August Blog (part 1)

 

And So The Adventure Begins!

 

Hello everyone! 

 

This is my very first blog entry for my time as a FOCUS apprentice. It will go out to all who are supporting me, and whose investments - whether through prayers or finances - have allowed me to embark on this journey. I’m so excited to tell you about what God has already been doing, and about what I’m excited for in the future!

One of the first things we did was the licensing ceremony on August 1st. (If you were not able to catch it, you can watch a recording here: https://fb.watch/7epIfqzoqT/.) I found this ceremony to be very meaningful. I knew what I was getting myself into - ten months chock full of learning, growing, and ministering to others - but it’s one thing to jump into something with a general sense of direction and purpose, and it’s another to set intentions and goals and commit to them in front of a congregation. Not only did I make a commitment to the students I will be ministering to, but I also made a commitment to the people I will be learning from and to the donors that are supporting me, that I will make the most of my time here learning and developing skills that will help me to love people better and grow the Kingdom. 
 

The day after the ceremony, my fellow apprentices and I set off on our first staff retreat with the entire FOCUS staff. This was a wonderful time to get out of routine, get to know each other better, and set our intentions for the upcoming school year. We were challenged to focus on a specific scripture during the week: Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” We discussed what it means to surrender our entire lives to Christ and how that impacts our ministry. During one of our worship sessions, we were singing “This is Amazing Grace”, which has a line in it that says “This is amazing grace, that you would take my place, that you would bear my cross. You laid down your life, that I would be set free…” and I was reminded that I can do everything in my power to die to myself, but that is a purposeless action if Christ had not done it first, for me. How amazing is it that we serve a Creator that went before us and does not call us into an impossible mission that He hasn’t already won! 

 

Yesterday we had our very first day of apprenticeship classes. I am looking forward to these classes very much: to explore and learn about my faith deeper than I ever have before, and for my own application rather than just a grade! Each day, I will leave the classroom and immediately begin applying the things I am learning to my ministry - what a unique opportunity! We will be learning from audio lectures given by professors at Regent College, a school of theology in Canada, as well as in-person lectures by staff members at FOCUS. I’m excited to give updates about what I am learning in these classes and how I am applying them on a day-to-day basis. 

 

Tomorrow I will be leaving for SICM (Student Institute of Campus Ministry) - a week of ministry classes, fellowship, and fun at a campus called Camp Eagle near San Antonio - with FOCUS staff, apprentices, and students. We will be there from Sunday to Friday, and I would greatly appreciate prayers for safe travels, deep connections, fellowship with the Spirit, and a fun time. Keep an eye out for my next blog to see how this week went! 

 

God Bless,

 

Ashlyn 

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