Bible Study: In the dorm that my co-leader lives in, we just finished our fourth Bible Study. This term, we felt it would be a good idea to study passages that show Jesus interacting with different types of people. There are a lot of negative stereotypes of Christians and Jesus so looking at passages where Jesus hangs out with "sinners" would be a great way to confront those. We have about 12 people who have come, though not all at the same time, and they have really enjoyed it. It became clear to me that a many of them were not very familiar with studying the Bible so this is a great opportunity for us to help them fall in love with Scripture. Also, at least two regular attenders are not Christians and that is very exciting for me. It is really quite an honor to be in a position where I get to help people encounter Jesus for the first time. Please pray for the people in Bible Study.
Large Group: Our Large Group Worship times have been very different then in past years. So far, we have focused a lot on the implications of following Jesus on society. Kristen and I both feel that serving and loving the poor is an integral part of following Jesus so we have been communicating that during these times. We held an event about Jesus, justice and poverty where we invited a speaker from Portland to come and share abuot her experiences with those things. There was a really positive response from the students. We were also able to prepare a meal of porridge that AIDS patients often eat. This was a chance for us to share the meal with all of those who have to eat it every day. Take a look at some of the pictures.
Evangelism: I feel like a real focus of mine this year has been reaching out to people who do not follow Jesus. You know what? I love it. It is really fun to build relationships with people who need Jesus. I really enjoy personally confronting negative images of Christians by being a person who really loves those outside of the family of God. Here are some of the ways I have don e this:
Stations in public areas that help students interact with a spiritual topic such as "who was Jesus?" or "where has religion gone wrong?" People would come up and participate and then I would very easily get into a conversation with them about Jesus. I am hoping that some of the people I met at those will want to continue having conversations.
Hanging out in the dorms. I have spent a lot of time just hanging out with non-Christians. This has allowed me to develop friendships with people. I was actually able to invite about 6 non-Christians to my house last week for a home-cooked meal. It was so fun. I hope that these relationships allow me to share the gospel with these students.
The next thing on our list of things to do is Fall Conference. This will happen Nov 2-4. Kristen and I are hoping to have around 20 students attend. This weekend is one of the best ways that good community gets built. It is also a great time for students to wrestle with questions about what it means to follow Jesus in college. Our speaker, Don Everts, will give a great message and is really good at relating to students. I will also be in charge of the worship for the conference. This is the first time I have ever been entirely in charge of worship for a conference. Please be praying for this conference. It can be a life changing time for those who go.
One last thing: Kristen and I are really in need of more financial support. We are currently running at a deficit of $1400 per month. Please be praying that we can find new supporters and get our finances in order. This will allow us to be more effective when we are on campus.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support! Good things are brewing at Oregon State. Stay tuned for the report on Fall Conference and the end of fall term!
