Merry Christmas

The boys with their Christmas bedding. Ready to go.

       The weather has finally begun to chill here in Chapel Hill. Students are winding down their exams and preparing for time with family. It has been a very busy and productive Fall. As we look out at the new year coming, we say thank you. Your partnership in prayer and giving continually place the hope of Christmas in the hearts of students from all over the globe. Together we have impacted the eternities of young adults from within and without the USA this year. From our family to yours we want to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year.

Pondering A Call to Serve
       Each week Joe has the privilege to meet with our student
leaders in Chi Alpha. Recently, one of our seniors shared
that he felt like God was calling him to serve somewhere,
and that Chi Alpha is where. With one semester left on an
economics/computer science degree, this decision may
sound a bit drastic; but then again, when God speaks we
must respond.
       Chris has experienced God in a new and refreshing
way these last few months. He has led worship, been
baptized in the Holy Spirit, and exhibited a mature grasp
of scriptural matters. While most of his classmates look to
receiving their degrees and beginning their careers, Chris
has found a passion for God that compels him to stand for
God and to help others find Him.

Day hikes have become a staple for our students, helping them get "away" and gain a bigger perspective.

Halloween & new small groups

22,000 students crammed Franklin Street on Halloween night

       This past October we once again partnered with the university for Safe Halloween. Our students set up two distribution points where we gave out 15 gallons of hot chocolate and emergency blankets on a very cold night. We were just a block off Franklin Street where 22,000 gathered. Also launched this Fall was a second mens small group, and a graduate school fellowship. Both have seen steady attendance.

5,000 are expected in Fort Worth at this year's World Missions Summit

              Give a year, pray about a lifetime
       On December 28th Joe will be traveling with four UNC students to Fort Worth for the third World Missions Summit. Approximately 4,000 college students, and hundreds of missionaries, will meet over New Years to consider giving a year of
service in missions, while praying about a lifetime. Students will have the opportunity to meet with missionaries and ministries face to face as they seek God’s direction. Please pray with us all as we seek God’s call together. You never know where the next
missionary might come from.

 Josiah started at middle linebacker for the Durham Eagles this Fall

Some of the wild animals that live in our house

Elijah trying out his tractor driving skills











  

                   

      

 

Elijah break-dancing to the Happy Feet song on his gift bag.

Dancing frees the soul

Umm, yeh? Fill in the blank here

When the party got slow, the boys started a cranberry punch chugging contest.

College students like the more mature gifts for Christmas

Josiah (far right) and the Durham Eagles finished the season in style by winning their Bowl game against the Jacksonville Storm 36-8

Some of the local farm animals that live in our house.

Franklin Street Halloween night. We served 15 gallons of hot chocolate to some very cold students. We also gave out emergency blankets as part of our partnership with the university's Safe Halloween.

Duke & Carolina students on our recent day hike at Eno River. We had a great time and returned mostly dry.

This is what happens when you take Duke & UNC students on a hike together. A Bridge Too Far?

      Sorry it has been so long since we last updated the blog. The beginning of the semester proved to be very busy-- and a blessing. We were able to launch  the new Graduate School fellowship, add a second men's life group, and see amazing spiritual growth among our student leaders.
      Each week one of our student leaders shares a story of how they have had an "unexpected" opportunity to witness to other students. Recently, one of our student leaders decided to go for a late night snack at one of north campus' many establishments. It 'just so happened" that a friend he had not seen in the past three years was there and invited him to eat with him. He wanted to talk about God and what "it" all meant. In a place where secularism and individual focus are championed, the Holy Spirit continues to work in the hearts of man.

XA Fall Retreat 2012

      Approximately 40 students from the Triangle area universities traveled to Concord for Fall Retreat. It was a great time of fellowship and being challenged. Pastor Jonathan Martin of Renovatus Church was our guest speaker. Two different students approached me afterwards to say how much more refreshed they felt as a result of having come. I spent my last breakfast there talking with one student about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He has recently become more aware of the Spirit's supernatural work in his life.
      Upcoming events include a Fall Fun Night that students can invite friends to. We'll also be partnering with the university for Safe Halloween, when we will divide into patrols to help students get to a place of safety on Halloween night; and participate in a day hike at Pilot Mountain with three other Chi Alpha Fellowships.

Guest Speaker Jonathan Martin challenges our students

     The boys are doing very well. Elijah believes he can do anything, and often tries. For all of his "life experiments" he is a joy and a very polite child. Josiah is finishing up another season of Pop Warner football, where he moved up to starting middle linebacker. He has done very well in school, grading out in the top 2% nationally in the Cognitive Aptitude Test, and making the A/B Honor Roll.

Mr. Cool

Josiah getting ready for the big game

     Please be in prayer with us for continued favor with the university, and for a revelation of God in the hearts and minds
of the students, staff, and faculty. Thank you to everyone
for your continued support. It makes making a difference
possible

Prayer Walk at UNC & NC State

The Bell Tower at UNC. Prayer walked this past week with the Triangle XA team. The words Momentum & Revelation keep coming up. Please pray with us as we head into the 2012-13 school year. We are growing.

Prayer walked the NC State campus this past week. Please pray for miraculous encounters for the Wolfpack this year.

Prayer Walk at Duke University

Duke University Chapel. We prayer walked the campus today with the Triangle XA team. Please pray with us for this school and the Nolands as they pioneer Chi Alpha there.

And it just so happened . . .
Multiple times this year our staff has looked at each other and used this phrase as we tried to process a Providential occurrence amongst us. This past year one of our men’s leaders “just so happened” to be standing at a bus stop with a Buddhist Chinese exchange student. That God-appointed “happenstance” resulted in a friendship and spiritual journey toward Christ that has the student daily asking, “Who is Jesus?”
    Will you help us write the rest of this story and many more? We are in need of multiple partners to help us raise $5,000 for the 2012-13 school year. Funds will go to train student evangelists, offset costs of our annual leadership training conference, missions trips, and help send new students to our retreats where they can engage God and God’s people in a neutral environment.
    Is it “just so happening” that God’s pouring out His presence upon our students and campus? Please prayerfully consider helping us write the rest of this story.

Training Student Leaders

We added four new student leaders to our team for next year, giving us 11 total. Training and equipping them is our highest priority. Student-led small groups are the places where new students get connected best, and learn the most about what it means to follow Christ.

"This just never happens."
This just never happens this time of year” Apparently almost all students that join a group on campus do so during the Fall semester and attend sporadically in the Spring. However, from the beginning of the year, and through the usually slow Spring semester, we saw new people joining the ministry. Even up until the last large group of the year first-time visitors were coming. Result? We are doubling the men’s small groups to two and adding a graduate school group for the upcoming school year!

A record number of student leaders at ACSICM!

Students giving up part of their summer to be trained to reach their campuses and communities

In May our Triangle Chi Alpha team hosted the fourth annual Atlantic Coast Student Institute for Campus Ministry (SICM) at Nags Head, NC. A record number of 142 student leaders from 17 universities attended. Students traveled from as far away as Florida and Vermont to be quipped for evangelism, Biblical studies, international student ministries, and small group leadership. We had students baptized in the Spirit, baptized in water, and healed! SICM- transforming students to transfer their world.

Josiah
    Josiah finished the second grade this June. He tested into the gifted program and has been accepted into a top year-round school for next year. He also played soccer for the first time and helped the Tigers win the league championship!

Elijah

Our not-so-little boy turned three on May 12th. Just before that he surprised us by riding his bike without training wheels! He’s been racing the neighborhood kids ever since. He loves the beach and his other favorite pastime-- doing whatever big brother is doing.

   

Fighting Human Trafficking

This week(April 10-13) we are focusing on raising awareness and funds to help fight human trafficking. We'll have guest speakers and a special discussion tonight at Large Group in the Student Union. Friday we will have a campus-wide scavenger hunt to raise money for FREE International. The Bartels are doing an amazing work in a tide of ugliness and despair.

We are also experiencing a first here at UNC. Our group has grown this Spring Semester. The normal method of ministry brings in new people usually during the Fall Semester. We're not supposed to be growing this time of year! Hahaha. We actually had a our largest attendance of the school year this past Tuesday, with students from China, India and Swaziland participating.

A Day Hike

Had the privilege of taking a day hike this past week with an Agnostic and a Buddhist. Beautiful souls each one. Was able to share from the Old and New Testaments about God's promise to provide for our future. 

Fall 2011 in pictures

Josiah joined dad and the students for a day-hike at Pilot Mountain.

Brothers

We spoke at the First Assembly missions convention in Des Moines Iowa in October. One night included getting to share with the youth around the bonfire.

We find that miracle-gro works best

Worship at the SALT conference in Jacksonville, FL over New Years. Approximately 275 student leaders from universities across the Southeast attended in order to gain more training in reaching their campuses.

Happy New Year from the Tarheel State

       It has been a busy Fall here in Chapel Hill, getting setup and reaching students at the University of North Carolina (UNC). We moved into our new home just as Fall classes were starting at UNC. Joe has been meeting with students and partnering with the university on different projects. He meets each week one-on-one with the student leaders, in addition to staff meetings and Large Group services in the Student Union.We had 15 volunteers from Chi Alpha (XA) as we co-sponsored Safe Halloween with the university. Mishael has coordinated the whole family. Between the ministry, school, football, Elijah, moving, and hosting students, we’re not sure how she has managed!

New house, new school, new friends

       After an exhaustive two-month search, God blessed us with a great house to live in just 15 minutes from the university. We’ve already hosted multiple get-togethers in our new home.

       We moved in August 23rd. The next day Josiah started school. He is doing very well at Parkwood Elementary, where he received a first quarter achievement award in Math. He also played his first season of tackle football with the Durham Eagles, starting at center and defensive end.

       Elijah is proving he can hold his own with any age group, and is growing like a weed. He likes to help mom make and clean up messes. 

       In addition to home life, the family has done outings with students, including a day hike at Pilot Mountain and ice-skating. We still have pictures to hang and walls to paint, but God is already doing much.

Thank you for reaching out

       In addition to reaching out to non-believers, we are struck by how crucial it is to stand with young Christians on our campus for the very first time. Struggling to find their identities and boundaries, many are finding comfort and answers in the fellowship of Chi Alpha. Thank you so much for partnering with us, placing us in the midst of this generation at UNC.

The UNC gang at Fall Retreat in Nags Head, NC

Campus-wide Christmas Service at UNC

This was a Christmas worship night at the Methodist church on campus at UNC. Between 300-and 400 students from all the campus ministries joined in song, prayer and purpose to celebrate Jesus.