God, Continue to Move Like You Have!

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. Colton is one of my corefas over at TCC. He is sweet, reserved, and writes really great poetry. He texted me before the trip hoping to grow in vulnerability. He opened up at camp and we got to have a really neat time of confession and prayer. Pray with me that he continues to grow in vulnerability, and that he can reach others through his strengths and weaknesses. 

The TCC Guys and I hanging out (Chris, Eldrian, Me, and Colton)

Chris photobombing Michael and I

I also got time with a student named Colby from UTA. He is a young man, who grew up nominally Christian. But he is trying now in his freedom to seek what God might have for him, and to learn more. Pray that Colby can keep up this pace, of walking where God calls him, deeper into His loving arms.

Emily with all her girls, plus Colton and Chris

Inevitably, we do have to come back from these really fun, really spiritual events, to get back to classes and to get back to inviting more sheep into the fold. At TCC God has been really fruitful with our outreach efforts. We have many new faces coming to our group, and even more that we just know around campus. Our corefas, in their varying degrees of sociability, have all been faithful. Some are very quick to walk up and meet new people, and some are doing a great job of being intentional with the people we have invited to core.

Playing games and meeting new students at TCC

Please be praying we can continue to meet and bless students on this campus. Pray that Emily and I can have much wisdom leading and guiding our students.

First time of worship at TCC in 2023

I saved the best news for last. My friend, Jalen, got to baptize my new friend, Ram, this past Sunday. Ram is visiting from India, and just recently heard about Christ, but he has been so caught on fire ever since he first heard the good news. If you talk to him for more than 30 seconds, he will begin to ask you if you are aware of how blessed you are to be loved by God. 

Seriously, the coldest baptism I have ever seen.

It might have been freezing, but Ram made a great choice to get baptized this Sunday in January. Pray that as he faces hardships and trials, he can be bold, and bring others to Christ (namely his parents, who have been at great odds with him since becoming Christian).

Thank you for your support!