TabbysTab

Keeping Tabs Jan2012

2012-01-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

RADIATE.2011—Be Free

Every New Year, I have the wonderful opportunity to worship into the New Year with hundreds of students from the mid-atlantic region. This year 937 students from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey gathered in the Baltimore Inner Harbor to develop their relationships with Jesus through fellowship, training, worship and prayer.

Pastor Jackson Crum, Claude Hickman and Roger Hershey all spoke on the topic “be free”. In and through their teaching, felt God challenge me to give a detailed testimony, known as a “soul to soul”, to the women involved at Kean Cru. Little did I know this time, which included my sister, developed a greater feeling of freedom within the women to be open and honest about where God has convicted them of sin. Since that night, I’ve been able to privately meet with several of these women and encourage them, as Paul did in Ephesians 5:8, to walk as children of light.

One of the great things about conferences like these is that I am able to reunite with the students I worked with this past summer at Hampton Beach, NH Summer Project. It was really encouraging to see the women from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia & North Carolina persevering and “running the race.”

Prayer Requests:
Students are returning to full class and work schedules. Please pray they are able to prioritize their time so that they are honoring God in it all. (You can read about their planning time at Tecumseh in my last blog)

Kean’s Spring Break is different from the rest of the state. Typically we (Jersey Metro) have a missions trip this week. Please pray that I will be able to plan according to God’s will.

Trusting God with my finances and time can be difficult when in full-time ministry. Please pray that I apply wisdom to do so as I plan my schedule.

Jersey Metro Planning Summit - Tecumseh 2012

2012-01-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

This Friday is the Jersey Metro Planning Retreat at Tecumseh!

This is where we make plans for the semester! :)

Tecumseh Planning Retreat:
Students just returned from winter break, classes have started and they're barely back on their feet. It's times like this when we need the body of Christ the most and where we need to realign ourselves to the mission God has called us to and refocus our vision and plans. We’re getting away for a weekend of prayer, training, planning and connecting with others. Pray for us as our students come and readjust their focus as we realign ourselves to the vision of our ministry as a state.

When: This Friday, January 27-28th, 2012.

Check out this email I created to inform our students.

- Jersey Metro Staff Team

Jersey Metro Mission:

"By all possible means, let us advance God's kingdom by making Christ fully known on every campus, influencing the state and ultimately the world."

RADIATE2011 - Be Free

2012-01-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

I just returned from Cru's 4-day winter conference, RADIATE. This year the theme was "Be Free" and 1000 students were able to hear from special guests like Pastor Jackson Crum, Claude Hickman, our own Roger Hershey, and "I Am Second" speakers: Chris & Adrienne Plekenpol. Students from all across the mid-atlantic region started off the conference worshiping with The Bridgeband....

There is a lot more to tell, but for now it's time to rest. If you're interested in more videos and pictures, check out my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/edithann.morales

Giving Time of the Year

2011-12-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! I pray you experience joy as we remember our Savior coming to dwell among us!

At this time of year we tend to look back and think of all the Lord has done in our lives throughout the year. I pray that you are able to take the time to think of the ways the Lord has been working and what He’s been teaching you. As I reflect back I realize that resting in God’s full control has been a major theme of my life this year. For instance, Kean Cru doubled in size and is continuing to grow hungry for more of Jesus (all I did was pray & show up). Over Summer Project I was able to pour into women at random who dealt with similar issues as I have these last two years (only He could put us together). Then, even more beyond my control, several students gave their lives to Christ this past semester! Praise God!

Liscet Duran (Kean Cru leader I disciple pictured left) and I have been learning this lesson together: It’s not easy to surrender control in every area of my life, especially when I think I know what’s best. For example, there are times when I’m sharing the Gospel and will continue to emphasize God’s love, hoping for some reaction from the listener that will show I’m speaking clearly. There are other times I want the Kean Cru leadership team to do things a certain way so that meetings would run more smoothly (as though God can’t work through all things). Even recently I planned to meet with Anita, a student I disciple at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, and her roommate. Since NJIT does not allow students to do surveys on campus or share their faith openly, Anita and I planned to share with her roommate. The problem was we didn’t have time to discuss a game plan before entering the field. At the end, we had little spiritual conversation that didn’t lead to the Gospel. This is still a relationship we are pursuing for the sake of giving Jess (the roommate) an opportunity to know Christ. However in my own hands, I want to work at it without rest until we have a clear conversation.

One of the most difficult struggles I’ve been faced with is resting God’s full control of my finances. I raise support to cover my daily needs as well as ministry needs like conferences, materials and missions trips. Your partnership allows me to disciple and share the love of Jesus to college students from all across the Mid-Atlantic region. I’m so excited for what God is doing at Kean University with the leaders and members of Kean Cru as well as with Anita at NJIT. In order to be involved with discipleship & come alongside these future leaders in ministry, I want to remain undistracted and rest in His promise to provide my needs according to His will. Low support has a way of distracting me and I am currently about $1,300 short on monthly support.

Would you prayerfully consider a special gift or raising your monthly support at this year-end to help offset some of my needs? Please make Checks out to Campus Crusade for Christ and enclose it in the envelope provided or you can give on-line at http://give.ccci.org/give/0597677

Thank you for any amount you give. I would not be able to serve without your partnership through prayer and financial support. Thank you for your faithful support, prayers, and encouragement!

In His Amazing Grace,

E. Tabitha Morales

…thatin a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep povertyoverflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according totheir ability, and beyond their ability, {they gave} of their own accord,begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support ofthe saints. (2Corinthians 8: 2-4)

SacrificialGiving: Doing without something I want or need so I can give more.

(Something I am still learning to improve in)

Happy End of the Year!

2011-11-28T10:50:00.001-08:00

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family! Of course, my friend having an asthma attack Friday night after my mom fell down the stairs and dislocated her elbow wasn't fun. But all are well and healing slowly as they trust the Lord, their Raffa. As I reflect over this past semester, I can't help but think of blessing after blessing after pain. Makes me think of that verse "goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life".

Just before Thanksgiving, I went away for a staff conference where the Lord challenged me through our regional directors to REST in Him! Not just escape via movies, television and friendly conversation, but spend time in His lap listening to His soothing words. I would consider myself an introverted extravert; I really enjoy spending time with people or sitting alone in my room as I video chat with them or read about them on Facebook or Twitter. The cyber interaction isn't as overwhelming as face to face interaction all week long, but it's also not very restful. Being the good New Yorker that I am, I'm constantly in motion and the idea of spending the entire week of Thanksgiving at REST at home caused me stress.

So I decided to spend as much time on campus as possible before "leaving" for a week of rest. Just before the staff conference I spent nearly 40 hours working in just a 4 day period and although in retrospect it wasn't the wisest thing to do, it was SO worth it!

Sharon, Christa & Coral

Monday night, Kean Cru organized a party to pack shoe boxes that they would later donate with sororities & other social groups from Kean University to Operation Christmas Child via the ministry of Samaritan's Purse. We were able to pack and wrap around 15 boxes from Kean Cru alone! :) Praise God, Jehova-Jireh, our provider!

Wednesday night I knew God was laying it on my heart to talk to the best friend of one of the student leaders from Kean Cru. After a long day of meetings and discipleship, I went to visit Jenny in her dorm. Through a 4 1/2 hour conversation full of random stories and the Gospel, we called Christa (center above), to experience the joy of watching her best friend pray to enter into a relationship with Christ! :) Praise God, loving Father.

After an initial failed attempt to visit the gay pride group on campus, Kean Cru was invited to attend their weekly meeting. Kean Cru leaders prayed all week long as a few well-spoken seniors and grad students from the Christian group represented the ministry by apologizing for the general actions of hateful Christians towards homosexuals. Soaked in love and prayer, these students delivered an authentic and unapologetic message to the gay community at Kean University. "We serve a God of love, not hate. He created you and us for relationship with Him and we know that He sent us here to Kean to tell you that He loves you." Cru students reported that the members of the gay group were in awe and nearly moved to tears at the thought that God would love them. At the end of their truthful and loving message, a student responded "I have something to say to you on behalf of the gay community..." At this point, the Kean Cru student leaders nervously began to try to recall scripture that they may need for the anticipated debate. The student continues "...we are sorry for avoiding you and treating you differently simply for what you believe. You may be different from us, but we can treat you with love." Mouths dropped as they thanked one another for their time and left in peace! :) Our God is loving and sovereign! In His time, we pray He will cause that planted seed to grow!
Thursday afternoon, I met with a student who prayed a year ago to receive Christ but has been struggling with figuring out how that changes her life. Later that night at our weekly meeting Bible study, guest Pastor Peter Torres spoke on "Love and Forgiveness". Taking us to the garden of Eden and through a detailed meaning of the cross of Christ, Peter challenged those who know and don't know God to have a deeper understanding of His relentless love. This challenge pierced the heart of the young lady I met with earlier that day and she re-dedicated her life to the Lord and set up accountability to walking with Him right then and there. :) Praise God, omniscient King!

Quick Praise!

2011-11-17T09:19:00.001-08:00

2 Quick Praise Reports:

Today at 3:30, a few ofthe Kean Cru leaders will be attending the gay group on campus (invited by their leaders)to apologize for Christian extremist who may have hurt them and let them know who it iswe live for, a God of love.
Last night I stayed at Kean til 1am having a conversation with a student’s best friend (who the she prayed forthe past four years) and her friend ended up praying to receive Christ! So exciting!

PS - We have a new logo:

After we announced our name change, a large, localchurch contacted us. Our logos were similar but, because they had notregistered their logo, we were not able to find it during our legal searches.Even so, they had started using their logo about a year ago and it wasimportant that we make modifications to ours so we would honor both them andthe Lord. This is where God’s faithfulness showed itself.

October 2011 - News Report

2011-11-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:18

By mid-October, students are trying to balance school, friends, family, work, ministry, and their relationships with God. Sometimes things slip out of perspective and start to get fuzzy. Fall retreat is a time where students can get away for a weekend of worship, teaching, relaxing, and connecting with others. This year we had over 110 students from NJ join with a group of 60 from Westchester, PA to learn to focus their attention on Jesus through it all.

During women’s time, the women were especially challenged in their relationships with one another by guest speaker, Sarah Evers, who spoke about what it means to be an “ezer”. Although I was privileged to lead a seminar on evangelism and train students to uniquely initiate conversation with friends, family and peers, my favorite aspect of the retreat was following up with these Kean women (pictured left). Raised Catholic, Dailyn Santana (sitting in front of me), prayed to enter into an intimate relationship with Jesus at FR2011 and attends Bible Studies & women’s fellowship regularly! :) “You girls have NO idea, this weekend was like ‘answered prayers weekend’! I told God I wanted to really know Him at Fall retreat and I did, then I wanted female friends and you’re here!”

Christa, Victoria, Maria, Sindy, Liscet, Alison
Homecoming Festivities!

Aside from bowling nights, Pizza & God, and Bible study, another way Kean thought to reach their campus was to participate in the annual Homecoming festivities! This year student organizations were given a "Jersey Shore" theme to promote their group at the tailgate festival. Families came to support our winning football team and enjoy the free games and food. Kean Cru leader and senior, Liscet Duran (second from right), ran for homecoming queen and told the voting committee it was for the sake of bringing MORE glory to God who's brought her through these last years! :)

Joe Ro, Harvey Minano, Joe Celentano

Please continue to pray that the Kean leadership team wisely decides how to reach their campus for God’s glory!

Thanks for helping make this happen!

Quest Week:

Evangelism Front: Following Fall Retreat, students went back to NJ on a quest. Quest week is an evangelism initiative to reach various students whom we wouldn’t normally encounter with the Gospel. Students did surveys, planned events, and sought new ways to reach their campuses. At Kean, I had the honor of cooking nearly 50 empanadas for an open conversation event called “Empanadas & God”. Conversation was very typical for Kean. Most of these students know about God, but can’t understand the difference between “baptism” and “salvation” or how to actually know that you’re saved! :

Prayer Requests:

1. As a state we are praying for 200 students from NJ to attend RADIATE 2011! :)

2. That Dailyn and all the other students who attended FR2011 will keep focused on their Creator and the reason why they live.

Praises:

I moved into an apartment in Jersey City October 1st! :) My new address is: 21 St. Paul's Ave. 1 Jersey City, NJ 07306

55 students are involved in the Kean Cru weekly Bible Study!

Nearly 200 students attended JCru, our statewide meeting!

At least 2 students prayed to know Christ @ FR 2011!

Picture story! :)

2011-10-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've not posted in a long time... But here's the short, picture version of why:

This Friday is our second Jersey Cru of the semester! Last month we had nearly 200 students!

Kean is really working on reaching out to their campus this week. (Quest week is a statewide student/staff effort to take the initiative to share the Gospel with students, faculty and staff on the 30/60 campuses we are on.)

Kean Cru doesn't just give out free pizza! We really want people to come talk about God. So we are providing home-made empanadas! :)

Fall Retreat was terrific! Students truly encountered Jesus Christ!

11 women represented KeanCru at this years Fall Retreat. Harvey (right) is joined by 2 NJCU men pictured above.

Discipleship was beautiful by the beach @ Harvey Cedars Bible Conference.

Although a D3 University, Kean Cru even represented at the tailgate festival this year and cheered on Liscet (2nd from right) as she represented Christ, running for home-coming queen!)

Just cuz we were at homecoming, doesn't mean we weren't going to make an effort to start spiritual conversations! Underneath the castle the students built, they laid sand with "Soularium" cards dug in them. :)

Last Thursday, in an effort to reach students who may not have attended the homecoming concert, Kean Cru played short films produced by the Global Shortfilm Network to promote spiritual conversation.

Before that, Kean Cru had a difficult time booking a room to have Bible Study in, so we did a few community building events like bowling! Here are some of our senior women involved in the ministry. (From left to right: Liscet, Sindy, Jahtasia, Sharon)

It was a fun time for everyone!

Even a silly time for newbies to get to know and love us! :)

Free from Ctrl

2011-09-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

This song, Hold Me - Jaime Grace and Toby Mac, is one of those songs I hear and wish I would always believe. Laura Story sings a song called "Blessings" that does a good job of reminding me of the truths I need to stay focused on.

Backdrop: (pray please)

I haven't had an apartment since the end of July and the school semester started the end of August. So I've been staying with my parents on the weekend and friends/students throughout the week as I work on campus at Kean University.
My support has been $1200/month lower than I need it to be so that I can fully engage college students with the revitalizing story of Jesus Christ. So I've only been working at Kean University for the most part and working on support the rest of the time.
My tire blew an unexpected expense through my emergency fund the second day of work.
My laptop has been unexpectedly been shutting down on random occasions.
Kean Cru has been having problems getting a room for it's weekly Bible studies.

What God's been teaching me...

This weekend I was able to go to Baltimore with our Jersey Metro Intern, ChiChi, and a few NJ students to meet up with staff and students from around the region to discuss and plan our upcoming winter conference, RADIATE2011. Immediately after this conference, I decided to drive to Virginia with a student of mine to go visit friends & students from Hampton Beach Summer Project 2011. It was Saturday afternoon and I had Monday off since I had just finished working a 65 hour work week. I've obviously been struggling with finding rest without a place of my own and I knew that if I went to NJ or NY, I would probably work in one way or another. So I decided I need to get away.

Truth:
On this 5 hour drive to Virginia Tech & 8 hour drive back up to NJ, I learned that I have a strong desire to be in control of all things in my life and cause them to work my way - "the good way". I tend to forget God's promises and truth that He loves me and has plans to prosper me and not to harm me (Jeremiah 29:11). I see my circumstances and wonder where is God's hand, but He said He will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrew 13:5). So then can I believe Him even when I don't see Him working? Can I believe His word, which says He is good & all that He does is good (Psalm 119:68)?

Focus:
This song, "Tear Down the Walls" by Hillsong, reminds me that I can believe Him because there is a greater purpose to being here in this life than to be comfortable and adjusted in my life-seat. I can BE FREE from the need to control because He's trust-worthy. Christian rap artist, Lecrae, says it beautifully in his song "Background"- "I can play the background cuz I know sometimes I get in the way". He can handle my life.... I just gotta trust Him and see it from His perspective. Kinda gets me excited for what God is going to do at our Fall Retreat this year entitled "focus - Change your perspective. Find your purpose."

NOW... (praise time)

I can see God's goodness in all these things that appear painful.

Because I don't have an apartment, I've saved on rent and utilities for two months and haven't had to pay with students, friends and family.
Because my support is low, I've been able to talk to more students about what I do and the importance of giving to God's kingdom work.
Because my tire blew & my laptop may be at the end of it's working life, I'm excited for what God's going to do on campus to upset the enemies schemes!
Despite Kean having problems getting a room for their weekly meetings, we've had MANY freshmen students come out to our meet & greet, pizza & God event, and bowling night out... people know we are on campus! This is key to our movement! PRAISE JESUS!

Ministry Tools

2011-09-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Did you hear about the earthquake on the east coast?

Have you noticed it's been raining way more than typical for this time of year?

Have you heard what's happening in Texas?

Who's your favorite NFL/MLB team?

Although there is nothing wrong with asking these questions in everyday conversations, have you ever wondered how to get into a deeper, more meaningful conversation with your neighbor, friend, peer or co-worker? Well here is an online video tool to help:

crupressgreen.com

.... offers evangelism tools and training for engaging people in meaningful conversations.

Colossians 4:5,6 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

What is CoJourners?
Click here to see a video about an evangelism tool called "CoJourners" which helps you enter into spiritual conversations with friends, family & peers who may not yet know Jesus.

Learn how to be a brighter light to those around you by becoming the "explorer", the "guide", the "builder", and the "mentor".
Be aware of barriers that may inhibit this person in your life from hearing about Jesus.
Understand how to engage in conversation with each individual person and where that person is.
Do it.

There are 5 videos in this series.

Attached is just the first one, but feel free to look through the website for the rest! Enjoy!

Friends with Freshmen!

2011-09-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Classes have just started but freshmen have already met the people they will be friends with for the next 4-5 years of their college careers.

Due to the Hurricane, Kean University postponed move-ins til Monday, August 29th. But that didn't change any other activities for the week! Tuesday, the freshmen were oriented to "all things Kean", including Kean cru! Many colleges believe that freshmen need to learn how to survive college, but we believe they also need to be equipped to thrive in life. At a club awareness fair, I was able to set up a table and hand out "freshmen survival kits" (Bibles, water bottles, fliers & "Jesus Without Religion" books by Rick James) to over 100 new freshmen! Within an hour of the first group of freshmen, we had given nearly everything away. And the only reason I believe we still had Bibles was because we had extra donated by a local church.

Answered prayer: KU Cru men leaders! Joe, Harvey, Karl, Jon, Joe

Before anything else happened, I met with all the Kean cru leaders (men pictured right) to divide the 115 surveys so that we could each follow them up. On a survey from 1-10, nearly 30 students marked a 10 to answer the question "rate your desire to know God personally"! Tuesday night, after the fair, students were invited to meet in front of a freshmen residence hall to go out for a photo scavenger hunt! Wednesday, our Kean cru student leaders met over lunch to follow up with more surveys! Thursday, they were all invited to our "meet & greet" in the New Freshmen Residence Hall. About 10 students who attended were freshmen who desired to strengthen their walk with Jesus! Praise the Lord!

Three of these freshmen stated in their intros that they went on mission trips this summer with their churches! I have a great feeling that this year we will see strong freshmen believers sent as missionaries from their local churches to our college campus to share Christ and help transform lives through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Flat Tires & students!

2011-08-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a lil video blog of campus ministry for the first two weeks of the semester! I hope you enjoy! :)

A FOX News- worthy Name Change!

2011-07-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, there was a NAME CHANGE!
Before you believe any news stations, please feel free to CALL or EMAIL us. We would love to answer and listen to ANY of your concerns over the name change. For now, we wanted to personally address and explain the issue for those of you who may have questions.

- Jersey Metro Staff

This is a letter sent to the students and alumni of our ministry in New Jersey. I'm sure you've heard of the name change of our organization to "Cru" . Read below to find out when, why and how we came about this process.

Jersey News Update

Writing from our national staff conference in Colorado. Staff are meeting with the Lord and I pray you are as well.

Sixty years ago, when God told our founder, Bill Bright, to call the ministry "Campus Crusade for Christ," God also impressed on him that the name would need to eventually change. Starting early 2012, our named will be "cru". Thankfully, we've been using this name in New Jersey for some time already, so there isn't much need for a huge adjustment.

For the last TWO years, Campus Crusade for Christ leaders have been praying wholeheartedly and fervently about the Lord's will for the name change. They prayerfully selected 30 people to do the core research, conducting surveys with thousands of staff, non-staff, supporters and non-Christians.

"Cru" was actually NOT in the original pool of thousands of names up for selection. God later dropped it in! And after more prayer, MORE PRAYER and MORE PRAYER, the Lord affirmed that the new brand for the organization should be "cru," confirming it with all the research and supplication pointing to "cru" as the best title. If you read here, you will see that our commitment to Jesus Christ has not changed. In fact, below the logo is written:

A caring community passionate about connecting people to Jesus Christ. In his interview with Fox News, Steve Sellers restates our mission to spread the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ!

Click here to see Steve Sellers, Vice President of the Americas, explain on FOX news.

So why the change?
Many of you might be concerned that because "Christ" is no longer in the name, that our mission has been skewed and tainted. We can assure you: JESUS IS STILL AT THE VERY CENTER OF OUR MISSION.

"Christ" in our name was not removed because the leadership saw his title, Messiah, as a problem, but because the Holy Spirit moved the leadership to change the name completely.
"Campus" was more of an issue because under the CCC umbrella are over 40 non-campus related ministries, like The JESUS Film, which has been shown over SIX BILLION times, bringing in a plentiful harvest of souls for CHRIST.
And also, "Crusade" has been a rather offensive title, barring staff and students from ever entering into Christ-centered conversations with people, especially Muslims.

I'll also say this: there have been plenty of wonderful ministries that boldly proclaim THE NAME of JESUS without his name being in their title: The Billy Graham Crusades, Touch Ministries (Charles Stanley), Acquire the Fire, Navigators, Focus on the Family, etc.

And on the flip side, many false ministries have "Jesus" or "Christ" in their title but their mission/theology is skewed: The Jesus Seminar, The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints, The Jesus Only Movement, etc.

TRUST...

CCC's mission and theology has always been, is and will always be The Great Commission: preaching the gospel of Christ, seeing lives transformed by the Holy Spirit and bringing in glory to God. Even though our brand has changed, OUR MISSION HAS NOT. In fact, the cross in the logo represents going out into the four corners of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing the body of Christ to unity in Him! The openness of this cross represents our position in recognizing the need for all our partners, churches, students & volunteers who help us fulfill this great commission. (aka - we know it's not just us working to fulfill this commission) Click here to see more videos from our leadership.

We're thrilled to see how broken and careful CCC leadership was in hearing where the Lord was leading with the name change. We're super excited to see how God will use the transformation.

Questions? Comments? Concerns?
We understand that many of you may still have concerns. We ask only that you pray. Ask God for the right scope of CCC leadership. Trust Christ is moving. Also, please try not to assume the worst of this organization that has proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully for 60 years!

Use THIS LINK for more information, videos, FAQs. And feel free to CALL US.

Prayer for Tab's Summer 2011

2011-07-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hey readers!
Here's a quick 3 point update of my life... (HBSP, NST & Personal) read with caution :)

Hampton Beach Summer Project:
I just returned from a summer project trip to New Hampshire (with 24 students and 14 staff) where I...

...discipled 3 student women (Lauren from Salisbury U. in Maryland, Julie from Towson U. in Maryland, Alison from Virginia Tech) on what it means to live by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit.
...trained one of the small servant teams of our students on how to plan and put together a weekly meeting (kinda like a church service)

The other groups were prayer team, evangelism team, community team, etc.

...shared my faith on the beach & taught my students how to do so in a variety of fun ways!

Prayer Request:
The staff left after training and teaching and now all the students have taken leadership roles and run the ministry in NH for the last 5 weeks of the project without staff! This is where I feel like Paul, leaving those who I've helped train in the faith and entrusting them to God to lead the movement where they are. Please pray for me to let go and allow the Lord to work on their lives. And pray for the students to work well together so that their love for one another may be shown outward to those who don't yet know Jesus Christ.

Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) National Staff Conference
I will be leaving for Colorado next Monday for our National Staff Conference (which happens every two years)

It's a refreshing time for staff to be poured into and relax with our main speaker, Francis Chan
I'll also be updated on what's happening around the world with Campus Crusade for Christ! :) (probably my favorite part)
Lastly, I'll be informed on any changes CCC is making and trained in new ways to advance God's kingdom within my field (college students)

Prayer Request:
I will be with over 6000 other staff at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, CO. Please pray for my flight and for how I manage finances while I'm there.

ALSO PRAY...

Driving, as always. Almost 100,000 miles!

I am planning to move by August 1st to an apartment I have not yet found in Jersey City. This will be a lot closer to all the campuses I work on, making travel easier throughout the school year. Please pray that I can find a place with my roommate, Krystal, ASAP and move when I return on the 27th of July.
Many people on my support team have been relocating, changing careers, or just need to lower their financial gifts. Due to the expenses of the summer project I worked and the National Staff Conference (NST) I will attend, my staff account will be taking a pretty significant hit really soon. The Summer Project (SP) cost is $1500 and I've paid $500 so far. I have saved over the last two years for the NST, so that should not hurt my finances when it's being taken out my staff account. But please pray that I raise the rest of my support, plus the expenses of the Summer Project before the school year starts at the end of August. Please pray people are moved with compassion and give generously.

Thanks again for all your love and support.
To give, visit give.ccci.org and give to my account # 0597677

In His love and care,
--

E. Tabitha Morales

tabbystab.blogspot.com

jerseymetro.com

Awake at 4am?!

2011-06-30T04:54:00.000-07:00

So I finally fell asleep around 1:30am after saying some long, tearful goodbyes to the students of Hampton Beach Summer Project, 2011. Then I woke up around 4am from a car leaving and despite my efforts of forcing myself to stay in bed til 4:30am, I couldn't return to sleep. So I prayed, got up, prayed, got dressed, prayed, packed the last bit of things, walked to the beach for the sunrise and prayer, and brought some left over food over to the students. My momma always said that if you can't fall asleep, the Lord must be wanting you to pray for something...

...so I did and now I'm just waiting... I'm waiting to take two students to work (so they wouldn't have to leave 2 hours before they start work because of their only ride). I'm waiting to eat breakfast with the coffee I hope to get from Dunkin Donuts when I drop them off. I'm waiting for my roommate to wake up and pack her last bit so we can go. And I'm waiting for God to answer my prayers as I surrender these girls to Him and pray that He work in their lives.

Alison, Lauren, Me, Julie

Alison, Julie, and Lauren have all been such a blessing to me as I discipled them these last five weeks. I feel like I was in discipleship with them and the Holy Spirit was the one teaching us all. I've learned so much about myself and who God created me to be from these women and I will never forget this summer and how God used them to impact my outlook on life and God's plan for it.
              Julie, a very young believer, challenged me in my thirst and hunger for God and His Word. This young woman soaks up Jesus and enjoys it! I've seen her take steps of faith in sharing her faith and now she is barely nervous. :)
             Lauren, who lost her mom at a young age, has encouraged me to better love others through affirmation, gifts and even just time. She's grown so much in how well she listens and considers others before herself. :)
            Alison....where do I begin? We basically have a nearly identical painful break-up story and God strategically placed us in each others lives to spur one another on towards good. Learning to forgive, love and be patient, Alison has also grown a lot and I'm sure will continue to do so after I leave! :)

What Changed?...Generosity!

2011-06-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hampton Beach Summer Project

New house, new staff, new project, same God!

You’ve probably noticed in the past two letters that I’ve asked for prayer for my summer project trip to Hampton Beach. The reason I hadn’t gone into too much detail about this trip is because I had never been on one! As a student, summer project always scared me because I knew I’d have to raise support to live away from my family with 20-30 other students for 10 weeks! In my mind, these were four extremely uncomfortable and nearly un-American things to do!

So here I am, sitting in a small quiet room on the second floor of the Hampton Beach Summer Project (HBSP) house! What changed? Well for one, I’m no longer a student but am on staff with CCC. And since interning in 2007 this is the first summer I’m available because I’m not raising support full-time! There were many different projects I could’ve been on but I think God knew what He was doing when He assigned me to this one. A summer project is basically a summer long missions trip through Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC).

Training in our house on how to clearly communicate the Gospel

Here at HBSP, staff train college students in the three modes of evangelism: initiative, relational, and body. Students and staff go to share their faith on the beach (initiative), with their co-workers at the local Dunkin Donuts (relational), and through group outreaches like ice-cream socials or scavenger hunts (body).

We may not have been able to do all of this if it wasn’t for a local church member who decided to help support our ministry by purchasing a house in which our students could stay for the summer! Through prayers and this man’s generous answers to our prayers through God's power, HBSP exists!

You may not be able to purchase a house for us or even a car, but some church members have donated couches, bikes, and all kinds of food. Some families in certain churches have even adopted the students that attend their church by taking them grocery shopping after church or inviting them over for a home-cooked meal. Our project has truly been blessed by those who are willing to love their neighbor and not leave the world the way it is.

These students want to reach the lost New Englanders of Hampton Beach who believe they are "all set". All they need is help to get there. They are willing to spend their summer serving God. Will you help them stay?

Maybe you are not local and can't give items, but your prayers and finances are always essential. I currently only raise enough monthly support to cover my basic needs, not extra trips like Summer Project or our National Staff Conference in Colorado this July. Project expenses including housing and fees from May 23rd to July 1st costs $1500. Currently I’ve been able to pay $300 of this $1500 expense but there is still much more due.

Would you prayerfully consider giving a special one-time gift of $50 to help build and transform Christian students into life-time laborers for Christ so that everybody knows somebody who truly follows Jesus Christ?

This is me

2011-06-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

A friend says I don't blog enough about myself... and although this is for ministry purposes, God is doing a work in my life... so...

This morning I read over most of my journal entries from the past year and a half. This was a difficult time for me where I learned so much more about who God is through the trials He allowed me to go through. I've had friends who have been and still are an amazing part of this process. Today some of them contacted me just to see how I was doing, knowing this weekend marks a significantly difficult time in my life. Then a few who are near me spent the day with me as we did the three "P"s: pedicures, Panera, pottery! What a blessing! :)

Oh, and I cut my hair! Really... really... really short!

Anyway, I heard this song just afterwards and I feel as though it well describes the time I had over the past two years as I dealt with... drama. (This is still the internet, so that's as detailed as I care to be).

http://youtu.be/yU2drg8FtBg

HBSP'11 Church Participation

2011-06-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Just finishing student orientation week for Hampton Beach Summer Project 2011 (HBSP)!

This week, we had three Project-wide meetings with all 25 students in our three church partnerships. These churches are a huge part of HBSP! They not only allow us to use their facilities for our big meetings (pictured right) but they also support us through “adopting” students for the summer. Students are dividedly equally between each church partnership: Bethany Church, Faith Community Church, & Hampton Falls Baptist Church. Members within each congregation “adopt” a student by feeding them a home-cooked meal or taking them to a restaurant after church, taking them to buy their groceries Sunday afternoons, and sitting with them in church. Another way the churches partner with us is by helping us train students to participate in their church leadership as much as possible. This gives our students experience and training but also encourages the church body. Some of our students have already “signed-up” for their positions at churches. Some may be working with children, while others are helping lead worship.

Sharing your faith through Pictures!

2011-06-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Check out this Prezi I have prepared for tomorrow morning's training!
http://prezi.com/pnbr80-fmdvr/soularium-training/

Living in Hampton Beach, NH

2011-05-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire as staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for the first month of a Summer Project. A Summer Project is an opportunity for students to engage in spiritual conversations in a new community, be trained in ministry and leadership roles, and grow in their faith.

A tool used to share the Gospel

As staff, I will be...

discipling three of our 25 students attending this project
helping lead a small Bible Study
training my students to share their faith at their new jobs
sharing my faith on the beach alongside these students
and training students to conduct a weekly meeting (emcee, worship, speakers, etc.)

One of the ways that we show our students to walk with Christ for a lifetime is to take the training we've given them in leadership and using that at a local church. Most college students move away from their familiar environments after they graduate due to job opportunities. One of the most important things for them to have in this transition is a strong understanding of how to seek fellowship in a new church and engage with it's community. This will help keep their walk with Jesus afresh instead of stagnant or fading.

As staff, we want to be an example of a lifetime laborer for Christ. So the first Sunday staff were here, we checked out the three different churches that partner with us. I had the opportunity to attend Bethany Church in Greenland, NH. To my surprise the Pastor was a Puerto Rican man from Brooklyn! Of course he and another couple were the darkest in the congregation aside from me (I'm trying to catch a tan, but the weather isn't complying), but the service was great!
Can't wait til my students get to experience the worship and Biblical teaching I was able to. :)

Spiritual Warfare

2011-05-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Part of my job is to be trained in my job. Here's a bit of some of the article on Spiritual Warfare I've been reading through:

"In folk religion the posture of the Christian toward fallen angels is defensive; in Scripture the church is on the offensive, and the blows it receives from Satan come from a retreating enemy."

I wonder in my life if I've been doing that well. Am I on the defensive in my Christian walk or on the offensive? Do I wait for the enemy to attack before I respond with a strong Christian shield, or do I live life on the offensive against him?... I hope to not only be ready for any attack he has prepared for me, but come at him in helping advance God's kingdom!

"Fallen angels are called 'powers of darkness' not because they are in any way creatures of night or linked to the common superstitious fear of the dark, but because they are permanent dwellers in a world of lies and ignorance. Living in a mental universe of lies, they persuade men to keep on embracing lies concerning God, themselves and the world, reinforcing the natural affinity of the flesh for darkness."

How often do we believe the lies of the "powers of darkness" and surrender all power our own?

D-Ship....AKA Discipleship

2011-05-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Make Disciples...

The last Friday in April, the Jersey Metro team was able to send off our seniors as lifetime laborers for Christ at our last Jersey Cru (monthly statewide meeting) of the semester. It was a great honor to see three of the women I discipled this past year give their bit of wisdom to the student body and praise God for what He’s done in their lives.

Ash Bivins (pictured left) is one of the wonderful students I was able to work with this past year. As lead singer in the JCru worship band and a student leader in the Cru ministry at her school (Jersey City University), Ashley was under a lot of pressure to get many "things done" this year. Early in the semester, Ashley realized that amidst all the craziness she was beginning to lose an eternal perspective on the relationships God had placed her in. She immediately prayed about this and brought it to my attention. As her discipler, there were only two things I could do: point her to what God has to say and pray for her as she follows Him. As Ashley continued to seek God throughout the year, her eyes were immediately opened to those with whom God had been calling her to enter into relationship with. Now as she prepares for Grad school, Ashley is readying her heart for ministry with the young women at NJCU. She plans to pour into other young women while she pursues a masters degree in music education at Jersey City University.

Jenn Lee (pictured right), who I discipled at Montclair State University my internship year and this past year, is graduating and preparing to help lead the Botswana Summer Project. Last year Jenn went to Botswana as a student on a 5 week Summer Missions Project to work with orphaned children. Here is a video link to show you more what she did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbYRkSzWwPY At the end of this past semester, Jenn Lee met with me to tell me her full testimony of how God pursued her heart in the midst of what felt like emotional chaos. Jenn Lee always knew her relationship with God could not depend upon that of others and now she's helping teach that to the youth in her church. I’m so proud of the woman of God she’s become. If you'd like to support Jenn in her trip to Botswana you can email her at: imjenniferxp@yahoo.com

Rachel Wallner (pictured right) is one of two student women at the New Jersey Institute of Technology involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. This past year I’ve had the honor of getting to know her the final year of her undergraduate degree. Rachel is graduating and moving to Virginia for a job this June and one of her highest values before graduating was to learn how to walk with Jesus away from family and “Cru”. Rachel has such a sweet thirst for Jesus in her life and makes sure to pursue Him at every new turn. She’s learned how to study the Word, be vulnerable in community and grow in fellowship. I am confident that Rachel will continue to pursue God anywhere He may bring her.

On some occasions, I have the privilege of helping the student president of a ministry walk with Jesus for a lifetime. Although Sharon is just a junior at Kean, I thought you'd like to hear a bit about her story. This past year I was able to coach and disciple Sharon Hawkins, the student president of Campus Crusade for Christ at Kean University. Sharon has grown in her ability to share her faith shrewdly with grace and truth. She even had the opportunity to train others on how to share their faith on our Spring Break missions trip to Daytona, Fl. She is truly growing into a woman after God's own heart.

Kean Showers of Events in April

2011-05-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Free food, games and a live band!

Christa and Liscet (from left) are both Cru student leaders and Resident Hall advisors at Kean University. At the Spring planning retreat, the team decided to put on an event where the students at Kean would feel comfortable around Christians and not pressured to talk about God. So to show that Christians can have a good time, these RA’s provided the food as part of their “floor programs” and with the rest of the leaders, invited residents to coffee and games.

The following week author of “Jesus without Religion”, Rick James, came to speak to a crowd in the Cougar’s Den on campus about the facts of who Jesus is. Three students indicated decisions for Christ at this event! Praise God!

Christa Diaz and Maria Yousef (pictured below) are two of 5 student leaders at Kean University who attended our 12th annual fellowship dinner. They are each going on Summer Projects with Jesus Film, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Christa (left) is going to Jerusalem and Maria (center) is going to London. Please pray they are able to raise their full financial support by June.

Praise Blog via PICTURES

2011-04-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Our 12th annual Fellowship Dinner for ministry partners

Christa, Maria (KU students) and I

We were blessed with a friend to make us a new logo!

Kean Cru partnered with FDU Cru to make Love Grams as a Valentine's Day Outreach

43 people prayed to receive Christ during Spring Break at Daytona!

Jaelynn (far left) prayed with me to receive Christ at BreakTona!

We've had 150-200 students attend our monthly statewide JCru!

Jersey Cru moved to Rutgers University

NJCU students supporting one of their seniors at her recital

Leaders at Kean Cru shared their faith during Quest Week using Soularium

Liscet & Maria - KU Leaders

KU student leaders and I at our winter conference, RADIATE

At RADIATE helping pack food packets for earthquake victims

Kean Leadership team at the Spring planning retreat

Seeking interested freshmen at MSU through free books & bottles

New to Christ?

2011-04-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

Are you a new believer? Just prayed that prayer and wanna know more? Do you have a friend who is a new believer or someone you know who may want to know the basics of the faith?

Check this out: http://www.startingwithgod.com/starter-kit/

Here’s what’s you’ll receive in “The Spiritual Starter Kit” via email if you sign up:

How to be sure that Jesus Christ entered your life.
What God did to draw you to himself.
What’s different about God’s love and why that matters.
Why your relationship with God is secured by him, not you.
What it means to trust God.
What if you sin? Does God still forgive you?
How to find a church, other Christians, or a Christian group on your campus.

March Ministry MADNESS!

2011-04-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Kean leader, Maria, and I

“Breaktona” Praise!
469 initiated conversations

309 spiritual surveys

233 Gospel presentations
32 Holy Spirit conversations
43 decisions for Christ & 16 rededications

I would be lying if I described this semester as “happy and smooth”. It was a very frustrating Monday morning. Three nights prior, Friday night, at our state-wide Jersey Cru meeting, we had 40 students sign up and pay for a bus ride to take us to “Big Break” in Panama City Beach, FL. “Big Break” is Crusade’s nationally run Spring Break conference that we had been attending for the past 10 years. Little did we know, that by the time our students woke up on Saturday morning the conference registration would be closed due to the housing being booked. What were we going to do with 40 students and a bus? Our staff team was very disappointed but sensed that perhaps God was leading us elsewhere. After all, we already had a bus with eager students ready to share their faith. All we had to do was find another beach where college students like to hang out for Spring Break. And God showed up! We found good housing for a reasonable price in Daytona Beach, FL. And with 35 students in tow, we ultimately spent the week there sharing the Gospel with over 230 people. Imagine if we had canceled the trip after things got tough?!

Jesus LIFTED UP!

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” -John 3:14,15

Aside from a nice tan, one of the cool results of going to share our faith on the beach for a week is the opportunity to see our students grow and be transformed! The first Friday after we returned was our 2nd Jersey Cru of the semester. At this monthly statewide meeting, a Junior from Rutgers gave his story about how God used Him to led 4 people to Christ when he was feeling so discouraged!

“Guys, I think we are missing the point of this scavenger hunt” Mike said, “We’re supposed to be starting conversations and taking pictures with people ultimately for the sake of sharing the Gospel, not to win a game.”

Mike felt convicted and decided to stop and pray with his group right before God led them to speak to 4 young people on the boardwalk! After they prayed, Mike was jumping with joy for being used by God.

Grad student, Joe Ro, with Isaiah & freshman, Joe help at the KU table.

Now back in New Jersey, students are actively participating in Quest Week— Staff and students around the state make it a point to share their faith each day of the week using tools like “Soularium” and “Quest Survey” along with the “4 Spiritual Laws”. Here’s a picture of a few Kean leaders and I using Soularium (picture survey) at the University Center of Kean.

Please Pray For:

me as I prepare to finish the semester well
the 43 people who prayed to receive Christ to con-tinue to grow in Him
the five staff still raising support to be at full-support soon
our students who are raising the financial needs to attend a Summer Project!

Tecumseh

2011-03-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Jersey Metro students pray for the state

This was our planning retreat back in January. Without this retreat, I'm not sure half the things happening on campus would be possible today. Students are currently so overwhelmed with work and classes, that planning for ministry stuff would be impossible at this point.

Thank God that that's not really an issue for most of our students. One thing we planned for ahead of time at this retreat, was as a state to have an event called "Quest Week". This is a week where our students from all 33 campuses around the state take the initiative in the power of the Holy Spirit to step out on campus and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with students, faculty and staff at their schools. From 5-question spiritual surveys called "Quest" to picture surveys called "Soularium" and outreaches called "Pizza and God", students have been trained in a variety of tools to strategically bring up "Jesus" in their conversations! This week has been covered in prayer and hundreds of conversations have already been had and it's only Wednesday! God is doing great things here and I'm so happy to have you as part of it.

Liscet, Christa, Joe, Ali, Sharon, Sindy, Maria, me

To the right is a picture of some of the students leaders at Kean University, my alma mater. These students worked diligently to come up with their own mission statement, vision, and goals they want to see accomplished specifically at Kean! They have been meeting weekly to discuss the details of these plans, pray, and see God move. Thursday night is their typical weekly meeting, but these students are working everyday to see God be glorified at Kean! This Quest week, they have shared their faith in the University center through Soularium (pictured below) and even tonight through "Chill & Chat", their version of "Pizza & God", which is an open conversation where pizza is given for free and conversations about God and spiritual things are promoted.

Breaktona Results

2011-03-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

469 convos,
309 surveys,
233 Gospel presentations,
41 decisions for Christ,
32 Holy Spirit convos,
16 rededications

Ocean Walk, Daytona FL

#SpringBreakatDaytona

"Break-tona" 2011- Spring Break at Daytona

2011-03-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

What can God possibly do with 34 Christian students on the beach in Daytona, FL?
(Here are some Twitter updates...+ pictures)

Rob challenging our students to jump off the cliffs of fear in faith to share the only hope. (Rom.15:13)

Day 1, Rob Mittuch prays with two guys on Daytona beach to receive Christ! Praise God!
Maria talkied bout how to have a conversation with someone who's a Christian but not walking with the Spirit. "satisfied training"(picture right)
Community night for day 1???...Men's & Women's Times! Wahoo! Bring your nail polish ladies!
Day 2 Jersey is out and about having a scavenger hunt at the Ocean Walk mall for the purpose of striking conversation with people for Jesus. (picture below)
We have scavenger hunt winners!- Jen, Fitz, Sarah, Ben congrats! But even better, Mike and his group were able to pray with people to come to Christ.
4 guys came to Christ during the Scavenger Hunt. The student who led them was in awe (for an hour) of seeing God's hand move before his very eyes - #lifetransformed
Day 3- This morning we stop to pray for those who came to know Christ and for those who want to come to know Christ that we will minister to this week.
Esther leads an awesome devotional about the need for community for the sake of the Gospel being shared in a visible way.
"People belong before they believe...Maybe all we need to do is help people see Jesus." - @Mittuch on evangelism (John 3:14,15)
Tomorrow a team from our National Office is coming to spend the day with us and hear good stories.

Missions Trips?

2011-03-06T22:54:00.000-08:00

In his Introduction to the New Testament Epistles, J. B. Phillips writes:

There is a vast difference between the Christianity of the first century and the [Christianity of today]. To us, Christianity is all too often a code of ethics, a philosophy of life, a standard of performance, but to those first-century Christians, it was a new quality of life altogether, and they did not hesitate to describe this as Christ living in them. Perhaps if we believed what they believed, we could achieve what they achieved.

Bill Bright writes:

The first-century church rocked their world. Filled with the Spirit and compelled by the love of God, the early church took the Good News of God's love and forgiveness to the entire known world. Never before had any small body of ordinary men and women made such an impact on the world. Those Christians were a group of ordinary people, like you and me, who knew the love and forgiveness of God. Controlled and empowered by God's Holy Spirit, they reached out in love to people living under the tyranny of an evil empire.

This Saturday:
Some of the NJMetro staff team will be joined by 40 students from around the state to take a 20 hour bus ride to Daytona, Florida.
Why? 2 words every college student loves to hear: "Spring Break".
Every year the US National Campus Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ puts on a weekly conference for students from around the country in Panama City Beach, Florida. This isn't just a vacation though; This trip has purpose. Hundreds of students each week in March are trained to shrewdly and un-apologetically share their faith with college students who've come down to Florida to find life in things of this world that are fleeting and not fulfilling.

Prayer walking the beach in PCB, FL -2008

So why not join the National Conference? This year there were so many Christian college students excited to share their faith on the beach for Spring break that the conference registration had to close early! There was no more available housing. Having had already gathered 40+ NJ students ready and excited to go and preach the Good News, the Jersey Metro staff team PRAYED and listened carefully for the Lord's leading. Through lots of prayer and internet searches, we found a great deal at a hotel in Daytona, Florida. So this year, we will have our own training conference and time to share our faith with "Cru" movements from across the state of NJ on the Dayona beach. Some students from Kean University started to call this trip "DAY-Break" in reference to a "Reilly Band" song called "Sunlight" and of course it's also a pun for being in DAYtona on Spring BREAK. :)

Please be praying for us as we prepare to take this trip this Saturday March, 12th. Pray that our staff and students would be motivated by love and compassion for the many seeking a fulfilling love and purpose in this life. Pray that this compassion motivates them to be bold for Christ! Pray that our students would make this a way of life and not just something to do on a trip.

February 2011

2011-02-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

Something I painted Valentine's Day

God has been lavishing His relentless love upon me every week this month! We sang a song in the church I grew up in (Patmos Fellowship) that describes my heart all month: “I just keep falling in love with Him over and over again. He get’s sweeter and sweeter as the days go by. Oh what a love between my Lord & I. I keep falling in love with Him over and over again!” To those of you who have been faithfully praying for me and seeking to encourage me—THANK YOU!

Candy Grams!

Each year, the staff encourage students from around the state to partner with each other in ministry beyond their schools. We call this a “campus cross-over event” and the purpose of this event is to encourage students to recognize they all have a common goal now and when they graduate: To take the state for Christ!

This year, Farleigh Dickinson University (FDU) invited Kean University and County College of Morris to make “candy grams” together. The students gathered at FDU with printed scripture to cut out and candy to pack into small bags. They prayed together and learned new things about one another before working together to share God’s love with those who don’t yet know Him .

What Happened?!

· Feb.21-24th I took a much-needed vacation in Miami with a sweet friend of mine. Praise God for God’s sovereignty and provision for our lives!

·
Feb.25th The 1st Jersey Cru of the semester was packed out with students from all over New Jersey including a few High School students checking out what it looks like to be a Christian in college! Praise God for the works He’s done through JCru!

Upcoming Schedule!

· March 12-20th - Panama City Beach, FL - Spring Break missions trip where we share our faith with thousands of students on the beach. (www.BIG-break.com)

· March 28-April 1st - Quest Week— Staff and students around the state of New Jersey make it a point to share their faith each day of the week using tools like “Soularium” and “Quest Survey” along with the “4 Spiritual Laws”.

· End of May-July 5th - Hampton Beach Summer Project missions trip where we teach college students how to share their faith while at a full-time secular job and in community with other believers. (www.gosummerproject.com)

· July 17 –26th - National Staff Conference at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado where thousands of staff from all of the ministries of Campus Crusade for Christ join together for the sake of unity and refocusing on the vision to “build spiritual movements everywhere so that everybody knows somebody who truly follows Jesus Christ.”

Thanks for your prayers and support!

“And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.” Hosea 2:19, 20

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for Rutgers, Newark where one student attempts to help start a ministry there.
Pray for the only 2 women involved in NJIT Cru ministry.
Pray for the Kean leadership team to be united in ministry as a body in Christ.
Please pray for me as I prepare for a year of many travels and new adventures.
Pray for our students who are raising the financial needs to attend BIG-Break or a Summer Project!

For more info check out :

Jerseymetro.com

God's Love...

2011-02-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

...is extravagant!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

With today being such a huge day to focus on love, I wanted to send you something to remind you of the love of our Wonderful Father! Who can’t use a reminder of how extravagant the love of the Father is?!

You can watch it here, or you can read it from the attachment.
http://fathersloveletter.com/video.html

Here are some scripture to help you reflect on the love of God:
Psalm 45:11; Zephaniah 3:17; Hosea 2:19,20; Psalm 18:19; John 3:16; 1John 3:1; Deuteronomy 32:10; Deuteronomy 14:2

Articles to check out:

Songs: David Crowder Band

BarlowGirl

The Bridge Band

Love

From the Inside Our & Infinite Embrace

What I do...

2011-02-08T16:31:00.000-08:00

Steve Douglass, our current National Director of Campus Crusade for Christ explains my role on staff:

We do not engage in ministry to build up and glorify ourselves; we do it to build up others, and thereby glorify God. When we get into the jet stream of God’s work on earth, our agenda wanes and His and others’ agendas increase.

We are expending our lives for the benefit of the people to whom we minister. On campus, we encourage students; we listen to their challenges; we weep with them; we help them; we train them and give them opportunities to minister to other students. Why do we put forth all that time and emotional energy? Because we hope and pray that someday those students will pick up the torch and minister to others – not just during their time as students, but for a lifetime. We dream of our disciples taking the lead to do what we do, with their friends and others.

In light of that, what is the role of a staff member? The answer is simple. Staff members need to do what we have always sought to do: multiply. One of the flagship verses in the Bible for us is 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

As more disciples are “sent,” more is happening and more coaching will be required. Connected with “-led” movements will be staff members who are praying, modeling ministry, teaching, encouraging, motivating and correcting as needed. The question for each of us is, “How much do I want my life to count?” If my dream is to see significant conquests for God, it is going to require mobilizing others. In order to mobilize others, I must serve them and help them do the same for others.

He Never Lets Go!

2011-02-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

How was I doing?
The David Crowder Band sings two songs that I think capture my thoughts of last semester well.

If you know me, you know my life = drama. If you have no time to watch a novela, that's okay...just be my friend and that will be enough drama simply in our conversation alone. I could give you story upon story from the struggle of epilepsy, to peculiar deaths in the family, ministry issues, bad break-ups and so on. But hey, don't play the violin on me just yet...hear me out.

I can often relate to the Psalmists. David especially called out for salvation from the attacks of his enemies SO often! "The troubles of my heart are enlarged" he cries in Psalm 25. Yet it's not what the psalmists go through as much as it is how they handle those issues. "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me" (vs.21).

The David Crowder Band sings:

When clouds veil sun, And disaster comes...Oh, my soul. When waters rise, And hope takes flight...Oh, my soul

Ever faithful, Ever true, You I know, You never let go

Oh, my soul overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul fills with hope
Perfect love that never lets go

Oh, what love, ....In joy and pain; In sun and rain, You’re the same. Oh, You never let go!

So often, I focus on the troubles that take up too much room in my heart (Psalm 25:17). I want others to take notice & even for God to acknowledge how troubled my life is (Psalm 25: 19)! "Oh, my soul!"- Instead of shouting this as though I am rejoicing in these afflictions because they are eclipsed by God's glory (another David Crowder song), I forget how relentless the mercy of a loving Father is and shout them in agony.

I forget that in "sun and rain" He never lets go! It's so easy to sit in my mud puddle (reference to Rick James book "A Million Ways to Die"), sad and bitter, desiring attention and comfort from all those around me (okay, now you can play the violin). I act as though because of the "disasters" of my life, I'm drowning in sorrow as though "hope has taken flight" and yet Romans 8:38 & 39 reminds us that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God!

Sure, sometimes life sucks! And it's not easy!...but how often do I pray "Lord, keep my soul and deliver me: Let integrity and uprightness preserve me" (Psalm 25: 20, 21)? Sure, I pray for deliverance from trials, who wouldn't? But in this suffering, how do I persevere? With bitterness and contempt to those who've hurt me? With pity parties, trial tantrums and failure fiestas? OR do I focus on the love that is ever faithful, ever true, perfect and never lets go?

YouTube: Never Let Go - David Crowder Band

My story...

2011-01-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

I was born and raised in The Bronx of New York City in 1985 with petite-mal epilepsy, which I had for the first 11 years of my life. Living with this disease felt like sleep-walking through life. I went to school and had friends but it didn't really feel like everything was real. As a child, I also had rheumatoid arthritis. From the combination of this pain and the multiple medications a day, I was not very social or even aware of others.

My dad and I in the Bronx Zoo

Despite the fact that I grew up in a church that taught the Bible, at age 11 I still didn't fully understand what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ. It wasn't until some friends from the teen’s group were getting baptized that I even questioned my parents about my relationship with Christ. My dad was a student of the Bible and biblical history, so I knew from a young age that I could trust his search for God. When I asked, my parents explained that the reasons these people were getting baptized was to publicly announce their love for Christ and dedication to live for Him. So I asked them why I couldn't get baptized and they told me because I had never prayed to receive Christ as my personal savior! "WHAT?!" By this time, I was slowly weaned off of the medication and beginning to really understand what was happening around me. I couldn't believe that all this time I grew up in church and had NO idea that I wasn't actually going to be in heaven with God always.

After my parents explained what it meant to receive Christ as Savior and accept Him as Lord, they asked if I would like to pray with them. I rejected their offer because I was so angry (prideful) for not already knowing. Even in that decision alone, I recognized how sinful I was and how my sin simply kept me separate from God. Later that evening I asked God to forgive me for my stubborn self-will and rejection of Him. I prayed that He would forgive me of ALL my sin and restore my relationship with Himself through the sacrificing replacement of His Son. The next day I reported to my parents that I prayed to receive Christ and I was then baptized at the Christian camp with several others. Later that day, the pastor preached about so many making the decision to follow Christ but not following through. I decided that would NOT be me! There was NO way I was going to pray to receive Christ and punk out. I was taught to properly represent my earthly father as a sign of respect and humility and I vowed to do the same when it came to representing Christ. This was, in retrospect, more of a prideful decision than a humble one but a decision it was. Until this point in my childhood, I didn't even realize that a relationship with Christ was essential to salvation. I thought instead that as long as I obeyed mom and dad, went to church, read my Bible, and prayed then I would be fine. Unbeknown to me, I was working to influence God’s love for me and not accepting it as a free gift.

Jen & I (as a student) in 2005

My freshman year in college, I met a woman who lived out what she believed even if it made her feel uncomfortable. She lived life before me like no one I had ever met before. My parents were and still are practicing Christians, but there is something about meeting someone single and young who loves the Lord & lives like it. I know she said we believed in the same things but I had not really met anyone who was as vulnerable with his/her mistakes and honest in their growth. After all, all my religion required of me was humble joyous obedience. She, however, had some sort of passionate excitement and personal connection with our God. She called Him Abba and meant it. She called Him master and displayed it. Still prideful, I thought I knew all that she would try to teach me but I actually never knew how to apply these things to my life and let it change me into who God wants me to be.

Throughout the course of the next four years, I studied her as she lived this life before me. She taught me a few essentials to living the Christian life as an out pour of one’s love for the Creator. Not only did I learn who God truly was, but now I understood why I was who He created me to be. I learned apply the scriptures to my life and to love others as God loved me on a richer deeper level where it was no longer an obligation or rule.

RADIATE2010 Praise Report!

2011-01-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

RADIATE2010:

Praise God! RADIATE was a great success! Here's what one of my freshman students from Kean had to say:

Liscet & Maria (Kean Students)

"To sum RADIATE2010 up in one word it would have to be blessed, in all kinds of ways. It was blessed by amazing speakers and bands. Jesus really spoke through them to a lot of people, including me. It was blessed by awesome emcees that totally rocked the house. It was blessed by a lot of amazing students that loved the Lord and it was so encouraging. Most of all it was blessed by Christ! His Spirit filled the entire week and touched and tugged the hearts He needed to. It was a truly life-changing week." - Maria Y., Kean University

Campuses: NJIT, Kean, NJCU, Rutgers, MSU

Despite the treacherous snow our students and staff had to overcome, we had nearly 900 students in attendance at the 4 day conference in Baltimore. Some students didn’t even think they would make it due to financial circumstances, but God showed up in their time of need through various gifts from churches, family, and friends. To the right is a picture of women from the Jersey Metro Ministry, most of whom didn't think they would be able to make it. But don't just take my word on it, here is Christa’s story:

“I wanted to go to Radiate this year because I had such an awesome time last year, however I was short on the funds. I prayed about it but some how God assured me that I was going to go, I just didn't know how. I sent out a letter to a few people to support me and asked for some help through some of my facebook statuses. My friend, Crystal Hayden, from Summer Project sent me a partial scholarship for the trip. I was so excited! Coming up with the rest was another concern. I prayed about it some more. I registered the day before registration was over because I still did not have the deposit. Sunday Dec,. 19th I went to a Christmas party at my supervisor's home with my fellow co-workers. We gave our “secret santa” gifts to each other and gave our supervisor his gift from all of us. After we had given him his gift, my co-worker, Erin, gave me a Christmas card. I looked at her in a puzzling way. As I opened the card the whole room was quiet. I understood why, because in the card there was $278 from my whole entire staff! I couldn't believe it. I broke out in tears! The LORD surprised me yet again! He is so faithful! From my staff and from my other supporters I received a total of $603! I gave $100 to my friend who wanted to go as well. God blessed me and through me he blessed my friend Sindy. HE IS SOOO AMAZING !! The best provider ever! This was the best Christmas present ever!”- Christa Diaz, Kean University, KUCru Bible Content Director

Christa, Sindy, Liscet & myself
chatting at the Late Night Lounge

Christa (far left in picture) used the money she was given to fund her travels, meals and conference stay. She also used it to help a friend (2nd from left in picture) attend the conference. The rest she used to be part of the $25,000 cash donation that was given by the students to our Mid-Atlantic Ministry! Praise God for using them to help His work on the college campuses across all 5 states and in partnering countries around the world! :)

Reading my Bible on my phone?!

2011-01-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

Hola amigos!

So my director and friend from my staff team decided he enjoyed it so much last year that he would ask us to try to read the Bible in one year.

To be honest, I've never done this before nor was I excited to hear the suggestion. I like going deep and dwelling, not surfacing and speeding. But God has been using it to enlighten me and encourage me when and where it's been needed.

I started going through the plan on my YouVersion app on my phone and then a friend of mine put me on to their website, youversion.com Since I already had it on my phone, I didn't have to register (not that it would cost anything anyways). So I signed in and there was my profile from my phone!

This has been such a sweet encouragement to me as it keeps me accountable to staying in the Word. For me, organization is essential to getting things done and this keeps me organized! I tell the ladies I disciple "you can't just shoot arrows in the air and expect to hit something; you need a target to aim at, a technique to shooting, and the training to succeed."

Youversion.com has a plethora of Bible reading plans to choose from, check-boxes to mark off what you've read and more! It allows you to bookmark, highlight, create private or public notes, share the scripture on social sites, and even see what your friends are doing. I strongly encourage you to consider using this if you think your Quiet Times could stand to grow and improve.

Reason for God

2011-01-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church gives a sermon series entitled "The Trouble With Christianity: Why it's so hard to believe" that addresses the skepticism of modern day Americans.

"I'm married and therefore, my right to make even small unilateral decisions is over forever!" - Keller

Pastor Keller does a good job of addressing the most difficult subjects of conversations with people who doubt God. This series will challenge your confidence as a Christian to share what you believe without fear of being tripped up by skeptics arguments. This series challenge those who call themselves "atheists" or those who doubt God's existence.

I dare you to listen.

"It's obvious the fish was designed for the water and when in the water, it experiences it's freedom." - Keller

Subjects:

Exclusivity: How can there be just one true religion?

Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?

Absolutism: Don't we all have to find truth for ourselves?

Injustice: Hasn't Christianity been an instrument for oppression?

Hell: Isn't the God of Christianity an angry Judge?

Doubt: What should I do with my doubts?

Literalism: Isn't the Bible historically unreliable and regressive?

To download for free or listen, visit: http://sermons.redeemer.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=29

RADIATE- Dispel the Darkness

2010-12-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Last time I told you about this conference coming up December 28-January 1st. But what exactly is RADIATE? And why are so many college students excited about it?

RADIATE is a four day gathering of college students from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, & Virginia. This will be the 2nd year this conference will take place in the Baltimore Inner Harbor Marriott Hotel. This venue is the only place available with the conference rooms and space we need for the 1000+ students and staff who typically attend each year.

MAIN Attractions:

MAIN SESSIONS

We will have meetings twice a day where we will hear from our guest speakers and musicians. Jackson Crum will be teaching us from the Word of God all three mornings. RADIATE favorite, Phil Carnuccio will be returning and kicking off the conference on the 28th. We will also hear from Campus Crusade for Christ staff Carrie Walker, Keith Bubalo and Jeff Martin. The Bridge Band will be leading us in worship once again, and our emcee Shelby Abbott will be our host.

We will also be joined by special musical guests REILLY and Trip Lee.

DAY OF FAITH

On the afternoon of the 30th, the entire RADIATE conference will put our faith into action. This year, we will be partnering with GAiN to pack thousands of seeds to plant and grow food for families in countries devastated by natural disasters.

THE CAFÉ Located in the Harborside foyer, The Café will be a great place to hang out with old friends, chat with Campus Crusade for Christ staff, pray, and possibly meet someone new.

SEMINARS

One of our goals at RADIATE2010 is to teach and equip each student on how to win their friends to Christ, build them in their faith, and send them out to win, build, and send all over again. We will be featuring some of your favorite seminars from last year as well as introducing a few brand new ones. You’ll definitely want to take advantage of this time!

PRAYER JOURNEY

There won’t be a shortage of fun activities to do at RADIATE2010 to keep your four days jam-packed. We created a quiet space that you can escape to and spend some one-on-one time with God. It is awesome to worship Him with 1,000 people singing and praising, but it is also very important to stop, be still and listen to what Jesus may need to say to you. The Prayer Journey is a great place to do just that, and it will be open 24 hours a day.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

This will be a New Year’s Eve party to remember! Dance party with Trip Lee, amazing firework show on the Harbor and kick-off 2011 worshipping our Savior with The Bridge Band.

This is RADIATE!

Up & Coming SOON!....

2010-11-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

RADIATE2010 - Dispel the Darkness

Baltimore Inner Harbor

December 28-January 1st

$229 (after December 6, $255)

RADIATE2010 is a four day gathering of college students from across the Mid-Atlantic Region in Baltimore’s beautiful Inner Harbor at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel. The conference will consist of passionate worship, biblical teaching, vibrant community, and spiritual equipping. RADIATE2010 costs only $229 (NOT PER NIGHT!)

Joseph Sforza
(currently raising support with wife, Jenn,
to join the Jersey Metro staff)

Don't just take my word on it....

“The messages were rich and insightful, often surprising me with how little I knew; many challenged me inwardly. Understanding that God unconditionally loves me despite me penetrated a hard place in myheart, and all the guck and condemnation flowed freely from it. For the first time in a long time, I was able to let go of lingering guilt while weeping joyfully and even call the Lord my own.” – J. Sforza (NJCU alumni)

Our NJ student Emcees meet the RADIATE2010 Emcees!

Issue:Sometimes the price of this conference can be an issue for students. However......The room cost per night at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott is typically $376! Yet we offer the entire conference: 4 Nights, 7 Main Sessions, Seminars, Day of Faith, 2 Concerts (Reilly & Trip Lee), The Bridge Band leading Worship, and a New Year's Eve Party with Trip Lee ALL for less than that! Try getting all that anywhere else (let alone at a 4 star hotel in Inner Harbor Baltimore) for just $229 - definitely not too expensive! RADIATE2010 is a Deal!

GIVE:

We pay quite a bit to get a secular education that will help us make a living. Please consider a much smaller investment to get a spiritual education at RADIATE2010 that will equip a student to make a life! If you would like to gift a tax-deductible gift for one of our students to attend RADIATE2010, please write your check payable to Campus Crusade for Christ & send it to 36 Bartlett St. New Brunswick, NJ 08901. You can include a note saying "This is scholarship money for a student to attend RADIATE2010" and we will make sure it gets to the right place. Please don't write in the memo note on the check but rather use a separate note. You will get a tax-deductible receipt when your check is processed and an update after January 1st on how well the students enjoyed the conference.

The Evangelism Model

2010-11-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

"If we pursue knowing the many cultures on campus, and, in a sense, seek to learn their language and try to understand life from their worldview, then we will be moving effectively in the direction of true communication of the gospel."

http://crupress.campuscrusadeforchrist.com/green/index.php/resources/the_evangelism_model

This week was called "QuEST" week, where all the students across the state of NJ take the initiative to step out in faith to share the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. Our goal this year is to have 2000 Gospel conversations! Last year we had over 1200! At Kean University, the students had several events planned to reach the campus.

Monday they had a prayer walk through the campus.
Tuesday they did 5-question spiritual surveys call QuEST with several students around campus.
Wednesday they took out the trash of residents on their dorm floors simply out of love.
Thursday they set up a table in the University Center to share their faith through a picture survey called "soularium" with 50 pictures. This day, I was with them and able to get into quite a few gospel conversations. One daughter of a local Pastor plans to rededicate her life to the Lord after straying away.

Praise God for the things He is doing in and through these students who will ultimately return to their churches, trained to share their faith through various methods! Christa & Liscet (pictured right) are Kean Resident Hall Assistants and are already starting multiple conversations with students in their buildings! Now their students know where they can turn to when they simply need prayer! :0)

Sharing God - QuEST week

2010-11-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

(Kean ladies at Fall Retreat 2010)

Tuesday I took Sharon, the student Cru president at Kean University (far right in picture), out into the campus to share our faith at the Latino Heritage Day. After a few QuEST surveys, we were able to pray with a young woman to come to know God personally!

This week, students are sharing their faith all across the state of New Jersey as a joined effort in something we call QuEST week. Last week, I was able to train students to share their faith using different conversation starters and tools. A few members of Campus Crusade for Christ at Kean (KUCru) will be conducting a "Prayer Walk" across their campus today and engaging in spiritual conversations with those whom they come across.

Praise God for students who love Him & live for Him!

FR.2010 - From the Inside Out

2010-11-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Every October, Jersey Metro joins the Westchester team and this year, the Philly Metro team of Campus Crusade for Christ to have a fun weekend away at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference. This Fall Retreat is meant to give our students a time to rest and draw closer to God as they are away from midterms and work for the weekend.
This year, Roger Hershey spoke about living a life surrendered to Christ and led by the Holy Spirit from the Inside Out. Our Jersey Cru emcees engaged the 200+ students and our band led them in worship all five meetings. The students had a chance to attend seminars that trained them in living the spirit-filled life and so much more.

Chinwe (Pictured right) prayed with her best friend, Ashley (on right), to receive Christ just last year. Ashley is a freshman at Rutgers Newark helping me to pioneer a CCC ministry there. So far Ashley has enjoyed growing in her faith at Fall Retreat and meeting many other Christians at Jersey Cru. I've always known God has been active in my life even before I got saved but seeing how he impacted others life as we all got to know each other at the Fall Retreat was truly amazing. I've never been in an environment with so many Christians so I know God put me there for a reason. My experience at the retreat changed the way I look at life and people for the better. It was as if God had the speakers write their speech specifically for me because I related to everything so much it was almost scary. God spoke through the speakers and taught me not to judge others because of their sexuality or due to jealousy which unfortunately are things that I used to do. Hearing that God loves me, will do anything for me and deserves to be praised and worshipped was nothing new to me, it was just how the speakers attached what I already knew to situations in everyday life. Everything that happened at the retreat happened for a reason and I thank God for giving me such a wonderful experience. – Ashley Ezewuiro, Rutgers University – Newark, NJ

Every Student Sent

2010-10-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

"And that's what we want to see: every student to be transformed into lifetime laborers for Christ." In a training webinar today, this was one of the opening statements by a leader in the "Every Student Sent" (ESS) movement of Campus Crusade for Christ. This webinar affirmed my calling to help encourage students to walk intimately with the Lord as they learn to live a life that will have an eternal impact on God's kingdom now (in college) & throughout their lifetime. It also brought me back to the website allcallings.com and it's purpose. AllCallings.com connects you with like-minded friends who want to live out their faith in Christ.
Saturday a group of my friends from church and 3000 other New Yorkers partnered with "New York Cares", a community volunteer organization, in an effort to revitalize the public schools around the 5 boroughs of New York. We painted murals, planted flowers, clean and cleared libraries & so much more!

During NY Cares Day, we worked alongside many people motivated by the simple desire to "do good".This got me thinking: How often do we, as Christians, come together in similar efforts to help our communities with their physical & spiritual needs? Sure, we join other efforts to do such things, but when are we leading in this manner as Christ has called us to? How often do we sacrificially love people in simple gratitude of God's love for us? And how do we organize those ideas?! If it's happening, how do I find out about it. I've seen this happen often through Christian ministries like GAIN partnering with our college students to reach the victims of National Disasters. But how do I ensure that my students recognize they can be lifetime laborers for Christ without being a full-time missionary or minister AFTER COLLEGE?

I encourage you to be part of a church community that will hopefully be an active lead in this role in your communities. But I also encourage you to visit www.allcallings.com and join a community network. We're created for community... to live out the gospel in the context of relationships. AllCallings.com connects you with like-minded friends who want to live out their faith in Christ. Find a real community where you can connect with others to combine the Good News with Good Deeds. Join a team to reach students, professionals, the underprivileged, or to cross cultures bringing hope as the hands and feet of Christ.

I love how my church does such a great job of being involved in reaching the community! With this website, now I can tell people in my church about things happening all across NYC or even an event I want to plan by posting it here. I have so many Christian friends (20's and 30's) tell me how they wish they knew more Christians their age and had a stronger community. Here's a start! Create a profile and connect with the many from around the WORLD!

Chile Ministry Helps Trapped Miners

2010-10-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

News you won't read in the secular headlines....

CNN highlights it well, but a few others highlight the comedy of the Chile miners & president instead of what they experienced & displayed coming out of the cave.

Every miner looked healthy & well! How is that not an act of God that it was possible to send them food! Praise God that there weren't any deadly injuries!
Every single miner was wearing "Jesus Film" shirts! WHAT? How did they experience God 2000 feet underground!
How do they now have a deeper understanding of being rescued not just physically, but spiritually?!

A crazy day in the life of...muah

2010-10-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

New Staff Training (NST) is something every staff person goes through to better understand their position focus and job description. This year the intern, Esther, and I are going through NST with our female director, Jen, every other week at our Cru house (pic left). This past week we discussed the annual plans and goals of our own personal work within the Jersey Metro ministry as a whole. Later, my director and I revisited one of the tools we use to help give a clear gospel presentation. This tool, historically known as "the 4 Laws" is a 7 page booklet entitled "Would You Like to Know God Personally?" (KGP)

After a quick lunch, my director, Jen, and I drove up to Newark, NJ to meet with two key contact students from Rutgers University (Newark Campus). These students would like to start a ministry on their campus but don't know how just yet. As an established ministry, we can train them in pioneering their campus for Christ. This particular afternoon, I was able to train one young lady in how to share her faith using the KGP. Young in the faith, this student happily embraced the opportunity to learn this simple method and even asked for a second booklet to show her friend!

After Newark and a quick dinner, I headed over to Kean University where the women involved where having their first women's time of the semester. I lead the six ladies in a discussion about an article from the thought-evoking book "Fantasy: An Insatiable Desire for a Satisfying Love" by Betty Churchill. This book addresses the issues faced by women in their twenties or so to help bring them positive encouragement and clear biblical teaching. We had a great time learning a little about each other but even more so, about the truths God has placed in our lives which is the loving fact that He comes to save the world, not to condemn it.

I really enjoy that my job is full of unique ways to build into the lives of students so that they learn how to live a fulfilled life that shines the love of Christ to others!

CoJourners - C4:5,6

2010-09-27T20:54:00.001-07:00

How do I train students to share their faith?

This is typically my role and has recently been made easier through this video. Below is an intro to an evangelism paradigm of how to share ones faith in a practical way with people you cross paths with daily. Evangelism and "witnessing" tends to inhibit many Christians, but this opens our eyes to how simple it can be.

Click here to view the 6 minute intro to a wonderful tool to encourage you toward this mission.

Jersey Cru

2010-09-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hey guys don't forget to check out JCru! Also join Jersey Metro the Facebook with all of the Campus Crusade for Christs in NJ!

JCru is a gathering of over 200 students from across the state at Rutgers University, New Brunswick meeting to fellowship with other believers in the same life stage and ministry position. Here what's happening at FDU, Kean, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, Ramapo & more!

Plus hear about cool new opportunities like Fall Retreat!

JCru

Location:Lucy Stone Hall - Rutgers University

Time:8:00PM Friday, September 24th

Race, Culture, & Religion

2010-09-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know that this blog posting is actually very well delayed.

Be real... How much of an issue is gender, race or culture when you address someone for the first time about religion?

Do we cater the Kingdom of God to those who most look like us unless we feel especially called to some people of a different culture?! Is that why I hear so many people say "I'm going to Africa on a missions trip" when Africa is a continent? Or is this why people say they are called to an urban environment (thinking poor, minorities) when most "urban environments" have a wide range of people with widely different economical statuses?

Do we have to feel called to a certain group of people if they are different from us before we can be a light to them?

Why don't more Christians start spiritual conversations with people who are different from them? Is it a matter of comfort? Ignorance? Sin?

RADIATE - 2010

2010-09-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

Part of my job is to help plan and promote conferences that will build up students into life-time lovers & ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Basically...check out this video