A New Creation

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God."-2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV)

     Think about something old that you or your family has always had. Maybe your thinking of a quilt, or a clock, or some sort of family heirloom. When you look at it, it makes you think about all of the things it has been through. Being owned by multiple people, used in a variety of ways, and aged with time. This item may not be as attractive as it once was. It's colors may have faded, it may no longer be of necessary use. My grandparents are frequent antique purchasers, and my grandpa restores old furniture. Sometimes when he receives the furniture parts are missing or broken. Many times he has to remove old paint and add screws or nails, or completely rebuild parts of the furniture. But it is incredible to see what it looks like when he is finished restoring it. The solid wood shining, the memories of its former glory finally restored. It's beautiful again. 

     Jesus is the magnificent carpenter. He scrapes away the old paint, and reveals the beautiful oak underneath. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" This is something I have loved about doing college ministry. I get to see God working in people to make them new again; restoring hope, joy, and life. I get to be a part of Jesus bringing new life to people. How amazing is that? He is working in the most mundane and ordinary ways to reconcile our relationships with him. So many students who step onto this campus are worn out from their circumstances or life decisions. They are bogged down by the places they find themselves stuck. Pieces of them are broken and needing repair. And all the while, Jesus is sending out students who know him into their classes, jobs, and extracurricular activities to reach and restore old furniture. 

My Gals:

I recently realized that I haven't introduced all of the wonderful women I work with here yet. So without further delay, I would like to introduce you to the student leaders that I get the pleasure of helping:

Zoe and Caroline:

Emma and Jacquelyn:

Anna and Abigail:

Wulan and Catherine:

I meet with the leaders of these cores every week to discuss how to best lead their girls to Jesus. We talk about personal growth as well as thinking like a pastor. We are currently focusing on reaching out to people on campus, and having conversations about Jesus with students who are not yet involved. These are extremely hard working leaders, who have sacrificed their time and resources to build friendships and faith with other women at UTD. I am so grateful to get to work with them, and they really are some of the backbone of this ministry. Without Anna, Abigail, Zoe, Caroline, Wulan, Catherine, Jacquelyn, and Emma so many students would be without true friendships and mentors. Thank you ladies for your love and sacrifice! 

October Events:

This October was full of exciting events to discuss! We had a leadership conference that talked about creativity and innovation in terms of the church. It was so helpful to hear from a variety of people from a variety of ministry types. As a leader, being creative and innovative are must have characteristics for growth. We invited some of our potential leaders to be a part of this discussion, and give some of their own thoughts and ideas. 

Another exciting event was our Halloween party. Our plan for the actual party was to have an outreach event on campus that we could invite visitors to. Unfortunately, We had to cancel the party due to an outdoor space and freezing temperatures. But luckily, Our student leaders are fast on their feet, and they set up an alternate indoor party! We had dancing and a costume contest and it was so much fun! 

Here are our first, second, and third place costume contestants! 

A personal favorite costume- Sir Elton John!!!

Anna, Caroline, and I at the party. 

#spooky 

One of our amazing Cores all dressed up!

A Big Ask

I am so thankful for all of you who read this blog each month and support me through prayer and monetary donations. It is truly amazing to me that I get to do this work because of people like you. With that said, I am still around $1000 a month short of my fundraising goal. I want to ask those who feel called to consider financially supporting me, or recommending potential donors who would be excited to join my team! I would also just live to hear from any of you anytime to catch up! Please don’t hesitate to call me. I couldn’t do any of the things I talked about in this blog without your generosity.

My contact information:
Email: Hanna.mason@anyfocus.org
Phone: 903-651-1302

Prayer Requests: 

- please pray for potential donors to join my team so that I can continue doing campus ministry

- pray for our upcoming outreach and evangelism on campus. Pray that people would be open to conversations

- pray for our winter camp that is coming up in January

- pray for the students who do not have family to go back to during the holidays, that they would connect with someone and feel welcome

- pray for the recent tornado damage and the students affected by it 

- pray for the new students in our ministry, that they would see Jesus through us and learn how to rely on him 

Thank you so much for your prayers. They are never wasted or unappreciated!