Kevin Pike Ministry Blog #38

August Update 

    Hello everyone! School is back in session so that means we are back on campuses meeting students and inviting them to have eternal life for ever! Here is what went down this past month! 

Welcome Week:

    WELCOME WEEK IS HERE! Welcome week is the first week of school and it is where we find the most critical time to outreach to the students. So, we are on campus all day everyday, hosting different events across the four main campuses of Collin College. Here is a day by day schedule of everything we did this last week.

Monday: Back to School Photos

    For the first day of school we had a back to school photo screen for students to take their pictures with. It was so exciting to see all the new students on campus, a lot of our time was dedicated to walking students around and helping them find their classes. That was a good way to talk to them for awhile and invite them to join our group.

Tuesday: Tattuesday

   This day is always my favorite day! Tattoo Tuesday, Tattuesday, as we get to hand out temporary tattoos or draw a tattoo on the students who want one. It is fun, goofy, and a good way to bring some life to the campus as normally FOCUS is the only organization that actually does anything on campus. I'm glad that we get to be the only source of fun on campus for the students. 

Wednesday: Hump Day Coffee 

    For the middle of the week, we thought it best to give the students some free coffee. As a way to give them some energy to get through this first week. Tons of students poured in to get their iced coffee. It was a blast and I'm glad they liked it a lot!

Thursday: Free Specialty Sodas and TNF

    Our last tabling event was free soda, but not just any soda. Taking inspiration from drink places like Swig and Sip City, we offered the student specialty drinks that were FOCUS themed. It was fun to give out free drinks and be a barista for the day. Here is the menu that we had for them:

    We had our first TNF (Thursday Night Fellowship) meeting as well on Thursday at the McKinney campus! The turnout was great, we had about 80 people there and it was a blast! We were so thankful to have that many people show up on the first week, it was so fun seeing our returners and new faces come to see what we were about. 

    We had a sermon about our three main values as a community. We wanted everyone to know that we value Devotion to Jesus, Raising Up Leaders, and Real Friendships as what we are about. We are not here to be a social club, we are here to spur each other on in our pursuit of getting to know Jesus better. We are here to make disciples that make disciples. We follow the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 and when you join FOCUS, that is what you are going to hear over and over again!

Friday: Board Game Night

    Lastly, we hosted a board game night at the Plano campus. We were supposed to do a volleyball night at the campus apartments but this school year they are not allowing any visitors anymore to the dorms so we could not play. We did a last minute change of plans and still a lot of students came by to hangout.

    All in all, this Welcome Week was a great hit! We had about 300 students sign up to get messages from us about all the small groups and events we got going on. Even though they all did not show up this first week, a large amount of students said they would come the next week or start taking off work on Thursdays now. Time will tell who all will show up.

Summer Staff Retreat:

    Every year in August right before school starts, all of the staff with Focus have a retreat together. The purpose of this retreat is to spend some time with God, fellowship with the other campus pastors, and prepare ourselves for the new school year. I am so thankful to be a part of a ministry that takes solitude with the Lord so seriously. 

    During the day we had sessions that were run by our directors. Some of the sessions included; sermons, intentional team building games, and self-reflection/prayer time. The sermons were one of my favorite parts of the trip as they were thought provoking and important to hear right before we start our journey for the 2026 school year. The sermons reminded us of our calling, to take our role as campus ministers seriously. We are hear to proclaim the truth of God to all those who are willing to listen. We are not here to be a social club, we are here to develop serious disciples that will go out and bless the world. Disciples that will see their lives as completely devoted to the Lord and whatever His will may be. I am so excited to begin this new school year and I am so thankful for you all who support me to be a part of that journey. 

Prayer Requests:

    Please be praying for all the students that we met this week. That they have an open heart to join our community and listen to the word of God. Pray for all the students who are on the fence, who might be too nervous or anxious to come to our small groups or large group TNF. Pray that us campus ministers are able to be bold and see all the students who are longing for community. Pray for all the students that have come that they will continue to be active in our community and that they are open for doing our one on one Bible studies as well. 

Thank You:

    Thank you so much for your generous support of our campus ministry. Because of your prayers and generous support, students here are not only encountering Christ in life-changing ways, but also finding a home where they are seen, known, and loved. They are discovering true friendship, growing in faith, and learning what it means to live as disciples of Jesus. Your generosity is more than financial help—it is a gift of love, and a share in the mission itself. As St. Paul reminds us, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Cor. 3:6). You are planting and watering seeds that will bear fruit for eternity. Please know how grateful I am for you, for your prayers, and for your partnership in this mission. You are truly a blessing to me and to every student you are helping to reach.

P.S. Here is a testimony from one of our students at the UTD campus. Your support helps students like her join a community that is caring and full of grace.