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"Thanks For Accepting Me In Your Family"

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"Thanks for accepting me in your family" At the end of every school year, I have my core group reflect on how God has grown them and the others in the group this year. Then we go around and encourage one another with how we have been blessed or impressed by them. Well this year, I shifted to writing letters of encouragement to one another. You could either thank them for how they have blessed you, or you could spur them on and challenge them to look more Christ like.  The title of this post is a line one of my core guys wrote to me and it really caught my attention.  "Thanks for accepting me in your family" It is a powerful statement, and I realized it sums up a lot of what I get to do, and what I encourage our students to do as well. So thank you for your continued support through prayer, encouragements, and finances. I can't do what God has me doing without faithful friends and family like you all.  In fact, many of you are people who "accepted me in your

His Good News All Around

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All the guys on our Park day Thank you and thank you and thank you! I am seriously so thankful for my support team. Between your generous giving and prayers and friendships, there is just too much to say. I think I saw God working recently this last week. In many conversations, it just felt like people were invested in listening and learning about God, what He is doing, and how He might want them to take part. Many students I met with were quick to humility and very receptive to encouragement and spurring. Then I met a guy while rock climbing at the gym. He and his wife have not been a part of a church since Covid, and I got to invite him to ours. Even crazier was my 30 year old brother, who hasn’t gone to church since High school, shared that God answered a prayer of his, and he wants to come to church again. Amazing. Can’t stress enough how good of news that is to me and my parents. So please be praying for Garrett and Zach that they find a church community, whether with me, or somew

Reaching People for the Kingdom: Strategies and Emotions

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     Howdy and hello! I am feeling extra thankful for all of you on my support team this month. God is doing a lot on campus, that I get to witness and participate in because of your generosity. Plus, Emily and I just moved into a bigger apt for some more space/storage. I have been thinking a out more about this type of missionary fundraising we do. It is such a testimony to God’s character that he has equipped you all to be generous, so he could equip me to then go love and equip others. So seriously, thank you. Lunch with Mario from UTA. Sweet guy trying to figure out how to make Jesus more involved in his life. I want to share this encouraging letter Emily and I received from a student: "To the Spencers,  Words will never be enough to express just how much you two mean to me, but I'll try my best! Thank you for greeting me with warmth and open arms from the very first minute we met. Thank you for showing me community and being such beautiful examples of life in the body. Th

God, Continue to Move Like You Have!

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HOWDY and HELLO! We have finished January and have begun the school year. We kicked off the year like we always do, with a Winter Retreat with all of our campuses together. Around 500 students from across various DFW colleges came to worship and learn for a week.   All the UTA students who came to Winter Retreat Our tiny TCC crew. Considering we had two students come the year before, this is INSANE! God is good. Winter Retreat is always a really encouraging event. We held it at Riverbend Retreat Center this year. We had students from eleven different colleges get together.  My favorite part of these retreats is the closeness it creates between people. Through shared experiences and meals, so many of our students saw themselves as part of something bigger than themselves. When I was a student, I remember realizing for the first time I was really a part of the Body of Believers at this retreat. Worship in the morning UTA guys  I also got a lot of one on one time with various students. Co

A Refresh Before a Fresh Start

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HOWDY AND HELLO IN 2023!!! The new year has begun, and college students all over the world are getting ready to start their Spring semesters. A time of life where they are open to change. friendships, and conversations that could alter their life for better or for worse. That is why I am so excited to go and meet them. To go and tell them about the Good News of Jesus, and that they are a part of something much bigger than just getting a degree. The week leading up to Christmas, till MLK day, our students are home with family and friends. They are given a chance to rest from the rush of the semester. We campus pastors do the same.  I spent a majority of the past two weeks, resting, reading, praying, and traveling. Emily and I saw much of our families in this time, caught up with old friends that are out of town, and we even got a puppy named Waldo. All of these things take energy, but are restful and meditative for the heart. I am feeling ready to go out and meet some students. My car o