Relevant Media

It is a little weird being parents for the first time. I think we are getting the hang of it but, we joke that the Lord must think that we can not handle much. Braden is a great baby and we look forward to sharing his life with many of you. Thanks for your prayers.

Last week many of you may have heard of the shooting that took place at NIU (Northern Illinois University). I was a student at NIU not too long ago and hearing about it and knowing many of the staff members there was troubling. Our staff team at NIU and the students involved in our Cru movement there have responded to comfort students and staff on campus.

This week I was able to develop a website for the campus and our Cru team there called niutogetherforward.com

Check it out and leave your Sentiments in the Thoughts and Prayers section.

I love December. Not only is it Christmastime, but it also means that Christmas Conference is here. Christmas Conference is the peak time of my ministry. This is when I get to utalize my video production gifts in ministry. Not to mention increase my stress level.

Throughout December, you will most likely find me sitting in front of a computer, even more than normal. In preparation for the region-wide conference, I am filming and editing videos, gathering student workers, and organizing the technical side of this 5-day conference.

It is fun to watch how the Lord works through technology. At the conference, over 2,000 people will see the videos that we have created, both the staff and student video teams. These videos include recruiting pieces that we use to give students a vision of staff life all over the world, videos that inspire and motivate students to share their faith with their fellow students, and just fun, energy-raising clips to keep the momentum rolling.

Not only am I having a great time creating these videos, but I have a student team that I work with, that helps to create videos both before the conference and during, as they film the students that are actually there, participating in the events. I have the opportunity to show these students how their love and passion for technology and videography, can be used to advance the Kingdom of God. I pray that these students will use their gifts by coming on staff and joining me long-term, or by giving a year of their lives in an internship with me, that will further hone these abilities so they can use them elsewhere for Kingdom work.

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As we are preparing for this year of our story and ministry, we have come across some financial needs that need to be met in order for us to continue ministry the 2007-2008 school year.

Our one time needs:
Summer project, staff conference,
New Zealand, medical bills and
this years conferences.
Total: $7500

Additional monthly support needed: $600/month

Yes, we are pregnant. Check out our first ultrasound. Our baby likes to dance.

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Wow, a whirlwind of a summer and travel. It seems like we have been everywhere. First to Chicago for some time with family and to connect with many of you. Then to Traverse City, Michigan for our summer project (which was wonderful and blessed by the Lord). From there it was to Chicago for a few days as we made our way out to Fort Collins, Colorado for the National Staff Conference.

The Conference was a refreshing time to meet with friends and the Lord through some great speakers who helped me re-evaluate how I view evangelism and interaction with students. Now we are back home getting ready for the start of the school year.

The Lord is truly good and sovereign. Thanks so much for your prayers this summer. We look forward to telling you what exciting things are ahead for us.

Rachel and I are out in Fort Collins, CO right now at our national staff conference. We are having a great time meeting and seeing friends that we do not get to see but, every other year at this event. These are friends but, also staff that we partner with throughout the year in ministry.

Some of you might be wondering what the national staff conference is and why we go. The national staff conference is a time when all the staff from all over the US as well as some international staff come together and connect. This provides a platform to connect the growing and spread out staff within our ministry under a common goal and strategy. The national team takes this opportunity to share ministry vision and future direction of the CCC ministry.

Our summer project assignment is Traverse City, MI. This will be our first summer project on staff and we are excited about working with students this summer. We will be discipling students and help them grow in the ability to share their faith. We will let you know more about the summer as it happens. This is the first step to what the Lord has planned for us this summer and we are looking forward to it.

New Zealand was incredible…from a personal and spiritual standpoint. We had a wonderful time together and seeing what God is doing in the land of the kiwi. We worked with the STINT team in Wellington, NZ. There are two campuses in Wellington. Victoria University and Massey University. We spent most of our time at Vic following up contacts from the Tune In campaign.

It was great to help support the STINT team and see the ministry at Vic take off as the team began to form LTG (life transformation groups) for the school year. Our group of students were in Wellington for 10 days and on campus for 5 days. During those five days we had 105 spiritual conversations (including conversations with students from 13 different countries), 53 gospel presentations and saw 4 students trust Christ.

We are so thrilled to have been able to go on this trip and know it will be one of many that we will have the opportunity to be a part of in the future. We look forward to the opportunity to go back to NZ in the future.

Check out the pictures from our trip at flickr.

As many of you know, we are headed to New Zealand for spring break. We are taking a group of about 8 students and 4 staff to Wellington, New Zealand to help the STINT team there start up the fall semester at a new university. Please pray for us as we Travel and work with the students there. We look forward to sharing more with you about what the Lord has done through our trip.