September 2006

Launching and Re-Launching Movements

In many ways our ministry re-launches itself each year because we must constantly bring in new people. A college ministry is always three years away from extinction. Fail to raise up laborers from three freshmen classes in a row and we would have to start from scratch.

Freshmen are the key to reaching the campus. This is especially true at the University of Michigan, because all freshmen live in the dorms, making them easier to find and talk to than if they lived off campus. If we reach each freshmen in each dorm for four straight years we would have effectively reached the entire campus with the gospel. By reaching freshmen and building into the lives of hundreds of students on campus we get closer to reaching our goal: that every student would know someone who truly knows Jesus!

Launching Highlights

Over the past three weeks we have launched or re-launched at many campuses around the state of Michigan.

¨ Our entire staff team and a few students from U-M helped launch a CCC ministry at Grand Valley State University. 75 attended the first meeting, and the next day 17 showed up at a meeting for those wanting to help lead the movement. GVSU is larger than many staffed campuses in our region and has more students living in dorms than at Illinois, yet has not had a Campus Crusade movement until now.

¨ Saginaw Valley State University’s Campus Crusade for Christ group began their second year as a movement. They handed out 500 freshmen survival kits and got almost that many spiritual interest questionnaires filled out. I will now have the privilege of coaching these students as they do the work of running our ministry at SVSU.

¨ At U-M almost 4000 students filled out our questionnaires and 350 attended the first weekly meeting. I began my first few weeks as the campus director leading the staff team through last minute planning, speaking three times on two campuses, and shepherding the men’s ministry on my area of campus. I have been busy!

Prayer Requests

¨ Pray that our student leaders would be full of faith and depending on the power of God as they seek to influence other students for Christ.

¨ Pray that I would not expect too much of myself as I learn a new role and lead these movements.

¨ Pray that Shelly would have energy and enjoy the kids as she teaches school with the two oldest and cares for the two youngest during the day.

Adam Gaspar (left; one of Nate’s leaders) and Jason Roth (right; former intern at U-M and now new staff raising support) ask students at Michigan to fill out a spiritual interest questionnaire. These questionnaires are our permission slip to go and talk to interested students in the dorms. Through these questionnaires alone we will have hundreds of spiritual conversations throughout the year.

Kids' Column

School has started and I am having fun. I have learned about Vikings and Christopher Columbus. Math is still my favorite subject.

I am going to start playing basketball this Friday. That will be good since I want to be a basketball player when I grow up.

Big brother Andrew wrestles with our newly potty-trained Lindsey

I am finally 5! I had a princess party and we made crowns and played pin the crown on the princess. I am learning to ride my bike without training wheels. Andrew makes it look easier than it really is.

Princess Lauren turns five

No more diapers! Although that extra padding was nice at times. I keep telling Mommy how much I want to be like Lolly [Lauren]. She doesn’t think I need to sleep in the same bed as her—something about not getting any sleep because we’d be talking all the time. I think she should let us try it anyways!

It sure is fun to be mobile! I can roll all over the place and get anything that is left on the floor. Mommy doesn’t think I should be eating books. All the things that look the most fun are put up high out of my reach. Daddy likes that I am starting to say Dadadadadada.

Caleb

Lauren has fun with baby brother

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