And when they had eaten their fill, he [Jesus] told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. (John 6:12-13)
We’ve been studying the Gospel of John for Bible course during the Summer A session. A few weeks ago we touched on Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000. We examined how the gospel combats a scarcity mentality — “I’m not smart enough. Not good looking enough. Not wealthy enough. I just don’t have enough!” Jesus used a little boy's lunch to not just feed thousands, but after they all loosened their belts from eating more than they should have, there were 12 baskets leftover. Jesus lovingly shows us how God has come to do more than we possibly could ever dream or imagine. Only Christ can make slaves into sons/daughters, sinners into saints, debtors into heirs.
Summer A Semester has officially ended and Summer B has begun. These past two months have been wonderfully busy. The Ministry Center was fully open and we held numerous social gatherings including three Bible courses in-person. We were also able to hold an online Bible course with incoming freshmen!
Our first-ever hybrid Illumina (Leadership Lecture Series) had speaker Amilee Watkins from Goldenwood, Inc. share on faith, vocation and how to listen to God’s voice in a busy world.
It has been very encouraging to see students back on campus, in and out of the Ministry Center. Right now, student leaders are in the middle of a 30-day fast. We have been seeking God together as a team asking Him to bless the initiatives we are planning for the summer and fall. We truly are believing in God for a mighty awakening on this campus!
Would you please join us in praying for:
- Student Ministry Leaders and Executive Team: pray for the student leaders as they plan for the upcoming semester. Pray that God would give them wisdom and the strength they need to accomplish all their tasks. Pray that the summer would be refreshing times for their hearts.
- Incoming Freshmen: pray for the new students joining Columbia this fall. Pray that they would be able to connect with Christian Union Lumine students and experience the hope of the gospel through deep, meaningful relationships.
- One-on-one discipleship: Pray for deep, meaningful conversations with students. Pray for those that are struggling in their faith and for those that seek to grow in their walk with God. Pray that God would use these one-on-one times to strengthen and grow individuals.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are truly grateful for your love.
Stan Thomas
Ministry Director
Christian Union Lumine
Please note: if you would like to receive regular updates on how to pray for Christian Union's work at Columbia, please email prayer@christianunion.org.
