Our Summer Goal

This Summer, Aimee and I are meeting with current financial supporters, past special gift partners and prayer partners to reconnect and share about our support goal. We are also hoping to meet with new people to share with them about what God is doing here at the University of Missouri and the joy we get to play some small part in it.

We are hoping to raise $500/month in regular gifts.

Why are we raising this?

• Though our finances are fine, for my career in vocational ministry to be sustainable long-term, we need  to increase our financial support.
• To pursue seminary classes, the funds need to be there.
• To be more generous with our students
• As we begin thinking about having children, we want to be financially stable for Aimee to take some time off and for compensating for new expenses that would incur.
• Because we are trusting that God wants us to be fully-supported and this is the next step in pursuing that.

It's pretty bold and we are really trusting the Lord in this request. Please join us in prayer and if you are interested in setting up a gift, know that you are meeting a very tangible need. And thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Go over to my Giving Information page for help in getting started with a gift.

Many of you knew Sherri Bent from Hope Community Church. She went to be with the Lord on Thursday, with her husband Stephen and two children, Kainan and Navi'a mourning her loss. Please be in prayer for this family. Below is a link to the obituary page.

We know this world is not our home and that Sherri is with the Lord today. It's a time to celebrate that and yet our hearts and prayers as well need to be with the family who is mourning this time of separation until they meet again.

Obituary Page

Thanks,
Chris

Looking Ahead

Columbia is a ghost town once again. It's been nearly a week since the mass exodus of students from our town, since the last pen stroke of a test was given or the button of a keyboard pressed for the final paper due. It's a time to recollect, set myself before the Lord and look ahead at what's to come. Then, of course, there are the holidays. This week has been a little slower as I've met up with old friends and begun to lay out this break. Lots of things are going to be changing once January 1st hits and it's good to take a little time to brace for it and prepare myself for where God is taking me.

We've recently been having conversations about the future, finances and all that good stuff. Last summer, I quit my second job and pursued support raising once again in response to where God called me to trust in him. I was able to increase my hours at The Rock reasonably and with Aimee taking up her teaching job, we seemed set for the semester. That being the case, within the past couple of weeks, we've taken a look at what needs to happen next semester and have been laboring in prayer as to what to do. What direction is God taking me, vocationally? Where are my hours going to go? How can we begin to prepare for a family and a house, if that's where God is leading us? What will we be doing this summer?

So it seems that once again, it's time for me to increase my paid hours at The Rock. To do this, I will continue my journey building a team of financial supporters for GCM while lightening my load at The Rock. Honestly, it feels very daunting at times and I wonder if God will provide. It unleashes loads of fears and insecurities for me. It's an internal battle that resurfaces because, despite having nearly 40 regular financial partners, I begin to hear lies that no one cares about college ministry and certainly not for me.

Yet God's spirit comforts me and gives me and my wife a resolve that will carry us through. He shows that the heaviness I can feel about support raising is liken to the ever-uphill battle of bringing the Gospel to the University of Missouri students. He shows me that the lies I hear about people giving money parallel the ones about students giving serious consideration that Christ wants to save their soul and become king in their lives. God has called me to be a pastor and, more importantly, a servant of Christ Jesus. Each time I take a step back I see again with clarity the dire need for servants to be on this campus. I look ahead at the future of The Rock and see that God has called me to continue, to grow, to lead, to serve here until I might pastor a church of my own some day.

So if you are reading this, please labor with me in prayer for next semester. Specifically, be praying in these ways:

• That I might reach a monthly support goal of $1000 by May
• That Aimee and I would be united and trusting in the Lord's provision
• That I can continue to do ministry well at The Rock while being faithful to making trips for support raising.
• That God will expand the team in his timing and purpose.

I praise God for those of you who give, encourage and pray fervently for our ministry at Mizzou. Thank you for your support and God bless.

Chris

Prayer Bombing : Staff

This week, we are focusing our prayers on the staff and our efforts in preparing our hearts for the semester.


Mon, Aug 1: Staff will enter the semester connected to the Lord

Tues, Aug 2: Staff will enter the semester outreach-minded

Wed, Aug 3: Staff will use our time wisely

Thur, Aug 4: Staff will have wisdom in choosing whom to disciple

Fri, Aug 5: Our staff team would be united and humble

Sat, Aug 6: Senior staff – John, Garrett, and Ed

Sun, Aug 7: Young staff

Prayer Bombing : The Students

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

MATTHEW 9:36-38

I continue to ask that you would join us in our prayer bombing. The enemy would have us derailed before we begin. This week we pray for the souls of our students. Specifically, we are asking that the Lord would work in the hearts of those who already go to The Rock and those we are meant to encounter early on.


Mon, July 25: Returning students would enter the semester connected to the Lord

Tues, July 26: Returning students would enter the semester outreach-minded

Wed, July 27: We would meet freshmen who are seeking the Lord in some capacity

Thur, July 28: We would meet solid freshmen who connect with The Rock early on

Fri, July 29: Students would be wise with their time in the first couple months

Sat, July 30: Students will be praying and reading the Word in first couple months

Sun, July 31: Freshmen Leadership Group
This is our Tuesday night discussion group lead by John. It has been used as a great way for freshmen new to The Rock and Mizzou to meet each other and share with one another their experiences and challenges.

Thank you for laboring with me in prayer. We are earnestly expecting great life change.

Take care,
Chris

Prayer Bombing : Fall Outreach Events

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Ephesians 6:19

So often we get distracted by this world and lose sight of the battle that is going on for the souls of man. As Christians we can get written off easily as we are accused of putting the blinders up as we go through life. Sometimes we do need a reality check. There is more going on than meets the eye. We are in a war here and taking the sidelines is not an option we are given.

With that in mind, as a church we are recognizing the power of prayer as it relates to our battle in reaching the students at Mizzou for the kingdom. This is where I am grateful for you. I am imploring you to join us in a season of prayer leading up to the Fall Semester. Our pastor is calling it prayer bombing, reminding us of the battle taking place and the crucial role of prayer.

This week we are praying for our Fall Outreach Events. Each day, please join us in praying for a specific outreach event.

Mon, July 18 - Brady Survey Table

Our information table where students can give us contact info. This is an invaluable resource for us to meet new students.

Tues, July 19 - Canvas Group Follow up nights

We visit students who want to know more about The Rock and begin to build relationships started at the Brady Table.

Wed, July 20 - Rock Fall Concert

Another huge outreach event I am deeply involved in. This is a major chance to encounter hundreds of students.

Thur, July 21 - Pig Roast

Our first big gathering of the year, this is a main event we use to invite students to and sort of our welcome back party.

Fri, July 22 - Kick-off Rock

The first big worship service of the year.

Sat, July 23 - Kick-off canvas group

Our small groups meet for the first time.

Sun, July 24 - Posters, post-cards, football schedules, general advertising

We don't rely on these alone, but pray that God will use even the smallest things to introduce us to new students.

Each week I will post the prayer schedule. Thank you so much for joining me in prayer and for your support.

God bless,

Chris

Prayer Walks

My day began earlier than usual for a Wednesday. Typically, this is my one day during the work week that I don’t have to wake up at 5:30am. My habit has been to stay up late on Tuesday and wake up Wednesday just in time to shower and make a mad dash for The Rock Office Hours at 9:30am. Today, however, I was up and on campus by 7am for what has potential to become a new habit. But first, let me back up a bit.

Last Saturday, our Core Group was supposed to meet at Memorial Union at 9:30am. Again, it was a small miracle that I was getting up early and making my way to campus on a Saturday morning. I don’t sleep till noon or anything but to be out of the apartment that early is not something that usually happens.

Unfortunately, I found myself at an empty table. Somehow all four other guys completely forgot that we had scheduled Core Group just two days before. That was a small lesson in communication right there, but that wasn’t the major opportunity that came from this small disappointment.

Any other morning, I might have gone back to the apartment to hang out with Aimee. However, she was in St Charles the past weekend and I had nothing but time on my hands that morning. Also, I had the presence of mind to bring my bible with me that morning. So, in preparation for an upcoming Bible Survey class, I cracked it open and continued reading through Genesis. I read Genesis for an hour sitting there in that quiet student union with a tall cup of Starbucks coffee keeping me company.

As I read my heart was tugged to do something I rarely do – go on a prayer walk. The Lord pressed this on me as an opportunity to meet with him and to regain some perspective. Once I finished the coffee I decided to make a path for the Plaza dorms: Excellence, Responsibility, Discovery and Respect.

Along the way, I felt flooded with things to pray about.

I prayed that we would not be overwhelmed with the size of campus but seize the unique opportunity that such a high concentration of people in a square mile brings. 

• I prayed that Christ followers would be strengthened in their confidence and that they would be bold in sharing their faith.
• I prayed that the broken-hearted would be reached and that the Lord would draw them close as they found hope in the Gospel.
• I prayed that our church would be unified and devoted to bringing the kingdom of God to this campus.
• I prayed that our young men would step up and not waste their time in foolish talk but that they would pursue godliness and righteousness.

 

As I came upon the Plaza area, I had a powerful moment as the Lord really placed the students in this area on my heart. It wasn’t a “burden lifted off my shoulders” moment but rather God handing me that weight. I was reminded again that my heart should be burdened for these students and troubled that the kingdom is not represented very well there. He showed me the hope that we have seen and he showed me the fight that is ahead. My heart ached for students who did not know the Lord as I passed by areas that we’ve tried for outreach. I walked past our meeting place and He challenged me to dream and pray over the spiritual direction of the group from here through the end of the semester.

The rest of my walk was an encouragement as well. I’m toying with the idea of having these more consistently. As I said, I was up again early this morning. I was joined this morning by Travis this time, a student leader in our group, on another prayer walk. We took a similar path and I was encouraged once again by the way the Lord spoke to us along the way.

Laboring in prayer with students is something that brings my heart joy and this morning was no exception. As Travis spoke truth along our walk, I began to feel that the Lord wants me to pursue more of these moments. Not only was this another great start to the day but it was simultaneously a time of discipleship.

I think I could get used to prayer walks.