All Stories Have Rising Action

We. Are. Going. Full. Speed.

This is a group picture from our Fall Camp

Hello friends!

Thank you so much for going along on this adventure with me! I am overwhelmed by the love and support given by you! This has been an eventful month! Thanks for joining the work God is doing at Richland.

We finished our Welcome Week events and started our cores on the month of September! I am so thankful we work at a college that allows us to meet on campus. God has been faithful in providing spaces for us to meet in this year! So, let's dive in!

CORE

Cores are our weekly gender specific small groups! We started these off the first week of September. One of the biggest things we work for and pray for is that our students that come to our cores, connect with each other and begin developing friendships. In the past, I have had to encourage people to build friendships. However, I am so encouraged by how quickly the guys in my core are becoming friends. They participate in core and they get along so well! We end up having a lot of fun. There was a week we were being too loud, that someone came in to complain. While I do acknowledge that we need to respect the rooms around us, there was a comradery in the room. I was overwhelmed with joy. Dayo, my cofa, is such a sweet guy! He loves on the guys really well. I am continually encouraged by the way he is able to relate and connect with people. I am glad I get to lead with him. 

This is a picture from one of our weeks!

CAMPUS CONNECT

Campus connect is what we call our evangelism time on campus. This month, we did a combination of board games and volleyball. We have been meeting different students. I was able to meet an international student. I spent some time with him and it was a blessing! He had to use google translate sometimes to find the word he wanted to say! This was an awesome experience!

This is a short boomerang from one of our volleyball days.

THURSDAY NIGHT THUNDER

Our weekly fellowship meetings have been going great! We finished a sermon series on being steadfast. Last year, the Office of Student Life limited the rooms we had access to. We were told we would not be able to reserve larger rooms in Sabine. Also, another group of people met in the cafeteria and we were told they would not let us meet there. God is so good and is faithful. This year we have access to the larger rooms in Sabine. Then, one week this month, the rooms in Sabine were used and we were able to coordinate with the other group and we met in the cafeteria. THIS IS BIG STUFF. GOD IS MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLES, POSSIBLE FOR US.

We took a picture after a Thursday Night in a room in Sabine.

These are a couple of pictures from our meeting in the cafeteria!

FALL CAMP

Fall camp is a 22 hour retreat, where we have worship, student sharing, and time to bond together as a ministry. This year, our theme was being steadfast through suffering. Several students shared about how they've suffered and how God has used community in the healing process. I had the opportunity to lead the Saturday night session. We had a writing portion and an open sharing portion. It was so powerful to hear students be vulnerable about their suffering.

This is a picture from the writing session.

Outside of our sessions, we played volleyball, had a large group dinner, made s'mores over a campfire and got lost trying to get back to our cabin! WE HAD SO MUCH FUN. This fall camp was relaxing and so life giving. I could continue talking about every single experience we had. (Ask me about Sunday morning breakfast R&B jams.)

These are some pictures during dinner.

This was from volleyball at camp!

These are pictures from our campfire experience!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

As we move along, I am asking you to join me in prayer. 

• Pray for the students I am meeting with one-on-one. Pray for us to be open to what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us
• Pray for our core. I want our guys to continue to be consistent.
• Pray for our evangelism efforts. We are heating up the value of evangelism in our community. Pray that the Holy Spirit moves people to come to events and join a core!
• Pray for fundraising efforts. I am still working on fundraising to continue working on campus.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Please reach out if you want to attend one of our Thursday Night Thunder fellowship meetings or if you have a prayer request.

WITH LOVE,

Josh