Filed under: Jubilee Club at TA, Jubilee Conference, Ministry | Tags: Jubilee Conference
Hey Everyone, This is a big weekend coming up. The Jubilee Conference in Pittsburgh will take place with 2,000 college students. This conference gets better every year, so I am very excited. I am excited to learn more myself about our Christian world and life view, but more importantly, I am thrilled for my students to as well.
We are leaving tomorrow at 1pm from Temple Ambler to Downtown Pittsburgh. Pray for our safety and for great relationships between our students. Also pray that the Gospel will drive our students to see their lives as part of the God’s plan of redemption and people of peace. Thank you so much for all you have given to Hesed and I to do this work, and pray for the Spirit of God to work mightly.
As many of you know, Hesed and I have been using a special espresso machine for our ministry this past semester. It has been a tremendous success using hospitality and specialty coffee to encourage conversation and community. It also has served Hesed and I well for fundraising for our college ministry’s trip to Jubilee.
To continue this ministry, we need to raise $1500 for the machine, supplies, and some further training to develop this ministry. Hesed and I prayed about approaching our supporters and prayers about this especially during the current economic environment. I approached one supporter to ask for advice. He was so enthused by the potential for ministry that he is putting up a matching gift for what I raise. So please consider a quick extra contribution because a gift of $50 is really $100 in tryin to help us reach the goal. Pray for us and this new adventure.
The model we currently use
As we all know, our world is crazy about coffee. Someone just told me that if you vote on Tuesday, you get a free Starbucks coffee. While this is big news, what is also big news is how coffee is transforming our ministry.
This summer while we were at OCBP, my friend handed off an espresso machine that he had been using for a couple of years in his ministry. Since then, I have seen how coffee does bring people together. I currently have it set up in my office for use at the church. Often I used to go out to Starbucks or another type of coffee shop to meet with students and friends. Now I invite people into the office and make them something special. But the biggest difference has been the feel of inviting people there to serve them. Also, Hesed and I used the machine to serve students at Temple Ambler with free lattes for the first game of the World Series. (Phillies won by the way!) Students reactions were funny, asking me if Temple hired me for the night. “Nope, I am just part of this ministry here at Temple Ambler and we want to serve and love students.”
Hospitality is one of the forgotten aspects of ministry, but the Lord is teaching Hesed and I about real service with food and even coffee. When we serve with food, people are struck by that kindness and service. I truly believe that hospiality is the key to reaching the next generation. Coffee, in that key, brings people together. Good coffee, made through good beans and teaching people how good specialty coffee can be, communicates care, relationship, and even love.
Pray for this new addition to the ministry. To keep this machine for ministry in both the church and campus, we would have to purchase and pay a balance for it. As we go forward, pray also that the movement of hospitality would continue in our ministry.
(For excellent beans check out Chestnut Hill Coffee Company, where I get ones for the machine.)
Filed under: Uncategorized
In early August, Hesed and I were delighted to teach at the CCO’s Ocean City Beach Project. The OCBP is a leadership and discipleship program in Ocean City, NJ for 2 months. Students from all over the CCO area come to live in a beach house and retreat center with CCO staff and have speakers on various topics.
Hesed and I were the last speakers of the Summer. They had us down for “Strategic Planning,” and those of you who know my organizational skills will laugh. We prayed about the topic and decided to reframe that topic to be Strategic Living. In campus ministry, there are an infinite amount of unknowns every year and every day. Often being ready for campus ministry is being spiritually prepared for whatever comes up. Also, we truly believe that successful college ministry cannot be judged in 2-4 years, but 10-20 years. Do the students walk with Christ in their 30′s or 50′s? That is the question for us and that is how we minister on campus.
What are the things that students need? During our 2 class times on Tuesday and Thursday from 7pm-10pm, Hesed and I decided to teach on the means of grace along with discipleship and apologetics. Tuesday, Hesed taught on the original idea of Discipleship in Jesus’ time, and I taught some presuppositional apologetics, what I like to call ’Apologetics of the Heart’. Thursday, Hesed taught on Word and Prayer, and I taught on Sacraments and Church.
Not only did the students respond positively to our teaching, but also we were renewed in the power of the truth of God’s word. Please pray that as we enter a new school year that our priority would be on these wonderful truths because the power is in Christ by the Spirit, and not in our planning, personalities, or performance. Praise God for his mercy and grace!
Filed under: Ministry
Greetings, Everyone!
Welcome to our new Blog! This will be a home base for us in terms of writing about our ministry at Temple Ambler through New Life Presbyterian Church.
Stay tuned for ministry updates and prayer requests!
