Kevin Pike Ministry Blog #19
December Blog
Hey everyone! Hope all of you had a great Christmas and New Year's! This past month was slower than most months due to the students being on break and our staff being on break as well. All that to say, this will be a shorter blog but God has still been moving during this slower period of time!
TNF Christmas Party:
The last Thursday Night Fellowship before Christmas break is always a Christmas party. This year, we split the night into two parts, the first being community sharing with the question being, "How have you seen God work in your life this past semester?" Hearing the students share was special getting to hear about the amazing things God was doing in their lives for the past five months. Then we had a human Christmas tree contest, a dance party, and tons of board games. It was a lot of fun and a good way to send the students off. We were also very fortunate to have Chiloso bless us by catering the entire party for free! Here are some pics of the night, our small group that meets in Wylie is on the right.
Volunteer Opportunity:
One of our pastors got connected to a group called "Exodus Ministry". Their mission is to help single mothers who recently got out of prison get back into society and find a job. They provide them housing, workshops for skills, and searching for employment. We came and made breakfast for all the mothers and their children. Then, we hung out with the kids for the rest of the morning and played with them. It was a neat opportunity to serve and also get our students a chance to volunteer and make someone's day easier and happier. Here are some of the pictures from the event, it was so fun!
Our supervisors with our Collin staff team were kind enough to pay for all of us to go bowling during the break! It was a great time for all of us to hang out and enjoy each other's company outside of work. Here is a picture of us!
We as a full staff team, all the campuses, went to Burnett, TX for our annual staff-only winter retreat this past week. We have a staff retreat before every school semester as a way to re-center ourselves on God and seek him for guidance and wisdom. This break we read the book, To Love as God Loves which was amazing. The main premise was figuring out what it meant to be human in God's eyes and how we as Christians can love like God does all the while answering these questions with answers from 6th century Christian writings. It was so mindblowing to read how they lived, thought, and praised God. I was thankful we got to read the book as it called us to live more self-sacrificing lives, have more grace and mercy for ourselves and others, and be called to a higher standard of loving others. I feel ready to come back to school and seek out students to share what Jesus has shown me. I could feel at our retreat the other pastors at Collin and the other campuses were excited and well-rested to get back. I would highly recommend the book, it is short and well worth it.
Personally, I was able to spend some quality time visiting my family in Flower Mound and in Kansas. I don't get the opportunity to spend that much time with them regularly so that was great and refreshing!
Prayer Requests:
If you could pray for all of our FOCUS staff, that we are mentally, spiritually, and physically ready to be back on campuses reaching out to students and maturing them in their faith. That we as their pastors point them to Jesus and truth. Also, pray for the students that they come back from the break ready to do well in their classes and continue to seek God this semester.
Thank You:
Your financial support has helped create an environment where students not only learn about Jesus but also develop a profound and personal relationship with Him. Through your contributions, they have allowed students to delve deeper into their faith journey while being a part of a community. Your belief in our mission to help students know Jesus more and find community has been a beacon of hope, guiding our efforts. On behalf of our entire ministry, I want to express our deepest appreciation for your steadfast support. Your kindness is shaping the spiritual landscape of our students, and we are immensely grateful for the positive impact you've made. Thank you so much.
P.S. Here is a testimony from one of our students from Collin. She has joined us this past semester and it has been so great seeing her connected and plugged into a community! Your donations help girls like her find communities with like-minded Christians!
Comments
Post a Comment