Laboring for the Church. Laboring for God's glory.

2012-01-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

I just listened to this sermon on "Real Marriage" by Driscol. [http://marshill.com/media/real-marriage/new-marriage-same-spouse] Wow... convicting and refreshing to hear Marc and his wife's honesty. Give it a listen. Let me know what you think!

Vulnerability

2012-01-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

Check out this great TED Talk... I like this lady, and what she stands for.________________________________________________________www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

Resolutions

2010-02-02T07:03:00.001-08:00
Happy New Year!

Well, Happy February at the very least. Yes, I'm sure you're thinking, "How can she see through all those cobwebs on her blog to even type a new post??" Sorry for the pro-longed absence. I've missed writing you you. I hope you have missed me as well. I wanted to post my latest newsletter on here for those of you whose email or home address still escapes my little, grubby hands. ;)

This will catch you up from last year til now, and hopefully I will do a better job at blogging this year. But I'm making no commitments, aloud. After all, if I fail, why should I fail publicly? ;) So, in accordance with my generation, I shall make no commitment at all(chuckle, chuckle). Take that!

Enjoy reading... as I make an honest attempt to enjoy blogging.
Take care!

January

2010-02-02T07:02:00.001-08:00
I brought in the New Year with some old WDA students and the Satterfield’s in Athens—it was very special to worship and catch up—the highlight of my winter break! My sister got married to the most hilarious and loving man and my brother had his third baby! I turned 26 and I started my second semester at a very snowy Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

February

2010-02-02T07:01:00.001-08:00
I joined a new church! Lawndale Community Church is on the Westside of Chicago, located in an underprivileged, African American and Latino neighborhood. Being there has been a fun adjustment and has provided some unique learning opportunities.

I have been helping the church’s Singles’ leaders think strategically about discipleship. In the spring of ’09, the Singles class studied WDA’s Knowing God series and are currently reading through Colossians. The singles who attend LCC are from all walks of life and very hungry to grow. Praise God!

March

2010-02-02T07:00:00.004-08:00
I started dating my friend, Jon. The Lord has been shifting my thoughts, feelings, and beliefs regarding dating, attraction, and sexuality. Pray these lessons would continue. Jon and I dated just for a few months and are now friends, but the process taught me much about myself and stretched my faith in God’s goodness and sovereignty. I am thankful for the experience and for a friend who was patient and understanding as I stumbled, albeit, dragged myself, forward in exploring this area of my life.

April

2010-02-02T07:00:00.003-08:00
In April, I served with the Gospel Coalition’s executive administrative team for the
2009 conference. That’s right—I edited announcements with D.A. Carson, was Mark Driscoll’s neighbor at the Hyatt, and rubbed shoulders with John Piper C.J. Mahaney! What a dream! Ha—really, we just ran their errands, directed thousands of men, and served so much that we got to attend few sessions ourselves. It was completely exhausting—as are most rewarding experiences. I was honored and filled with joy to serve over 3,500 pastors as they drank in the wisdom from today’s prophetic voices, learning how to better minister to their local church congregations. Those of us that helped, left praising God for his grace, which allowed a small, young, and inexperienced group of adults to pull off such a large and kingdom-significant conference.

May

2010-02-02T07:00:00.001-08:00
I finished my first year of graduate school—with good friends and great grades, I might add! Trinity has been a blessing to me, but I miss Athens, my family and friends, and working with WDA. Sometimes I question if I should have gone so far away to get my Masters—but I trust in God’s leading more than my own homesick heart, and know I’m there for a reason. Pray for continued faith and endurance to finish well. One and a half years to go!

June

2010-02-02T06:59:00.001-08:00
WDA met for its annual Staff Conference in Johnson City, Tennessee. It was refreshing to hear all that WDA has done this year—globally and in the States—and even more encouraging to spend time with our staff. When God first called me to WDA, I had no idea how much I would grow through the faith and love of our staff members. I am very thankful to be a part of such a grace-filled organization!

July

2010-02-02T06:58:00.002-08:00
This summer I was a nanny for FOUR kids. Whew! I told my mom it might be a while before I gave her grandchildren. Although it was tiring and difficult at times, all in all it was a fun, growing experience. Pray for other financial opportunities like this to arise—either through increased donor support or jobs that fit my schedule. Within the last year, my financial support has dropped significantly. If I am to give my time to ministry opportunities—there are many, even on-campus at seminary—I need the Lord to supply for this need! Please pray.

August

2010-02-02T06:58:00.001-08:00
I started school back up! This semester was a bit stressful—lots of people around me were in crisis or navigated difficult transitions, I took 17 credit-hours, a counseling practicum that Lawndale Health Clinic (LHC) had offered me fell through so I had to scramble for another site, and I had reoccurring nighttime headaches for about a month. But, as always, God was faithful and brought me through these intense attacks. It was a trial, but I am thankful as I felt the presence of the Lord through it all and am expecting a more restful semester come January 2010.

September

2010-02-02T06:57:00.002-08:00
It turned out to be God’s goodness that my practicum fell through at LHC—I would not have had the time or energy for a fall practicum. And, by God’s grace, I was offered an even better opportunity. I have connected with a dynamic group of women who have mentored high school-aged girls in an underresourced community close to Trinity for nearly 8 years. Last summer, they identified a need for sexual abuse counseling among the girls. However, they have not access to counseling in the past. This spring, I will be adding a counseling arm to their ministry. I will lead sexual abuse recovery groups, and Lord willing, lay the groundwork for future Trinity students to meet with these high school girls. I am excited for this opportunity as my supervisors are very encouraging, the field of sexuality has become one of my passions, and it seems that a counseling partnership between Trinity and Girls Connected would be realistically sustained in years to come. Pray that the Lord would go before us.

October

2010-02-02T06:57:00.001-08:00
Speaking of sexuality, I took my first class at the Institute of Sexual Wholeness in October! After a few years of weekend courses, I will be a certified sex therapist! Who knew that the Lord had that in mind?? I am continually awed that this would be part of God’s plan for my life and would appreciate your prayers for further direction.

November

2010-02-02T06:56:00.000-08:00
I was thankful to spend almost two whole weeks in Georgia! Every time I come home, it becomes harder to return to Illinois. I feel most at peace and most myself when I am down South. I hope this means I’ll be moving back home upon graduation… time will tell!

There are some interesting developments at school as of late. A few of my friends are interested in joining WDA staff or building training partnerships with us. Apparently, I’m quite the little recruiter! One couple spent 2 weekends with some WDA staff in Georgia and another friend may do an internship in Atlanta this summer. Pray for God’s will to be clear for those that are toying with the idea of joining WDA or beginning training partnerships with us. You’ll hear more on this later!

December

2010-02-02T06:55:00.000-08:00
Once again, I am home, resting from academia, making Christmas gifts, helping my sister and brother-in-law paint their home, and visiting friends. I hope I get to see you! But, at the very least, thank you for reading about my life, loving me, and continually supporting me. Your faithfulness to give astounds me—especially admits the recession. Truly, I would not be able to do what I am doing without your giving and your friendship! So please, don’t stop ;)…and if you know of anyone who would like to join my support team, please email me at beccakristenbrown@gmail.com. If you would like to donate before the new year for one last tax write off, email me as well and I’ll get you the details! ;)

I wish you all the best this Chirstmas—joy and peace in Jesus as you celebrate his present and future redemption.

Love and gratitude,
Becca Kristen Brown

Staff Conference

2009-06-09T10:17:00.000-07:00
I arrived in Johnson City, Tennessee yesterday. Johnson City is the home of WDA's annual All-staff conference... and to places like this...and yes, that is what the restaurant actually looks like.

Oh, country-bumpkin South, you are an interesting place indeed.

Yet, Johnson City has come to represent something altogether different for me. The city has come to represent a time of rest, encouragement, reunion, re-invisioning, worship, and prayer with WDA staff that I have come to dearly love. WDA's staff is comprised of veterans of ministry who know how to pray earnestly, trust courageously, love generously, speak the Word without shame, help others grow, and dream things that can only be accomplished by the power of God. These men and women have fought the good fight and come to understand that which is truly important.

Namely, one's character. As we discussed current events in our ministry, Bob, our president said, "I hate to hear about church meltdowns, but I love to hear about church meltdowns". This statement was made in reference to one of WDA's tasks: to cast a vision for discipleship. Before we blow the trumpet for disciple building, we must first convince the Church of their brokenness and need for restoration. This stance, we realize, wins us few friends but we believe "faithful are the wounds of a friend" and preach nonetheless. Sometimes, church meltdowns do the preaching for us: character is exposed and the need for Christlike maturity in the Church is felt.

While I'm saddened that crisis and dissension in the body often reveal the importance of "presenting every man mature"-- I rejoice if such a crisis births a renewed effort to genuinely shepherd, lead, and teach the people of God.

Being here with our staff also makes me so grateful to be a part of a group who understands the importance of Christlike character in the Kingdom-- "precrisis". I have been away this year and it's refreshing to be back and pray, dream, question, and fellowship.

Please pray for us this week as we update each other, pray for what God is doing in our midst, and plan for the days ahead. I am specifically asking God to provide "all wisdom and spiritual understanding" for me as I discern where to invest my time and energy in Chicago and beyond. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of many exciting opportunities and need to hear from the Lord. Pray that as I attune my heart and ear to the Spirit, I would not be anxious, but trust in the might and love of our ever-faithful God.

Seminary... a covert ministry opportunity??

2009-05-29T11:24:00.000-07:00
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School... the home of boasted professors such as D.A. Carson, Dr. Vanhoozer, and Graham Cole; partnered with internationally renown leaders such as Ajith Fernando; the departure point of celebrated alumni ranging from missionaries hidden away in closed countries to world-traveling speakers such as Ravi Zacharias. As a school, TEDS' voice is loud in the who's who conversations of fame and significance.

However, Trinity is not just an educational institution. It is a community—a community of people committed to one overriding vision: a vision of loving God wholly, not only with their minds but with all their might, all their souls, and all their spirits. It is a community of people committed to one passion: that of serving God through his church.

The students of Trinity are also young, hungry to see a movement of God, filled with the power of the Spirit and with sound doctrine. Some students here are grounded in the Word, seasoned in ministry, certain of God's character, and aware of the calling on their lives to minister. Yet, this may not be the majority. Many here are on a journey... to know the Word, to know the Lord, to discern their purpose and calling, and to learn how to minister.

I have bee surprised by the "young-ness" of our student body. And surprised by the number of opportunities I have had to minister. Here's a synopsis:

1. An opportunity to affirm:

Trinity is a competitive environment that needs to hear the gospel. So I have the opportunity to say, "Jesus is gracious; it matters little if you are a Hebrew scholar, a smooth preacher, or a prolific writer. Success in ministry does not earn you security, privellage, or righteousness. In Christ, and him alone, you already have those things. He has made you are a minister of the gospel-- not because you are good at it, but because he is gracious. Trust the Spirit to use you and speak through you. Believe, rest, and cease striving."

2. An opportunity to yell like a prophet:

The Church needs the whole gospel. The church (and seminary) needs to hear they are justified by grace and called to walk in holiness. Pastors must preach the gospel and disciple their people. We must not neglect these crucial tasks; yet so often the church struggles to fulfill this call. We must learn to do both and do both well. In a place where pastor-in-the-making are being training, I have had the opportunity to say, "Learn to shepherd your friends, your family, your neighbors well. Knowing the Greek and Hebrew word for maturity or sin is world's away from responding to it in the church. Pray, plan strategically, and strive to build disciples and help others grow to maturity. Shepherding will demand your life-- your energy, your time, your money, and your pride-- but great is its reward!"

3. An opportunity for encouragement...

Seminary provides a space to boast in the Lord and in his body. Many times I have seen fear and discouragement overtake my peers. What place is there to fear when God has equipped his Church and promised to walk beside them in power? There is no room for fear in the midst of such promises! Yet, like children, we so often give into our fears. So, I have had the opportunity to say "If you have a word do not be afraid to speak it vulnerably, humorously, humbly, counter-culturally, cheerfully, and obediently. God has gifted and equipped you, walk humbly in his power."

Seminary is filled with broken people, seeking God... needing redemption. Perhaps the frightening thing is that these same people are the future leaders of the Church and the mission field. But isn't this the foolishness of the gospel? God using broken, weak people to glorify himself and grow his Church. Pray that Trinity, as strong of a voice as it may be in the who's who competition, would genuinely believe the gospel and grow God's people.

Blog Fail

2009-05-29T11:09:00.000-07:00
Here we are again. It's been a few months. God has been ever faithful and life has been surprising and good. So much so, it's taken most of my energy to live it, leaving little to write about it. Perhaps my blog should be added to the fail blog site... to my friend's amusement.

Perhaps, there are a few dedicated people who check in here and there. If so, this one's for you!

Let me take a moment to update you from Fall semester... as I did give you a list. I think what's been neglected were these:

* Why I'm thinking about Sex Therapy
* Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
* Seminary isn't What it Seems
* Ministry, as a Covert Operation

Whew, some big topics and long explanations... but a worthy venture nonetheless, especially now that all my paper writing has ceased, at least for the summer.

Let's do this.

What a cute boy can teach you...

2009-01-12T19:34:00.001-08:00
Attraction.

That’s a spicy word, isn’t it?

It’s a reality that I uncomfortably lived within the first few months of school… a position of submission to God that I did not expect upon coming to seminary. I thought I would learn something more of the Lord’s character or come to understand people’s hearts more deeply. And I have learned those things. God has been near and I’ve learned more of what people need to feel cared for and understood. But I’ve also seen my heart and its reaction to attraction.

What have I found in my heart? Both the realities of fear and submission. I have observed both the willingness to risk and trust the Lord and a reaction of resistance, withdrawal, and self-protection as I become more open to dating and marriage. In all honesty, it really isn’t the idea of marriage that I fear. I do not fear men or intimacy. My family has been incredibly loving toward each other and celebratory of marriage. I am thankful for their example. It is the idea of dating that throws me. I don’t have a working concept for it. I’m not sure what the rules of the game are, so for the most part, I’ve opted not to play.

Through being interested in a guy friend of mine, I noticed one peculiar theme. Throughout my life I’ve had a number of very close friends and have often been on the inside of an interesting conversation. The scenario is something to this affect:

Sarah likes Brain, but Brian doesn’t like Sarah. Sarah makes her attraction known. Brain is very uncomfortable and not interested. Sarah is deemed the “creepy girl” that Brian can’t be friends with any more.

I think somewhere along the way, I took a vow: “I will never be Sarah”, a.k.a., “the creepy girl”… I’ll accomplish this goal by always being friends with guys and not risk our friendship by making my attraction known or allowing them to express theirs.

Well, God, it seems, thinks that is a stupid way to live… and though it makes me feel awkward at times, I agree with him. The “creepy girl” thought is silly for a couple of reasons. First, I’m learning, the average guy will think I’m amazing and not think I’m “Sarah, the creepy girl”… Second, because living in honest relationships, intimacy, and trusting God invite risk and call us to live outside of that which is comfortable and known… And thirdly, hiding attraction is pretty unwise considering I feel a strong call to get married and do family ministry.

So, my heart is being changed. And I am grateful.

Who knows, maybe one day soon, I’ll master the art of one liners:
“Hey, there hot stuff.
You remind me of a parking ticket.
Because you have fine written all over you."

Or maybe the Lord is just getting my heart ready for something… I guess we’ll have to see.

Hi, my name is Becca Brown.

2009-01-12T19:33:00.001-08:00
I’ve introduced myself a lot in the last 6 months. I’ve had to define who I am for others and have run across some interesting themes.

Hi, my name is Becca. Yes, I am from Georgia and say “y’all” and “naked” funny. No, I don’t say “pop”.
My name is Becca and I am a loosely reformed, cautiously charismatic, Chirst-centered, discipleship-orientated sinner who has been saved by grace and eagerly awaits Jesus return.
Hi, my name is Becca and I am a trapeze artist. Yes, a trapeze artist. Yes, that was me hanging in a tree last week. No, it doesn’t hurt… much.
My name is Becca and I paint and build things... lots of things. Yes, there is nude art in my apartment. No, it doesn’t cause me to sin. It provokes worship to God. No, you aren’t the only one who disapproves.
My name is Becca and I am, at times, overly analytical and feel deeply.
My name is Becca and I know myself very well.
My name is Becca and my idea of family is very big. You are welcome to come be a part. My house is your house.
My name is Becca and I might remind you of a hippie. I get that from my mother. She’s pretty silly, but very wise.
My name is Becca and I value intimacy and depth in relationships. I might scare you a little with my questions. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
My name is Becca and I am loved by a great God, an incredible family, and amazing friends.

My name is Becca Brown… and I am grateful.

Dumpster Diving...

2009-01-12T19:32:00.000-08:00
Hmmm… I’m not sure that I can publish this on the internet. But it has to do with my groceries. You can use your imagination. ;)

Church and Ministry

2009-01-12T19:30:00.000-08:00
I’d like to ask you to pray. Beginning in October, I’ve been attending Lakeland Evangelical Free Church in Gurney, Illinois. The church is about 20 minutes from Trinity and I really like it. The pastor is humble, honest, gospel-centered, funny, and seems to really understand how people grow and operate. The people worship enthusiastically and it is a very family-centered church. I’ve had a hard time connecting relationally, however. This week, I plan to join a small group and hope that will help bridge some of the relational gaps I’ve been experiencing. Pray that the Lord would connect me and use me as an encouragement.

For the first couple of months here, I met with a pastor at another local church. This church was very excited about WDA and discipleship. We met consistently for about 2 months, but the Lord began to make it clear that they weren’t to pursue a partnership with WDA and I wasn’t to be a member of their church. The process of brainstorming and meeting was exciting, but ultimately, as the pastor decided not to continue with WDA, the end was saddening for me, personally. I was disappointed not to continue on to serve them through WDA, but trust the Lord’s will and timing in the decision. Please pray for this church. Pray that the Lord would bless them and that they would continue their efforts to grow the members of their church.

I have yet to find a place of formal ministry, but that does not mean that opportunities have been lacking. Last semester, once a week, a group of students met in my home for a meal. We shared our hearts, prayed for, and encouraged one another. This time was sweet, honoring to the Lord, and helpful to encourage growth in each of us. At first, I didn’t label this weekly meal as “ministry”. Then one night, as I cooked in my kitchen, I prayed, “Lord, I really wish I had a place of ministry.” The Lord answered my plea, “Becca, look around you, this is your place of ministry.”

So, ministry may not look formal this year, it might look like caring for the people that God places in my life when the opportunity arises. And if this past semester is telling, the opportunities are plentiful. Pray that I would continue to see them as they come. I so want to be faithful to the Lord and ready when he returns.

honorable mention goes to....

2008-12-01T09:32:00.000-08:00
Can you hear the drum roll?? Heather is playing our game... she spotted the name change in the blog and my pic... Good job, lady!

There are more changes, however. Anyone else want to give it a go??

Blogs to come:

*Why I want to be a Sex Therapist (at least part-time)
*Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
*What a Cute Boy Can Teach You
*Dumpster Diving for Groceries
*WDA, International Happenings
*Church Life
*Seminary isn't What it Seems
*Ministry, as a Covert Operation
*My Name is Becca
*School's for Fools... and for Missionaries

Hope that wets your appetite so you keep coming back for more!

a little thanksgiving...

2008-12-01T09:28:00.000-08:00
There is snow on the ground and the wind is howling. For the first time this morning, I’ve come to realize that I will wake up to this winter wonderland more times in the next month than I have in my entire life. It certainly is different here. But I’m thankful. I suppose Thanksgiving has that effect. I appreciate thanksgiving in that it is a slow and thoughtful holiday. Usually, my family spends the entire day together, eating, visiting, playing football outside, taking naps together, recalling what has transpired in the last year, and of course, eating again. Apart from the ominous pile of dishes in the kitchen awaiting our attention, the day passes slowly, free of agendas and stress. I wasn’t able to go home this year. Though, I did see one of my cousins and her husband’s family in Wheaton. We chatted and laughed about transition awkwardness and adjustment woes, as we both recently moved away from Georgia. It was refreshing to see a familiar face. It was refreshing to relax in community firmly established, instead of having to create it. It made me excited to go home in a few weeks and be with friends and family once more.

Though I am anxious to return home, I am thankful to be here. I am thankful to learn from professors who are wise and have renowned reputations. I am thankful for new friends. I am thankful that new places often bring challenge, dependence upon God, and humor. Whether, it’s the many strange encounters with the Starbucks boy, who thinks I am someone he knows and has a crush on; an increased awareness of my personal idiosyncrasies, sin, or strengths gained from my classes; the frustration of continually not knowing where I am on the road; silliness that comes from classroom crushes; or weariness that comes from homesickness, each aspect is part of God’s plan for my life. Each aspect is good and deserving of gratitude. So I am thankful to be here, even if I do wake up to snow each morning.

You opened the window and winter blew in...

2008-11-29T22:34:00.000-08:00
Guess that's how I feel lately. As if I've just arrived and still need my windows open for the summer breeze. Summer has come and gone... and will soon be replaced by glimmering snowflakes.

The last few months have flown by. This week, I've made it my goal to resuscitate my blog. It will be like playing "Where's Waldo" or "I see it!"... I'll update and you can guess what's changed.

Prizes will go to the most observant and best memory. Let the games begin!

Persecution in India

2008-08-28T21:55:00.000-07:00
Please read this when you can and pray... http://www.gfa.org/orissa-update

Thank you for your faithfulness and fervent prayers.

I'm here!! I'm here!!

2008-08-18T18:08:00.001-07:00

I'm here!! I'm here!!

Hey Friends!! Well, this is a bit overdue, but I'm here in beautiful Deerfield and enjoying life! Thanks for all your prayers and notes of encouragement as I traveled off to a far away land. ;) This trip was fairly smooth... a few bumps in the road (or rather in my shipment that I packed), but nothing too big.

I'm learning my way around town and beginning to feel at home here... My latest accomplishments: I don't have to get on mapquest every time I want to leave campus and I have officially met all my neighbors in my apartment building. I've posted pics of my surprisingly small-- but cozy apartment. Hope you enjoy them! Come over for a visit anytime. ;)

The lasts few weeks I've been working on a church history course through Gordon Conwell-- that has been keeping me quite busy! Also, I've written a letter to give to churches in the area about possibly serving with their women's or twenty-somethings ministry. I'm currently talking to a few churches, so please be in prayer for the Lord's leading!

I love you all and miss you a lot!

Thanks for your continued support. It was so great getting to reconnect with so many of you before I left for the Windy City! I hope to update my blog more regularly since I won't have the opportunity to see your sweet faces as often... so keep checking back here for updates!

Love and gratitude!!

Living in 285 square feet... and in Illinois!

2008-08-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

Scholarships

2008-06-10T13:23:00.000-07:00
Oh! One last prayer need!

I'm registering for classes today(ish). I have still not heard from 2 foundations where I applied for scholarships. Please pray with me that I would receive scholarship money for school.

I'm thankful that the Lord knows my needs and is attentive to them. I trust that whatever happens, he will provide for me. Yet still, I covet your prayers to ask for financial provision with me.

The Founations are "Harvesters" and "John Gyles Foundation" if you want to pray specifically. The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective!

Thanks!!

2008 Staff Conference

2008-06-10T12:34:00.000-07:00
Combatting Pharisee-ism. I'm not sure if that is a word, but it's our topic for this year's staff training. So far the talks have been good, with Dave Johnson kicking us off. I'll update you as we go along. Pray for the Spirit to speak to us and give us insight, repentance, and humility to change where we tend to be Pharisaical. We are staying at East Tennessee State University this week. The campus is nice, but I'm still glad I went to good ole' University of Georgia. ;)

Pray for us this week, if you would. This week is always significant and pivotal to our ministry. Pray for God to encourage us and direct the work of our hands. There is so much going on within WDA's ministry currently-- curriculum writing, continued ministry at our work sites, many churches and ministries asking for training- both internationally and nationally. We need divine discernment and direction. Having all of our staff together each year is a breeding site for brainstorming and decision-making, so we covet your prayers.
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I love hearing about what God is doing around the world through our tiny organization. This morning a report was given about going-ons in Africa. We have WDA associate staff in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda and a partnership-opportunity in Ethiopia that would impact 6 million believers. Kenya has been an under a heavy civil war and "ethnic cleansing", desplacing thousands upon thousands and killing many. 2,000 internally displaced persons made there way to a camp set up by Clapperton, one of a our staff members. In this camp, tribes from both sides of the conflict live in peace together and God provides for their needs daily-- both things are nothing short of a miracle. Many have become believers and are being discipled in the midst of war and devastation. We are seeing that the Lord's arm is not too short to save and provide miraculous protection and provision. (Can I get an "Amen"?)

The official message going out about Kenya is that the camps have been closed and everyone has gone home (giving the appearance that the trouble is over.) That is not true. The government camps were closed and the people were left without resources. Pray for the churches to minister in the Lord's name, in His power and ways. Pray for provision for our guys' folks, as well as a powerful work of forgiveness and reconciliation to come out of this, in the long run.

The numbers at the camps in Bungoma have not gone down much. The bill at the market, to buy food and necessities, is up to $2,000 and not as much has been given lately. Pray that those with resources to help would not suffer "compassion fatigue" and continue to be generous and ready to help. The short-term needs are still for food an clothing. The long-term needs are for resources to start micro-businesses and farming to get people back on their feet.

In other news, we are starting a new project. During lunch today we sat around discussing a booklet WDA would like to publish... "How to Live the Christian Life". We are invisioning a long research paper of sorts with lots of go-to-resources (our own and others) in the footnotes. Pray for God's direction; should be a really insightful project-- but a significant undertaking . Someone commented today that Mark Twain once said "If I had more time, would have written you a shorter letter." Sometimes it's more challenging to do a good job condensing something than writing all their is to know on a subject. I think some of our staff feel Twain's sentiment as they tackle significant doctrines and practices, putting them both in laymen terms and short length. Pray for God to lead us.
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I'll be back in Athens on Saturday and visiting supporters for about 3 weeks straight. (Then I'm off to Chicago!) I'm looking forward to visiting with many of you face-to-face before I leave. Hope you all are well!

Thanks for praying for us this week! Abundant love in Christ!

What is a head

2008-05-14T10:33:00.001-07:00
Come back soon for details of the summer and future plans of moving to Chicago. Adventures await us!!

The last of things.

2008-05-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, we gathered at a pavilion to share one more meal together-- "the end of everything" picnic. It was a sweet time.

Looking back at the last 3 years, I am overwhelmed at all God has done in our ministry and taught me personally. I highly doubt there is any experience that could compare to working with WDA the last few years-- God's ways are very wise and good. I would not have grown in some key areas if I had been anywhere else.

The thoguht of leaving the biblical fellowship and intentional discipleship found in this body, a staff team that though aren't perfect walk in integrity and love, a city of believers who pray for revival, a church that loves to proclaim the gospel, and friends that genuinely seek after Christ's rule in life is an unnerving one.

This is most certainly a bittersweet time-- I am savoring the goodness of God to place me in a ministry and church that raises the bar high in Christ-centered living and reflection. I am reviling in past events-- not to sit and dwell for contemplation sake, but to marvel at the kindness and wisdom of God. He has done great things. In the midst of a weighty sadness, I place my hope in that he is a God that will continue to do great things.

I do not know what lessons or people await me in Deerfield, but know God has given me more than I ever expected ministering in Athens... and know that he will continue to surprise me. But for now, I am pausing to praise Jesus for all that he has done, for all that he has changed in me, and for how he has prepared me for the future works he has ordained.

Admittedly, I look forward to his return when I'll no longer have to say goodbye. When we'll glory in God, together, having never to depart.

Your role, my dear reader, has not been a passive one. For that, I am thankful. You have played a significant part in all of this... supporting me with prayer, finances, and verbal encouragement. I thank you with all my heart. You've ministered with me and joined God's great cause of revealing himself to the Church and to the world. I deeply value your partnership, friendship, and love... And look forward to our journey ahead!

Spring Retreat

2008-03-26T10:19:00.000-07:00
Hello all!

Please pray for us this weekend. The Journey is taking a local retreat this weekend to Sandy Creek Park-- going hiking, playing in boats, throwing the Frisbee around, worshiping, roasting s'mores, and learning from the Word. Should be a good time. We're bringing a friend down to teach-- we'll be studying Daniel together. Pray that it would be a fruitful time and that students would come.

Thanks!! I'll post some pics when we return!

the long lost blog...

2008-03-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Wow! It’s been a while, I know. Thanks for checking in occasionally to see if I've posted anything-- sorry if you've been disappointed the last few months. Most of you know by now there are some pretty significant shifts happening with WDA currently... after a couple of months of prayer and conversation... I can let you in on the news. Again, sorry for the long absence. But have no fear; this is where I'll continue to update you, so keep checking in. New posts are coming!

So the changes within WDA... effect me personally and our ministry in Athens. What's going on you ask? Snuggle up and let me give you a history lesson first. ;) ...and we'll work our way through the nitty-gritty details, together.

WDA started in 1974 and its calling was to be a discipleship ministry. It seemed obvious to everyone in the beginning that the best place to pursue this endeavor was on the college campus. However, collegiate ministry is not all that WDA has done. Through the years, God has grown WDA in different ways. We have a thriving international ministry: we support and train indigenous church leaders, seminary students, and lay leaders in churches located in Asia, Africa, and South America. WDA staff members help these international leaders implement biblical disciple building into the life of their churches. Ans these churches are having a great impact on their perspective communities. Stateside, we are seeing more and more American churches become interested in our philosophy of ministry and our materials. Requests for consultation with local churches who want to implement biblical disciple building are on the rise. It is an encouraging time as God is leading us into new ministry tactics and we are seeing that our philosophy of disciple building really works in the context of church life.

A year ago, our Athens team felt that one of these new strategies was to remain a campus ministry while building strategic partnerships with local churches--training their lay people in biblical discipleship and plugging students back into the fabric of local churches. Well, as you know, scripture tells us that “a man may plan his way, but God directs his steps”. Fast forward 12 months and we feel God has unfolded this plan a bit more, but the outcome has surprised us.

WDA realized several years ago that God was transitioning us into a new and different organization. We envisioned moving from a small classic campus ministry to a worldwide discipleship association focused on “serving the church by training people to disciple others”. We are now at the mid-point. We’ve come too far to turn back, but we haven’t yet fully arrived at our destination.

In the last 15 years, our ministries at FSU, Georgia Tech, Furman, and Auburn have closed their doors as WDA staff have moved into other seasons of life and ministry. Though it’s been hard, we’ve been reminded by the Lord that His calling on WDA has always been to be a discipleship ministry and not a campus ministry. And as we move into the 21^st Century, God seems to be showing us that the classic approach to campus ministry is not the calling He has for us. In May of 2008, WDA’s UGA ministry will join the ranks of those that have gone on before, and close up shop in Athens.

These developments demand asking the question: “Is God shutting the doors of WDA, or is He simply moving us to a new arena of service and employing a new methodology?” Our Athens staff team has been wrestling with this question, but we are taking a faith-stand on the goodness and sovereignty of God, and also on the calling and commission of WDA. We are certain that the task before us remains the same; however, we’re seeing a new tactic for a new season of ministry, and believe the timing is now. The Lord is certainly not shutting us down, but creating a different arena to serve within. It seems to me that God is restructuring WDA—or giving us new wine skins—releasing us from the “classic campus ministry” construct and making us a church-planting and training movement. While we aren’t ready to abandon all of our old ministry structures, God is calling each of our Athens staff members to a more strategic place of ministry within WDA and to trust him as we step out in faith.

As for me, I will be attending Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, this coming fall. I am excited about the opportunities seminary brings and about my program specifically-- Counseling Psychology. I believe this training will prepare me for the opportunities God is bringing about in WDA's ministry. My hope and plan is to return to a WDA worksite ministry once I finish up school. I'm hoping the worksite will be a WDA partnership church with a strong focus on evangelism and biblical discipleship. It'd be nice to come back with a husband too, so you can pray for all my plans! Haha! But seriously, I'd like to ask you to do 2 things:

* Pray for me! I desperately need to hear from the Lord and walk by faith with him.

* Please continue to support me financially. Please continue your normal giving or above if you feel so led! I will have even more financial responsibilities when I enroll in school. My hope is to graduate debt free or with a very minimal loan, so that I may be free to do whatever it is that God calls me to after I complete my studies. I will still be on staff with WDA throughout my enrollment with Trinity, so the mode of giving will remain the same. Give through WDA, so it's tax deductible for you!

If this news is new to you, I do not want you to be discouraged! Please know what an incredible impact you have made in Athens through your giving, prayer, and service. Your labor has not been in vain. I believe, your investment will continue to grow as God gives WDA new ministry tactics to take the message of Jesus to the world. You’ve seen the accounts of changed lives, and I want you to know that you have played a significant role in that work. You have partnered with the Spirit to call the lost to Jesus and believers to Christlike conformity. Each one of you has had a hand in bearing this fruit by the Spirit. Do not be discouraged at the news of this transition-- John 12:24-26 says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life will lose it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him also."

The past years have been a fruitful season of ministry and that makes it difficult to leave-- surrendering a great local ministry to death. But I believe as we submit to God's direction, he will create an even greater kingdom impact through WDA. And though the idea of closing our collegiate ministry in Athens has been frightening and confusing at times, we desire to be where God is and go where he says-- no matter what the cost. I trust, that is your heart as well and believe God will honor that obedience and faith.

"Thanks" does not express the level of my gratitude for all that you've sacrificed so that the Kingdom of God would grow here in Athens. But THANK YOU for all that you have done in the past and THANK YOU for committing to walk with me in what is to come. I am excited for what the Lord has for you and me in the future! Let’s not grow weary in doing good and continue to labor together.

To God be all the Glory forever and ever! Amen!

(If you have any questions or concerns because you are hearing this for the first time, please don't hesitate to email me at beccakristenbrown@gmail.com. I'd be so happy to talk with you and express all that God has done in greater detail! Thanks again and take care!)

I'm a bad blogger... sorry.

2007-10-10T08:47:00.000-07:00
I wanted to forward along an email I wrote to a friend recently that will catch you up to speed. This was written about a week ago. Reading over my own words is convicting. Pray that God would sustain my own faith in his faithfulness and character as we continue in ministry. Our staff team has been swimming through the waters of discouragement. Sometimes it's a doggie-paddle, sometimes it's a strong breast stroke, and sometimes we are just barely staying afloat. I hear the words of our Father God calling us to have faith... have faith.... HAVE FAITH. Pray for us that by his help, we would.

Here's the letter... edited a bit;)

...ministry has been pretty intense lately. It doesn't seem fitting to just list all the things that have happened-- like it would be focusing on sin rather than on God's faithfulness to bring sin to light, in order to redeem, ya know?

But in the last month, we've had to ask one of our students to leave our ministry after repeatedly confronting him about deception. He's had so many opportunities to allocate grace and has only hardened his heart. We went through all the steps of Matthew 18 with him and still there is no repentance. So this has been one of those, "hand them over to Satan" for a time and pray that eventually he'd repent deals. Heart breaking. We've been ministering to this guy well over 3 years. When we told our students, their response was sober, but very encouraging...

I had 2 unanticipated marriage counseling sessions within one week's time... both saddening and long, but hopeful. The couples both seem to be ignored at their respective churches and hungry for help.

A couple from our ministry's past, recently told us their marriage is on the rocks. Mike saw the same guy downtown out with a woman other than his wife and gave him a serious rebuke. Thankfully, he responded well... and called the next day thankful.

One of my girls' I used to disciple and still am pretty close to, has a close friend who was recently murdered. She also recently learned she didn't get accepted to a rehab program that would have been amazing for her. I trust God's will in that, but I'm still disappointed in the decision. But I have seen an increase in her initiative towards sanctification, fulfilling personal responsibilities, and making wise decisions, which has been encouraging. She has also begun to meet with Margo in a small "Knowing God" Bible study and is applying the gospel to her past. Continue to pray for God's protection over her.

Oh, did I mention that none of these people are the actual people that I disciple?? But don't think all is quiet on the western front there, God's been revealing the same heart issues and depth of sin with them. Please pray for a spirit of perseverance. Please pray for faith in the Lord's power and activity in their lives. It is so easy to become discouraged by observations and not live by faith in the character of God. The character of God must be sustaining for us right now, because so much is stirring and spiritual warfare is strong.

So basically, my life has been composed of lots of listening-- to people and to the Spirit-- much prayer and fighting through a whole lot of spiritual warfare. It has become most incredible to me that Christ's work on the cross gave us power and authority over sin and the evil one.
Lately, that has caused me to praise Jesus even more than the thought of him forgiving us. The truth that we are no longer captives is much more unbelievable and has greatly motivated my prayer life.

To sum up my prayer life in a word, I'd choose "fierce". I am glad to be taught the authority that has been freely given us in Christ and to exalt God as a Mighty Warrior. So, even with all this going on around me, God has sustained my hope and faith that he IS working and freeing these that we lead by the power of the gospel! ... But, now this week my body has given in, and I'm sick, fighting fatigue... and wanting to be a beach bum... But what greater purpose could I have, but to minister to others for the glory of God? So, by the grace of God I will not be defeated by my flesh and desire to check out when God has obviously called me to fight!!!

So, that's ministry for me, in a nutshell.

I could really use your prayers. Our students could, our staff team could, and Athens could. Pray for faith. Pray for encouragement. Pray we continue to press on and fight the good fight.

Love you all.
How can I pray for you?

hmmm...

2007-09-12T08:25:00.000-07:00
So it's been a while... well, let me catch you up! We're a month into the semester and...

** We're embarking on our fourth week of teaching through Nehemiah and meeting on Tuesdays. Our group is still meeting at Mike's house... relocation to our downtown space is still pending with the city council. But we are enjoying the hospitality and coziness that the Satterfield home provides. God has met us and been very kind as students are sharing with one another and growing to trust the leading of the Spirit during our corporate times together. Our time of prayer for one another has been particularly encouraging. Students whom wouldn't ordinarily share their struggles with our large group have been doing so, giving other students the opportunity to experience serving and ministering to others in a new way. Pray that God would continue to grow us up into Christ in this way and that we would not just coast through our times together.

** I took Samantha, Krista, Tara, Tiffany, Ashley, and Katie to Saint Simon's Island over Labor Day weekend for a time of seeking Christ through rest and prayer. It was a great time connecting with one another and being with the Lord... At the beginning of each semester there is a sense of rush and busyness that can be distracting from fellowship with believers and Christ himself-- I feel like this weekend was fighting against that, spiritually speaking.

** Every Wednesday our staff team meets with directors of other ministries in Athens to pray. This has been a crucial time as we learn from, pray for, and encourage one another. I have seen a genuine move of the Spirit-- creating unity in the body of Christ here in Athens... This morning there seemed to be a weariness among the group. Please pray that God would be our source of encouragement, strength, and hope as we do Kingdom work here. Pray too that we would be faithful in leading the groups God has given to us... not building on the foundation of Christ with wood, hay, and stubble, but building with the gold, silver, and precious stones.

**In other news, I have continued taking my trapeze class... which is always lots of fun. My hope is not only to learn cool tricks and get killer arm muscles (smile), but that this would serve as an outlet to build friendships with people who don't know Christ. Please pray that God would help me love and care for my fellow trapeze enthusiast;)

Thanks again for reading and keeping up with me. Thanks all the more for your prayer. Drop me a line and catch me up with your life if you have time!

2007-08-29T17:48:00.001-07:00

Fall is well under way and we’re rolling with it. Below is our series for the fall semester. Hope you enjoy. Don’t forget to go and listen to the mp3s on our site .

Broken. Seems like we as people are good at breaking things. Let's face it, breaking a thing is much easier than putting a thing together. And all around us are testimonies to our laziness…broken things…relationships…lives…people…In our culture, many of the structures that God ordained and set in place have been broken down and lay in shambles. Is there any hope to rebuild the walls of a broken generation?
Nehemiah was a man used of God to do just that. God's people had forgotten what it was to live whole before Him. They had given up and accepted broken as a way of life. God used Nehemiah to remind them that while brokenness of spirit is desired by God in our lives, living broken is not God's heart for His people. Together, they rebuilt walls. Could God do a similar work in our day? In your life?

Please pray for my parents!

2007-08-22T13:34:00.000-07:00
Taiwan was hit by 2 typhoons, a tropical storm and a 5.7 earthquake last week. My dad said they have had 5 days of constant rain-- All you Georgians, try no to be jealous! Another typhoon is on the way. As my mom wrote me two days ago, flood water was beginning to come in the 1st floor of their home. Their missionary supervisor 1st floor is already flooded. Pray for physical protection, that God would grant grace to my parents to meet the needs of the local Taiwanese community, and that the gospel would go forth in power! Thank you so much!

Fall is here!

2007-08-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

We are welcoming fall back this week... and students are everywhere. I miss the lack of traffic and lines in general that makes Athenian summers so wonderful... But am excited for the return of students-- new and old. God has ordained them to live here and ordained us to preach the gospel to them and help them grow. So I say bring on the traffic and grocery store lines!!

Ministry is up and running. We had our first Tuesday night of the semester last night. It was a sweet time in studying the Word, praying for one another, and catching up. We had a handful of new students too! The location we were set to move into was bumped back for at least 2 weeks as we wait on the city to give approval to renovation plans. Oh well, we can’t control it and God knows what He’s doing... We are studying though the book of Nehemiah this semester. The audio will be up soon on the web site. Let me encourage you to keep up with us by downloading the free mp3s there and listening to our talks. Go to http://www.thejourneyuga.com/lg.htm Check this weekend for Tuesday night's talk.

Look for changes in our ministry soon as the Journey is becoming the Athens Acacia Fellowship. I’ll be explaining more about this change in the days ahead, but know that we are excited about what the Lord is doing. We’re still a part of WDA’s national ministry, but our focus is becoming more than just the UGA campus. There’s a whole generation of 20-somethings in our country who are exodusing the church, and our mandate is to reach them with the Gospel, help them grow to maturity in Christ, and reconnect them into the local church. Pray for us as we seek the Lord for strategies to accomplish this. We are so dependent on his direction!

2007-06-25T09:02:00.000-07:00
Just wanted to add that I have recently sent a newsletter out. If you didn't receive a copy but would like to email me at becca@thejourneyuga.com with your address and I'll add you to my list! Thanks for reading!

Vrumm, vrumm...

2007-06-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

These days it feels like I live in my car! I seem to be spending more time on the road than I am at home. Three weekends ago we took a group of students tubing in Helen, GA. It was a blast! After our trip down the river, we drove around to Unicoi State Park to splash around in another river near to Anna Ruby Falls. I was leading the pack until I frightened a basking water moccasin which quickly slithered away to hide. In truth, I’m not sure who was more frightened! After playing in the river for a little while, we headed back to Athens, to home and to a good night’s rest.

The following Monday our staff team left for Johnson City, TN for our annual staff conference on the campus of East Tennessee State University. It’s always a great time of catching up with staff from all across the country for a week. We also spent a good bit of time focusing on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. It was a balanced teaching time and a great encouragement. I heard many reports of what some staff are doing internationally, which was particularly exciting! Mike, my director recorded all the teachings, which I hope to post on my blog for your use... but need his help to do so, so be on the look out!

Like I said, I've lived in my car, so upon returning to Athens I have spent a good chunk of time driving around looking for a house to rent this upcoming fall. My roommate-- a former WDA staffer-- and I had found a house to move into next month, but the bank foreclosed on it a week ago... Sending us back to square one with the clock ticking. We found another house yesterday, finally! This has been the most difficult house-hunting process I have had in Athens since I moved here 6 years ago. So, I am thinking that God wants us to live in this specific house for a very specific reason; pray we would be faithful with whatever ministry opportunities that come along.

I am really needing to raise up more support, so pray for opportunities and that I would be a good steward with my time the next month and a half. And as always, if you are up for hearing about my heart for discipleship and WDA's ministry, shoot me a line and we'll do dinner!

What the summer holds...

2007-06-01T10:53:00.000-07:00
I have been asked that question quite frequently by some new friends of mine. This summer for me and for our staff team holds a little bit of student ministry and a whole lot of support raising. I have never raised support full-time before and am unsure what sin it may reveal in my heart. I am sure that is will reveal much! I already know how much my heart resists being a beggar continually in need of grace... Well, it seems God would have me proclaiming that everyday for the next two months. So yes, here we go humility (hopefully!) and needed finances (hopefully!). Pray, and if God leads you to give or if you want to hear more about what God is doing through us, please contact me. Or if you have a friend that may be interested, send them my way as well... or if your friend has a friend... or if your friend's friend has a friend. You get the point!

2007-06-01T09:27:00.000-07:00
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you , as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your father who sees in secret will reward you."

God has brought this verse to mind frequently in the last week. My church, Crossway Fellowship, has been going through the Sermon on the Mount for the last few months. It has been very convicting and refreshing. It has also served to prove that though I teach through this passage frequently with our journey leadership students, I am still in need of much grace to apply its truths to my life.

Anyways, back to the verse. It seems I have been more aware of some "needy people" or "needy situations" in my life as of late. As I relate to each of these, I hear God calling me to a higher level of trust, humility, forgiveness, patience, or surrendering. In response, I have felt more resistance in my flesh-- wanting to grasp at and clinch in my fist the security of material wealth, my own comfort, my own rights, my own schedule which has myself as the supreme benefactor, and my own determining of whom I will love and whom I will avoid. Because our God is unending in goodness, his grace still calls me to crucify my flesh and walk in obedience amidst my childish temportantrums.

Still with all that grace, I have noted in myself the tendency to be all too observant of the ways God is asking me to serve or mortify my sin or love or obey. As if I have a calculator in my pocket and I am keeping a tally, so as to justify my two wrong responses to God: The first is entitled, "The Demand for the Hollywood Lifestyle/ The Opposite of a Submitted Life". This is when I tell God he needs to stop messing with my life now... My flesh mourns, laments, and yells while God peals my hands off my Hollywood lifestyle-- where everything is easy, nothing makes me depend on him or grateful for him, and I am made much of, instead of him. The second response I call, "The Self-Righteous Trumpet Player". I think to myself, "Wow, you're pretty impressive, look at how much you're giving here and here and here and...You deserve a break." How arrogant those words seem when scripture calls me an unworthy servant who only does the lowest requirement for the Master.

Gross as it is, that is where my heart goes... averting my eyes, not away from myself and to my God, but towards myself. Following my friend, JohnMark's sermon on Sunday, I listened to a sermon by John Piper. He spoke of the glory of God when all things are restored, commenting that one thing that will become characteristic of man is his self-forgetfulness in the midst of praising and looking to the glory of our great God! Oh, how my heart needs that! Pray for me that self-forgetfulness would be my first inclination amidst God's pruning or increased call to love and live the Gospel. Self-forgetfulness-- so much so that my left hand would not realize what my right hand is doing. Pray hard, for my pride does not make this process an easy or natural one. Pray hard, for I fear that the God I serve is very jealous over his glory and demands that I be as well.

Somebody shoot me or I'm gonna to die!

2007-04-24T19:53:00.000-07:00
So typically, at the end of the year our students are stressed to the max with finals and end of the year papers and such... Meanwhile, we get to breathe easy the last week of school. This is not the case this year.
I had a mini-panic attack in staff last week when I began to think of all the things on my plate as of late and all the things that may change for our ministry next year... House hunting for next year, throwing wedding showers, decorating for New Members Lunch for Crossway, planning for 28/20 Conference in 2 weeks, having a leadership dessert and book discussion in a week, doing an end of the year picnic for our journey students, visiting my parents before they leave for Tiawan, Pastoral interviews to become a member of Crossway, Restoration (Worship through dance) rehersals and performances, all the normal ministry stuff that's in every week, and the list goes on and on... "Let him who serves, serve cheerfully" AMEN! Pray for the peace of God to guard my heart and mind. God has constantly called me into communion with him this week-- and I am thankful! Pray though that he would help me finish well and live in his spirit! ...and no more panic attacks in the name of Jesus! Thanks! Love you all!

Repentance on Legion Field

2007-04-23T08:13:00.000-07:00
Last night, we finished our most recent 21 days of non-stop prayer with Tribe Issachar. We ended with a time of public worship and repentance at Legion Field on campus. Young and old made it out, a group of 60 year-olds and 20 year-olds-- a beautiful site before our God. Below is a prayer my director, Mike Satterfield encouraged us with. I wanted you to read it, so you could know how to pray for us. Again, if you live in Athens and want a quiet place to pray, come downtown to the prayer room and join us. (For more info: http://www.tribeissachar.com/)

Repent:
To agree with God about sin; to turn away from and change one’s mind about sin
To be done with worldliness
For do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
Repent!
It’s what we need to do tonight

For the wickedness of a nation
For the thousands of unborn lives that are sacrificed on the alters of convenience and choice
For the Pulitzer Prize winners, and Nobel Laureates, for the Diplomats and Heads of State, the elementary school teachers and college professors, the athletes, the mothers and fathers of future generations whose lives have been snuffed out before they had a chance to be heard
For the rivers of innocent blood that flow in our streets
For our lack of moral outrage as a people
For valuing the amassing of wealth over and above the value of human life
For striving to become rich in finances instead of poor in spirit
To him whom much is given, much is expected
I can think of no other nation on earth in the last 5 decades that has been given what we’ve been given and it terrifies me to think of the Judgment of God that is yet to come
Repent!
It’s what we need to do tonight

For the waywardness of a generation
For buying hook, line, and sinker every lie that our TV’s and radios tell us
For allowing ourselves to become so anesthetized to violence through the media that school shootings and the murdering of one’s own parents would become common place in our culture
For becoming not just tolerant but enamored with pornography, so that what passes for PG-13 in movies today would not have been given a showing 50 years ago
We prosecute the sick deviant who watches through the window of a private residence under cover of darkness and then we enter into a dark theater and do the same and call it entertainment
Woe to a generation that calls evil good and good evil
Repent!

For clinging to an entitlement mentality that believes that everybody owes us something, especially God
Woe to this generation for getting that right, for what the Holy One owes to us, what we rightly have earned by our repulsive sin, Scripture says is death and Hell
Repent!
It’s what we need to do tonight

For our corporate sins as the Body of Christ
For our pride and arrogance, looking down our noses at people who are “different” from us
For the naiveté that would presume that this present generation of college students and 20–somethings will eventually settle down and return to their Christian roots when they have been given no roots to return to
For the rampant spirit of religious ambition that keeps pastors and ministry leaders focused on their little “k” kingdoms instead of our Master’s Capital “K” Kingdom
For the same spirit that makes us divisive and suspicious of one another instead of submitting to the Holy Spirit who longs for us to embrace one another in Christ
For the club-house attitude that is pervasive in much of American Christianity that puts the happiness and contentment of its members above and before being missional in a community
For ferociously guarding our favorite padded pews instead of falling on our knees before Almighty God
For seeking comfort and complacency instead of going and serving and wading out into the muck and mire of humanity up to our elbows in an effort to love people who are made in the Image of God
For being ashamed of the Gospel so as to water it down and make it about happiness instead of righteousness
Repent!
It’s what we need to do tonight

For our individual sins – the pet sins that we keep chained up and hidden away that we think no one sees, that we rationalize about and stroke and feed and nurture
You know which ones
Even now as I speak God brings them to your mind
Be done with them
Repent!

For our apathy about sharing the Gospel while 9 out of 10 people around us on this campus is dieing and going to Hell
For making time to watch 24 and see Jack Bauer save the world when we won’t go to the trouble to see one person saved from the wrath that is to come
For sitting down to watch Grey’s anatomy every week when we put forth little or no effort to invite the Great Physician to examine our hearts and lives
For ritualistically gathering to see this week’s episode of Lost when we don’t even see those right next door to us who are eternally lost
For choosing worldliness over Godliness
For indulging in the lust of our flesh instead of crucifying it
For rallying to the battle cry of this generation when they say “Live for self!” instead of embracing the heart-cry of our Lord who says “Die to self!” Tonight, men and women, we must repent

God is ready to move now
The time has come now
The tide is sweeping in now
The dam is breaking and the enemy can no longer hold back the flood of the Holy Spirit

We cannot make it happen
We cannot manipulate our God by our cajoling and vowing like the pagans do
We cannot be strong enough, kind enough, smart enough, relevant enough, or good enough
Tonight, there is one thing, and one thing only that we can and MUST do
Repent!

oh the variance of ministry...

2007-04-02T07:36:00.000-07:00
Holy Ghost revival, a 17 with a baby on the way, an additional disciple, beach evangelism, and a equipping conference for pastors... What do these things have in common? They would be the things that have kept my schedule full lately.

Revival??
God broke our students this past Tuesday... last week everything was running as normal until the end of our meeting-- then the Holy Spirit broke loose! Normally, we have a time of prayer and ministry after the talk... our folks can pray with a staffer or let whatever truth they just heard settle into their hearts. But last week, when we dismissed our students no one left. All 40 of them sat in the presence of the Lord-- still and quite as the Spirit descended on us. For the next 45 minutes, students prayed with one another, repented, sung, and read scripture, aloud. We are so thankful for God's ministry and grace to us. Please keep praying our students would be sensitive and obedient to the Spirit!
Under-aged Daddy?
My church, Crossway Fellowship, did a bit of street evangelism on Friday night. My friend Alan and I encountered three 17-year-old guys. Our conversation begun by one of them sharing he had recently become a father. Alan has 4 boys, so they bonded immediately. God opened their hearts to listen as Alan explained the gospel and the impact of our church on his life. Each teen intenly listened and admitted that they were not walking with God, but wanted to. We gave them a book called "50 Reasons Why Jesus Died" and invited them to our church. Please keep these boys in prayer. I hope that we will see them again or God would bring someone into their lives to disciple and love them.
Another Disciple?
I'm picking up a girl, named Sonya. She is a Pre-med student at UGA and has been discipled by another staffer (who has recently resigned) for the last 2 years. Pray that God would give us deep love and trust for one another. Pray also that God would give me wisdom to discern how to help her grow.
Is there a beach in Athens?
There is if you live in Brumby... or a grassy hill at the very least! My small group that has been meeting inside Brumby this semester is moving out! Out to "Brumby Beach" where freshman play and sunbathe-- to meet girls and share the gospel. Please pray God would prepare hearts-- that of the girls we meet and the girls in my small group. We will be out there every Monday afternoon for the next 5 weeks. This will be the first time some have shared the gospel before!! Pray for boldness!
28/20 Conference??
Our staff team is prepping for a conference designed to equip local pastors and leaders in discipleship. The conference wil be in Athens, the first weekend in May. God has been stirring hearts and a few key churches are very excited and have committed to come. These training weekends are key to WDA's overall mission to serve the church and do discipleship. We have encountered frustration from the enemy in some areas, so pray God will have his way and that churches would come. I fear too often, we may be labeled as a "classic campus ministry" that takes away from the local church; this is not our goal, heart, or strategy. Please pray God would knit our heart with the hearts of local churches here in Athens. We are filled with faith that God is opening doors for us to work through and with them, not apart from them. If you are interested in the conference, go to http://www.2820conference.org/ I know that it will (and has in the past) greatly benefit all who attend!

New Orleans 2007

2007-03-19T08:40:00.000-07:00
...And we are back. Whew, what a week! After a week of Cloroxing, priming, painting, praying, evangelism, and leading-- my communication is slightly jumbled and I think I may take the rest of the day off.;)
Thank you for praying for me and for the students that went to New Orleans. This was one of the smoothest trips I've been on and we encountered many people open to the gospel. I know that was the grace of God through your prayers. Most of the week our team worked with a quirky, elderly woman who has been living in a FIMA trailer since Katrina. She has two homes which have both remained in a constant state of reconstruction since the hurricane. Hopefully, she will soon be able to move into one of those houses. Ann was a professor at Auburn University, had run for governor in '95, and was a world traveler... She sat with us and told us stories from her life and was sure to show us spots we missed in our repairs! Though she repeatedly told us that she could work for a day and do the work it took 9 20-somethings to do in 3 days, we think she appreciated us being there. She definitely loved having people to talk with and care for her.

At night, when we were out and about, God set-up some pretty unique encounters with people. I'll tell you about one that was the most impactful to me. Tuesday afternoon, our team was doing their quite times out on Jackson Square. I was reading my Bible and had John Owens' book- Mortification of Sin and J.I. Packer's book- Knowing God, spread out on the lawn. A guy in his twenties strolled up to me...Our conversation went something like this:
Corie: Hi. My wife and I were over there and I thought you were pretty. So she told me to come over and talk to you.
Me: (slightly weirded out) Uhh... Hi, OK. I'm Becca. What's your name? Are you from New Orleans?
...He proceeded to introduce himself and tell me that he and his pregnant wife live out of a truck and do construction for her father. Matt, the other staffer, quickly joined us, met Corie, and we invited he and his wife to come to dinner with our team . A few minutes later his wife walked up and dove down to where I was sitting, directly in front of my Bible and books. She looked at John Owens' book and said:
Sylvia (using a drawn out hippie voice): Mortification of sin. Whoa, that's intense. What does that mean? What are you reading? Job? Is that how you say it?
Me: Haha, yeah that's how you say it. I'm reading a book about sin because of sin in my life. Do you know what sin is?
Sylvia: No, what is it?
... As I was talking, Matt began his own conversation with Corie. Both conversations immediately landed in the gospel. What grace is found in the sovereignty of God! After 45 minutes of getting to know them and explaining the gospel from several different angles, we were late to meet our team for dinner. The couple came with us and stayed with our team for the rest of the night. There was no moment of lightening strike or time that they said "we want to follow Jesus", but they both carefully weighed our words and the message of Christ. Please pray for our friends, first that they would come to know and follow Christ and secondly for provision-- of health, Sylvia has many health problems and pregnancy is very dangerous for her-- and of housing and consistent employment. Very few times have I felt such a deep connection or love for a stranger, indeed that was the Spirit. Please pray for them.

Soon to come is a short video Matt put together so you can get a litle taste of our week. Enjoy! Thanks again for your support!
Love you all!

Spring Break

2007-03-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." (Romans 12)

In 6 days, 24 hours, and 9 minutes, 8 students, 1 wda staffer, and I will be pulling out of Athens-- trekking to New Orleans, Louisiana, to build homes for families yet still displaced by Hurricane Katrina. This is UGA's Spring Break... a time when most students bask in the sun at the beach, catch up on sleep stolen from studying and partying, visit friends and family, or get a head start on their studying as to pave a way for a breezy spring. But this small group will choose not to look to their own interests, but look to the interest of others. We have spent a lot of time talking about genuine service, recently, at the journey. I pray that this week would be used to further our students understanding and application of Christlike humility and service.

Last week, we studied the life of Gideon together on Tuesday. Matt, a staffer, ended his talk with this comment by Cundall: "The final chapter of Gideon's life appears as a distinct anticlimax to the heroic actions of the earlier section... The man who had given such a magnificent lead to his fllowers, now sets a deplorable example of self-indulgence, in which he, his family, and the whole nation were involved... Perhaps it is easier to honor God in some courageous action in the limelight of a time of national emergency than it is to honor Him consistently in the ordinary, everyday life, which requires a different kind of courage."

This is my prayer-- that our students would have this kind of courage-- to honor God consistently in the ordinary, everyday life. Pray with me that we would all cease to see service as situational or circumstantial and know it as our character-- after that of our God-- being a humble servant to all men. Our trip is March 12-16... I will update throughout the week and tell you of what God has done. Be expectant and full of faith, for I know he has planned good works for us in an eternity past!

I am grateful for your heart to serve me through your prayer and encouragement!
How can I serve you?

2007-02-28T21:01:00.000-08:00
..."salvation spring up from the ground"..."father, cause all to shout your name"... this is a prayer that I'm listening to tonight as I doorkeep for Tribe Issachar, a ministry of prayer in Athens. Below us, we hear the rustling sound of a partying city. Quite the paradox, indeed. Crossway, my church is doing an outreach Friday night in those very same streets, may they find good soil, tilled by intercession done here.

...This weekend was full. Friday and Saturday, a few of our girls attended a women's retreat put on by Crossway. The topic? A look at Biblical femininity-- not quite the small topic, I know.;)... it was very convicting and built up for our girls and myself. Pray that we would not be forgetful hearers of the Word, but put into practice what valuable lessons we learned.

... I threw a party for one of my disciple's, Tara, following the retreat Saturday night. She is going to Russia on a mission trip, so we got together to make a little trouble;) ...or better yet-- encourage, pray, and financially support our sister who is trusting God to provide for this call. About 30 students came and spoke encouragement to Tara, prayed over her, and gave over $500!! This was very impactful to see our students and others give so sacrificially, and in faith. Here are some pics from that night... enjoy!

... This is an encouraging time for me as I watch Tara take this step of faith. She admits, readily, that faith and trust have been a struggle for her since she's come to college and we've begun meeting. But God has definitely given her faith for this! She knows she cannot boast and I know she is so grateful for your prayers... thank you!! God is using you to mature this passionate, young woman!

Tired of sin and ready for Jesus

2007-02-15T13:14:00.000-08:00
..."Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"... my personal battle cry this week as the effect and consequence of sin has been closely felt. But the continuous saving grace of God has also been near. Thank you for praying; God is softening hearts. David came back to us this week, apologizing for his anger towards us for challenging him to leave his sin and follow Christ. Continue to pray for repentance and trust in Chirst as he often says, "this is who I am; I cannot change"... referring to a stronghold of deception and pride. Pray he will understand Christ alone brings freedom from sin-- not our own human efforts. Praise God for his grace and protection over David; this last weekend, he pursued many people from his old lifestyle, but was not received.

... This morning I dropped Krista off at the Atlanta airport. As we drove she asked "Who decides when we die, God or the devil?" As we talked about death, sin, and the justice and righteousness of God, the reality of her uncle's rejection of Christ and her family's current rejection of Him began to hit her pretty hard. She will be in Michigan for the weekend to attend her uncle's funeral. Pray that God would strengthen and comfort her and that she would have the courage to share the Gospel with her family. Oh, that this loss would hurry them to the cross of Jesus Christ!

...Saturday night, we invited many students into our leadership training. It was a sweet time of fellowship and talking through God's definition of genuine leadership-- becoming a servant of all men and forsaking selfishness to walk in the Spirit. I was convicted personally of picking and choosing the people I serve; the students spoke of being encouraged towards Christlike leadership as well. Pray that we would be receptive to God's continual sanctifying grace in our lives...

...Now, may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it!

2007-02-09T11:27:00.000-08:00
Urgent: Please pray for David! He is a non-student that has been in our ministry for over a year. Over the last two weeks, he has strongly fought submitting to God' s conviction over some deeply rooted sins. Last night, he came to the decision that he no longer wants to participate in the Journey, the local church, or follow Christ at all. David's sole motivation at this point is to seek out that which he thinks will make him happy and make life easy, and in his mind that means returning to the homosexual community. He refuses to humble himself and repent of his sin. Pray that God will make him miserable in his pursuit of happiness and that he will be broken before the Lord. Pray for our students as they respond to his absence. Many are currently working with him at a Athens area restaurant. Oh that God would use their lives to minister the gospel to him!

2007-02-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

It must have been quite a moment-- to hear those words, "Come, follow me." I wonder what the morning was like for each of the 12 as Jesus called them into a life of discipleship. I wonder if they would have said yes if they knew the cost of the gospel, how Christ would soon redefine what it meant to know and love God, or how the majority of their lives would be violently taken because of this one man. Would they have left their communities, their occupations, their families, their social status as quickly? Would they still have followed this suffering servant? ...I hope so-- for their sakes and ours.

... Saturday, 17 students will be invited into "the journey's" leadership training. Freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in college will all be challenged to walk in greater holiness, Christlike character, and sacrificial service to the Body. For us, this mirrors Christ's call to his disciples. We invite them to walk with us, as we walk with Christ, and humbly disciple them. As we prepare our hearts this week-- praying for our students and explaining what discipleship is--we have already experienced the enemy's attack on some who desire to run back to a life of sin instead of surrendering to Christ. Pray for protection of these students and for a greater heart-commitment to the gospel. Christians who proclaim their need for Jesus and walk humbly in Christlike character are quite fierce in the Kingdom of God... so it is no wonder, that we would experience a few tremors from the battle over them. This is a serious and critical time for us... pray.

2007-02-06T20:05:00.000-08:00
Hey friends! Thanks for praying for our Bible Study at Brumby. Two new girls came and a third has made the habit of dropping in on us, listening for a while, and going about her way. Freshman are pretty silly... but have tender hearts. Please continue to pray that the girls in this group would be vulnerable with each other and surrender areas of struggle to Christ.

I am writing tonight particularly to ask you to pray for one of my disciples, Krista. A very close family friend of hers passed away tonight. He was not a believer, so it is an even more difficult time for Krista and her family. Pray that they would cling to the Father and his Word and be surrounded by people who will bear their suffering with them. She is staying the night with me tonight, pray the Spirit would be very present with us and give me words of comfort for her...

2007-02-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

So just to bring you up to speed on our semester so far, we've been studying through the book of Judges on Tuesday nights. It definitely has an NC-17 rating given the content, but we're having a great time digging into the Word (and we're all 17 and up...).

I am discipling 5 girls this year, please read below on how you can pray specifically for them! Each of these ladies is a joy and I am so thankful God has given me the opportunity to love and serve them.

In January, my Monday night girl's small group, moved out of my house and into Brumby Hall, UGA's only female, freshman dorm. Harmless as it sounds, this is one of the hardest places for the gospel to go forth on campus. Please pray, as we have already experienced some spiritual warfare involving the study, that God would reach these women-- drawing them to himself and to us. Pray for the journey girls to grow in their desire to minister to younger women and pray for Tara as she co-leads with me, and learns to teach the Word and shepherd the girls we lead...

What's this all about?

2007-01-24T15:55:00.000-08:00
Hi Friends! So I am creating a blog just for you! Yes, cheer and go stinking crazy, as yours truly steps into the 21st century. Come back here for updates about my life, specifically, God's call on it to make disciples at the University of Georgia. You'll hear the latest gossip... so don't be late!! Check, check, check! .... Really, I just covet your prayers;)

I'm out!