I recently read Keith’s post about Causing Things to Happen, in which I was reminded about how God prompts us to pray for things that he wills to happen.

Last week, in our final week of campus for the year, I found myself with a spare hour to kill. Being that it was the last week on campus, I was pretty tired, and the last thing I wanted to do at that point was to go and do a “questionnaire about attitudes and beliefs” with someone (an approach we use on campus to get into spiritual conversations with people).

Still, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me that this is something I was meant to do. So I said, “God, I don’t want to do this right now, but since I feel it’s your will, please lead me to someone to talk to who’s ready to accept you.”

Sometimes when you start talking to someone, you just know that they’re ready to accept Christ. I started talking to a guy called Sefita, and the answers he gave to some of the questions I asked told me where he was at. I asked, “What do you think someone has to do to become a Christian?”, to which he said to me “You need to make a decision to accept Jesus into your heart.” He told me that he’d never done that though. I then asked “How would you rate your interest to know God in a personal way, out of 10?” He said “10″. We then talked through the Knowing God Personally Booklet, and when we got to the part about inviting Christ into your life, he invited Christ in!

Because of who God is, we can celebrate another brother coming into God’s kingdom! I’m grateful that God chose to use me in the way that he did!

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!

Student Life’s 20/20 Vision video is now available online:

A few weeks ago I met Tom on campus. Tom wasn’t 100% sure about the basis of his faith, so we spent some time talking about how one can be sure of their salvation. Tom and I decided to meet each week to look through the “Knowing Jesus Personally” magazine, to learn more about how to grow in a relationship with God.

Today Tom brought a friend Dennis along to our meeting. I hadn’t met Dennis before, so I didn’t know what he thought about God. I asked Dennis what he thought, and he said he wasn’t really sure. He told me how he was looking for something to help him get on the “right path” in life, someone to turn to in times of need. I asked him if he’d heard about how someone can know God in a personal way. He said no, but he’d be interested in finding out more.

Tom and I talked through the “Knowing God Personally” booklet (a basic gospel presentation) with Dennis. When we got to the point about how to invite Christ into your life, Dennis said that he had never asked Jesus in, but he wanted to! Dennis then prayed to ask Jesus into his life right there!

Events like this make my day! It’s great to see people receive Christ into their lives. It’s even more exciting to see people like Tom wanting to share with their friends! Had Tom not brought Dennis along, the chances of me meeting him would have been slim to none. Tom is still learning how to share about God with his friends, but the fact that he’s eager and taking steps to do so is encouraging!

This is what gets me out of bed in the morning! Please pray that Tom and Dennis would continue to grow in their relationships with God!

Tune In is one of the biggest opportunities we have each year to connect with lost students on campus! Through short questionnaires, we have a chance find students who are searching for something more in life, and talk with them about God. One of the questions asks, “Would you like to find out how tune into in to a personal relationship with God?” In Auckland, we’ve collected about 4,000 completed questionnaires, and have followed up the 2000 odd of those who answered “yes” or “maybe” to the above question!

Some of those people have prayed to receive Christ in their lives! Still others we’ve met are Christians already, and we challenge them to become multiplying disciples of Christ! One way in which we do this is through Action Groups, a chance not only to study God’s word and grow in faith through doing so, but also a time to learn how to share about God with others and put that into action!

Please pray both for those students who have received Christ into their lives, as well as those who we meet that already know Him; that they will continue to grow in their faith and become multiplying disciples; that is, making disciples who make disciples!

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.

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!