As the semester winds down, ministry and student hangouts tend to increase!
The closer students get to break, the more we have an opportunity to serve them. The past month we’ve held multiple events, attended sporting events, and served students on campus. Below are a few highlights.
Weekly Ministry Events
Every Monday throughout the school year we host ministry events off campus. This semester, we witnessed record numbers of students attend. During one event, we had 70+ students attend from 4 different high schools across the valley.
During our ministry nights we have a meal together, play games, and share the word with students. Each of these activities plays a significant role in impacting students and are done intentionally.
The goal for the meal is to spend some time with students at a table. It is not only about feeding them but sharing a conversation over dinner. Jesus often met with folks over food, and we seek to model that. The games are intended to lower inhibitions. So often, kids come to our events with walls up that make it difficult for the Gospel to be heard. Thus, the games help to lower their guard, make them feel a little bit more comfortable, and allow the word to be heard from leaders who just got done playing games with them. Finally, we have leaders who share the word with students at the end of the night for about 15 minutes. The goal is that what was shared would entice them to attend our other events that are more devoted to bible study.
Intimate Bible Study
For the students who attend the ministry nights mentioned above, we invite them to more intimate settings where we walk through the bible. This semester, we have been walking through the gospel of John. Many of the students we serve are unchurched. Watching their eyes light up is priceless as we discuss stories that many of us have heard hundreds of times. This past week we discussed the story of the women caught in adultery. During our bible study nights, we usually have students break out into groups so that they can share in groups of 4-5. After discussing the passage we watched a YouTube clip that brings the story to life. One of the students was mesmerized by Jesus’ refusal to condemn the women. The hope is that our students would come to know that Jesus defends us the way he defended the women caught in adultery.
Unfortunately, many of our students have warped views of Jesus and our bible studies help to overturn them.
Fall Break Recap
Lastly, fall break occurred during the month of October. We attended various events and had one on one time. Although working around our students’ schedule can be difficult, given their various commitments, holidays provide some increased time for us to meet with them. One of the events we attended was hosted by a partner organization and we had a blast! We played basketball, shot pool, and shared a meal together. During these types of events, UYE strategically uses our time to build relationships so that we can further our discipleship of students who desire to grow deeper with Jesus.
As winter camp approaches in December, we plan to take 50 students to a camp in Williams where they will be hearing about Jesus for the whole weekend. Pray for us as we prepare for camp, as it serves as a climax of much of ministry throughout the semester!
