January Jottings

May the Lord bless you in 2015! I'm hopeful for many great things this year: in the FOCUS ministry at large as we move onto other campuses, the UNT & TWU ministries as God reveals His emerging leaders and continues to develop the current leader teams, my own development and growth goals for 2015, and many more good things I can't currently conceive but know that He has in mind!

FOCUS140 update

We raised over $22,000, which is just amazing! Thank you to all of you who donated to that effort - we really appreciate your decision to invest in what we are doing. That money will definitely help with our expansion to UTA and NCTC. God is good!

Changing gears

The time while the students are on winter break is such a great opportunity for staff members to meet with students they aren't normally able to. I see it as a perfect time to get more time with up and coming leaders that our current student leaders keep telling me about. It's helpful for me to have spent some one-on-one time with them so I can have more insight into each person when it comes time to send out SICM invites and select next year's leader team.

Please continue to pray

• Our staff has a retreat starting today and going through Tuesday morning in order to synergize, edify one another, and grow closer in the Lord together in preparation for the new semester.
• We are meeting with our student leaders from all campuses next Sunday afternoon to do something similar and prepare them for Winter Camp. Pray that the students are well-rested and refreshed for the coming semester.
• Winter Camp is the 16th-19th. It's a time of renewed vision and purpose when many of our newer students start to make some bigger decisions about their faith. Pray that as many students as possible will attend and be blessed through that experience.
• The Spring semester begins the next day on the 20th - please pray for all of the students on our campuses, that the Lord would be working in their lives and lead each of us (staff and students) to those who are open to Him.

As I look back on the past year, there are so many things to be grateful for, but something I'm consistently thanking my God for is all of those who believe in and support the work we are doing on college campuses. Thank you for everything you have personally invested this year! You are making an invaluable difference in the Kingdom.

Yours for the Campus,

Matt