October Update
Dear Friends and Partners,
As always, thank you for your continued support and prayers. It’s been a year since I began full-time with NNYM, and I couldn’t do this without you. God is at work and we’re praying and strategizing for revival globally!
Texas and Beyond
At the end of September, our Texas team met on a zoom call for our first “Accelerate Texas” team meeting, working to see that every one of our 30 regions has a key leader promoting networking and campus ministry locally. We are halfway there! Our team has increased tremendously in the past year and making a huge impact across Texas. We will hold another in November leading up to a Texas Summit for all leaders in Central Texas this February.
“See You at the Pole” was well above pre-pandemic levels, and our new app came out, helping empowered students to plan a successful event, and greatly increasing participation. Picture after picture came in from schools with large participation, as well as, many who were holding it for the first time. I had the privilege to speak in Albany, Louisiana at an After-Pole Rally, and saw two accept Christ, 5 recommit their lives, and 13 called to ministry. We continue to pray together bi-weekly on zoom calls with leaders from across the US at “Pray 923”. I’ve also been privileged to do some interim youth speaking at Chambers Creek Baptist, Grandview, Texas, on some Wednesdays. I met with their youth leader and three students for training in Jesus Focused Youth Ministry this month as well.
Locally, I met with a number of church and para-church leaders. My home-base church, Declaration Church, held their exciting groundbreaking at their new property off of the Grand Parkway. I had the privilege to work with some of their students to lead the first “See You at the Pole” at Grand Oaks High School as well. I’m blessed to work with their missions team as they develop a long-term plan for local and international missions. I also continue to lead worship many Sundays at Calvary Baptist in Rosenberg, Texas.
Our Texas lead team had a booth at FBC San Antonio at the Texas Youth Ministers Conclave. We promoted NNYM, Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry, Adopt Your school, and 9-Month Mission Trip there. It was a great success, and we identified 3 networks, 4 strategists, and had dinner with our new San Antonio strategist. On my return, I stopped by Georgetown and met with those ministering to college students there. They are supporting a leader for us in the Belton/Temple/Killeen corridor of Texas.
We will hold our national campus strategist call on November 3rd, as we gain momentum with leaders across the state and nation to see campuses have strong Prayer, Care, and Share Ministries.
Carol and I got to take a few days the first week of October and vacation around Portland, Oregon. I love doing missions in the Pacific Northwest, and developed a renewed passion for the people there. The night before we left, we had dinner with NNYM friends, Phil and Anna Ball. It was a restful time away and we enjoyed seeing the beauty of God’s creation.
INTERNATIONALLY
Movement DFW hosted the NOW “Not On Our Watch” Summit at Dallas Baptist University the last week of September, which saw 10 or more representatives from all 10 regions of our world meeting together to help change the trajectory of Christianity for the next generation. One million students leave the faith in the US alone every year, and we are taking actionable steps to reverse that trend. We also plan, with the other regions, to accelerate spiritual awakening globally though collaboration, prayer, strategies, and resources identified and shared. I’m privileged to work with some incredible ministries, influencers, business leaders, and laymen from around the world who join together in this incredible movement. We shared about See You at the Pole with the leaders there as a possible part of a greater spiritual awakening globally. (Hearing “How Great is our God” in 20 or more languages was incredible).
I now meet regularly in Frisco, Texas, with my region, and Movement DFW to develop an action plan to address the results of our DFW research from last year. We will host a DFW high level planning and strategy meeting early 2023 at Dallas Baptist University.
Thank you all for partnering with me in this work in Texas and around the world.
Blessings,
Rick
P.S. - I have recently read two incredible books about changing the trajectory of Christianity for the next generation. Canoeing the Mountains by Tod Bolsinger and Saving Christianity by Michael Youseff. I highly recommend these.
Thank you for your generosity that is helping us continue the work of reaching students and training student leaders all across the world.
