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The Lord has been doing a work in my heart, mind, and spirit these past two years in Boone, North Carolina. I have been blessed with a job at Samaritan’s Purse and have had the privilege of doing life with a beautiful community of men and women fervently seeking after the heart of God. This state of stability (following three years of constant travel and movement) has allowed me the opportunity to process things I had learned while overseas on the World Race and put into practice those very lessons while on U.S. soil. It has also allowed me time to truly pray into next steps, to dream with the Lord, and to delve into new creative outlets!
In the midst of praying, I was taken by surprise when asked to come on staff at my church as a College Pastor! What an honor to be invited into such a beautiful ministry with a team and church family I love! And as much as I cherish the thought of getting back into full-time ministry, I took ample time to pray into this decision for the sake of the students, the church, and for myself as well. It required the laying down of my plans, personal desires, and securities before the Lord, trusting Him to meet every need. And as I brought the decision to Him, I wholeheartedly believe He gave me His "yes".
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When I asked the Lord about His plan and His vision for calling me to the college ministry, I immediately heard the following:
"I want them to own their stories. I want them to:
Own their past without shame.
Own their present without burden.
Own their future/My plans without fear."
(Philippians 4:4-9)
These lessons are lifelong, but my hope is that these students would be equipped to own the stories that God has written for their lives, to recognize His presence in every moment (even the difficult and messy ones), and as they do, embrace the hope and peace in Christ Jesus that is available in every season. The exciting (and incredibly humbling) thing about this is that I also am very much growing in learning to own my story and walk with the Lord. What an honor to walk it together with my church body and these students!
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I moved to Boone, North Carolina just two months after returning home from the World Race when I accepted a wonderful job at Samaritan's Purse. I started attending Antioch Boone within two weeks of arriving and I have been blessed by an incredible community of believers who seek after the more of Jesus in themselves, in each other, and in Boone as a whole. As a church, we desire for people to encounter the presence and heart of God as individuals and within community, to build one another up through intentional fellowship and discipleship, and to equip the saints to live on mission wherever God leads. I would love to share a follow up newsletter going into greater detail about the church, but for now, here is a link to our website:
https://antiochchurchboone.org/
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I'm so excited to step into this new journey and begin sharing the love and hope of Jesus to the students of Appalachian State University! If you would like to partner with me, here are a few ways:
Prayer - I truly believe prayer is THE most effective and powerful ministry there is. Please pray for the upcoming school year, for the right connections to be made, for hearts to be open, and for a unified vision and boldness to carry it out.
Finances - In order to be fully present with the students and to actively engage in discipleship, evangelism, and the logistics of organizing events, weekly meetings, and overall facilitation, I will be working full time with Antioch Boone, requiring me to fundraise the majority of my salary. I would be so blessed by your partnership in finances!
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