July Ministry Update!

Hello friends and supporters!

June has been a busy month full of selecting our leader team for the 2015-2016 school year, fundraising, and planning! Those are the three things I'll primarily be updating you on this month, but let me know by emailing me if you want to hear about anything else.

Fundraising 
I'm a historically bad fundraiser. I mean really bad. It's hard for me to ask people to support me in ministry. I feel like it makes things awkward. I don't want people to think I'm using them in any way, shape, or form. I don't like putting people on the spot. See how good at excuses I am? It's no wonder I haven't been great at asking people to partner with me in ministry as the apostle Paul so aptly did. But after many years of doing ministry 40+ hours a week, having a second job (sometimes a third) to help make ends meet, and saying "no" to the Spirit's urging me in this area, I've decided to get over myself and ask people to join in what God is doing in Focus.
I'll be completely transparent: I have raised $650 a month of a desired $1,500 a month budget. By the end of the summer I want to find ministry partners that can fill that $850 gap. The money that you give will go towards supporting a full-time campus missionary at Collin College, me. I'm proud of the work I do. Not that I'm a good or worthy person to do it, in fact I'm all kinds of broken and messed up, in need of redemption as much as the prostitute or the drug dealer. But I've given my life to this ministry, to these students, so that more may know Christ, the fellowship of his body of believers, and true life. I ask that you consider partnering with me if you don't already. If you or someone you know would like to know more or have any questions just email me at garrett@anyfocus.org for more info. We'll set up a time to talk in person or on the phone and go from there. Please prayerfully consider this, friends.

Leader Team Selection and Planning
This past month has been like one enormous game of pick-up basketball where you choose your team, except way more serious and difficult. Choosing leaders for the next school year is a daunting prospect for a number of reasons, but it all boils down to trusting the Spirit for discernment and wisdom. I've spent time with around 20 (!) male students (as Danielle has for our female students), getting to know them, asking about the next year, finding out where they're at, and determining whether they're ready to lead(serve) their peers in ministry. I've been delighted to see that many have heard the call and are answering it faithfully. It looks like we'll have around 16 male student leaders this next year at Collin Focus which is about twice as many as we had last year. I'm elated, overjoyed, excited, and hopeful for the next school year. We're simply reaping the harvest God has been working to create at Collin all these years and I'm so thankful for it. We'll have quite a few more female student leaders than last year as well, which is equally exciting. Not only this is so but at Preston Ridge (A Frisco-based sister campus to Collin Spring Creek), we will have a great student leader team as we continue to develop the now 2 year-old campus ministry. I'm pumped. We've also spent this month planning how to reach Collin students better, working on staff roles, and coming up with impactful ministry events and initiatives.

I'm excited about this next year, about what God is doing at Collin, Preston Ridge, other Focus campuses, and campuses across the nation. There's no more strategic mission field than the college campus and I'm so glad God has called me to it. Finally, I'd like for you to be praying about a few things if you'd be willing:
- Partnering with me in ministering to Collin and Preston Ridge
- Our leader team selection, and the possible leaders themselves
- Continued obedience to the Spirit's guidance
- For our campuses, that God would be moving in the hearts and minds of unreached students.

Thank you so much for your continued prayer an support. I am so thankful for you!

Yours on the campus,
Garrett