Surprises, Lessons & Blessings

Not too long ago, Impact’s president, Bill Westfall, asked me to write up a little reflection on the last year.  What were some of the things that I learned after I looked back over my time in 2011-2012?  I thought I would share some of those reflections with you.

·      There are a lot more students out there that care about Jesus than I anticipated.

·      God is doing something with the world and the world of campus ministry; yet, God is also doing something unique on each and every campus.  Two campuses in the exact same region, less then 7 miles apart – completely different.

·      Partnerships with the local church are WAY more valuable than I anticipated.

·      The more personal and intimate you can be with student interaction, the more depth and meaning there will be in your ministry; inversely, the more organizational and “flashy” you are, the more shallow and disrespected your ministry will be.

·      Fundraising is not the greatest part of my job – but it’s also not nearly as bad as I thought it would be; God uses it as a blessing in so many ways.

·      Impact Campus Ministries has the greatest vision statement.

o   “To pursue, model, and teach intimacy with God within Christian community on the university campus.”

·      Impact Campus Ministries is at our best when we pursue that vision statement.

·      I still have a lot in learn in the realm of teamwork and relational investment.

·      God has done some incredible things in my life over the last decade – praise Him.

·      When I function as God designed me to function, I am fulfilled, others around me are blessed, and God bears fruit in ministry.

·      I can be easily distracted AWAY FROM my reckless pursuit of intimacy with God with the BUSYNESS of pursuing God through my ministry.

·      Students bring me great joy – not just college students, but those students that allow me to invest in their lives.  They are my fuel.