Ministry team retreat

This summer, I didn't spend a lot of time blogging about my blessings. OK, correction — I didn't spend ANY time blogging about my blessings. I did write some of them down, but never got around to blogging about them. While I want to start the 1000 Gifts challenge again, this isn't the blog post for that ... it's about one big blessing.

Meet the Kennesaw State RUF ministry team! (a couple weren't able to
attend the retreat, but this is most of them)

This past weekend was one big blessing: RUF at KSU held its first ministry team retreat! I cannot begin to express how encouraged, blessed, and humbled I was to be part of this. During his second year at KSU, Chris had a student leadership team, but the group graduated and he hasn't had one since then. The Lord has answered the prayers for a ministry team again! After being part of RUF at MSU for four years, and then working with RUF at MTSU for a year, I didn't realize how I took the ministry team for granted. The one at State was huge, we met weekly, and we got a lot accomplished. It was a vital, necessary part of RUF due to the sheer size of our group (over 300 people). The one at MTSU was smaller, we didn't meet weekly, and the students were getting the hang of taking charge and being responsible for the ministry.

When I first moved to Kennesaw, I remember being surprised when Chris told me we didn't have a ministry team. He was hopeful about starting one, but wasn't sure when that would happen. We wanted student leaders, and we prayed for dedicated and eager students. Several months into the semester, it became obvious that God had given us a committed"core" group of students — and suddenly the idea of a ministry team at KSU didn't seem like such a crazy, far off idea.

Hanging up hammocks — we camped on Friday night.

Chris held interest meetings during the spring semester, and we now have eight guys and seven girls on RUF's ministry team. We went on a retreat for 24 hours this past weekend, where we sang, worshipped, learned about RUF and leadership, and planned/discussed what we want to accomplish this year.

Chris illustrating a point with a diagram. (Points to the intern/RUF staff
 who can name what this is!)

It is such an incredible joy to see students owning the ministry and taking charge. I'm so grateful for how the Lord has provided these students and for their desire to serve. Praise God for His faithfulness and provision, and join me in praying for our team as they seek to invite, encourage, and reach the campus this year.

Worshipping with songs