Newsletters

April 2002

School Year End Notes

500 by 5

It is usually easy to coast out the end of the school year, especially in the area of evangelism. We did not want to do that, so we decided we would attempt to have spiritual conversations with 500 students by April 5. The tool that was used to facilitate these conversations was the QUEST survey. This survey is a national research project done by the research and development arm of Campus Crusade. The purpose of the survey is to track people’s views about life and spirituality using 5 simple questions (seen at right). Because of these surveys I was able to have many very different conversations with students, and with almost all of them I was able to share the gospel. Many of our students also stepped out in faith, talking to friends, classmates, and even professors.

What made these conversations even more exciting is that for the most part they were with students we would have had no other way of contacting. We talked to students who would never fill out a spiritual interest survey at the beginning of the year or who would never come to an evangelistic meeting. It is our desire that every student at Michigan hear the gospel and doing these surveys is just one other way of making sure that happens.

The Coming Summer

We will again this summer be taking part in the Virginia Beach summer project. Seventy-six students from around the country will be joining us. They will be working full-time during the day at local businesses. During the evenings and weekends we will be leading them in evangelism, in-depth Bible study, teaching, and training. I will be working closely with four men and helping them to develop into godly student leaders who can return to campus ready to have an impact. Among the other students on the project will be 13 men and women from our campus. We will also have around 32 U-M students going on other stateside or overseas projects this summer.

Half-way through the summer the staff will leave the project and the students will take over all the responsibilities of leading and running the project. This is the best part of the project experience because it puts them in a position of leadership where they learn to trust God and to work toward a goal. This more than anything else helps them to return to campus ready to step up and take responsibility for reaching an area of campus for Christ.

Summer Schedule

April-May 15

Raising support

May 5

Nate is speaking at a seminary friend’s church in Robinson, Illinois

May 15-July 10

Virginia Beach summer project

July 10-mid August

Raising support and some time off

Kids' Corner

I am learning so much! I can now crawl like a bear and do the wheelbarrow if Mom or Dad hold my legs up. Mom says I’m going through toddler puberty. If I had enough words that I could say I wouldn’t have to whine or have temper tantrums so much. It will be so fun to be able to play outside more often now that it’s getting a little warmer. I like to bat the ball off the tee and throw the basketball into the hoop. It’s also fun to watch Mom run into the street to catch the balls!

-Andrew

Two teeth! They are sure hurting, but my big brother has lots of teeth, so I need to get some too. Mom assures me that they will stop hurting once they pop through a bit more.  I really love my exersaucer! I can rock it back and forth so well that I can move it across a room! I can sit up for long periods of time now, too. It’s a new perspective on everything! I have been secretly rolling from my back to my tummy without anyone seeing it happen, but Daddy caught me today.  I guess now I’ll work on rolling the other way.

-Lauren

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