January Update

Epic West Coast Winter Conference 1.14-1.17

Before talking about my ministry at CPP, I wanted to share a bit about my experience at Epic Conference. God used this weekend that I came into with no expectations and used it to bless me, encourage me, and ultimately answer so many prayers. Epic Conference is a time for students from campuses across the country to come together and learn/recenter on the heart and vision of Epic, while building relationships and connections with brothers and sisters from a variety of different backgrounds, united by Christ. My past experience with these conferences were centered around the community building rather than individual growth as I felt that the speakers were pushing their agendas and simply sprinkling Jesus’ name on top. In addition, due to COVID-19, none of the students from our campus were able to attend, leaving Joel and I with no students to directly serve and shepherd during this time.

God allowed us to connect with a handful of students, primarily from Purdue University as their staffer was unable to attend the conference. This was a blessed time of connection and mutual encouragement. I imagine Paul must’ve felt similarly meeting the brothers and sisters who were of the same heart during his ministry(trust me I know I have a long way to go before comparing myself to Paul it was just cool is what I’m saying). They had recently started their Epic and hearing their stories brought me such joy and similarly a rebuke for my disheartened attitude despite my privilege relative to their journey.

In addition, this year every speaker truly pierced my heart. Personal agendas and potentially divisive opinions were put aside with a heart and desire to bring together rather than divide and that was a pleasant surprise. The theme of the conference was the Good News and each message revealed to me and reminded me of how desperately God was seeking me out. God began to heal my broken and insecure heart while simultaneously reminding me of the beauty of how he created me. I was so focused on shaming myself for my sins but was reminded of the simple essential truth that He already sent his Son to die for them. God broke my heart and reminded me of his love for me, that at my lowest he is still seeking me, and that in turn, he is using me to remind His children of that truth. The gospel has never struck my heart so deeply. God began restoring me to Him while igniting my heart for the lost. Praise the Lord!

Winter Break

This past month I was blessed with what felt like a mini Sabbatical. I might not be using the word correctly but having a time to assess the past semester and realign my heart in preparation for the second half was much needed and a benefit of campus ministry I never considered. Ultimately, God granted Joel and I direction and vision to carry into the spring semester.

One struggle I personally had last semester was finding my role and place on the team. One thing I knew for certain was that I had to be careful not to overstep and take the responsibilities of the student leaders. I was confident in my desire and God’s desire for the students to grow through leadership the same way I did. My goal was and still is to provide a space that allows for mistakes and meets students with grace rather than labor for perfection. To me this meant giving leaders freedom to serve in whatever ways they felt led. My role in that was supportive and to put simply an extra set of hands. While this came from a good place, ultimately the students ended up feeling lost and lacked confidence in what they were hoping to achieve. With this in mind, Joel and I decided to be more intentional in casting vision and helping guide the students more.

Our focus last semester revolved around rebuilding community and doing our best to comfort students who almost all struggled over Covid. While this was beneficial and necessary, Joel and I felt led to shift the focus to Epic’s vision: Win, Build, Send. We exist not to mimic a church service or to be a social club for students who call themselves Christians but to be a movement that boldly proclaims God’s goodness through evangelism and discipleship. In light of this shift, God has helped me find my footing and a bigger picture goal to strive towards.

The first three weeks of our semester so far have been virtual. Going back to virtual even if only for a short period of time was not appealing however it was an enjoyable time with the students. We’ve been working with students to grow in community and intentionality while also meeting with leaders and sharing our heart for the ministry. Working amidst these things has been new and confusing at times but ultimately exciting.

Prayer Requests

• That our vision and heart would continue to align with the Lord’s will for our ministry and the campus
• For the hearts of the student leaders as they continue to learn and practice what it means to serve the Lord fully
• Personally, that I would continue to seek the Lord for healing over my heart
• That I would desire the Lord and not just sanctification or knowledge
• For the way I live life and for Epic as a whole to continually be rooted in the gospel