There's been so much that has happened since I last updated you at the beginning of October; what a crazy, fast-paced month it's been! I'll get right to it. I want to start by talking about two large events we had this month: the 20 Year Focus Celebration and the Leadership Conference. The 20 year celebration was such a great event. We invited all the people who have had anything to do with Focus over the past 20 years and spent a night catching up, worshiping, telling stories, and enjoying the community that God has gathered for the purpose of reaching the college campuses of DFW. It was a blessing to get to catch up with old friends and see faces that have shaped my upbringing in Christ over the past decade. As I sat looking at all the people who came I was reminded of how faithful God has been and how much he can do with even a small amount of faith. He is so good!
The next big event we had was the Leadership Conference. This conference was about raising up leaders and teaching them what the internal life of a leader looks like. There was art shared by students that uniquely brought to life the heart of a leader, as well as numerous people sharing what God has taught them in their roles as leaders within the various communities they serve. It's especially cool to see how many of the people who attended were Focus students who will have such a huge impact on the churches they attend in the future. My vision for Focus students is that they will not only go on to lead Godly lives but that they will become servant leaders who are pillars of the communities of which they become a part. I think this conference points them in exactly that direction.October has been a hectic month. I taught a three-week class that was on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so I haven't had a free weekend for a month. Combined with the typical demands of life and ministry, this month promised to be an exhausting one that put me out of commission for a while. Praise God that it did not. Throughout this month I have taken small, but valuable, little times to myself where I could talk with God and enjoy his rest. Learning this necessity has changed the way I relate to busy schedules and heavy workloads. I know the demands of your life may call you into similar circumstances, and I want to encourage you to rest well, regardless of what comes your way. I wrote an article a while back about what God has taught me regarding rest. I'm still learning but the truths I've learned still have great affect on my life and ministry. If you'd like to read it I'd love to hear your thoughts! You can find it here:
http://anyfocus.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Rest.pdf
Until we talk again, I'd appreciate your prayers as we move into November and towards the end of the school year. There's much to be done, and many people to share Jesus with but the horizon is full of hope because we serve a good God who desires for all to come to know him intimately! Thank you for making campus ministry possible, and thank you for partnering with me in this pursuit.
Yours in Christ,
Garrett
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