September Update
I’m really excited to share this month’s newsletter with you all, and it’s because of you we’re able to report some INCREDIBLE things.
September Events…
NATIONALLY/INTERNTIONALLY
See You at the Pole Global Day of Prayer on September 27th had a tremendous response this year, up at least 35% from last year, or more. (Pictures and reports continued in a constant stream on the twitter feed set up for that purpose.) Students were praying for spiritual awakening and revival, not just “bless this and that.” Many groups held after pole rallies where students heard the gospel and responded. We have no way of knowing results, but we know what happens when the gospel is shared. Many student clubs and prayer groups are created as well after these events.
We held our annual Campus Summit zoom representing over 70 students ministries from across the nation. Over 100 leaders came together to share best practices and celebrate victories. I spoke on Campus strategists (we now have 37 in Texas), and their value to our team. My friend, Barry St. Clair, announced the “Awesome Way to Pray” update project we’ve been working on. It’s an update of his previous work on prayer triplets for student ministries, with a leaders guide, and student guide provided free to all youth leaders. We’re also nearing completion of an update of his campus guide which will be called “Campus Connections” a Field Guide to Campus Ministry. This will also be available for free to all youth leaders to motivate and activate them to go to where students are-the school campuses-and develop prayer, care, and share ministries so every student has the opportunity to hear the gospel and grow in Christ. We raised the funding for this and greatly appreciate those who gave to make this happen!
You can download them here!
An Awesome Way to Pray - Students Guide by Barry St. Clair
An Awesome Way to Pray - Leaders Guide by Barry St. Clair
I was privileged to be a guest speaker at a 150-student youth camp in Pakistan, working with my Hope Network friend, Arif Ashiq on a midnight zoom call. They learned how to share the gospel and how to internalize the Word of God.
NNYM STATEWIDE
We now have three statewide prayer initiatives. Pray for Texas Schools (Headed by Beulah Kondur, Facebook), Pray for GenZ (Headed by Anchor Bend Church, Rosenberg), and Prayer Watch for Schools (Headed by Dottie Hinesley, our Galveston/Brazoria coordinator). I’m also in a prayer triplet with long time friends Barry St. Clair and Kevin Miles.
Strategists and friends, Mance and Amanda Cutbirth in Corpus Christi, lead SYATP at two different schools every week with their “Pray Corpus Christi” team. Their church held an outreach at A&M Corpus Christi, had 1000 show up, and saw 124 baptisms. New Life church and their network churches are seeing a great move of the Spirit.
On September 18th and 19th, NOW DFW in collaboration with our NOW partner networks brought in Greg Stier, founder/president of Dare2Share ministries. Greg trains students and leaders globally in how to have gospel conversations and disciple others. He spoke in North Dallas and Burleson, allowing us to train 105 leaders to train others. And he spoke twice at Dallas Theological Seminary at chapel. The event was co-sponsored through our relationship with Texas Baptist Men, who funded and supported it.
While in Dallas, my friend Kai Kawalski (from my home church) visited Texas Baptist Men’s facilities. We are working with our church, Declaration Church, to become a HUB for disaster relief and coordination in the North Houston area.
On one of my four meetings with NOW DFW (our Network name for Movement DFW), I went to Wichita Falls, met with Sam Powers, and he agreed to be our North Texas coordinator/strategist. He was formerly regional FCA leader and has great network connections. They also promoted See You at the Pole and had an after-Pole Rally there.
Carol and I attended two significant fundraising events in support of campus club strategy, Students Standing Strong and Movement DFW. Terry Ann Kelly leads “3S”, and is good friends with Kelly Shackleford, the lawyer for Coach Kennedy who knelt to pray in Bremerton, Washington, and was fired. He spoke via zoom that night. Shackleford won the case in the Supreme Court, and due to that and two other landmark cases won, Christians have more freedom of religious expression than we have had in 50 years. See rfia.org (Religious Freedom in America), watch the video, and celebrate a HUGE victory for religious expressed.
Shackelford told us that he has our backs! And the aptly named “Lemon” law used against religious expressions in 700 cases the past 50 years is gone! Here is a quote about the ruling:
“Kennedy v. Bremerton School District represents a tremendous victory for religious minorities in America both because of its narrower holding—that acts of religious expression by public school teachers are constitutionally protected—and because of the broader implication that Lemon has been finally vanquished.” (realclearreligion.org)
LOCALLY
I’ve begun leading an “Influencing Your World” small group at my church once a month for students called to ministry or missions. We had a great first meeting, preparing for SYATP. Our students led four of the Pole prayer events in our area. We’re working with our regional FCA leader to see five FCA “Fields of Faith” outreach events in large stadiums in our area, hoping to see 500 first time salvations, 100 at each event. This is a student led and planned event as well. Local Montgomery NNYM coordinator, John Alexander, is doing a great job with FCA and with Pray for Gen Z. He and I also helped with a strategy meeting with Anchor Bend Church and Gen Z expert/author, Steven Robertson (Author of GenZ: 10 surprising truths about GenZ) to create a strategy for reaching every school in Fort Bend County. (Sugar Land, Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg region). Steven is making his findings available to us to help us reach more students and create a model for other areas in developing strategies.
I was also privileged to train 75 leaders and students in Katy at their After-the-Pole Rally, sponsored by the Katy Youth Pastor Network. My grandson, Jacob Bollinger, is now a youth leader at his church in Richmond, Texas, and his students also attended. What a cool thing is all I can say!
Updates/Prayers
Awesome Way to Pray and Campus Connections to be used across the US to reach campuses.
Opportunities to enlist more strategists and create more networks.
Dare2Share live to be in 300 churches.
Fields of Faith across the US to see a great harvest.
A spiritual awakening across America.
Thank you all again for your love and support.
