My friends & team!
January was a wild month! Well, January is typically always a wild month in campus ministry. The ups, downs, back-to-back events (staff retreat & winter retreat), students returning, and re-adjusting from Christmas break can all potentially overwhelm, but, God has been good in preparing us for what is going to be an awesome Spring semester!
In some ways, as a college pastor, I feel as if I never quite left college. Hah! Spending the majority of my time with college students is a blessing and reminds me of how unique & special of a season of life it is to be graduated from high school and pondering the interpersonal, cultural, and spiritual questions of life!
Jesus met me in college in a fresh way that invited me to consider what my faith can look like in the context of community & a shared life among one another (my fellow students/classmates). It was revolutionary and forced me to step out of my individualistic & self-focused methods of expressing my faith.
Even as a 35-year-old, married, father of one - I am still learning how to express my faith in the context of community. I am still reminding myself that our faith - is just as much about us as it is about me.
Even though I am feeling more & more "out of touch" with the trends & phrases & lingo of young people today, I am still very much convinced that our lives are to be shared with one another. As a college pastor, the most important job I have is to show up (regardless of how uncomfortable it may make me feel, at times - which, says as much about me as it does about them!). As a parent, we are invited to show up. As a friend, we are invited to show up.
I say this as a helpful reminder because, truly - college ministry is not much different from any type of ministry. College students are a demographic that are asking particular questions related to their specific place in time. Based on that definition, does that not also describe every one who has ever lived? :) And what is it that they need? I believe the answer is: men & women willing to show up - to love them. To love them in the midst of their weakness (and ours!) and point to Christ! Daily & forevermore.
Thank you for your support and for continually believing in me! I truly love each of you. Let's have a great February :)
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| Baby Anaya has turned 6-months! We feel so blessed & filled with joy to have her in our lives. What a gift life is! |
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| Our Wednesday Night FOCUS meetings have been awesome! We are working out way through 1 Corinthians and the students have been deeply moved & intrigued by Paul and his message to the church in Corinth! |
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| Another picture of our Wednesday night FOCUS meeting! |
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| I've had the fun privilege of leading a group called, "Exploring My Strange Bible" - each week, we meet and read a chapter of scripture. Last semester we read through Mark and this semester we are reading through the book of 1 Corinthians! |
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| Arnold, one of our student leaders, sharing about how Winter Retreat impacted & shaped his heart! |
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| Winter Retreat was a blast :) What a gift to get to spend a holiday weekend with students across our campuses :) |
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| We had a great time during praise & worship with our gospel choir! Our students loved it and were deeply moved. Lailah (one of our staff at UT Dallas) did an awesome job leading it! |
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| Our FOCUS staff retreats have been a blessing! During the first week of January, our staff got together to prepare for the semester & winter retreat. I feel blessed to serve with such an awesome group of ministers! |
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| A nice candid shot of our student leaders! |
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| My two main men: Yoni (in blue) and Bernard (in the back)! These guys have been consistent and reliable week. They have committed themselves to continual growth and participating in our shared life with one another each week! |
Thank you for your support & for believing in our mission :)
I'm honored to get to walk alongside you on our campuses as we reach & love students together.
Thank you!
Your brother,
Sirak
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