Looking Ahead from Break...

after wrapping up the first semester here at ucm and trying to figure out what it looks like to run a ministry and to be a director, i am still alive and beginning to look ahead to second semester, which starts in just over a week.

first looking back...

it was a good semester...especially considering that there were so many unknowns. things seemed overwhelming at times, but we made it. i think that one of the biggest things that happened during this semester was that i was able to begin to get to know the students and they were able to begin to get to know me, and that is a major first step with all the newness and change. and on a personal note, i feel like i grew a ton and learned a lot in the process, especially about teaching and particularly the process of teaching on a weekly basis and what that preparation process looks like.

and looking ahead...

i am really excited about some things that we are looking at doing this coming semester. i feel like God is really leading us to put our faith into practice more as a ministry and to be Christ to this campus and to the world, and so we have a few really exciting ideas to try to put that into practice. probably the most exciting thing is that we are hoping to partner with the owner of the local coffeeshop (which also happens to be right next to all of the bars) to do a regular thursday night open mic/music night where we can have an atmosphere that is much more nuetral and unintimidating and where we can maybe even do some outreach stuff to the bars. at the very least, it is an opportunity for us to be present and have an influence on that bar scene. to be Christ to those people in some fashion. also, we are hopefully going to do a campus wide event for blood:water mission, which is an organization that builds wells in africa.

i also just applied for and got a grant to receive some materials from dave ramsey (a christian financial counselor), that are focused on teaching high school and college students solid financial principles. they are ideas that have really defined how cailyn and i manage our finances, and i am really excited about sharing the same ideas with our students.

i am also really fired up about taking roughly 12 students to Dallas in the middle of february to a conference entitled Passion....it is an awesome opportunity for growth and fellowship with other college students and i am really excited to share in that experience with those students.

it is definitely exciting times...a new beginning of sorts. i am excited to see where God takes us over this next semester! we will just trust him as best as we can.