Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Spring Showcase

You're invited!


Please join us April 7 for Spring Showcase. This entertaining concert and art sale benefits our students attending SICM, the Student Institute of Campus Ministry. I would love to see you there!

Tickets available at anyfocus.org/showcase

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Happy New Year!

I hope you're having a happy 2018 so far! The new year is off to a thrilling start for FOCUS.

Keep FOCUS Growing


THANK YOU to everyone who gave to our annual Keep FOCUS Growing campaign in 2017. We raised an INCREDIBLE $64,000, far exceeding our goal! This money will empower FOCUS to meet the challenges of 2018 fully equipped and free from financial worries. We are beyond blessed by God's gracious provision through generous donors like you.


Staff Retreat

Me, Isabelle, and Sloan
Every January, our staff takes four days to spend on a retreat in the beautiful Texas hill country. Our time is filled with fun activities like hiking (pictured above) and playing games, as well as praying together and discussing a book that we've read. This year, our team left retreat feeling refreshed by the message of God's grace presented in The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. We also left with stronger bonds as a team, which will allow us to work hard this semester with full confidence in our teammates.

Winter Camp

The rest and relaxation we enjoy on retreat is the calm before the storm of our biggest event of the year: Winter Camp! This year, we will gather over six hundred students from our ten different campuses to a campground called Sky Ranch. These motivated young people will spend a long weekend worshiping and learning together. Guest speakers Geoff and Jessica Mumley will be traveling from Washington to preach to our group on the theme "Send Me."

Please pray for our Winter Camp, especially these specific needs:
- Pray that students would be open to hear from God this weekend. For many of our students, Winter Camp has been a catalyst for change in their relationship with Jesus.
- Pray that students would deepen relationships with one another this weekend. They will have ample opportunity to talk and play at camp, and the relationships they grow here may last a lifetime!
- Pray for safety. With this many people traveling to camp and participating in activities there, we ask that you would pray for absolute safety for everyone.

Thank you so much for the prayers and support you give to me and FOCUS. I cherish them!

Friday, December 1, 2017

Keep FOCUS Growing


'Tis the season to Keep FOCUS Growing. Each year, FOCUS raises funds through our Keep FOCUS Growing campaign. This year, our goal is $50,000, and, thanks to supporters like you, we are already over halfway there!

The theme of our campaign this year is #NewChapter. We're sharing stories of how God has used FOCUS to help young people write a New Chapter in their lives.



You can see more stories like Danni's by clicking here to follow our Facebook page.

The money we raise through Keep FOCUS Growing will  help us grow on our existing campuses and expand to new campuses. Those funds pay for everything from paper and printer ink to counseling for students in need. It pays for our full-time administrator, Isabelle, who keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes. It pays for outreach displays that attract attention on campus, and for Focus on Jesus booklets that help students encounter Jesus through the Scripture.

If you've already given to Keep FOCUS Growing, THANK YOU! I am tremendously grateful for your support!

If you haven't given yet, please give what the Lord leads you to give. You can donate online by clicking here.



Wednesday, November 8, 2017

November Already

Greetings from UTA! The semester is more than halfway over, and God has been on the move!!

UTA Fall Camp
Fall Camp
Fall Camp is a highlight of every year in ministry! Sometime in early October, we take our FOCUS students away for a 24-hour retreat at a beautiful campground. They spend time playing games, eating snacks, and hearing from their peers how God has been at work changing their lives. Although it's only a short time to get away from the hectic routine of college life, Fall Camp has a big impact on the depth of relationships between our students. For some, they get to spend more time together at Fall Camp than they would in a whole semester of Core!

Caitlin and Jalen preaching the word at TNF
Apprentices
Jalen and Caitlin are our UTA apprentices. I have been so blessed to work on a team with these talented young ministers! Above is a photo of them preaching their first sermon together at one of our Thursday Night Fellowships. Even though it was their first sermon, they were comfortable and clear communicators, and I was deeply moved by their message about the importance of connecting to God on a personal level.

In addition to preaching, all of our apprentices also spend plenty of time in class. I have the privilege of teaching a class to them on Financial Stewardship that begins this week. The Bible speaks frequently about money, greed, and generosity, and my task is not only to help them form a coherent understanding of how God wants them to deal with their finances, but also to teach them how to teach those principles to the students they meet with each day. It's a big task; your prayers are appreciated!

Baptisms
So far this semester, four of our young women at UTA have been baptized! Each of these ladies has made the choice to commit fully to God, and I couldn't be more honored to play a tiny part in their journeys. I know God has big plans for them! Would you pray for each of them? Their names are Megan, Carla, Natasha, and Jocelyn.

Thank you
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but I want to begin early by thanking you for your prayers and financial support. You are making an impact on students at UTA!

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

The Stampede is over

Each fall, UTA kicks off the new semester with the Maverick Stampede - a two-week extravaganza of moving in, waffles, free t-shirts, dance parties, pool parties, burgers, balloons, carnival games, and school spirit. These events are meant to welcome students to the campus, either for the first time or as returners, but FOCUS utilizes these events for a different purpose; our students show up to meet new people, make friends, and invite them into the FOCUS community and life with Jesus.

On the first day of class, we handed out popsicles and encouraged students with these posters.

Silly selfies at girls' game night - eight of the ladies in this picture are new friends we met last week!
I am beaming with pride for how hard our student leaders have worked during the Mav Stampede. They were tirelessly meeting new people, getting phone numbers, and making connections. The result of their efforts was clearly seen at our first TNF - Thursday Night Fellowship.

Most people in FOCUS come because of a personal invitation - but a few see signs like this and come to visit our meetings.

Students milling around before our first TNF (photo cred: Ryan Jacobson)
Our first TNF was an outdoor gathering in the middle of campus. Meeting outside isn't ideal, but we were blessed to have beautiful weather for our first meeting. Since we were in a highly visible spot on campus, we also had a few people see us as they were walking by and decide to stay! Sarah shared a message about how Jesus was sent into the world to save it, and how we are now sent to on a mission to spread the good news. Lots of people were interested in what she had to say and engaged in conversation about the message afterward. Join me in praising God for leading these people to show up and hear from Him!

Core
I will be co-leading a Core this year with Charity; she's a senior accounting major with a goofy sense of humor and a passion for spreadsheets. Our first Core meeting is TONIGHT at 6 pm. Please pray for us and all the ladies we've invited. Core is a place where people make close friends and grow closer to God in the context of loving community. I'm praying that our Core will be that place for all the women we've been meeting on campus these past two weeks.

Next time I'll update you on how Core is going and our plans for Fall Camp. Please pray for that event as we prepare a special experience to help these young people connect with each other and with Jesus.

THANK YOU so much for your prayers, your financial support, and your love for college students at UTA and all our campuses.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Ready for a new semester!

Our FOCUS staff for the 2017-2018 school year. I'm so honored to serve with this team!
Our FOCUS staff just got back from our staff retreat yesterday, and it was a blast! On Monday, we welcomed six new apprentices to the team, and then we drove an hour away to spend the week in prayer, worship, and fellowship together.

On the first night of retreat, we all went around the group and spent a few minutes sharing about the first person who reached out to us to teach us about Jesus. It was an encouraging time to see how God has worked through so many different people. One thing that struck me was that few of us remembered specific things we had been taught, but we all remembered the way those people loved us - how they sacrificed their time to meet with us, how they remained committed even when we weren't, how they invested in us through real, deep relationships. As we get ready for another school year of ministering on our campuses, I am more convinced than ever that God is at work through our relationships with one another. Would you join me in praying that God would work through the FOCUS students and staff to provide those life-changing relationships to the new students arriving at all of our campuses?


Two of our UTA students at an Orientation Involvement Fair
One vital way we connect with those new students is by meeting them during their orientations. We set up a table, hand out some free pens and wristbands, and talk to incoming students about FOCUS. As I have worked at these orientations, I've met students who are both excited and nervous about beginning a new experience, students who are actively looking for a Christian organization and those who definitely aren't interested in Christ, and of course a lot of parents who are anxious about sending their kids off to college for the first time. We've had over 250 students sign up to be contacted by FOCUS at UTA, and we still have six more orientations before school starts! Please pray with me that God would move those students to respond as we invite them into our community.


The 2017-2018 UTA FOCUS Staff (from left to right: Jalen, Caitlin, me, Sarah, Austin)
These beautiful people above are the team that I have the privilege of working with this school year. I first met Jalen during his Welcome Week as a freshman at UTD. I gave him and a few other freshmen a ride to church one morning, and now he and Dawn, another one of those students I drove to church, are both FOCUS apprentices! Caitlin found FOCUS when she walked up to one of those orientation tables (just like the one above) and met Austin. She's now the first FOCUS apprentice to graduate from UTA! As I reflect on their stories, I am continually reminded that God is always at work, even in small things, and He asks that we join Him in faithfully doing those small things for the sake of His kingdom.

Thank you for your support and prayers, especially during this busy season as we welcome new students to our campuses.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Summer Shenanigans

The sun is out, the temps are rising, and the flood of students walking around campus each day has diminished to a trickle.  That can only mean one thing: SUMMER!

SICM

At the beginning of summer each year, FOCUS sends a group of students to SICM, the Student Institute of Campus Ministry, in Bellingham, WA.  This year we sent around 80 students who have shown their potential for leadership in campus ministry through their faithfulness to God, their love for other people, and their willingness to learn and grow.  Those students spent a week in intensive classes taught by seasoned ministers learning how to grow deep spiritual friendships and lead their peers toward a thriving relationship with Jesus.  They also got to do a little sightseeing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Some of our UTA ladies enjoying the weather at SICM

SICM students at Peace Arch Park on the border with Canada


Here's what a few of our UTA students said about the experience:

"This week I was blessed to go to Bellingham, Washington to spend my first week of summer participating in the Student Institute of Campus Ministry, learning more about how to be a disciple, and how to disciple others. Boy oh boy did God show up! I am so grateful for this wonderful community who values us each as individuals and as a whole! So excited to see all that God is going to do this next semester and to be a part of it!" - Goodness I.

"This trip was filled with so many memories that I won't forget. I love these people and their hearts for Jesus so much. Washington is so beautiful and a great reminder of how mighty our God is. SICM taught me and equipped me to be a better missionary on my campus and for that I am so grateful." - Brooklynn T.

"What an amazing week learning about God and how to further His Kingdom spent with amazing people who strive to do it alongside me." - Taylor R.

Those quotes are answered prayers for these students and many more.  Please pray with me that all the students who attended SICM would take what they've learned to their campuses and make disciples for Jesus there.

School of Ministry

Even though most of our students are out of school for the summer, ministry doesn't stop!  One of my favorite things about summer is School of Ministry, in which FOCUS invites students to engage with their faith on a more academic level.  This summer I am leading a ten-week class going through the entire New Testament.  We're listening to the New Testament Foundations class taught by Dr. Rikk Watts at Regent College.  After listening to the lectures, we come together as a group to ask questions, share insights, and reflect on what the books of the New Testament have to say to us.  This class has been personally enriching for me, and I am hopeful that the students participating will experience the same benefit.  Would you pray that all of our FOCUS students would continue learning and growing in their faith this summer whether or not they are in class?

Summer Fundraising

Summer is the season when we, the FOCUS staff, contact friends, family, past FOCUS alumni, and other members of our community and ask them to invest in what God is doing on our college campuses through FOCUS.  Our new apprentices are raising their entire budget for the next school year, while the rest of our staff are trying to increase their monthly support or raise money for the general fund.  Either way, every donation received helps us to continue the important work of making and maturing disciples on our campuses.

I have two requests to make:
- First, please pray for our entire staff, and especially our apprentices, that God would stir the hearts of generous people and move them to support us and the mission of FOCUS.
- Second, would you prayerfully consider supporting FOCUS financially?  Or if you already support, would you consider increasing your regular donation by 10%?  You can make a donation at anyfocus.org/donate or email me at kelly@anyfocus.org with any questions.

Thank you so much for your prayers, your financial support, and the love you show me and all our FOCUS students!