Hello everybody,
Thanks for continuing to read my posts. I hope that you find them to be informative and inspiring. There is always so much going on that I feel like I am leaving out something important in the name of conciseness. That is a problem that I am happy to take on. It’s nice to always have something to talk about that is personally exciting. God is moving here at Phoenix/Talent Campus Life. You can feel it in the air. You can see it in the kids’ eyes. In the middle of the Chaos of a Campus Life Club, there is a supernatural sense of peace and belonging. That’s exciting! Here is a little taste of what is happening:
A Campus Life Success Story
Matt was a volunteer at the Jr. High Club. At the beginning of last school year, he went off to college. I was sad, I’ve known Matt for a long time and he was great to have at club. While at club, he had built a relationship with a young man named “John” (assumed name). Matt and John had both had problems with fathers who had an addiction to alcohol. Matt had been dealing with this for a while and could really identify with where John was at. This was exactly what John needed but there was a fear that with heading off to college and all the pressures and time-requirements that come with college that the relationship might just fade off into the distance. Matt wasn’t going to let that happen!
Matt has since related to me how through phone conversations and visiting over breaks the relationship is as strong as ever and growing. John hasn’t yet experienced a dramatic life-changing moment but at Campus Life we measure success a bit differently. Slow movements guided by the hand of God through time-tested, lifelong friendships, those are the incredible successes that we hope and pray for. John is on that path thanks to Matt’s love and commitment.
Bowling with New Song
Last week the high school group went bowling with the New Song Youth Group after Campus Life Club. We had a great time (although those of us who bowled didn’t score particularly well)! The kids laughed and played and got to meet the other kids and leaders of Spark (that’s the name of the New Song Youth Group) and came away a little more comfortable with “church people”. It was a very positive experience. I am looking forward to more interaction with Spark and other area churches in the future.
A Prayer Team
Prayer changes things. God moves when we pray. I have been praying for Phoenix Campus Life but that is not enough. In the coming days I will be sending out an email detailing how people can volunteer to be prayer partners with me for the Phoenix and Talent communities and for Campus Life’s role in those communities. I am very excited about this and I know that those of you who participate will be an incredible blessing to our community.
Lent
Lent is a 40 day period designed for the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for remembering Jesus’ death and resurrection during Easter. One of my High school boys is attempting to quit smoking by fasting from nicotine through the Lenten season. This is huge! Please pray for him first that God would reveal Himself during this time of fasting and prayer and second that God would grant him his desire of being nicotine free at the end of this.
Prayer Requests
- That God would continually reveal Himself to the Campus Life Kids. Especially the two in the stories above, but all of them need a special touch from the Savior in their lives.
- That God would provide mentors for each of the kids who come to Campus Life Club. Like we’ve said before, ministry happens in the context of a loving relationship from a caring Christian adult being paired with a local teen. That means that there is a big need for local Christians to become actively involved in the lives of the next generation. Please ask God to stir the hearts of his people in this direction.
- That God would provide financially for Phoenix/Talent Campus Life. Maintaining a building, paying rent, the cost of running clubs and my salary are all things that I am trusting the Lord to provide for. He has always taken care of me personally and of this ministry and so I trust Him to continue doing so, but it doesn’t hurt to pray!
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Thank God for all the wonderful things He is doing! He is an amazing God! He reaps where he did not sow. To the bad steward that is a curse, to the good stewards that is an incredible blessing! God is working and moving in our community it is great to be a part of it all.
Thanks for reading and God Bless
Isaiah