I am leaving with our student leaders tomorrow for our prayer and planning retreat. School resumes January 12! Please pray for us. We will be praying and planning for 3 days.
We anticipate God doing wonderful things this semester. We are looking forward to reaching new students for Christ, to being a great influence on our campus. Our students truly have a heart to see Christ glorified on our campus-and beyond.
We will be preparing for our mission trip as well, which will take place in May. Please pray for us as we prepare our hearts for the things God has in store for us.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Discipleship and Slipping Through the Cracks
I wrote in an earlier entry about a young man connected to Baptist Student Ministries (loosely) who contacted me over the holidays to request a meeting. I asked for prayer for him. I wanted to give you an overview of what took place, thank you for the prayers, and relate something I pray will challenge all of us in positions of spiritual leadership to take seriously-the matter of discipleship.
The meeting was wonderful. He was authentic. Real. Very confused. He wanted to grow in his faith but really did not know what to do or where to start. More on this later.
He also had girlfriend issues. She is a former atheist who is now an agnostic. She had a lot of painful and traumatic experiences in her childhood and teen years and during that time she repeatedly asked God to help her, to change things-and things did not turn out well. She came to the conclusion that God either didn't exist or was unwilling or unable to help her. She carries deep scars. She is apparently open to the possibility of rethinking things, and he is going to not only start coming to our luncheons and study/worship times, but try to bring her as well. Please pray for her. Her name is Sarah.
Back to my friend: His story broke my heart as well. He came to faith in Christ in High School at a youth rally. He was given a Bible. The story of his discipleship basically ends there. All he knows is what he has tried to understand in the Scriptures for himself. No one ever spoke to him about what happens after trusting Christ. No one spoke to him about discipleship. No one asked him to connect with a community of faith.
We spoke about the nature of salvation, about justification, about sanctification, about time alone with God daily in prayer and in the Word, of the importance of connecting to a local body of believers, of being a part of a community of faith. He's reading through the Gospel of John now. We're going to spend more time together when the semester starts, one on one. He is going to look for a church home.
He slipped through the cracks. Some well meaning person invited him to a rally. He understood his need for salvation. But no one walked with him after this defining moment.
His parents are nominal Hindus. Please pray for him. Pray for me. Pray for our students as we seek to journey with him.
The meeting was wonderful. He was authentic. Real. Very confused. He wanted to grow in his faith but really did not know what to do or where to start. More on this later.
He also had girlfriend issues. She is a former atheist who is now an agnostic. She had a lot of painful and traumatic experiences in her childhood and teen years and during that time she repeatedly asked God to help her, to change things-and things did not turn out well. She came to the conclusion that God either didn't exist or was unwilling or unable to help her. She carries deep scars. She is apparently open to the possibility of rethinking things, and he is going to not only start coming to our luncheons and study/worship times, but try to bring her as well. Please pray for her. Her name is Sarah.
Back to my friend: His story broke my heart as well. He came to faith in Christ in High School at a youth rally. He was given a Bible. The story of his discipleship basically ends there. All he knows is what he has tried to understand in the Scriptures for himself. No one ever spoke to him about what happens after trusting Christ. No one spoke to him about discipleship. No one asked him to connect with a community of faith.
We spoke about the nature of salvation, about justification, about sanctification, about time alone with God daily in prayer and in the Word, of the importance of connecting to a local body of believers, of being a part of a community of faith. He's reading through the Gospel of John now. We're going to spend more time together when the semester starts, one on one. He is going to look for a church home.
He slipped through the cracks. Some well meaning person invited him to a rally. He understood his need for salvation. But no one walked with him after this defining moment.
His parents are nominal Hindus. Please pray for him. Pray for me. Pray for our students as we seek to journey with him.
Praise Report
My family and I truly appreciate your prayers and words of encouragement as we prepared to take our daughter, Hannah, to MD Anderson for her annual check up. There were some slight spinal issues the doctor here in San Antonio noticed that could have been related to her Neurofibromatosis. Had that been the case, there would have been multiple possible complications and causes for concern. We were obviously concerned as we headed to Houston to see what the tests would reveal.
The trip to MD Anderson was incredible! Her spinal issue is just a slight rotation in the lower back and has nothing to do with her Neurofibromatosis! Praise God! In addition, the doctors at MD Anderson (who are on the cutting edge of NF research) had new findings through research this past year which gives us new tools and insight into her disease. It was a huge relief to drive home after three days and know that we don't have to go back to MD Anderson until her next check up later this year. She is doing well.
Thank you again for your prayers. We are blessed!
The trip to MD Anderson was incredible! Her spinal issue is just a slight rotation in the lower back and has nothing to do with her Neurofibromatosis! Praise God! In addition, the doctors at MD Anderson (who are on the cutting edge of NF research) had new findings through research this past year which gives us new tools and insight into her disease. It was a huge relief to drive home after three days and know that we don't have to go back to MD Anderson until her next check up later this year. She is doing well.
Thank you again for your prayers. We are blessed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)