Summer Mission and Life Update
After 6 weeks in San Diego for Summer Mission (SDSM), I am finally back home in Denver! My main focus on Summer Mission this year was leading the outreach team and discipling a group of 4 students (DNA group). It was a great group of guys. From staff kid to brand new believer, they all were at various spots in their walks with Christ, but in separate phone calls I had with them before the summer started, they all shared with me a desire to understand God’s word, hone in their evangelism skills and stand strong for Christ in their daily lives. I knew then they were going to get along well! We did Bible studies together, beach and campus evangelism, and worked through trainings on how to be a leader and light for Christ at their colleges and in their workplaces. The staff have all gone home, but these guys, as well as the 36 other students on this summer mission will continue work and ministry at Mission Beach until August 5th.
My DNA group, Preston, Jaren, Me, Timothy and Josiah on Mission Beach during our last week.
In addition to leading a DNA group, I lead the Mission’s outreach team with another Cru staff, Levi, from a team in Arkansas. We did weekly evangelism trainings with students on how to initiate spiritual conversation, share the Gospel, and utilize evangelism tools (Soularium, Perspective Cards, Knowing God Personally booklet, Quest Survey, etc.) in various settings. We then actively spent about 6 hours a week going out to the beach, campus, or the park to share our faith with those tools. The evangelism days grew and challenged my DNA group as they practiced articulating the Gospel and sometimes facing rejection, but also resulted in 2 people they met accepting Christ as Lord of their lives this first half of the summer!
Now that staff are gone, students are filling leadership roles not only for the Outreach Team but for Men’s Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Prayer & World Vision, and Community Life. The student leaders for each of these teams are continuing structure, events and ministry in addition to their local employment!
Please be praying for all 40 of the students still in San Diego completing their mission, the guys I discipled and the coworkers and strangers they will interact with in the coming weeks. Pray that they will continue to grow in their knowledge and understanding of God, for boldness in sharing their faith, and that they would be the aroma of Christ wherever they go!
Here is a list of prayer requests that was sent out this morning by Tori and Hugo, the student leaders for the Outreach Team.
Personal Life Update
Maddie and I are quickly approaching our 1 year anniversary of living in Denver! Here’s some updates about us.
Praise for: God has been gracious to us in building community with old and new friends! We have been feeling filled and encouraged relationally. Maddie was especially grateful for Amber and Justin, our landlords turned close friends, during our time apart this summer due to SDSM. They continue to be a blessing in our lives! They even let us build a chicken coop in the backyard this Spring :-)
Praise for: a church that we really enjoy attending, Trinity Church Denver. We are hoping to pursue membership this fall!
Prayer for: Maddie’s work at Colorado Children’s Hospital. She has been feeling quite worn from night shift life and is also considering transitioning to a different specialty.
Prayer for: Traveling to Milwaukee July 16-22nd, for a Cru work conference with all state-side staff. Please pray for safe and healthy travels and that it would be a productive and encouraging week!
That’s all for now! I will be uploading another update in the coming weeks to share about an outreach training that Levi and I lead while in San Diego. It was a big highlight for myself as well as many others on the mission.
I look forward to sharing that with you all and hearing from you guys too!
Take care and God bless.
Joey
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
