December

Hello, friends, family, and supporters!

I wanted to start off my monthly update by telling y'all about our annual fundraiser. It's called Keep FOCUS Growing campaign, and our goal is to raise 55,000. This is a lot of money, and you deserve to know what it is for. This money, just like the money we have raised in the past, allows us to invest directly back into our community by allowing for FOCUS to be planted at new campuses (there is a possibility of us being planted at SMU next year),support new initiatives to bring students to Christ, covers costs for student events, and much more! Please pray and consider investing financially in this campaign. For more information, you can visit https://anyfocus.org/donate/next20/.

We can hit our $55,000 goal if:

200 people give $10
200 people give $20
100 people give $50
30 people give $100
20 people give $300
25 people give $500
10 people give $750
5 people give $1000
2 people give $2500
1 person gives $5,000

In early November, we had our first Pizza Theology of the year. Pizza Theology happens twice a year, and each one addresses a certain topic. It is one of the few times a year where all 9 of our campuses join together for an evening of learning, fellowship, and pizza. The topic? Hearing God's voice. Cue the "oohs and ahs". Kidding. We had David Knebels of the CCF ministry up in Bellingham, WA come down to administer our lecture for the evening. During his lecture, he had us sit in silence for 12 minutes. There were lots of squirmy college students during this time, and it was quite funny. However, most of the people I talked to found it very powerful. We live our lives with so much noise nowadays, that we hardly spend and purposeful time in silence, trying to hear the whisper of God's voice. Sitting in silence with over 400 people, reflecting on our relationship with the creator was just a unique experience. Students and staff alike left this Pizza Theology impacted, and inspired to evaluate their relationship with God in many different ways.

Hundreds of students at our Pizza Theology event! 

Two of our students during a dusky game of kickball!

As this semester draws to close, I can't help but reflect on the work God has done at our campuses these past 5 months. When I joined the staff team, I was pretty overwhelmed with insecurities. God quickly showed me that He accomplishes work through imperfect people. Part of learning that came through our Old Testament class we take as Apprentices, and part of that came through personal experience. I have spent a lot of my time at Preston Ridge this past season, and I get to be a part of a special group of girls that are responding to Jesus. There were a lot of hands before me at Preston Ridge, and I feel very lucky to get to experience some of the fruit we are seeing. Students are excited about Jesus, their eyes and minds are seeking truth, their hearts are stirring for the first time, and they're clinging to real friendship. None of that is because of any solitary human work, it has always been the Spirit, guiding and orchestrating the good that has come out this past semester. I suppose what I am trying to say is that God doesn't require us to be perfect, he just asks us to do our best. Praise Him for that, because I make a lot of mistakes, and yet, so much good has come out of the vision for campus ministry.

Our joint core study! Look at all of us Preston Ridge weirdos!

Here is a video of our students singing Jesus We Love You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_uJYBEAta8

Thank you to my supporters, my family, and friends. Without your support, financially and prayerfully, this vision would not be a reality. You are a part of God's work on this campus, and I am so thankful for y'all every day. 

Love,

Shayla