This semester is off to a really great start!! Noah and I are both leading students through an inductive study of the book of 1 Thessalonians! It is really exciting to watch our students really dig into the word together.
Now that school has been in session for a few weeks, we have gotten into a "routine" of sorts for the week. It's a big blessing for me especially to have a basic pattern of what goes on throughout the week. It is great to be meeting with students, planning Nav Nights, leading Bible Studies, etc. etc.
It is amazing to see students start taking initiative/ have leadership roles in some of these things as well. Up until this semester almost everything in our ministry has been staff led. Last week was the first week since we have moved here that neither Noah nor Norm (our boss) was a part of the Nav Night worship team. This means that a student LED the worship team and we have students to be ON the worship team! It may seem small, but this is huge! Noah is also training some people to do sound/tech stuff at Navs which will ease his Thursday night load. We even have a team of students helping plan our upcoming retreat (did I mention how THRILLED we are to have student help/input?!?!) We are eally enjoying EVERYTHING this semester (which makes for long days and busy weeks, but we are really grateful!)
Two big things that are coming up are:
1) Navs "Spring" Retreat:: Noah and I are planning (along with a team of students) a retreat for the U of I Navs group. This is the first time we have done something like this where we have a co-ed retreat that is just our Navs group (Our fall conference is a regional conference with Nav groups from multiple campuses coming together.) The retreat is just about 10 days away! (It is Fri-Sun February 18-20) If you want to see the great promo videos Noah made to promote the conference to our students, go here: http://www.illininavs.org/retreat.html
The retreat is about loving God in singleness, dating and marriage. We really want to encourage students to love God first and foremost! Please be praying for all the preparations that go into planning a retreat!
2) An Evening with the Illini Navigators. This is also a first for our ministry. In just about a month we are holding a fundraising banquet. The intent is threefold: (a) It is an opportunity for students to invite their parents, relatives, friends, mentors, etc to come and find out more about the ministry. A variety of students will be sharing testimonies about how God is using them at the U of I, Norm will give a short message, and we will be showing a video about The Navigator Collegiate work. (b) We as a ministry will have a chance to serve together! We will be decorating, doing valet parking, preparing and serving food, doing childcare, etc etc. It should be a great bonding event! (c) We will be raising money for the Navigator ministry here at the U of I (Things like conference scholarships and subsidies, weekly Nav Night expenses, food for socials, etc. ) If you interested in knowing more about the banquet (or if you want to come!) go here: http://evening.illininavs.org/
Now that school has been in session for a few weeks, we have gotten into a "routine" of sorts for the week. It's a big blessing for me especially to have a basic pattern of what goes on throughout the week. It is great to be meeting with students, planning Nav Nights, leading Bible Studies, etc. etc.
It is amazing to see students start taking initiative/ have leadership roles in some of these things as well. Up until this semester almost everything in our ministry has been staff led. Last week was the first week since we have moved here that neither Noah nor Norm (our boss) was a part of the Nav Night worship team. This means that a student LED the worship team and we have students to be ON the worship team! It may seem small, but this is huge! Noah is also training some people to do sound/tech stuff at Navs which will ease his Thursday night load. We even have a team of students helping plan our upcoming retreat (did I mention how THRILLED we are to have student help/input?!?!) We are eally enjoying EVERYTHING this semester (which makes for long days and busy weeks, but we are really grateful!)
Two big things that are coming up are:
1) Navs "Spring" Retreat:: Noah and I are planning (along with a team of students) a retreat for the U of I Navs group. This is the first time we have done something like this where we have a co-ed retreat that is just our Navs group (Our fall conference is a regional conference with Nav groups from multiple campuses coming together.) The retreat is just about 10 days away! (It is Fri-Sun February 18-20) If you want to see the great promo videos Noah made to promote the conference to our students, go here: http://www.illininavs.org/retreat.html
The retreat is about loving God in singleness, dating and marriage. We really want to encourage students to love God first and foremost! Please be praying for all the preparations that go into planning a retreat!
2) An Evening with the Illini Navigators. This is also a first for our ministry. In just about a month we are holding a fundraising banquet. The intent is threefold: (a) It is an opportunity for students to invite their parents, relatives, friends, mentors, etc to come and find out more about the ministry. A variety of students will be sharing testimonies about how God is using them at the U of I, Norm will give a short message, and we will be showing a video about The Navigator Collegiate work. (b) We as a ministry will have a chance to serve together! We will be decorating, doing valet parking, preparing and serving food, doing childcare, etc etc. It should be a great bonding event! (c) We will be raising money for the Navigator ministry here at the U of I (Things like conference scholarships and subsidies, weekly Nav Night expenses, food for socials, etc. ) If you interested in knowing more about the banquet (or if you want to come!) go here: http://evening.illininavs.org/
