This semester has been a flurry of activity, to say the least! The Lord has been SO good to provide some awesome ministry opportunities!
Perhaps the most exciting of these opportunities is what God is doing in the Tri Delta sorority on campus. As I have mentioned before, I have been partnering with Carly, a Junior from my discipleship group, in ministry there. It has been such a sweet joy to see Carly growing in her vision for giving her life away to those around her. She, along with five other Sophomores living in the house, have begun to meet together weekly to pray for their sorority. I encouraged them to make an "impossible list" of girls in their sorority who would be the least likely to ever become believers and pray for them by name. As they have begun to meet, pray, and ask God to use them to impact their sorority sisters, God has provided over and above what they ever asked for!
We have put together a book club for the girls living in the sorority house and 20 girls have signed up! That's one-third of the girls living in the house! The first book we're reading is Sex and the City Uncovered: Exposing the Emptiness and Healing the Hurt by Marian Jordan. The book does a wonderful job of revealing the broken nature of the "sex and the city" lifestyle: boys, alcohol, and partying. All of these things, while they may provide temporary excitement and satisfaction, ultimately come up empty. The author shows that the only true, lasting satisfaction is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He alone satisfies our deepest longings for love and acceptance, giving us lasting joy.
I am thrilled to be a part of this book club! Please pray that God will use it as a jumping-off point into more gospel conversations with girls in the house! Pray for boldness for me, Carly, and the other five believers as we try to reach out to these young women. I'm trying to spend as much time in the house as possible, going over to the house for lunch and just hanging out.
A scripture that has proven to be a huge challenge and encouragement to me as I have thought and prayed for Tri Delta has been Mark 2: 4-5:
"...And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'"
This story amazes me. The paralytic's friends were so desperate to get him to Jesus, they were willing to do anything. I can just see them standing outside of the crowded door, wondering what to do, and suddenly thinking, "well, let's just tear off the roof." Their faith that Jesus could heal the paralytic drove them to do whatever it took, even tear off the roof.
This passage hits me like a wrecking ball. I confess that so often my faith is not like that of the paralytic's friends. I am not willing to "tear off roofs" for people, so-to-speak. But God, by his grace, is changing my heart. I truly want these young sorority women to know Him. I'm praying that God will grow in me a heart that is willing to do whatever it takes to get people to Jesus. I want to be like the paralytic's friends!
Thank you so much for your partnership with me in ministry at the University of Georgia. God is truly using you to have amazing impact for His kingdom. To Him be the glory!
Love in Him,
Caitlin
Friday, February 18, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
fall semester in photos...
In Memphis over Labor Day weekend to visit Alisa, a girl I discipled last year. We're singing into Elvis's microphone!
My discipleship group getting ready for a home football game. Go Dawgs!
Me and Carly, a Tri Delta I partner with in ministry.
A group of us on our girls rafting trip!
A group of our student leader girls!
Out to eat with some of the freshmen girls I've met in the dorms!
Some of my discipleship group at the Campus Outreach tacky Christmas party!
All the girls at our tacky Christmas party!
These are just a few images of the girls you are influencing by your prayers and support of my ministry with Campus Outreach. Thank you so much for your partnership with me in the Gospel!
These are just a few images of the girls you are influencing by your prayers and support of my ministry with Campus Outreach. Thank you so much for your partnership with me in the Gospel!
Friday, November 5, 2010
it's november?! when did that happen???
Whew! I can't believe how quickly this semester is flying by!!
It has truly been a wonderful semester though. It has been such a joy to be a part of what God is doing at UGA. Here's a little update on what God has been doing in my personal ministry...
Evangelistically, the semester has been slow but steady. As I've mentioned before, I'm spending most of my time the the Tri Delta sorority house and in one of the freshman dorms. In both locations, it's the small victories that have brought much joy...a girl finally remembering my name, getting phone numbers, girls lingering to talk at lunch at the sorority house. In Tri Delta, please pray for these women who I'm getting to know: Kate, Holly, Elizabeth, Jordan, Mary Catherine, Ellen, and Caroline. As I continue to step out in faith and pray that the Lord will breach the awkwardness of going into a place where I don't really belong, he has continually provided. Please pray for opportunities to deepen these relationships and share the gospel to these young women!! I want for them to know Him!
I have continued to partner with a sophomore student named Brittany, going into the dorms and building relationships with freshmen. We've been having game nights with girls from a hall in the Creswell dorm all semester, and now God is providing more opportunities for us to hang out outside of the dorms (again, it's the small victories that are so wonderful!). Please pray for opportunities to unpack the gospel with Simone and Stephanie, two girls who I'd love to share with!
My discipleship group continues to be my favorite thing about being on staff. It has been so wonderful to invest in these young women and see them growing in their love for Jesus. My biggest prayer for them this semester has been that they would truly love God's Word. I've seen him answer this in increasing measure. As we have studied the book of Acts together, I've seen them really digging deep and letting the Word change their lives. On their own initiative, they have decided to memorize the book of Ephesians together! Quite an endeavor, I must say! They are excited about "hiding the Word in their hearts" (Psalm 119:11) and I am thrilled to get to do it with them!
In all of these things, I'm learning that the true measure of success in ministry is faithfulness. I could labor with Campus Outreach at UGA for the rest of my life and never see a single girl accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Is it still worth it? Absolutely. Hebrews 11 says that faith is the "assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". I am confident that my God is at work and I am praying that he will continue to grant me the fortitude to persevere and labor faithfully for him.
Thank you so very much for your constant prayers and support.
Love y'all!!
It has truly been a wonderful semester though. It has been such a joy to be a part of what God is doing at UGA. Here's a little update on what God has been doing in my personal ministry...
Evangelistically, the semester has been slow but steady. As I've mentioned before, I'm spending most of my time the the Tri Delta sorority house and in one of the freshman dorms. In both locations, it's the small victories that have brought much joy...a girl finally remembering my name, getting phone numbers, girls lingering to talk at lunch at the sorority house. In Tri Delta, please pray for these women who I'm getting to know: Kate, Holly, Elizabeth, Jordan, Mary Catherine, Ellen, and Caroline. As I continue to step out in faith and pray that the Lord will breach the awkwardness of going into a place where I don't really belong, he has continually provided. Please pray for opportunities to deepen these relationships and share the gospel to these young women!! I want for them to know Him!
I have continued to partner with a sophomore student named Brittany, going into the dorms and building relationships with freshmen. We've been having game nights with girls from a hall in the Creswell dorm all semester, and now God is providing more opportunities for us to hang out outside of the dorms (again, it's the small victories that are so wonderful!). Please pray for opportunities to unpack the gospel with Simone and Stephanie, two girls who I'd love to share with!
My discipleship group continues to be my favorite thing about being on staff. It has been so wonderful to invest in these young women and see them growing in their love for Jesus. My biggest prayer for them this semester has been that they would truly love God's Word. I've seen him answer this in increasing measure. As we have studied the book of Acts together, I've seen them really digging deep and letting the Word change their lives. On their own initiative, they have decided to memorize the book of Ephesians together! Quite an endeavor, I must say! They are excited about "hiding the Word in their hearts" (Psalm 119:11) and I am thrilled to get to do it with them!
In all of these things, I'm learning that the true measure of success in ministry is faithfulness. I could labor with Campus Outreach at UGA for the rest of my life and never see a single girl accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Is it still worth it? Absolutely. Hebrews 11 says that faith is the "assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". I am confident that my God is at work and I am praying that he will continue to grant me the fortitude to persevere and labor faithfully for him.
Thank you so very much for your constant prayers and support.
Love y'all!!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
one month down...
So I've officially been on campus five weeks now...I am loving it so far! Here's a little update on everything that's going on on campus:
Campus Outreach is in full-swing. We had our fourth large-group meeting this week and it went really well! We try to make our meetings as seeker-friendly as possible, creating an atmosphere that's comfortable for a non-christian to show up and investigate the claims of Christ. We want for students to feel safe, no matter where they are spiritually, to ask questions. We try to clearly present the gospel each week through a student testimony and a talk given by one of our staff men. We encourage our student leaders to use the meeting as an avenue for letting their unbelieving friends hear the gospel; using it as a jumping-off point for gospel conversations throughout the week in their classes, playing intramural sports, and getting together to study or watch their favorite TV shows. There have been lots of new faces at the first three meetings and we hope to see more!
My discipleship group is already proving to be such a joy! As I mentioned before, we're studying the book of Acts together and I'm loving it so far! In our first group together, I asked them what they hope their walk with Jesus will look like 5 years, 20 years, and 40 years from now. They all said that they want to become women who love God first and foremost, love his Word, pursue discipleship in their local churches and give their lives away to lost people around them. I challenged them to think about these last two years of college in light of laying a foundation for spiritual growth that will last the rest of their lives. I am so excited about the opportunity to invest in these women and help them lay that foundation!
God has provided some neat opportunities for evangelistic ministry. I've connected with two freshmen girls, Catherine and Elizabeth, who are believers and desire to reach out to the girls on their dorm hall. Over the past few weeks I've started to partner with them in this effort, organizing game nights for the hall, hanging out and meeting new girls in hopes that God will open up opportunities in these new relationships for me, Catherine, and Elizabeth to share the gospel.
I've also been able to spend a good bit of time in the Tri Delta sorority on campus. Carly and Caitlin, two of our Campus Outreach student leaders, have been inviting me to hang out in the sorority house for the purpose of building relationships and sharing the gospel.
In both of these ministry areas, I'm very much in a "plowing new territory" stage; sowing seeds and praying that God causes them to grow. Even if my timing for what I'd like to see him do isn't exactly what happens, I still trust that He is at work. I must simply be faithful to what he calls me to.
Many, many thanks for your prayers and support!!
Campus Outreach is in full-swing. We had our fourth large-group meeting this week and it went really well! We try to make our meetings as seeker-friendly as possible, creating an atmosphere that's comfortable for a non-christian to show up and investigate the claims of Christ. We want for students to feel safe, no matter where they are spiritually, to ask questions. We try to clearly present the gospel each week through a student testimony and a talk given by one of our staff men. We encourage our student leaders to use the meeting as an avenue for letting their unbelieving friends hear the gospel; using it as a jumping-off point for gospel conversations throughout the week in their classes, playing intramural sports, and getting together to study or watch their favorite TV shows. There have been lots of new faces at the first three meetings and we hope to see more!
My discipleship group is already proving to be such a joy! As I mentioned before, we're studying the book of Acts together and I'm loving it so far! In our first group together, I asked them what they hope their walk with Jesus will look like 5 years, 20 years, and 40 years from now. They all said that they want to become women who love God first and foremost, love his Word, pursue discipleship in their local churches and give their lives away to lost people around them. I challenged them to think about these last two years of college in light of laying a foundation for spiritual growth that will last the rest of their lives. I am so excited about the opportunity to invest in these women and help them lay that foundation!
God has provided some neat opportunities for evangelistic ministry. I've connected with two freshmen girls, Catherine and Elizabeth, who are believers and desire to reach out to the girls on their dorm hall. Over the past few weeks I've started to partner with them in this effort, organizing game nights for the hall, hanging out and meeting new girls in hopes that God will open up opportunities in these new relationships for me, Catherine, and Elizabeth to share the gospel.
I've also been able to spend a good bit of time in the Tri Delta sorority on campus. Carly and Caitlin, two of our Campus Outreach student leaders, have been inviting me to hang out in the sorority house for the purpose of building relationships and sharing the gospel.
In both of these ministry areas, I'm very much in a "plowing new territory" stage; sowing seeds and praying that God causes them to grow. Even if my timing for what I'd like to see him do isn't exactly what happens, I still trust that He is at work. I must simply be faithful to what he calls me to.
Many, many thanks for your prayers and support!!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Salvation in South Africa!!
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
Last summer I spent seven weeks in Johannesburg, South Africa with a team of 17 staff and students from Campus OutreachAtlanta. We spent each day in the dorms at the University of Johannesburg Kingsway campus, partnering with the South African staff and students there, sharing our faith and helping non-Christian students investigate Christ. One of the primary girls I invested in while I was there was a first-year student named Beaulah. Beaulah came to all the Bible studies we organized and seemed interested in the gospel but was not ready to surrender her life to Christ. I left Beaulah at the end of my time there praying that the seed of the gospel would take root in her heart and would move her to investigate further.
So a year has passed and a new team from CO Atlanta was over in Johannesburg this summer. They met Beaulah and were able to "water", so to speak, the seed that I had planted. And, praise God, He has caused the seed to grow!! Beaulah sent me an e-mail last week saying that the team this year reinforced a lot of what I told her last year. The gospel began to really make sense to her and she decided to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior! God truly has caused the growth!! To Him be the glory!
(Photo: Beaulah, pictured right)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
And so it begins...
So I'm going to try my hand at blogging as a fun new way to keep everyone updated on what's going on with Campus Outreach at UGA!
School is back in full swing in Athens. The town is buzzing with students jogging through campus, sundress-clad sorority girls participating in rush, outrageous lines at Target, and cops EVERYWHERE trying to pull over lost students who don't yet know the speed limits around town. While I miss the easy-going summertime feel of Athens, I'm thrilled to dive into student life and ministry on campus. Here's a peak into what my life will look like this semester:
My top ministry priority this year will be my discipleship group. I will be leading a group of four junior girls: Carly, Katie, Kirsten, and Allison. I am beyond excited about this!! Three of the four became Christians through Campus Outreach as freshmen and now they have become some of our most committed student leaders. I have loved seeing the Lord work in and through these girls over the past two years and I am pumped about getting to work more closely with them this year. We will be studying the book of Acts together this semester. I am anxious to see what God will teach us as we read about the establishment of the early church. Please pray that God's Word would continue to change me and these four girls from the inside out.
Our philosophy of ministry in Campus Outreach draws heavily from Paul's commission to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2 where Paul says, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men (or women, in my case) who will also be qualified to teach others." This is, in a nutshell, what I will be doing with my discipleship group this year: diving into scripture and trying to impart to them the things I have learned, in hope that God will mold them into life-long laborers for His Kingdom!
One of the girls in my group, Carly, is in the Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delt) sorority on campus and has a huge heart for sharing Christ with her sorority sisters. She's on the exec board for Tri Delt which means that she gets to live in the house. Hopefully I will be able to spend a lot of time in Tri Delt helping Carly share her faith and minister to the sophomore girls who live there.
I'll also be partnering with two sophomore girls, Katie and Brittany, going into the dorms, building relationships with girls, and sharing our faith. Both of these girls had someone reach out to them in the dorms last year and it made all the difference in their spiritual growth...Katie became a Christian and Brittany was challenged to live with a missional mindset. I'm praying that God will direct us to some freshmen who are hungry to hear the gospel!
As always, thank you so very much for your partnership both financially and in prayer. God is using you more that you know and I am truly grateful!
Laboring Expectantly,
Caitlin
School is back in full swing in Athens. The town is buzzing with students jogging through campus, sundress-clad sorority girls participating in rush, outrageous lines at Target, and cops EVERYWHERE trying to pull over lost students who don't yet know the speed limits around town. While I miss the easy-going summertime feel of Athens, I'm thrilled to dive into student life and ministry on campus. Here's a peak into what my life will look like this semester:
My top ministry priority this year will be my discipleship group. I will be leading a group of four junior girls: Carly, Katie, Kirsten, and Allison. I am beyond excited about this!! Three of the four became Christians through Campus Outreach as freshmen and now they have become some of our most committed student leaders. I have loved seeing the Lord work in and through these girls over the past two years and I am pumped about getting to work more closely with them this year. We will be studying the book of Acts together this semester. I am anxious to see what God will teach us as we read about the establishment of the early church. Please pray that God's Word would continue to change me and these four girls from the inside out.
Our philosophy of ministry in Campus Outreach draws heavily from Paul's commission to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2 where Paul says, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men (or women, in my case) who will also be qualified to teach others." This is, in a nutshell, what I will be doing with my discipleship group this year: diving into scripture and trying to impart to them the things I have learned, in hope that God will mold them into life-long laborers for His Kingdom!
One of the girls in my group, Carly, is in the Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delt) sorority on campus and has a huge heart for sharing Christ with her sorority sisters. She's on the exec board for Tri Delt which means that she gets to live in the house. Hopefully I will be able to spend a lot of time in Tri Delt helping Carly share her faith and minister to the sophomore girls who live there.
I'll also be partnering with two sophomore girls, Katie and Brittany, going into the dorms, building relationships with girls, and sharing our faith. Both of these girls had someone reach out to them in the dorms last year and it made all the difference in their spiritual growth...Katie became a Christian and Brittany was challenged to live with a missional mindset. I'm praying that God will direct us to some freshmen who are hungry to hear the gospel!
As always, thank you so very much for your partnership both financially and in prayer. God is using you more that you know and I am truly grateful!
Laboring Expectantly,
Caitlin
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.
Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.
Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)