GIGapalooza

GIGs are the buzz around these parts. What's a GIG? I am oh-so-glad you asked.

A GIG is essentially a small group for folks who are curious about Jesus. We invite our curious friends to look at a story about Jesus from Scripture, we ask our questions in a safe environment, and we apply what we're discovering.

This past Sunday evening our second all MOmentum training was all about GIGs. We were challenged to set up a GIG with at least one friend within 48 hours.

Damion, one of my WUCF students, approached me after the group was dismissed. "I don't think I can do this," he said.

"Yes, you can, Damion. We're going to lead a GIG together and we're going to invite people together," I replied.

Pray that our friends on campus meet Jesus in a powerful way as they encounter him in Scripture.

future

The mystery man's name is Ben.

Are you a sucker for a good story? I sure am.

Once upon a time over six years ago Ben and I met when we were both InterVarsity interns in different regions. I harbored a crush for the duration of our 10-day intern trek, but only confessed as much to my journal. We said "hi" to each other at Urbana 06 and then he said "hi" again via facebook after I met one of his co-workers in July 2009. His Urbana 09 staff role landed him in a morning Bible study two rooms down from where I was teaching mine. We kept running into each other. Imagine that! Conversations grew longer and the rest, as we often say, is history.

Now that you have a bit of the scoop on our past I want to fill you on our future. After a year of making a long-distance relationship thrive we're ready to be in the same place and begin our life together. The first decision in that process involves whether we want to start that life in St. Louis or in Corvallis, Oregon where he's on staff at Oregon State University. We've got great ministry options in both locations, which makes the decision more challenging in some ways. While we haven't landed on anything solid yet, I am happy to report that the decision-making process has been a truly healthy and mostly peaceful one - considering my propensity for anxiety. I'll add that to the list of redemptive characteristics that continue to mark our relationship.

It was so fun to watch him gain the approval of my family and some dear friends when we spent time in Arizona in December. In particular my two nieces, who are remarkably good judges of character, were quite taken with him. Does convincing them that his thumb is detachable count as a form of bribery?

I find myself reveling in the goodness of this gift.

MOmentum

This semester our staff team has launched an area-wide evangelism training for students on our campuses across Missouri: MOmentum. Clever, right?

We've been growing in excitement for how God is going to use our times together to equip us all to grow as more effective witnesses on campus. Participation in MOmentum is by invitation only and given that Wash U Christian Fellowship is still in the early stages of a chapter plant I really struggled with whether or not I should even invite the students I connected with during the Fall to be a part of it. After some encouragement from my wise supervisor I invited 6 students to attend the first MOmentum gathering on January 23, in order to give them a taste of MOmentum. Much to my amazement 5 of them decided to attend and they loved it!

I'm still in the midst of follow-up conversations with them to determine who is ready to commit to MOmentum for the semester, but at least 3 of the 5 have told me that they want in.

Kale helped us learn new ways to point to Jesus without
using 'Christianese' words and phrases during our first MOmentum.

return

Greetings from St. Louis and a belated welcome to 2011! I've been back on campus at Wash U for the past two weeks and I must say that the spring semester is off to an exciting start.

After a wonderfully encouraging week at InterVarsity's National Staff Conference in early January, held in downtown St. Louis, I dove back into ministry on campus with a renewed sense that I have been called to love the university and to be a part of bringing renewal to its people, structures, and ideas. I've forgotten that far too easily in the past as I've faced challenges and found myself tempted to believe the lie that the soil at Wash U is simply too hard.

I'm done paying attention to lies.

I've spent more time in prayer for Wash U's students, faculty, and administration in the past two weeks than ever before and it's making all the difference. I walk on campus each day asking God to show me how I can join Him in what He's already doing on campus.

I kept hearing the phrase, "sowing in tears, reaping in laughter," as I was hanging out at Wash U last week. I couldn't remember the reference, but I was delighted to discover that it comes from Psalm 126.

I've spent a lot of time in the Psalms of Ascent over the past three years. I love that they are the songs of a journey, with all of the ups and downs that come with it. I've cried a lot of tears over Wash U during my time on staff here, but God is using this campus and its people to give me new reasons to sing. This is a beautiful thing and I am deeply grateful to the One who is allowing me to experience it.

Psalm 126

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with sounds of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

I feel like doing this a lot. Does anyone have a spare trampoline that I could borrow?