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Thursday, 01 September 2011

3... 2... 1... Kickoff!!!

Hello, friends!

I really don't know how I'm going to be able to fit two fellowships' worth of info into one blog every week. I may just have to start blogging more often. I may also switch to blogger for its ease of use. We'll keep you posted.

Yesterday was our ACF Kickoff! I was mighty excited for this week because as I see it, this week is the beginning of my official transition away from being ACF's main staff worker. Let the beginning of the end begin! =0).

It was a pretty chill night. Asha cooked something amazing, as always. I ran a few games to get everyone in the community minded mood, and Barbara gave our vision talk, talking about why the folk in the room should be a part of the ACF Family.

Straight up, Barbara killed it. She did such an amazing job speaking in front of the group and laying things out. I talked to her afterwards and she said, "there were times when I thought I was forgetting to say something, but then I would just say it!" Barb, we call that the work of the Holy Spirit. =0).

The best part of the night for me actually was seeing all the leaders in action. They were everywhere! I saw them having conversations with new folk, inviting to small groups, and generally making the atmosphere really warm and inviting. It was such a great feeling for me because I was able to see tangibly some of the good work that God has been doing in the leaders. It is a beautiful sight to behold when you see students that you have invested in get it.

A few prayer requests:
- Next week will be a big tabling campaign for BCM. Please pray that God will bring the right people by and that we will find more missional Christians on campus.
- Small Groups launch next week. Please pray that God will bless our Small Groups with good community and fellowship.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Thursday, 25 August 2011

Low Key Events and What I've Learned About the Black Community

Hello, friends!

Happy Thursday to you all. It's the first week of classes here at Mizzou, which means tons of cool things are going on right now. Students are trying to figure out their schedules, student groups are tabling, and all over campus there is a sense of something new. It's pretty cool.

It is just now starting to hit me that I am currently staffing two very different groups with different needs and different strengths. I think that I'm handling things well so far, but I can already feel the burden of knowing that I will not be able to make it to every ACF event like before. It pains my heart to not be in person for some of the great things that God will be doing in ACF this year, but there is also excitement about the seeing students step into ownership of the group. Good things are happening, my friends!

One of those good things is the introduction of our "low key" events this year. In previous years we have done tabling in front of the student center. We give away free stuff and try to attract Asian looking folk to our table. There have been some students who have caught on (Barbara joined because of tabling) but for the most part it has been an experience with low retention. This year, we decided instead to focus on personal invitation by holding a few "low key" events that our leaders could be inviting people they meet to. On Tuesday, Danny and Jordan had an ice cream social and today, Paula, Stephen, and Tim will be playing soccer out on Stankowski.

There are a few things I love about this idea. The first is that it creates a lot of ownership for the leaders. These are events that they are planning so of course they are invested. Second, it creates a great first impression. One of ACF's strengths is that it has a strong sense of community. Low Key events allow us to highlight that strength better than tabling. Third, these events are fun! We love to have fun, so why not share that with the world? =0).

As the ACF leaders have been working on the low key events, I've been hanging out in the Student Center, trying to meet black students and cast vision for BCM. When I first started with ACF I did this as well and I can see some differences already in how to approach the black student body as opposed to the Asian/Asian American population (A/AA). A few differences.

- The black community rolls in much larger groups. I saw groups of 10, 12, and even 15 black students, all hanging out and eating lunch together. This makes it much harder to insert myself into group conversation, especially since I am not black myself.
- Everyone in the black community knows everyone else. I have had a number of conversations that have been interrupted multiple times because students see folk they know. This happens in the A/AA community as well, but not to the extent that I saw this past week.
- Jewelry means everything and nothing at the same time. Most students I met had jewelry of some sort. Necklaces, rings, earrings, and such. It's all actually quite beautiful. One thing I've noticed though is that folk who are wearing crosses often times see it as more of a fashion statement than a profession of faith. I spoke to one student who was wearing a rosary around his neck. I asked him if he was Catholic and he said he used to be, but not anymore. He still believes in God, but he isn't actively following. This is not something you would see as much in the A/AA community.

So it's been a week! God has already moved in some powerful ways (check my post yesterday for more info on that one) and I'm looking forward to more of it. A few prayer requests:
- Pray for ACF's low key events as well as our Kickoff next Wednesday. Pray that all our preparations will be taken care of and that students will be blessed and interested in entering into community.
- Please pray for continued divine appointments with black students on campus. I've already met some wonderful students and am excited to meet more.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

Welcome to Mizzou BCM

Last year, God put on my heart that it was time to step back from some of my ACF responsibilities and work toward bringing the Gospel to the black community at Mizzou. From there, Mizzou BCM (Black Campus Ministries) was born.
With just about 7% of Mizzou’s student body identifying themselves as African American, most black students do not make their way into the Christian groups on campus. Mizzou BCM’s goal is tobe a real community of black students following the real Jesus in a real way. My hope is that Mizzou BCM will be a light to the black community just like ACF is to the Asian/Asian American community.
Already, I can see that God is moving in the black community and that there is a place for Mizzou BCM. I met a bunch of students who are part of the Gospel Choir here at Mizzou. I decided to see if they were missional the only way I know how: give them something delicious and unhealthy to eat. =0).
There were a lot of thoughts going through my head as the day went on. First I was encouraged because one of the students said she was going to be bringing a few of her friends! Then I got discouraged because pizza isn't as cheap as it used to be. Then I was encouraged again because when I got to the spot, one student was already there! Then the discouragement came back because it was 20 minutes after we were supposed to start and it was just 2 of us.
From there it was so great. My gathering student (Symonne) showed up with 3 friends and another 2 students joined us later. As we were munching on pizza I cast vision for what the group could be, the needs I see in the black community on campus, and how I thought we could bring about change. As I was talking, Symonne started crying and her friends Pierre and Edward got really excited, saying, "this is exactly what we were talking about earlier today!" From there we went into some holy roar prayer and decided to meet Thursday for some prayer walking.
Praise Jesus for the groundwork that He has already laid down for BCM. I am excited to partner with students as we depend on Jesus and see where He leads us.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam

Thursday, 18 August 2011

Let the New Year Begin...

Hello, friends!

First, a quick shoutout. I normally don't do personal notes on this blog, but tomorrow is my anniversary and I'm pretty excited about it. Meg and I have been dating for 364 days! Here's to (at least) 364 more! =0).

Ok, onward to business. This will be a relatively short post, but a significant one nonetheless. It is becoming painfully obvious to me now (quite literally) that the Evil One does not want me on campus planting a Black Campus Ministry. This week the plan was for me to start meeting students on campus; walking around and talking to whomever I could find. Instead, this week saw:
- A headache lasting 3 straight days (including today)
- An unusual bout with fear and anxiety as I stepped onto campus yesterday
- One conversation with a student who is part of the Church of Christ cult that has gained traction on campus recently.

I am not discouraged but I am very well aware of the fact that I am fighting a battle and I need all of your support. If Mizzou BCM is going to thrive (and I believe it is) then we need all hands on deck, praying for God to bring His glory to the black students on campus. Join me in prayer.

Mizzou BCM: A real community following the real Jesus in a real way.

Have an excellent day

~Adam

Friday, 12 August 2011

Springfield... Not Just Home of the Simpsons

Hello, friends!

I hope this blog post finds you well. Apologies for not posting last week. I was at a family reunion and blogging access was limited. =0).

First, a quick update on my preaching. Praise Jesus, everything that I have heard so far has been positive feedback from my sermon. It felt pretty good and all the hard work appears to have paid off. My prayer is that God will have spoken through me in a way that really resonates with the congregation and will stick with them. Unfortunately, there were some technical difficulties with the sound system, so there is no recording of my sermon. So sad!

The past few days I have been in Area Team meetings in beautiful Springfield, Missouri. Springfield is in the southwest corner of the state, 3.5 hours from Saint Louis, 3.5 hours from Columbia, and 2.5 hours from Kansas City. It is home to Missouri State University, Drury University (home of Bob Barker), Ozark Technical Community College, and Evangel University. This is one area of the state (among many) where there is not yet an InterVarsity presence. Our hope was to spend some time down there scouting out the land and seeing what God is already doing on campus.

Springfield is a fun little place. It is home of the Springfield Cardinals (I got to see them play!) and the world first/largest Bass Pro Shop (they have an alligator!). It's part of the bible belt and is home the the Assemblies of God headquarters.

We visited three schools, Drury, MSU, and OTC. In each case, we could see that God is doing already doing some amazing work and that there is definitely more harvest to be had. All we need are the workers to move down there and start harvesting.

On top of that, it was good to spend a few days with the staff team. We played games, had various competitions (boys vs. girls, usually), and were able to enjoy each others company. The people of Springfield are ridiculously hospitable which was a huge blessing.

I'm in Saint Louis for a few more days, taking care of a few things (including my anniversary!) before I head back to Columbia on Monday to get ready for the school year. Time certainly does fly doesn't it?

Have an excellent day!

~Adam