A Committed Student Leader (CSL) is a student who steps up to the challenge of being a part of Student Life’s mission statement:

To see lost students turned into Christ-centered labourers through our movements on campus.

CSLs are one of the driving forces that keeps our movements going; they make disciples who make disciples. A CSL is committed to sharing their faith regularly and leading an Action Group (a group that meets for Bible study and sharing their faith on campus).

Next week we’ll be holding an event to say thank-you to those who have served as CSLs this year, and welcome those who are saying ‘yes’ to step up to this challenge for next year.

A CSL is both FAT and SIMPLE:

• Faithful
• Available
• Teachable
• Spirit Filled Life (understands and practices this).
• Initiative Evangelism: Takes the initiative to
  share their faith with people.
• Methods and Materials: Familiar with, and
  committed to our methods and materials.
• Purity in Relationships: Clearly maintains and
  promotes purity in all relationships.
• Leadership Potential: Demonstrates the desire
  and capacity to lead others.
• Enthusiasm: Demonstrates enthusiasm in taking
  on and holding the position of CSL.

Please pray especially for those who are planning to be CSLs next year, that they will rely on God’s strength to help them in these areas.

Please pray for those that I’ve seen come to know Christ this year: John, Dennis, Leon, Daryn, Nik, and Jack.

Being used by God to introduce someone to him is an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything! It’s such a privilege to be used by God in this way.

Pray that these guys will continue to grow in their faith, see God work in and through their lives and bring glory to him.

Please also pray for Jonathan and Meo. These two guys are both interested in what it means to know Christ, and I’ve been able to meet with them and talk about this (Jonathan especially is asking serious questions about what it would mean for him to accept Christ). Pray that God will work in their hearts to bring them to himself!

Pray that where God wills, I will be used by him to work in all of these guys’ lives.

Thanks for your prayers!

Pre-post Side Note: I was going to title this post something along the lines of “The True Cost of Meetings”, but then realised that wouldn’t do it justice. I then thought something like “Counting Blessings” might work, but it occurred to me that this could sound boring, meaning people wouldn’t read it…. alas, now you’re left with the title I ended up choosing…

There really is no catchy way to say this: At approximately 10am this morning, in the fast lane of the Southern Motorway into Auckland, carnage happened. The guy in the car in front of me slowed down suddenly, meaning I came to a screeching halt to avoid hitting him. Unfortunately, the guy behind me also came to a screeching halt, the halt part of that event provided by the rear of my car! …Subsequently causing my car to be pushed into the car in front.

Thankfully no one was seriously hurt… well, except for my poor car. Chances of survival: minimum (still waiting for the insurance assessor to call, but it doesn’t look good). The good news is that I don’t have to pay the excess on the insurance, because I’m not at fault.

Please pray for the three of us involved that there would be speedy recovery from any whiplash (I’m feeling it, so I’m sure they are too). Please also pray for the other two guys that they don’t get too stressed out by the ordeal! (Especially the guy who is legally at fault; thankfully he did have insurance though). Please also pray that if I have to find a new car, I can find the right one quickly! (I don’t know when I’m going to have time? How do I finish support raising without a car?)

Oh yes, that other thing. Both car accidents I’ve now been involved in were on the way to staff meetings… I knew staff meetings had hidden costs!

God is amazing! After meeting a guy to talk about my work with Student Life this morning, whom I neither knew personally nor was referred to, I’ve been given the opportunity to be interviewed by him on the radio this Saturday (I didn’t know he did a radio show when I met him)! I’ll be talking about my work with Student Life at 11:30am on Hamilton Community Radio (106.7FM, AM1206). Please pray that it goes well, and that God provides opportunities to get in contact with others who I can share the vision of this ministry with!

I’m trying to find around $1200/month to continue with Student Life/Campus Crusade, but I don’t have any contacts for people who would like to hear about/support my ministry. It appears that a door has been closed with regard to some contacts I had hoped would be of help, because I am moving to Auckland (they wanted to support local ministry). Please pray for God to show me who I should approach, and pray that I would see where he is working and pointing me to! Thank you.

It is with both excitement and (somewhat nervous) anticipation that I am pleased to tell you all that follows!

I’d like to begin with a “summary” of 2007. As I have taken the time over the last few weeks to seek God, there are two things he has taught me that stand out above all the rest.

The first thing — which may sound obvious, but I sense God has been saying to me directly in recent times — is that he wants me to trust in him more. Psalm 143:10 stands out to me, it says

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

My natural response is “Lord, I am already trusting in you as much as I know how.” He has responded, “Yes, I know. I’m going to teach you how to trust in me more, so that you can.” That is both a scary and exciting prospect!

Secondly, recent times have brought along many challenges, both in ministry and personally. Romans 8:24-28 is encouraging,

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Despite any difficult challenges that come along, I know that God uses all things for good, because of his purposes and salvation that he has called me to!

So, what of the future?

With these things in mind, I believe God is leading me away from Waikato University for 2008. I have been asked (and confirmed) to work in Auckland next year! This will be a significant change in many ways. My role will include 4 days a week doing campus work, and 1 day helping with IT in the national office. In this, I’m looking forward to working with Murray Johnson, a Canadian who is coming over specifically to help with IT.

With the change of location will come many challenges! Probably the hardest thing for me will be leaving behind my friends here in the Waikato, this is especially true of the staff team that I have been working with this year. I’ll also need to sort out living arrangements, a church, and all sorts of other details too! (I’m not sure of the exact date I will be moving, although it will likely be sometime in January).

Please pray for me during this time as I prepare for and begin to make this transition! I’ll post further updates on the move when relevant.

This week I was presented with a decision to make regarding the future. While I’m not going to say what that was yet, I’d ask that you pray God confirms the decision I have made, and that I’d have peace about it.

I should be able to tell you more about this in shortly over a week. Thanks for your prayers!

Tomorrow we have our Waikato Student Life staff retreat (it goes for three days). While I’m looking forward to having some fun, it’ll also be a time for evaluation of 2007, and planning for 2008. Please pray that it goes well, that we enjoy ourselves and that we don’t come back too tired!

Well, an update around here is long overdue, so here it is. Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Please pray for God’s direction in my life as I seek him for the future. I’d like to stay working with Student Life, but I need to raise a lot of financial support for that. (I know God can provide if he wills). Pray that God will provide, and that this summer will be both a time of refreshment in him, and a deepening of my relationship with him.