Upcoming Developments

Welcome back, friends. Many of you got your first look at www.nolaxa.com last week, as I accidentally pointed you there with my newsletter email. Feel free to check that site on a regular basis if you like, or just check the headlines listed to the right. That'll help all you praying types to know how you might pray more specifically - thanks!

Some of you, then, already know that Chi Alpha in New Orleans has been chosen as the US Missions focus for The World Missions Summit next winter. This means there will be a targeted call for finances on a large scale, but more than that, a call for laborers - students to "give a year and pray about a lifetime" of service in the Great Commission with us here! Wow!

I'll keep you updated as that develops.

Also, we have a Campus Missionary in Training (CMiT) coming our way for next school year! We are excited to be a part of the Diversity Project internship, training the next generation of campus missionaries.

by the way, I'm getting ordained on Monday in Houma, LA at the Louisiana District Council. Some folks think that's a big deal, so I thought I'd let y'all know.

The Diversity Project

It wasn't long after I finally decided to truly be a Jesus follower, at 16, that I began to feel the 'call' to ministry. I didn't know what this would look like, only that I should go to Bible college and prepare to do some form of Christian ministry as my primary vocation. The 'call' took on a bit more shape as time progressed, and I found a definite direction during my first year at NCU. If you would have asked me what I was going to do, I would have told you that I was going to train missionaries. Of course, I realized that I should probably do some missionary work myself, first, and still didn't know what I would actually be doing...

Skipping ahead a few years: here Jen and I are as Chi Alpha missionaries to the campuses of New Orleans. We have been teaching and mentoring students to be ambassadors of the Good News on their campuses, but I sensed that there was more to the call to 'train missionaries'.

One of the most influential experiences for both Jen and I was the Campus Missionary in Training (CMiT) internship that we participated in the year after graduation (2002-3). At UL-Lafayette we learned much of the how of being a campus missionary, as well as growing in character and knowledge.

The CMiT program at UL has long been widely respected as one of the best Chi Alpha internships in the nation. On an average year there are about a dozen nationally approved, active internship programs. Louisiana decided to take what was great at UL and expand it to be even better state-wide.

Enter the Diversity Project.

With this program, CMiTs continue to receive the excellent teaching in theology, Bible interpretation, and much more, and are able to participate in their practical ministry experience and mentoring at different campuses around Louisiana. This is the first year of the project, and we have 9 interns total: 4 at UL-Lafayette, 1 at LSU, 1 at LA Tech, and 3 in New Orleans.

I have the great opportunity to oversee the theology and Bible interpretation classes (I love teaching, especially teaching about Jesus!). And, Jen and I are working with and mentoring three interns here: Marshal and Stephanie Pilgreen (recent LA Tech grads), and Laura Adkins (recent UL-Lafayette grad). They are learning and growing as missionaries, and also making a difference here in New Orleans.

I am blessed to see this opportunity to fulfill God's call on my life so early in life, and to have some extra help in reaching the university students in this amazing city.

This is the first ever Diversity Project class. Our New Orleans interns are on the right: Laura Adkins is in front, in red; Stephanie Pilgreen is next to her on the end, in pink, and her husband, Marshal, stands behind her.

Please pray for them, as they learn and grow, and minister to students, and trust God for their financial support.