Highlights. The summertime leadership group of 9 students has gotten off to a great start. Here is a short video clip of the students singing worship songs in their native language. It was quite beautiful and reminded me of Rev 7:9. Here is a short video clip. Also, I was able to give a 30-minute presentation on how our national culture shapes us and strategies to know how/when to adjust. I must confess, I learned most of that from Intel.
The first order of business for our leadership team was how to start and do a Bible study with the international students from our 7 NorCal colleges. We decided to use the M28 model where each leader has a small group and doesn't necessarily 'teach' as much as facilitate the groups discovery of the passage for themselves. We do it this way to ensure when they return to their home country, and there are no churches or leaders to help them, they are comfortable and secure in going to the Word on their own. At our first meeting last week 19 students showed up and most of them were not Christians... yet :)
I am going through one of my favorite books, Spiritual Leadership, with one of the students who is rising to the top in our team.
Lowlights. The only real lowlight I can think of is I want to do so much more with the students and my driving limitation from my brain tumor holds me back. I wish I could be able to get more involved at all of our campuses.
Story 1 - Kris
Kris is the one I am going through Spiritual Leadership with and also the one in the video clip playing the Cajon. He is from North Africa and is a very kind, gentle and warm young Christian. He has the 'purity and simplicity of devotion to Christ' that I like so much described in 2 Cor 11:3. Right away, he has exerted a great influence on the leadership group to make the most of their time leading their small groups. Not only to make sure the Bible gets covered and discussed well but that they emphasize love and caring and prayer for each other in the group. He acts like he has done this before, and knows by experience, but I think it just comes from his heart and own relationship with the Lord. We meet every week 1/1 and I can already tell sharing and bonding with him will probably be the highlight of my entire summer.
Metrics
http://isiervthomas.weebly.com/metrics
http://www.ice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Document/2015/by-the-numbers.pdf
Pics
Prayer Requests
- For our leadership development over the summer. We have 13 faithful, humble Christian international students to pour into over the next 3 months. We really need God to show us what to pour into them. How to get them ready to minister next year, for sure, but also just to build them up in their own most holy faith.To use this opportunity just to bless them and help them become more godly men and women, in general. <<Praise. Ongoing request>>
- God would draw, and show us how to draw in more students for the summertime Bible study. That He would touch hearts and we would 'see' fruit and growth in both the students and the leaders.
- I will be teaching a 4-hour class on 'why' M28 is so important to teach the students, why it was created and how it is much more than a Bible study method. It is a DNA imprint for the students to maintain their walk with the Lord when they are all alone back home with no Christian support. Pray that I teach it well and completely.
- Reinstatement of our club charter so we can meet in a classroom once again. <<Still waiitng! :( Hopefully, by start of Fall semester>>
Admonition
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil" - Dietrich Bonhoeffer