Great Dane Community

The year at UAlbany has been far from easy. We had two small groups going on and neither seemed to be really "taking off." We constantly asked God the question, "what is going on?" What we weren't seeing very well was that real, healthy community was lacking with our students. It is such a big school and students live separately from each other. Something God helped us to recognize is that what our UAlbany students need is real, healthy community. Last week, we made the decision to combine both of our groups into one and do a study on Christ-centered community. We had 11 students come last week and it was such a great time together. After the group with officially over, students continued to hang out. One was sharing about her life and started crying because she felt like she was so afraid of failing in her relationship with God and being called a hypocrite by her friends. We got to again remember God's grace and unfailing love together and all left encouraged.

Please pray for this group as they focus on Christ's love together and let it transform their view of relationships- both with God and each other. Pray that it would transform their lives and compel them to reach out to the rest of the campus as well- TOGETHER!

Fall Getaway!

Wildwood 2010 Mini-Reunion

Family picture on Seneca Lake

Football! The annual East vs. West game!

Community building activity

Abby and Olivia- Ready for breakfast!

"I'm ready to roadtrip!"

An Annual Tradition

Its always fun to head back to Long Point Camp on Seneca Lake every year for Fall Getaway. As Jen, Abby and I were walking from the dorm to the dining hall, we figured out that it was our sixth year at Fall Getaway. Jen went for two years as a student, and I as an intern with Syracuse. Then, we went for one year while raising support to move to Albany. We've been taking Albany students with us for two years (this year made three). It really has become an annual tradition for us....and it was a great, restful encouraging time this year as always.

We had 24 students from the Capital Region join us this year. They all made the 3 hour road trip, so that they could spend time with each other in a set apart place from their campus. It was a great weekend! Many students (and staff) said that they haven't heard that clearly from the Lord in a LONG time! The speaker clearly conveyed our need for Jesus- and His deep love for us. Mark challenged us to live in community- to not isolate ourselves. He also said that the good life is spending our life on Christ. We respond to His love for us by living His way- the good way. It was a great weekend and I am thankful for that opportunity every year to get away and remember Jesus and His call for our life. Thank you for praying!

Changing Colors Means Seneca Lake!

One of my favorite parts of fall is driving up through Central New York along Seneca Lake on our way to the Fall Getaway. The changing colors of the leaves are beautiful and a great reminder that in the midst of change, God remains the same! He also changes our lives to look more like Jesus...the beautiful Savior.

Tomorrow, around 150 students and staff from all over New York State will converge at Long Point Camp on Seneca Lake to worship God for who He is and watch Him continue to change our lives. This is the fifth year that students from all of Upstate New York (Ithaca, Capital Region, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo) will come together. There will be meetings where we will worship God through music and hear from a great speaker. There are also a few times where campuses will come together and discuss how we can impact our campus with the Gospel. And...of course....the annual East vs. West Football game (which will include Ultimate Frisbee and Volleyball this year). A great and fun rivalry!

Pray for....

• All of us to grasp the depth and length of God's love for us...and for that to give us a deeper desire to live fully for Him
  
• Vision for campus...for students to leave with a great desire to reach their friends and peers with the Gospel
• Great times for students to connect with peers and have good times of fellowship
• The meetings- I am the program director this year (running the main meetings)- pray that I would rely on the Holy Spirit and leave the details to Him
• Great weather and safe travel!
• FUN and a weekend where we really ENJOY the Lord!
  

The Need to Belong

"Movements everywhere, so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus." I need to constantly remind myself and students of this mission that God has put before us. At Siena College, one of the problems we have seen over the past two years is the need for students to be a part of a club. In a heavily religious school, students want to belong to a place that focuses on relationship with Jesus instead of the do's and don'ts of religion. Understandably so...so how do we continue to focus on movement building, while giving them a place to belong. We have been putting the vision before them for years now...and it doesn't seem to sink in. What is the problem? God really has started to show me, as he revealed why I have such a need to belong.

God has created us with a desire to belong to something or someone. Its only natural. However, he tells us that if we have trusted in Jesus, we belong to Him...and that is enough. How many of us really believe that though? How many believe and live out the fact that Jesus truly satisfies all needs and wants? Could this be the core problem of why we are not seeing movements on campuses? We can push and encourage students all we want....but if they are not believing that Jesus satisfies completely, why would they be able to focus on going out instead of focusing inward? Why would they be able to focus on building movements and loving others, instead of looking to community for their source of love and acceptance?

Would you pray that we would grasp and live in the deep love and acceptance of God in Christ? Would you pray that would fuel a movement at Siena and campuses throughout the world, so that everyone REALLY CAN know someone who truly follows Jesus.

Saints Are Back...Back Again!

Siena Saints are back for another school year! It was so great to step foot on that campus yesterday for the first time this year. It was even more exciting to walk into the room where we were meeting and see 10 students ready to take lead on their campus. At the end of last year, we had 4!!!! What was even more exciting was that there were 4 freshmen! I couldn't help but wonder what God has in store for the Siena campus this year.

This weekend, just like last week at UAlbany, Siena Real Life students will be going door to door with 150 surveys for other students to take. These surveys will have the same questions that UAlbany Surveys had:

1. Do you ever think about your purpose in life?
2. Do you think it is possible to know God personally?
3. Do you want to talk with someone about how those two go together?

Please pray for student interest in talking more with us. Also, please pray for Joe and Caroline (students at Siena) as they head up this survey event! We'll keep you posted!

Great Dane Update

What happened the first week at UAlbany?

-2 days of meeting and moving freshman into their dorms
-250 freshman received a free water bottle and filled out a really quick spiritual interest questionnaire
-144 freshman indicated they wanted to talk more about God, their purpose in life and how those two go together
-Real Life students and staff had conversations with those students
-I had two hour long conversations with freshmen guys...one of which prayed to receive Christ!
-A new great connection with the staff of Indian Quad- The freshman dorm
-A party to celebrate the start of a new school year. We connected with freshmen there
-The start of the freshman small group

Freshmen filling out surveys

Audrey (Real Life student) interacting with freshmen