It is day. But it won't be forever...

Urgency—There might not be tomorrow

Campus Crusade’s role is to help build movements everywhere so that everybody knows somebody who truly follows Jesus Christ. Part of my role in that ministry is to be trained in how to win, build and send people by the power of the Holy Spirit and so, help the body of Christ to fulfill the great commission. In this training, post summer Bible classes, I read an article by our current president, Steve Douglass. “Future Direction” describes how and why Steve felt led to more clearly define our ministry’s role in the Church universal, and he does. At the end of this article, Steve emphasizes John 9:4 in  regards to the very ripe harvest all around the world in saying: “It is ‘day.’ But it won’t be forever. So let’s work… together!”
When I met Dina, a new Latina staff joining Destino (Cru’s effort to reach Latin Americans & Hispanics), in Orlando this summer, I didn’t recognize the seed God was planting in our relationship to create a thicker unity within the body of Christ. In connecting us through my former discipler and good friend, Jen Hu, God began to align us to the same vision Steve Douglass mentions in this article, “movements everywhere...so everybody knows somebody who knows Jesus Christ.” Dina and I both recognize the quickly growing Latino community and plan to: help bridge their knowledge of Christ so that they may know Him, bridge to the majority staff (not Destino) with them on the mission field level, and bridge the generational gap within their culture and churches. With this community quickly growing, we recognize the urgency in our mission to see every Latino & even every minority have an opportunity to know somebody who truly follows Jesus Christ.

Discomfort vs Disunity

Minorities in ministry often feel uncomfortable as they are surrounded by people of a different class, culture, etc.
One of the things God taught me when I first became a part of Campus Crusade for Christ was that comfort is NOT something He has given us a right to. Christ’s divinity in flesh, Paul’s radical life change, the disciples living off of whatever they were given, Abraham leaving the only place familiar to himself, Moses speaking & leading a nation, Esther confronting a King on behalf of her people are just a few examples of people who were obediently uncomfortable for Christ. Even Peter, who didn’t want to take the Gospel to the Gentiles was challenged to do so in a vision from the Lord recorded in Acts 10. Like Peter, in Acts 11 was in an uncomfortable position to bridge the gap between the Jewish believers and the newly converted Gentiles, I think God has called me to be a bridge builder within Cru. Please pray for me and Dina as we seek the Lord to know how exactly He wants us to do this.

My Mission:

“Through the leading & power of the Holy Spirit, may Christ be fully known to all peoples, by our love for one another, as we raise the standard of this Christian nation and ultimately be a light of unity to the world.”

For more information on what I mean by this, feel free to email, call, or look to my Facebook or Blog. :)

Keep reading and praying! Thanks for helping me work full-time to be part of fulfilling the great commission.

In Christ,
E. Tabitha Morales

Crashing into trials (car accident)

2012 Keeping Tabs with Campus Ministry

Kean Cru - Stand guard!
Red Rover, Red Rover, Calling Satan over?!

Kean Cru Bowling in September 2011

Every semester, the Cru ministry at Kean University tries to have an "open house/welcome" meeting. Typically this consists of a snacks, games, and an explanation of the ministry according to Acts 2:42-47.

I was asked by the Kean Cru leadership team to give a short presentation explaining the ministry and our mission and vision at Kean on the first Thursday of the semester, February 2nd. Although I felt physically ill the morning of the talk, I had already prepared a "prezi" for that evening. As I spoke about the ministry, the Holy Spirit kept emphasizing community in my heart. So I pointed out how the community in Acts 2 was constantly together, in prayer, studying scripture, giving to others and staying in fellowship. This community characterized by love caused those around them to be in awe and have favor upon them! I then asked: "Does our community at Kean University cause the faculty, staff and students to be in awe? If not, why? Are we loving one another as God has loved us to the point that it transforms the community around us?"

Interestingly, the Holy Spirit gave me an analogy I never expected to communicate to the twenty-five students before me. Do you remember the children's game "red rover"? As I asked the question, the room of twenty-somethings looked blankly back at me as though I were from an entirely different decade! "I'm only a few years older than you all! Come on!" In the children's game, "Red Rover", there are two lines of people holding hands and facing each other. When one team calls someone from the other team to come over, that person has to try to run and break through the hand-holding chain of the other standing team. If the person breaks through, he/she takes the two people who's hands they separated and brings them over to join his/her team. If the person CANNOT break through, then he/she must join that team. I used this analogy to show the importance of real community in the body of Christ. I defined "real community" as a group of people who know more than each other's names and majors. For example, when I see the enemy coming after my friend, I can "hold her hand more tightly and stand firm". However, if I'm unaware, I'm in danger of being knocked down & allowing my friend to be knocked down as well.

Front of my car (not nearly as bad as the back)

I know the Lord is allowing the enemy to run at me and Kean Cru through trials of various kinds because nothing happens outside of God's knowledge. BUT GOD!... Praise God, I've seen our leadership team at Kean hold tightly to one another through prayer and love in the power of the Holy Spirit so that the enemy CANNOT break through. Sure it hurts when he rams into my car at 45MPH while I wait at a stoplight behind several cars with a student in my car. Yes, it's difficult when the tire on the car I rented pops on the way back from Kean the following night. Sure, it's painfully devastating when I find out I'm allergic to the pain medication I was prescribed at the hospital. However, I know God will be glorified, for we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus! :) As 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 says, "...we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed...."We are staying in prayer, keeping our eyes focused on Jesus, and running the race with endurance until the end.

As for my car, it may be totaled but I'm still not sure. It's definitely not drivable in the state it's currently in (basically squished) but insurance will cover the damages. I'll just have to wait and see God provide! :) Through this all, my students have been getting very sick mentally and physically. I think God is drawing them to their knees to fight this spiritual warfare, remembering that in our weakness, His strength is perfected! Romans 12:12 says "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." When I want to complain, I remember that God is good and ALL that He does is good! I'm grateful for how this is bringing unity to the Kean Cru leadership team. They are recognizing their need for wearing the whole armor of God to engage in this spiritual warfare for the hearts and lives of college students, faculty, and staff on their campus. They are being reminded of the importance of community when we are under attack.

Jersey Metro Planning Summit - Tecumseh 2012

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."

 

Battle Buddies...

I've really been feeling down lately. Don't get me wrong...I'm not depressed or anything and I've been making sure that I stay soaked in His Word and surrounded by His children to encourage me. I have made sure to find reasons to be happy and praise God every day!

However, one thing I've noticed in the past two years of raising support is that in the front lines of a battle, one needs a companion. My friend returned from war in Iraq last summer and while she was away, all she could tell me was that she missed her friends & family. She wanted desperately companionship that would keep her mentally, emotionally & spiritually strong while she was away. Connecting with me & her family on the phone once in a while was NOT good enough.

I'm blessed to say God has brought encouraging friends into my life during this time of raising support but I'm even more blessed to say He's NEVER LET ME GO! This song has truly reminded me of that!

"I can see a light that is coming for the hear that holds on and there will be an end to these troubles, but until that day comes, still I will praise You! You never let go, through the calm and through the storm. You never let go, every high and every low, YOU NEVER LET GO OF ME!"