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Off to the Races!

Hello friends and partners in ministry,

It's finally here! After a long summer of putting together our financial & prayer support team, I'm pleased to announce I've been fully support-raised and the apprenticeship is now in full swing! God is so good, and I've already gotten to taste hints of what he has prepared for this year.

This past Sunday, we had our official Minister Licensing Ceremony! Take a look at the 2021-2022 FOCUS Apprenticeship Team.


These are the men and women with whom I will deepen my understanding of God's word in weekly classes, and praise God together regularly by sharing good news about how we've experienced his hand on our college campuses. I have already gotten the chance to establish a relationship with nearly all of them. I'm so excited to work alongside these brothers and sisters of mine as we together love and glorify the good God we get to serve.

Thank you again for all your support. It's because of your generous prayers & giving that I get to be a part of this team this year.

I also wanted to share about my close friend Konner, whom I've gotten to study the bible with over the last year. He just finished his freshman year at UTA and God has radically transformed his life. He entered college subscribing to an atheistic worldview, and even convinced many of his peers in his hometown to reject Christian beliefs. Long story short, over 9 short months and with the friendship and guidance of several campus ministers, he...
  1. Intellectually affirmed God's existence, and that Jesus is God. 
  2. Fell in love with the person of Jesus and decided to make him Lord of his life.
  3. After thinking long and hard, seeking lots of advice, he reached the decision to take the step to be baptized.
Fast forward to now, Konner just got back to his home in Louisiana after working as a leader in a 10-week kid's bible-camp called WinShape. On Monday, I spoke with him over the phone for the first time all summer and he shared some meaningful reflections. 


"WinShape has really shown me how to be pushed to do God's work and how he can bring you through any storm."

"I have had some campers on the spectrum, and there is nobody that has more joy and love for God than those campers with disabilities. They have the biggest heart for Him, no matter how unfair their circumstances are compared to other campers."

"I finally have learned what it means to love God like a child."

Speaking on the phone with him made me emotional and I even moved the phone away from me to cry as he was telling his many stories from the summer. The God who loves Konner and the kids at WinShape is the same God who loves us and who loves all the students we're preparing to befriend and love on UTD's campus. For this I rejoice and praise him with excitement in my heart.

Finally, I want to ask for prayer as we get ready for our annual student-leader training conference called SICM (Student Institute of Campus Ministry). 140-150 students will be driving down to Bridgeport, TX tomorrow and will begin 5 days of intense learning and training. I remember SICM being incredibly impactful to my relationship with God and the 3 years of ministry that followed, up until now. I am so excited to watch God teach these eager students of the Word.

All the guys from my UTA small group (we call called them Cores) who
went to SICM with me in 2018! From left to right, we have Ulises, Brady,
Jalen, Ricky, Ryan, and Myself (baby-face and all).

This short video was recorded by my friend Jared when he attended 
SICM as a student. I pray it ministers to you as much as it 
has to me each time I watch it again.


Thank you again for your willingness to partner with me in this mission God's placed before us. Please join me in praying for these students as they go to SICM for the first time and catch a vision of how God wants to work through them to change the world in his name. Pray also for the thousands of students coming to UTD over the next month, whom these freshly invigorated student-ministers will pursue with the love Jesus has filled each one of them with.

Your brother,
Taylor

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