September Update

CPP

This month of ministry has been such an enjoyable time! The school year is in full swing and we have settled into a more structured period of time. There are still new students coming out every week, and our community continues to grow and expand. I am continually learning and being reminded of how much God loves this community.

Our general meetings and bible studies have been such an encouragement to me this past month. We’ve been consistently meeting every Tuesday for bible study, and every Thursday for our general meeting. We have around 30-35 students coming to our bible studies and close to 55 students attending our general meetings! Despite the extremely busy schedules of many of the students I’ve been speaking to, they continue to commit their time and even invite the people around them into the movement! What has been made evident is that there is a clear desire in the hearts of so many students for community, belonging, and hope. Students have been socializing together outside of our structured times and some are stepping into deeper, God glorifying friendships with each other. There is a culture of Godly love developing and growing, not as a result of planned and organized events or forced accountability but as a result of God shifting hearts and moving people. My prayer is that God would continue to guide us towards those who are without hope and that our community would be a place that points them upwards.

One highlight of this past month has been my one on one times with the students I’ve been meeting up with. I’ve been able to hear their stories and walk along side them amidst the many things they have going on. A common trend I’ve noticed in most of the student leaders I’ve met with has been a general feeling of business. Some of these students are spread so thin with school, work, church, and their personal lives, that I’m amazed they’re able to show up and be present in Epic. So many of them have been silently and faithfully serving their fellow brothers and sisters, some in ways I wasn’t even aware of. They consistently drive students around, treat underclassmen to meals, and are displaying love even when sacrifice is required. Hearing about these things served as an uplifting but also humbling time. Despite the growth and maturity that they were displaying, I realized I was and still am lacking in my care for these leaders. I’m still learning how to best pour into them and how to serve them well. What has become clear is that there is a very real danger of burning out these leaders for the sake of the community as a whole and that I can so quickly take for granted the precious hearts of service that God has placed on our leaders. I ask that you would join me in prayer first for the hearts of the leaders, that they would continue to love because of the love God shows them. Secondly, that you would pray for Jamie and I, that we would have a Godly wisdom and discernment in caring for our leaders.

Fall Retreat

Next weekend we will be having our annual Fall Retreat. This is a weekend long retreat up in Big Bear with students from all the different SoCal Epic campuses. This has often been a turning point in which students find a sense of deeper belonging in the community and are able to gain a bigger picture of what Epic is. From my perspective as a staffer, I see so much potential to learn and grow in the times we have planned and in the speaker who will teach and my hope is that God would work in them through these things. However; as a freshmen I don’t remember much about the speaker or the small groups or the worship. What I do remember is realizing I really wanted to be surrounded by people of the faith and that I wanted the friends around me to be my brothers. In light of my personal experience as a student, I am striving to be faithful and responsible in my planning, but I am deeply in prayer that God would work in the hearts of the students. I am doing my best not to obsess over the planning and the results but instead, to simply be obedient and leave the results to Him. Please pray for this coming retreat as our hope is that lives would be changed!

Prayer Requests

• That God would continue to guide us towards those who are without hope and that our community would be a place that points them upwards
• For the hearts of the leaders, that they would continue to love because of the love God shows them
• For Jamie and I, that we would have a Godly wisdom and discernment in caring for our leaders
• For our upcoming Fall Retreat!