Christmas is coming!

Hello,

Most likely as you read this, you are eagerly anticipating your upcoming Thanksgiving break! Chances are, that you might think there is plenty of time to consider Christmas outreach after thanksgivin but even with Thanksgiving just over a week away, most of us only have a few weeks before exams end, so it is probably just the right time to plan for some Christmas outreaches. People are usually much more interested in spiritual things at Christmas time, so I encourage you to be ready to share the hopeful "news of great joy" that we have with your friends and classmates.

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."" Luke 2:10-11

Some outreach ideas to the campus may include:

• Giving out any remaining evangelistic books and resources at a table, or bringing them to a weekly meeting or small group and encouraging members to take 2-5 with them to give out to friends.


• Giving out candy canes and/or hot chocolate at a table near the campus bookstore when people are selling books back. (There is an interesting story about the Candymaker using/designing candy canes to tell others about Jesus--not sure if it is true or not but there is some interesting connections in the design).


• Showing the Charlie Brown Christmas special (there is actually gospel content in it!)or the Nativity movie and having a party where people invite friends. Play some fun games and decorate Christmas cookies (made in advance).


• Get together as a group and bake cookies to give out to non-Christian friends and to the people on campus that you want to thank.

One other thing we would like you to consider is taking a few moments to thank those who help to make your ministry possible on campus. (Phil 1:3 "I thank my God everytime I remember you.")
Some of those people may include:

• Faculty Advisor


• The person who approves your posters


• The worker who reserves rooms for you


• The accounting person who you go to with your financial questions and for money


• Etc....

There could be many others, but consider how you might show some appreciation to them. A card signed by those in your ministry or leadership team, a small plate of homemade cookies etc. Nothing expensive or elaborate but it shows care, appreciation and the love of Christ

We pray that these ideas will help you reach out with the love of Jesus in a couple weeks as we enter the Christmas season. If you don't use one of these ideas I hope it helps spark your imagination to develop other methods of reaching out!

Praying for you,

Prayer: Praying onsite with insight

Hello,

Last week I shared with you some thoughts on prayer, this week we wanted to mention prayer walking. Prayer walking is pretty simple, nothing mysterious but very beneficial!

Simply leave your room and comfy chair behind and walk through your campus and pray. If you are seeking to help your movement's prayer ministry grow have a prayer walk during your weekly meeting or small group.

Some ideas:
1) Pray as you walk, go with 1 or 2 others, many more than that and it will be difficult to walk and to hear one another.
2) As you pass certain buildings pray for the people who work and live there. Pray for residents in a particular dorm, pray for Fraternity & Sorority students as you walk pass Greek houses, pray for the administration as you walk by offices.
3) Pray for groups of people as you pass by them. Pray that the lost would hear about Jesus and receive the good news.
4) As you walk pass the gym and athletic fields pray that athletes would be reached and that bible studies for athletes would begin.
5) Pray in or outside of the rooms where you have your meetings and Bible studies. Pray that students would come and that Satan would be prohibited from entering. Pray for protection.

As you walk you see things that you may not see if you were in a room, this prompts us to pray for them.

Some benefits of prayerwalking:
1) Your heart for the campus will grow as you see people and the needs there.
2) You will pray for people that you probably never would of thought of before.
3) Your compassion for individuals will increase.
4) Prayer time will go by faster and will be more meaningful.
5) God will be glorified!
6) You will get to know the 1 or 2 people that you are praying with better.
7) Fresh air and exercise!

Matthew 9:36-38 "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

So, consider prayer walking your campus. Try it even as you walk back and forth to classes. Invite a friend to come along, a Bible study can do it, or have everyone gather and go out in groups of 2-3. See what the Lord reveals to you!

Enjoy praying!

Prayer: Connecting with God

Hello,

I think one of the most tremendous privileges that we have as believers is to be able to talk to the Lord of the Universe - to be able to boldly approach His throne in prayer!

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16

"Again , I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20

We talk about prayer a lot, and all know its important, yet we often struggle to actually pray!

How can we help create a culture of prayer on campus? Here are a few ideas:

• At your weekly meetings: open and close with prayer, occasionally have times of corporate prayer during the meeting, have people turn in groups of 3 or 4 to pray for a certain topic.


• During Bible study: make an effort to have a time of prayer for one another, write down prayer requests on an index card and each person pulls one out and prays for that person during the upcoming week


• Try setting up prayer partners or triplets for those that want to meet for prayer and accountability


• Prayer chain: have people sign up who would like to participate and when someone has an urgent prayer request, they can call the first person on the prayer chain, and that person calls the next person and so on... You could also set up a prayer email list serve.


• Set up a prayer table on campus: reserve a table in the student union and have a sign for people to come over and share a prayer request. You may also want to have some articles to handout or info about your ministry, but the emphasis would be to encourage people to share their prayer requests. Don't forget to actually pray for them! If they are okay with it, you can do this right then and there!

It is great to pray for people's physical concerns (my aunt has cancer, my brother broke his leg) or concerns about school, work etc. However don't forget to pray for spiritual needs! Pray for friends & family to come to Christ, pray for the lost on your campus. Pray for revival. Expand your vision and the vision of those in your ministry beyond the temporal, focus also on the eternal! It is important to ask God to bring students to Christ, help our ministries grow, and change the culture/environment on our campuses. Please take a few minutes to check out some more ideas and information related to building a movement of prayer on campus at the Godsquad website: http://www.godsquad.com/prayer/index.htm Then choose an idea or two to put into action on your campus!

We are praying for you!