Friday, October 2, 2015

Getting into the groove

By this point in the semester, routines have calmed down and the various things we do in FOCUS are chugging along nicely... but there are still many exciting things to share with you!

First, I want to let you know about our #FOCUS140 fundraiser.  Almost one year ago, we raised over $31,000 through our 1st Annual Keep FOCUS Growing Initiative!  We are so grateful to all those who donated, and I am glad to update you on what that money has done in the past year.  With your help, we:
  • Established a new campus ministry at UT Arlington and started groups at both NCTC and TWU Dallas as well.
  • Finished establishing FOCUS as a separate church legally, which protects our assets and ensures they will be used for campus missions in the years to come. It also gives us increased flexibility to meet the specific needs of our mission field. 
  • Launched a new website to meet administrative needs and better communicate with incoming students.  
  • Welcomed 14 new full-time interns, our largest class to date.
  • Trained more than 150 student small group leaders to be missionaries to their campuses!
If you'd like to see a more detailed breakdown of how we used those funds, click here to go to Brandon's blog.

Our 2nd Annual Keep FOCUS Growing Initiative will launch next month!

Next, I'd like to tell you about our Denton students.  We have lots of new and returning students who are enthusiastic about participating in Christian community and growing closer to God.

Me and Tifiny at Recycled Books #brownbagswag

With so many students attending our weekly Friday night meetings, it's easy for students to stick closely to people they already know and miss out on the chance to make new friends.  One way we help our students connect with new people is Brown Bag Buddies.  To participate in Brown Bag Buddies, students write their name and phone number on a slip of paper, drop it in the brown bag, and get randomly paired up with another student.  Brown Bag Buddies are encouraged to hang out with their partners at least once during the week.  They can do anything that sounds fun; some meet for lunch, study together, or attend campus events.  The picture above is of me and my Brown Bag Buddy at Recycled Books, a popular used bookstore in Denton.  If you'd like to see some of our other students' adventures, just click here: #brownbagswag


Denton Senior Staff
I also want to show you this incredible team of people that I get to work with every day.  These folks may be quirky, but they love Jesus and college students.  The people in the picture above are some of the hardest working, most talented people I have ever met, and it is an honor to work alongside them.  Please pray for these folks; pray that we would be able to lead our students toward Jesus and counsel them with wisdom and grace. 

UTD's Fall Camp - Ours is October 10-11
One last prayer request: our Fall Camp is quickly approaching!  Above is a picture of UTD's Fall Camp, which already happened.  In my next post, I will be able to share with you how our Denton Fall Camp went.  We do this event each year to help students build the relationships that will help them grow nearer to Christ throughout the year.  Please pray that our students would come to camp and be open to God's guidance while they are there.  I can't wait to tell you about another awesome Fall Camp!

Thank you for your prayers and continuing support!