alpha sponsored a trip to Flathead Lake, about an hour and a half from Missoula, for a day of fun in the sun. We road tripped there in a school bus packed with students,including Leah, another freshman that Jazzy had brought with her.

Since this trip, both of these girls have dived in to Chi Alpha, getting involved in small groups and showing interest in leadership and missions opportunities. In a recent conversation I had with Jazzy, she expressed her desire to “be a tree” as described in Psalm 1, instead of being swayed by other people and circumstances as she was before coming to Chi Alpha. It is exciting to see her and Leah going deeper in Christ, and I look forward to what God will do in and through them in the future.



the World Missions Summit
(December 28—January 2)

I am helping lead a group to this conference in Cincinnati, OH. The event, with over 400 missionaries and 6,000 participants, is meant to help students discover the missional heart of God and their place in His plan, whether as “goers” or as “senders.” To help offset the cost (about $500 per person), we are working on all sorts of fundraisers, including Singing Christmas Cards, a Make Believe Tea Party, and possibly a benefit concert with a local Christian band. My hope is that the experience of fundraising will grow the faith of each student involved. For myself, missions and world traveling are still heavy on my heart. I am praying that God uses the Summit to direct me into whatever He has next for me. Thanks for joining with me in these prayers!

Praise and Prayer
♦Praise for about 20 new students invloved with Chi Alpha this semester. It’s a privilege to speak into their lives and watch them grow in God.
♦Pray for wisdom in discipling students in relationships and leadership.
♦Pray that students would continue to grow in their desire to reach out to their campus and see their classmates come to know Christ.

August Newsletter

My Summer Projects

“So, what do you do in the summer?” Since joining UM Chi Alpha staff last September I’ve heard this question a number of times. I’ve learned that the summer work of a campus missionary often involves projects that take too much time away from relationships with students during the school year. Some of the projects that I worked on were:
♦ Creating a database of churches in the area.
♦ Preparing materials to give to pastors to inform them about Chi Alpha and the opportunities for partnering with us to reach UM students.
♦ Researching possible new names for our weekly worship meetings. Of the 200+ found and suggested by students and staff, our student leaders chose Pursuit.
♦ Researching new logo designs.
♦ Creating new promotional materials with the our new logo and new meeting name. (New poster is above)
My hope is that this work will help us be more effective in reaching students and helping them grow in their relationship with Jesus.


Summer Bible Study


I also had the opportunity to organize and lead the Summer Bible Study. We met weekly in the back yard of the Chi Alpha Student Center. These laid-back gatherings were a great time to enjoy the presence of God in worship, prayer and Bible study. In fellowship over watermelon and iced tea, on a hike and at the county fair, we connected with new students and grew deeper in relationships with those who have been a part of Chi Alpha for awhile. While I look forward to all the excitement of the new semester, I already miss the small group atmosphere and intimate worship of those times. Ah, summer...

Prayer Requests
♦for the beginning of semester outreaches— that God would connect us with new students.
♦for our weekly meetings, Pursuit—that God will be glorified and students built up in Him.
♦for a powerful move of God on campus this year— that many students would come to know Him in a life-transforming way.

coming soon...

For all my friends who prefer to receive my newsletter electronically, this blog will show my latest newsletters as I write them. Another one should be posted this week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments. In addition, please note that the Chi Alpha logo to the right is also a link to the UM Chi Alpha site. Here you can get up close and personal with our Chi Alpha group through pictures, student blogs, sermons and more. Happy reading!