Update from February 2025: To see pictures, click here to view pdf.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9

Embodying the Priesthood

God has been raising up students in our Campus Ministry@Grand Rapids community to share the gospel. In the middle of the Fall semester, a small group of students and I met to prayer walk/evangelize every Thursday afternoon. Starting in the winter semester, the group has grown and now students go out on both Thursday and Friday afternoons. We  meet to pray together and seek the Spirit to guide us. A couple of weeks ago as we listened for guidance, one student heard the color blue and another the color yellow. We set out walking and praying. As we neared the Laker Line bus stop on Fulton, David (one of the students) felt led to talk with someone he saw sitting there. David introduced himself and shared that he loved Jesus and that the Spirit led him to talk with him. The man’s name is Chris. David heard a bit of Chris’s story and how he was struggling with homelessness so David offered to get him some food from Burger King. They set off on foot walking to Burger King and on the way David was able to share how Jesus has set him free from sin and has given him life and hear Chris’s testimony. Another student and I followed David and Chris and interceded for them as well as praised God for clear guidance as Chris had both a yellow and blue bag—the colors given as guidance in our prayer time. After a meal at Burger King, David offered to get Chris some groceries from the local grocery store. The following Sunday at our Well service, our text was Leviticus 9 focusing on the priests and the priesthood of believers. We were able to share David’s story to show how God was already using those in our CM@GR community to embody the priesthood and encourage students to serve as mediators between God and people—embodying God’s grace and glory to sinful people. 

Girls Run Club: Temples of the Holy Spirit

Two of the girls in this picture felt led to start a Girls Run Club this semester. While both were athletes in high school, neither really enjoys running but knows that it’s good for them. They both had heard and seen a lot on social media promoting a certain body image and fitness regimen for women which was unhealthy. So they combatted the pressure of the world which focuses on how far and how fast we run with God’s perspective from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. It says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” I enjoy running so I joined them and was surprised and deeply encouraged by how we spent our time. We gather at one of the student’s houses in Grand Rapids and for the past several weeks have set out as a group running 1 mile at anywhere from an 11-13 minute pace. To many in the running world it would seem like a joke to call this a running club, but I celebrate the truth these students have found that God doesn’t call us to run faster or farther, but to honor him with our bodies. We focus on running together and talking as we run while listening to worship music. Then we meet back at the house and spend time meditating on a scripture passage and praying together. I praise God for students who testify to the God who called them out of darkness--enslaved to the ways of the world--and  into his marvelous light! 

Chosen to Serve: Belize

This picture was taken on my Campus Ministry Spring break trip last year where I went to Guatemala to serve for a week. One of the days we were able to help out at a ministry that cares for kids with special needs. This year I’m going with a group of 14 students to Belmopan, Belize to serve with the King’s Children’s home. Campus Ministry is sending over 200 students on 16 different service trips this year. My team leaves on a bus on Friday, February 28 (tomorrow) at 11:30pm and then will be home around 3am on Sunday, March 9.  These are student-led Spring Break trips so as a staff member on this trip, I am there to pray for, encourage and support the leaders and the team, and serve alongside them. We will be helping with daily tasks at the children’s home including: laundry, cleaning, cooking, engaging with the kids, helping with grounds work, etc. We will also be painting a playground. Then we are going to a different city to go door to door in a community inviting people to a new church plant. I covet your prayers for myself and our team.

Prayer Requests:

-Pray for all of us to grow in intimacy with Jesus and each other (Many of the students on our trip are sophomores and are still coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior)

-Pray for God to work in the hearts of those we serve, embodying His love for them. 

-Pray for health and safety (3 of the students on our trip are gluten free so pray for God to bless the food we eat to our bodies)

-Pray for our student leaders that they would be led and guided by the Holy Spirit

-Pray for me to depend on the Lord to meet all of my needs and for wisdom for how to love our team and those we serve well