Tuesday, June 16, 2015

SICM and Drafting a Leader Team

So much has happened since my last update, but I want to use this post to tell you about one of the highlights of our year in FOCUS: SICM!

Three of our beautiful UNT ladies at SICM
SICM is the Student Institute of Campus Ministry.  Every May, we take a group of students who have shown themselves to be faithful disciples who are committed to our community and humble to learn and grow.  At SICM, those young men and women learn to minister to other students on campus the way Jesus ministered to his disciples.  They learn the importance of deep spiritual friendship and an unrelenting pursuit of God.  They learn how to facilitate small group discussions and one-on-one Bible studies.  They also get to have fun in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

A handful of our UNT group at Peace Arch Park
SICM is a training ground for young ministers, and it's where our staff gets to know these potential leaders.  I had the opportunity to spend time with many of the young women who will be leading in our ministry at UNT this fall.  These outstanding young ladies love Jesus and are deeply committed to bringing His truth to their campus when they return to classes this fall.  It was an honor to get to know them!
Two UNT women relaxing between classes at SICM
After this amazing week, our staff now has the challenge of recruiting a team of students who will lead Cores during the 2015-2016 school year.  We look for students who are faithful, available, and teachable, who have a heart for God and His people, and who take initiative in building relationships and serving others.  I am very glad to say we have many such students to invite to the team!  Please pray for me and the other UNT staff ministers (Matt, Sarah, Miriam, and Cody) as we listen to the leading of the Spirit and carefully make decisions about who we will ask to be leaders this coming school year.  These decisions are crucial because we train and entrust these young leaders to minister to their peers; the spiritual health of our whole community depends on them.

I also want to mention why this post is arriving in the middle of the month.  Earlier in June, my husband Matt (not the same Matt who is a minister at UNT) and I took a vacation to celebrate our five-year anniversary.  I am so blessed to have a loving husband who is faithful to God and to me, and we were very blessed by the opportunity to take this trip to Ireland to celebrate a milestone anniversary.
Kylemore Abbey, a functioning Benedictine community in one of the most gorgeous places I could imagine!

Me and Matt in the gardens of Kylemore Abbey


Thank you so much for your prayers and support!  Vacation was fun, but I am eager to get back to working with students, and I couldn't do that important ministry without your support!