Fall 2024 Ministry Update

 

Arianna’s Fall Ministry Update! God is moving on our campuses! Our Fall Retreat (called The Getaway). This semester we’ve had an average of 200 students attending on Friday nights, and almost that many came to The Getaway! It’s been a real blessing to see so many students hungry to learn more about God and spend time with His people. Hi friends! Happy December! This semester has been a whirlwind! I can’t believe it’s already the end of the year. I feel like I say that every week, but God has blessed me in so many ways this year. As you all know, I transitioned from Collin College to UT Dallas over the summer, and have been working as a campus missionary with FOCUS at UT Dallas. I was nervous about the transition at first, but the more time I’ve spent at UT Dallas, the more sure I am that God is moving in powerful ways on campus, and it’s really a privilege that he would allow me to join him. I have loved worshipping with our students on Friday nights! We renamed our Friday night services to The Grove- a name that reflects our three values (to root deep in scripture, branch out to others, and bear fruit of a transformed life). I think this semester more than ever, I have seen students excited to worship God. At the end of every Friday night, we have worship down at the front of the room and our students will pack themselves into the space so they can be next to each other while they sing and dance. It’s been fun and encouraging to see so many of them be willing to get out of their comfort zones and connect with God in new ways. A picture of my core (small group)! I’ve also really loved my small group this year! I lead with a student named Renae. She is a sophomore at UTD and is studying Speech Language Pathology, but is also passionate about music and worship! I’ve been so encouraged by the way that she loves the girls in our core. We spend weekly time together planning our core and praying for the girls, and this semester it’s been really sweet to see girls from all different backgrounds come together and form friendships with each other as we grow in our faith. We typically have around 10-12 girls show up, and are praying that they would allow God to give them boldness to be lights in their classes and at work and as they go home to their families for the break. Here’s our core at Renae’s Jazz concert at the end of the semester

We couldn’t let the end of the semester go by without a Christmas party! We sang Christmas carols, read scripture about the birth of Christ, and then had a meal and hung out together. It was such a sweet way to end the semester! My parents also volunteered to come as Santa and Mrs. Claus to do pictures with our students. We thought it would be a silly and fun thing for the students, but they ended up loving it much more than we thought they would! Here’s some pictures. Overall, it has been such a fun semester! I am so thankful to each one of you for supporting me- I could not be on campus without your prayers, financial support, and encouragement. I really can’t say it enough, thank you for investing in the lives of these college students! I’m praying for each of you in this season and hope you have a wonderful and restful time with your families! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love, Arianna