Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Finishing FOJ, Parent Night

It's that time again, when you get to read all about what's going on at FOCUS! 

Let's start with Parent Night:  Last Saturday, about 140 people gathered in the Lyceum for Parent Night.  Students brought parents, siblings, and even a few pastors to show these people what FOCUS is and how it has affected their lives.  Some of the leaders from Northeast Church also visited.  We gave our guests the chance to share about their kids, and I ran around the auditorium game-show-style to bring the microphone to everyone who had something to say (and a lot of people had something to say!).  Parents shared about how our community encourages their kids to grow in faith and provides meaningful friendships.  My favorite story was from the mother of one of our students, Matt, who was hit by a car while riding his bicycle last semester.  Matt's mom talked about Matt's friends from FOCUS taking him to the hospital, staying with him while he was there, and helping him get around as he recovered from a broken leg.  Her story showed that when we are in a strong community built on Christ's love, we look out for each other.  She didn't have to worry about her son because he had so many godly friends surrounding him.

The students also shared about their parents and mentors.  Many of the students expressed their gratitude for the awesome support and encouragement they've gotten from their parents throughout the years, and others talked about the importance of the godly example their parents have set for them.  In a society where the younger generation has a reputation for rebelling against parents and flouting authority, it's really encouraging to see college students expressing thanks to their parents.  Overall, Parent Night was a huge success and a great time to see the things God is doing in our community.

Now for what I've been doing in my one-on-one studies.  I have been going through the Focus on Jesus study with some of my girls for a while now, and those studies are wrapping up.  After consistently meeting with someone to study the scripture, it's hard to finish things.  I've really been blessed by some of the feedback I've gotten from Valerie, the first girl I wrapped up with.  She said that our time together has really helped her deepen her understanding of the Bible, and one of the goals she has set for herself is to read through the whole Bible.  This semester she is the chaplain for her sorority chapter, so I am really looking forward to seeing how God uses her to bless her sisters there.

Please keep me and FOCUS in your prayers.  Right now is the time when we are thinking about Core leaders for next year and giving more students the opportunity to lead in other ways.  Pray that our current staff and leaders would have wisdom in those decisions and that we would keep going strong!