February Update

 Hello everyone! Can you believe it's already March? I sure can't. Time is passing by too quickly, I only have three months left of the apprenticeship!

That doesn't mean we are ramping down at all! Ministry has been thriving here in Dallas, and we are always grateful for the generous donations of all our supporters around the country to keep that going.

Staff Retreat

Because of a rise in Covid cases in January, the FOCUS staff was not able to go on our winter retreat. So, it was successfully moved to the second week in February! We stayed at a gorgeous campus in Bernett Texas. We were surrounded by nature and had all the amenities we needed to spend a week in fellowship and remind each other why and for Whom we are doing this ministry. We had five sessions where senior staff shared their wisdom of working in ministry for years and had discussion times to flesh out what the future could look like. We also spent time in meditation and prayer - my favorite part was when we were sent out to find a solitary place and pray for one hour and thirty minutes. It was the most invigorating part of my semester so far. For those of you who don't know, I struggle with a form of Seasonal Affective Disorder, which makes it hard for me to function in the wintertime. Something that this weakness has taught me every single year is that no season lasts forever and no season is ever wasted. Staff retreat was able to bring me out of my mental and spiritual fog to be reminded of the wonderful grace and love my Savior offers freely to me every single morning. Praise God He doesn't leave us where we are - He will always pick us back up in His perfect timing!

Showcase

Showcase 2022 was such a hit! For those of you who weren't aware, every year FOCUS puts on a giant show to raise support for our upcoming student leaders to attend a week-long leadership retreat called SICM (Student Institute of Campus Ministry). If you can recall, I attended SICM at the beginning of the year at Camp Eagle in Texas, but that was for a Covid adjustment. This year is back to normal, and students will be going to Bellingham Washington in May to stay with host families as they attend the conferences. We are busy at SMU and TWU Dallas selecting our future leaders to attend. Those selected were able to sell tickets for Showcase and even work there to fundraise for their trip. I absolutely loved attending Showcase this year - there were so many talented people that sang, danced, sold art, and even did improve comedy. It was a night I will never forget! (The picture is of all us SMU-ans who got dressed up and went to Showcase together!)

If you missed Showcase 2022 and would like to donate to the SICM fund and watch the show, visit this website: https://anyfocus.org/showcase/.

On-Campus Ministry

Ministry on the ground at SMU and TWU Dallas has been thriving in incredible ways this semester. There's something about the Springtime that really gets people pumped up for fellowship and service once again. We had our first Worship Night two weeks ago, which I planned, organized, and ran. I chose to focus on the Christian experience of 1) realizing our desperation and need for a Savior, 2) being healed by Jesus, and 3) letting our praise and thanksgiving overflow to Him. I think many students were blessed by this reminder of the gospel we believe. Cores (small groups) and FoJ's (one-on-one studies) are still going strong. My SMU Core is going through Galatians chapter by chapter, and at TWU Dallas, we just began a study in Colossians. Apprenticeship classes have been such a blessing to me and my fellow apprentices. I feel every time I read through the New Testament, I am realizing new things I haven't before, and my passion for the gospel is renewed. We will be starting a class on Body Stewardship next week as well!

Thanks and Student Testimony

Thank you once again for reading my ministry update! I cannot wait to send out another in April. God bless all of you!

Make sure to check out this month's student testimony from SMU's very own Anubhav T!





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