Emily U.'s Ministry Updates

A voice of one calling:“In the wilderness prepare    the way for the Lord;make straight in the desert    a highway for our God.Isaiah 40:3God has been so good and faithful the past two weeks in the middle of what has felt a lot like uncertainty and the unknown.  Despite limitations from Covid we have still been able to meet students and invite them into community. Students seem to be more desperate for friends and connection than ever before with many finding it difficult to make friends this year.
I got to have a really sweet conversation with one of the girls I met this week. She sort of grew up in the church but has been feeling distant from God recently and like she can't approach him. I got to share the story of the prodigal son with her and God's radical immense grace. It was a grace in and of itself to get to share how good our God is with her. It reminded me of how sweet our God is to let us participate in spreading his good news to others. She has joined my core and I …

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;     yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will consider all your works     and meditate on all your mighty deeds. Psalm 77:11-12
Reflecting on this upcoming school year has been a mix of emotions for me. Everything seemed up in the air. There was no way to predict what it would really look like. I mourned what wouldn't be the same. This is my last year on staff and that fact was stark to me. How would we meet new students? Would we even get to do Thursday Night Fellowship every week or Winter Camp in January? What were classes going to look like? Would our students even come back to campus? I found myself putting hope in a vaccine that would put things back to 'normal'. This pandemic has just shown me how much I think I have control over how ministry goes. I have a set of skills and FOCUS has a set of systems that work for us but those are being shaken up. We can't depend on them anymore. I've been learning to seek God…

The Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. Exodus 33:15
Much of this summer has been spent watching and waiting to determine what ministry will look like in the fall. News on COVID is constantly changing so decisions from UTA for the fall have been slow. Recently the school announced they would do a mix of classes online, in person, and hybrid. All of this would be done in a way to maintain social distancing. I had also put in requests for rooms for the start of the semester in case we would be able to meet in person on campus. They just recently were rejected because they couldn't provide social distancing conditions for us. I really think this year is going to be a year of leaning on the Holy Spirit. FOCUS as a ministry has been around for over 20 years. Our staff has experience in how to do college ministry well. None of us have encountered how to do that in the midst of a global pandemic. The ability to lean on our own skills …

Earlier this month we had Summer Leadership Training (SLT). It was a three day training for all the potential and past student leaders in our ministry. (Most of it was held online with the option of some social distancing in person.) Since we couldn't take our students to SICM (Student Institute of Campus Ministry) up in Seattle, Washington like we normally do we developed this three day training as a replacement! Students learned new ways of walking with God, what servant leadership and discipleship is, why we do core, how to ask good questions and more! Each day we got to discuss with our small group what we had learned that day. Over 100 college students dedicated three whole days investing in their growth as leaders and disciples. This is not normal. I often forget how countercultural it is to value something like SLT. Yet these students have caught the vision. They are fired up and excited to spread the good new on their campuses.  


Every year we fundraise our salaries. And ea…

I can hardly believe it. The school year is once again coming to a close! Wrapping things up while separate physically has been difficult for me to process through. So many sweet moments will be different this year. Graduations, end of year party and summer FOCUS gatherings. Yet at the same time there is so much to be thankful for. God is still moving. Here are some of the things He has been doing!:

One of the girls I have been studying the bible with 1-1 all year has decided to follow Jesus! Her name is Alexandra. She came in not really knowing who Jesus was but has been so enraptured by his love and grace for her that she wants to make him Lord!
Ashlie (the lovely girl I lead core with) and I decided to create smaller groups out of our core that we are calling Anchor Groups. Girls meet weekly sharing life, praying for and encouraging each other. Keeping up with each other virtually as a core of 15 was difficult. In these smaller groups they have more time to share about their lives a…

So much is up in the air right now. So much uncertainty and fear. No one expected for life to look this way this year and for all the changes that were to come. As we have been forced to slowdown and readjust to these new realities, God has been gently reminding me that He is the one who is in control and sustains us. It was never me. It was never you. It was never our government. We are not sovereign over this virus but God is. He is in charge in the midst of this chaos and He is moving.

We started a new sermon series recently where we are breaking down and pushing back on worldly wisdom that we and even the church has bought into. Things like "you do you" and "do what makes you happy." I spoke on self-care/loving yourself and the ways we try to sustain ourselves outside of God's care. We are told to put ourselves first. That we are the only ones who can look out for ourselves. This leads to things like hoarding toilet paper out of fear and keeping others at …