April Update
"We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children."
- Psalm 78:4-6 -
Greetings friends!
April was an incredible month for our ministry in Texas and beyond. I hope your time celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus was as wonderful as ours. Great things are happening locally and globally to reach those under 25, (who now comprise over 50% of the world’s population). Please continue to pray for us as we are hard at work making a difference for the next generation. As always, your partnership and support mean so much to us!
TEXAS
Our Movement DFW team has allowed me to help develop a DFW networking strategy focusing on addressing our research. Our hub network will be called “NOW DFW”, Not On Our Watch and will coordinate the other regional networks, encouraging and resourcing them, as well as, gathering data so we can measure progress. The results will be an increase in adult/student mentoring relationships, campus ministries across the area, students participating as an integral part of the church, and an army of trained leaders and students equipped to engage this generation with the gospel of Jesus. We have 70 plus national student organizations (through our campus alliance), a collaboration with the global network, “NxtMove” with leaders from 10 global nations, and over 200 local pastors, youth leaders, businessmen, educators, ministry, and community leaders collaborating to lead change.
NOWDFW: is a network of DFW youth leaders who will commit to work together on a common agenda to change the trajectory of young people leaving the church and their faith.
Our Accelerate Texas plan has been shared with our Texas team and is not only being implemented, but also being used by other organizations as a model for collaboration. We are meeting with Dare2Share in May to discuss how to implement the shared plan. I continue to mentor Anthony Tollett at Chambers Creek in Grandview and speak to his students on occasional Wednesdays. He and Scott Whitson, our director of missions in Southwest Fort Worth, are leading the new Hub network in Johnson County. This “Movement JC” network, comprising the four networks in Johnson County will meet May 13th to begin to implement the plan. We’re excited to see new youth workers networking in Austin and Taylor to reach students.
LOCALLY
The young adults at Declaration Church allowed me to teach on servant-leadership at one of their Bible studies. I always enjoy working with them. Declaration held an outreach and Easter egg hunt, where I served at the welcome booth with some great friends. In addition to leading worship, and mentoring keys players, I got to go with the worship team to The Woodlands First Baptist Worship Seminar.
I was privileged to lead worship on Palm Sunday, Easter, and last Sunday of the month at Calvary Baptist in Rosenberg. Carol and I were honored to read the story of the cross at Declaration’s Good Friday service.
Our Willis network held a well-attended FCA “Fields of Faith” event, which saw the field full of those making decisions for Christ. I got to follow up two new believers, CJ and Kamryn. In addition, I was honored to fill in and preach at Katy’s First Baptist Church, filling in for Jason, my son-in-law, who got stranded in New York due to flight issues. We also celebrated Ed Small’s 82nd birthday together with our Third Ward Houston network and long-time friends.
NATIONALLY
Carol and I travelled to Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, to train leaders in Jesus Focused Youth Ministry and work with church catalysts and planters in the area preparing for our summer mission trip and getting some down-time as well. Our team of 18 will be on mission with church planters and ministries the first week of July.
We continue to work with my long time friend and mentor, Barry St. Clair and our team of four to repackage “Penetrating the Campus”. Our goal is to help train and resource youth leaders across the nation to reach students on the largest mission field in America, the middle school and high school campuses.
GLOBALLY
I am currently coaching a youth leader in India, Aezal Shyl, in Jesus Focused Youth Ministry. We are working with him to get the training translated and online in Urdu. We have also sent an invitation to online training to leaders in El Salvador and Nicaragua, hoping to multiply the strategy through their leaders and networks.
Updates/Prayers
Movement DFW as we build unified collaborative networks to lead change.
Onboarding our new key leader, Aaron Aguirre, in greater San Antonio.
National Day of Prayer on May 4th; Prayer walks across the US in capital cities.
Our summer plans to train leaders in JFYM and gospel-advancing ministry.
Students as they train in and develop their 9-month mission trip plans for the new year.
Thank you all again for your love and support.
