Marchin' while the trumpet sounds

Ronnie, the man at the head of the table, first had the vision for FOCUS all those years ago! Now, he still takes the time to teach the apprentices twice a week. I've learned so much from him! For one, "the doing flows out of the being." It's the idea that above all, God wants us to be with Him. It reminds me of Jesus's warning to the evildoers, that he'd tell them to depart from his presence because he never knew them. Jesus wants to know me. How incredible! Jesus wants to know me! The sovereign Lord of creation cares about having a relationship with me. He wants to know you too! 

Here, Dani is preaching her last sermon at Friday Night Fellowship with all of our Denton students. She'll be heading off to Collin College next year. We're in the middle of our 'Get To' series. We're trying to communicate to our students that being a disciple of Jesus isn't about having all of these 'rules' that we 'have' to follow. Following Jesus means that we get to do amazing things with and for God. We get to surrender, get to change, get to lose, and so many other things.

This verse is a taste of what we're working on with our students with our Get To series: "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not labor in vain." - Philippians 2:14-16. We want them to shine on their campuses like passionate stars in the sky! Our vision is the while that rest of the world learns to take, our students would give life and light. 

Here's Kennedy giving Christina a 'free bad tattoo' at outreach during SSI week!

SSI week, or Student Spring Initiative, was a success!  This is a group of college students from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. They spent their spring break on our campuses reaching out to students! We talked to SO many people! 

The dream team. I love these girls so much. Sam is missing from this picture, but I still wanted to share it with you guys! That's Ingrid laughing on the left end by the way. She's got a laugh that can fill a room with God's joy. I wish you could hear it! 

Miriam has discipled me for 2 years of my undergrad. We're on the same staff team this year, and she's still speaking into my life and teaching me to be more like Jesus. She's been gifted with a personality that reflects the nurturing sweetness of God's character. She loves people so deeply, fights for them, dies for them, and does all the she can point them to Jesus. It's been such an honor to get to work with and know her all these years.


I hope you are all doing well! Remember that you're invited to our Spring Showcase! I'll be singing Johnny Cash & June Carter! There will be a lot of more talented people than me performing to raise money to send some up-and-coming student leaders to a week of leadership training in Washington this summer! They'll learn the practicals of campus ministry, and get equipped to pursue God's kingdom for not only the rest of college, but the rest of their lives. Please join us! Let me know if you're going so that I can say hi!! Thank you all for your continued belief that God is at work in the lives of these students we've been entrusted with. Thank you for supporting me so that I can give all I've got to building them up with God!

Much love,
Kristen