Speaking Season

Before I begin my blog for this month, I must say thank you! I regret that I have forgotten to include a formal thanks in my last few blogs, but since I have become aware, I want to thank you all for your consistent support for me and our ministry! Getting to do the work I do at UT Dallas is a great joy to me! It's funny that while I am writing this, someone noticed I was wearing a FOCUS shirt and took the time to ask about our ministry. It is awesome that because of you all being so generous, I get to be on the ground meeting and loving God's people at our campus. So again I say: THANK YOU!

Now, here is is what we experienced this October. At the start of the month we had our annual Family Night. During family night, our students can invite people who are either blood family, found family, or just people who are important to them. We get a great opportunity as ministers to meet and thank the parents and loved ones of our students for entrusting us with leading them, and for the work in their lives that has been done before they arrive at our campus. It has also served as a great opportunity to allow families of new students to hear from parents of students who have been in the ministry, and encourage them in the value of campus ministry. Every year we hear stories of parents who got more excited about FOCUS after this family night, and this year was no exception! 

The next couple of weeks after Family Night were quite busy for me! Two weeks in a row, I had a role in the speaking at FOCUS. We are in a series on Philippians that started October 7th. One week I was tasked with telling the story and history around Acts 16, which is when Paul went to and planted the church in Philippi. That talk was a cool opportunity to teach people about what was so significant about each of the people that Paul met along the way. From Timothy, to Lydia, to the jailer and his family. The church in Philippi was founded on a very diverse foundation, and it would end up growing into the church that supported the growth of Christianity in the western world! A week after that, I was tasked with preaching from a passage of my choice in Philippians. I chose to speak out of Philippians 2:19-30. In this passage, Paul is writing to the church about Timothy and Epaphroditus, who are two men Paul is sending back to the church. He sets a powerful example in that passage of how to humbly honor people, and so I preached on that. My sermon was one main point: Humble People Honor People, and it so far I have been told was the best sermon I have given. Here are links to both talks if you would like to listen. 

Acts 16: https://youtu.be/dInHRJBly_g

Humble People Honor People: Will update when posted. 

The next thing big on our radar is our annual "Keep FOCUS Growing" campaign. For those unfamiliar, this is the biggest fundraiser we do every year to cover financial losses for December, be able to afford benefits for pastors, and of course, help FOCUS grow via new campus plantings. The fundraiser will take place on Giving Tuesday on November 29th, with $53000 in matching funds. These funds will cover the first $53000 donated, and of course we would love to be able to receive all of that! Please be praying and considering a donation and help us reach for the future!