Seasons
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
Seasons are quite interesting. They define our shopping. They warn us of the cold that is around the corner. They proclaim the warmth that most of us so eagerly expect. Seasons come with festivities and celebrations, and they come with remembrance.
Solomon writes that there are times for everything. "There is a time to plant and a time to uproot." (verse 2)
As Brooke and I wrap up another season of ministry with Chi Alpha at the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University, we look back and stand amazed at God's faithfulness and His grace. We remember His faithfulness through those who have been supporting us along our journey with both prayer and finances. We remember His grace in helping us through what were sometimes difficult weeks when we were spent from ministry.
More importantly, we stand amazed at what God did in the lives of the students we ministered to and shared our lives with. We'll never forget the first mission trip we led together (before we were married!) to Atlanta with Chi Alpha at UVA
Our team on Spring Break in Atlanta
Some of the ATL team were there to celebrate our marriage!
Brooke and I soon found ourselves helping Chi Alpha at Virginia Commonwealth University by serving as Interim Directors while the District leadership team searched for a permanent answer for the ministry at VCU.
We learned a lot in our ministry at VCU and, for me personally, it's something I will always reflect on as I saw the provision of God show up in tangible ways (through healthy Chi Alpha DNA happening; Student Small Group leaders stepping up in incredible ways; students who got baptized).
Chi Alpha at VCU's Fall Retreat
Because no Fall Retreat is complete without a goofy picture...
Brooke and I baptizing four students at Chi Alpha at VCU's Wednesday Night Live service
We believe at both Chi Alpha at UVA and VCU are in great, strategic positions for growth and poised for God's Kingdom to continue advancing.
At the beginning of the Spring semester, we welcomed Mike and Jen Godzwa as they stepped on campus full time at VCU to be the Chi Alpha directors for the campus. As we worked together and laid down plans for the future of the ministry for Chi Alpha at VCU, we couldn't be more excited for what God is doing. Mike and Jen bring years of experience in urban campus ministry and believe that experience will be incredibly useful moving forward.
As Brooke and I began processing what would be the next step in our ministry, we thought about different options. We both knew we wanted to continue in campus ministry and felt God leading us in that direction. The only question was Where? With Chi Alpha at UVA and VCU on a steady trajectory, we both believed we wanted to be somewhere where Jesus was less known.
“I have but one candle to burn and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light”
After prayer, discernment, and seeking wise counsel from friends, we feel the Lord is calling us into our next season of life to work with Rob and Sarah Malcolm of Chi Alpha at Yale University for the next 5 years.
That's right. Yale University. All the way up in New Haven, Connecticut.
We believe that the Lord wants to reach a campus of 12,000 where only 150 claim to be Christian. We believe that in a highly academic arena, students may know everything there is to know Jesus, but have yet to experience Him.
As we embark on this new journey the Lord has for us, we are excited and dependent. We are excited because of the potential Yale has to see students come to Christ--a university that was once affected greatly by revivals and prayer movements that were spearheaded by William Borden of the Borden Dairy Estate.
We are dependent because of the circumstances that are set before us: moving from Virginia to Connecticut and starting our lives over; raising $3,000 in monthly support before August; finding friends to share our lives with; and most importantly, we are dependent on God to help us in the ministry to see students come to have an authentic relationship with Jesus.
We sow and we reap, but it is God who gives the increase!
Over the course of the next three months, we will be sharing our journey to Yale with those that read this blog. The tags we use specifically to talk about our journey are included on this post to help you search easier for it.
The next blog post will talk about our "Why?" of campus ministry.
