Newsletters

October 2001

Athletes and Evangelism

This past week we held our annual Team Michigan Night, where we come together with Athletes in Action during our regular weekly meeting time for a group outreach. During this meeting, Christian varsity athletes compete against regular students in silly competitions like a Nerf football throwing contest, a contest shooting basketballs through hula-hoops, and a field goal kicking contest where they kick from the stage and over the heads of the audience. It is obviously a fun meeting and the students always have a great time.

Along with the competitions, the athletes share their testimony. This year John Navarre, the starting quarterback for Michigan, shared how he has learned to find peace through his relationship with Christ while being under the constant pressure to perform and succeed. We also heard from Phil Brabbs, who came to Christ last year after attending Team Michigan Night.

At the end of the meeting Bruce Dishnow, on staff with Athletes in Action, shared a briefly what it means to enter into a relationship with Christ. He shared from Ephesians 2:8-10, explaining that we are not saved on the basis of the things that we do but are saved by placing our trust in the payment for sins that Christ offers to us. He ended his talk by asking the students to think about their standing before God in terms of a marriage commitment. He asked each student to consider whether they had ever said “I do” to Christ or if they were simply trying to woo Him with their own righteousness. He led a short prayer of commitment. Then they had an opportunity to indicate on a comment card if they had said “I do” to Christ for the first time, if they had done that in the past, if they were not sure or if they wanted to talk more about it.

God was gracious enough to move in many students’ hearts that night. Six indicated they had that night said “I do” to Christ for the first time! One of those who committed his life to Christ was a guy that I and one of my leaders, Russ, had shared with a couple weeks earlier. When we talked with this guy he admitted that he was close to trusting Christ but was not quite ready. How exciting it was to see him take that step! I went and talked to him today and he had as clear an understanding of the decision he had made that I have ever seen in a new believer. He has already been actively involved in the small group Bible study in his dorm, so he will continue to get further teaching from the Bible.

Scott, one of our student leaders, is taking a class where one of the assignments is to shadow another person in the class as they go about their daily activities. Scott got paired with a girl who is a gymnast. He agreed to go to one of her practices and she agreed to go to Team Michigan Night with him. It just so happened that Scott was the MC for the meeting that night. So, this gal comes to the meeting because it is a part of her class. She not only enjoyed this lively meeting, and she not only heard the gospel, but she also indicated on her card that she had received Christ into her life! On the back of her card she wrote, “Thank you Scott for inviting me! If I hadn’t come I would not have said “I do” to Christ for the first time!”

We are so thankful to God for how he worked in these students’ lives and for giving us the opportunity to be a part of sharing the message of Christ with them!

Kids Corner

Well, I am still having fun with my new sister. She lets me poke at her face and share my toys with her. Mommy thinks I’m about ready to drop my morning nap—she thinks I’ll take a longer afternoon nap then (just wait, Mommy!). I got to see a bunch of students at the barn dance last weekend. I wore my flannel shirt, stayed up late, and had lots of chocolate and apple cider. I picked apples on Monday and we’ve eaten lots of good things with apples in them this week. 

Andrew

 Now that I’m awake longer during the day I’m learning that the person who keeps poking at my face and dropping toys on me is my brother Andrew. I think I’ll start sleeping through the night in the next couple weeks so Mommy can rest more and not have to take an afternoon nap every day. I am growing fast. Everyone gets very excited when I smile at them, but Andrew gets more smiles than anyone else.      

Lauren

Prayer Requests

Please pray for:

Nate as he speaks at our weekly meeting more often than he did last year. He is speaking next on the 18th.

Fall Retreat, the October 19-21. Nate is in charge of running this. Pray that many students will come and will develop their relationship with the Lord and with other students.

Nate and the men he works with as they transition after Fall Retreat into doing other types of evangelistic efforts, instead of just following up surveys from the beginning of the year. One of the outreaches we are going to try is called a “focus group”, which is a program where we discuss issues of life, relationships and spirituality with students on individual floors of dorms.

Allison, who finishes one phase of rehab this week and moves to an apartment-like setting where she’ll be on her own more often. Her therapy will then continue for 6 weeks.

Praise God for:

All 3 of our new staff members who are raising their support.

A new intern who is a recent UM graduate.

Good health for our team this semester.

Beautiful trees in the fall! Being able to be outside more since the weather is nice.

Help us update our database

Many of you have moved or changed internet services over the past two years. While we usually receive address changes from Campus Crusade, it is harder to keep updated phone numbers and email addresses. If you have changed phone numbers since you began receiving this newsletter or if you have changed email addresses please email or mail us your new information. We want to make sure you keep up to date through our occasional email updates as well as this newsletter. Thanks for your help!

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