November 2025 Ministry Update

 

Arianna’s Ministry Update: Happy Thanksgiving! Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that this Thanksgiving season is restful for you and that you get to spend a lot of time with your families! It’s not quite Thanksgiving yet, but I’ve already enjoyed quite a few plates of mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and other Thanksgiving dishes at various Friendsgivings and Thanksgiving events.  The fun thing about living in community is having lots of different events to celebrate at! With the recent time change and the end of the semester quickly approaching, I find myself tempted to look ahead to the holidays and simply wish the semester would wrap itself up. I’m sure our students feel the same, especially as exams get closer and their workloads ramp up. But even in the midst of all the chaos, there have been so many moments worth remembering! One of those highlights was our Pizza Theology event (a five-hour, seminar-style deep dive into a theological topic broken up by an hour of eating pizza and hanging out). We had a great turnout this year, which was such an encouragement! As a staff team, we’ve noticed a growing trend among our students: a general aversion to reading and a struggle with reading comprehension. Many of them spent their formative learning years during the pandemic, and we’re seeing the lingering effects as they try to engage with Scripture. Because of this, we’ve been especially intentional about encouraging students to read more and to take seriously the privilege and responsibility of learning about God through Scripture. Events like Pizza Theology give them a fun and engaging way to stretch their minds and invest deeply in their faith through college-level teaching. This semester’s Pizza Theology was taught by Rikk Watts, former Regent College professor and respected New Testament scholar. He taught on the Gospel of John, exploring how the life of Jesus remains one of the most profound and transformative stories in all of history. If you’d like to listen to the full teaching, I’ve included the link below! Pizza Theology I love November! One of my favorite parts of November is the wave of Friendsgiving gatherings that pop up all over the place. This month, I had the chance to attend several different potlucks, each one filled with laughter, mismatched dishes that only college students would think to bring to a get together (think a jar of jam and a store bought loaf of bread), and the kind of conversations that only happen when people finally slow down a bit. These dinners gave me time with girls I don’t normally cross paths with on a regular basis, and it was so refreshing to be able to just sit and get to know them. There’s something really sweet about seeing students create their own traditions and find community with each other. It’s a sweet reminder that even in the midst of exams and general end-of-semester pressure, there is still room for joy, connection, and gratitude. I’m grateful to be a part of these students’ lives! Here’s more pictures from our Friday nights/ events with students.

It’s Keep FOCUS Growing month! FOCUS has impacted my life in an amazing way and I get to be a part of God reaching college students through this ministry every day. God is leading our ministry to new campuses across DFW and we wanted to invite you to partner with us in this next step. Will you prayerfully consider giving or pledging today as we Keep FOCUS Growing? You can give by clicking the image or going to anyfocus.org/KFG2025. Please join us in praying for this fundraiser as well! Thank you so much for your continued support in this ministry! You all have been incredibly generous and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without you. I’m praying that you have a restful and joyful holiday season and I look forward to speaking with you again soon! With so much love and gratitude, Arianna