Coming in Hot!!

Hey everyone!! Hope you all are having a wonderful summer and staying safe. I remember back when I was in elementary school, I looked forward to the summer. Jumping into my swimming pool, spending the night at a friend's house, and going to San Antonio having a blast with the family. Those moments I still cherish today. Looking into this summer with a pandemic is very different, but some things are starting to go back to normal. Community pools are opening back up, people meeting outdoors to socialize and connect again, and coffee shops opened back up to dine in (thank you, Lord!).

How are you spending your summer this year? 
How does this summer look different from years past? 

Our ministry in the summer is different by continuing to do live streaming services and zoom breakout rooms. It can get pretty draining using technology every week and wishing for communal worship again. The summer is very important for our students to stay connected with God. With a pandemic or not, the summer for students can be very laid back and lazy. The staff continues to meet over the summer and plan events to help and serve our students to be equipped into the word of God in a different season. Here is what we came up with.

S.L.T (Summer Leadership Training):

Our staff and students over the past summers would travel to Seattle, Washington, for a campus ministry conference called S.I.C.M (Student Institute of Campus Ministry) to train our students the vision of discipleship on the college campuses. With COVID happening, our staff team came up with a three-day teaching session called S.L.T. We believe it's vital to continue equipping our students even without going to Washington. We had students signed up an in-person meeting at the church, and the rest signed up online. This was my small group I led and facilitated the conversations. I'm very proud and blown away at the end of S.L.T! God has given them a lot of wisdom.

Bible Boot Camp:

Another event we planned for our students to stay connected with God was Bible Boot camp. Like S.L.T, we offered some students to participate in person or online. Four of our staff members planned two weeks of Bible boot camp, but both weeks they studied different letters of the Bible. They worked super hard and did a fantastic job! The first week they read all of John's letters (John, 1,2,3 John, and Revelation). The second week our students read the wisdom literature (half of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes).

Staff Over the Summer:

Every summer for our staff, we split up into groups and read a book together and discuss it together. The book we are reading is called Pastors by William H. Willimon. We started reading this book because one of our staff members spoke to a director about what our role as pastors should look like. This book has given me insight behind the theology and practice of ordained ministry and the challenges of being a pastor. I am very grateful for my group just learning what their takeaways and thoughts are from the author.

Prayers(?): 

This is a crazy and confusing time with COVID still going around. I believe my role on this earth is to look out and help my neighbors. Even if we are miles away, I still consider you my neighbor in my heart. Please do not be afraid to reach out to me and ask for a prayer request or help. You may text or call me, and I will respond back to you. Stay safe, and God bless!