Joyful in January
January is over! What a cold and chilly month. Despite the weather, it was also a month packed full of fun. The two biggest things that happened this month were staff retreat and winter retreat.
Our FOCUS staff retreat was at Log Country Cove in Burnet (near Austin). It took place during the first week of the new year, from January 2nd to 5th.
We all carpool to staff retreat and use that time in our cars as an opportunity to bond and talk with other staff members that we may not connect with all that often due to them being on a different campus, etc. Thus, our carpool groups are assigned with purpose, and we do our best to mix staff from different campuses together while still making it convenient for the driver, of course. Everyone actually is in two different carpools for the drive down: Your first carpool group is the one that you depart from the DFW area and stop in Waco for lunch with, and your second is the one that you head from Waco to the retreat center with. I enjoyed both of my carpool groups and was grateful for the chance to talk to staff that I don't see all that often or don't know as well.
Staff retreat itself was a great time. We have several sessions across the four days. The most interesting session for me was one where we separated into discussion breakout groups according to our Enneagram numbers. I am an Enneagram 5 (The Investigator) and, as it turns out, there is only one other Type 5 on the entire FOCUS staff!
Retreat helped us ease back into the new semester and daily grind by kicking things off well and preparing our hearts to best minister to our students and be faithful disciples and disciplers.
Winter Retreat was the other major event that happened this past month. If you don't already know, winter retreat is a retreat that FOCUS hosts every year at Riverbend Retreat Center in Glen Rose, where all the FOCUS campuses across the entire DFW area come together over the long MLK Day weekend. This is usually the weekend before the spring semester starts back up.
This year, we had a special guest speaker from Fuller Seminary in California, Dr. Robert Lee, come speak to us about a wide range of topics, with an overall emphasis on grace. I was awed by what he taught us. For example, he used the parable of the prodigal son in a way that I had never heard before. He explains the parable by saying both sons are lost but the older son is obedient and distrustful while the younger son is disobedient and distrustful.
Outside of these learning sessions, we also had tons of fun activities during free time. There were so many activities offered that I sometimes felt torn. Some highlights include a dance class, improv class, bonfire, pickleball tournament, zip lining, and so much more!
It was also FREEZING cold. It began snowing on Sunday night and by Monday morning there was quite a surprising amount of snow (for Texas and for that time of year). Thankfully, no car accidents occurred as we were leaving camp and on the road back home.
Overall, winter retreat was an amazing experience for not only my core guys and me, but just all of the students who had the opportunity to go. There was a sharing time during our first FNF of the new semester, during which students were encouraged to share about their retreat experience. All of the guys in my core who had attended winter retreat shared! It’s been such an honor to see how the Holy Spirit is working in our students' lives. Being able to see 600 students from different campuses get together and worship God together is just a testament of how awesome our God really is.
Please pray with me that, as we go into this semester, our students would continue to experience and learn more about God and His unending love.
Thanks for reading, and thank you for all of your support!
Student Testimony Time!
Every month, we feature a student’s testimony of how their time in FOCUS has grown and shaped them. Here is this month’s:
Our FOCUS staff retreat was at Log Country Cove in Burnet (near Austin). It took place during the first week of the new year, from January 2nd to 5th.
We all carpool to staff retreat and use that time in our cars as an opportunity to bond and talk with other staff members that we may not connect with all that often due to them being on a different campus, etc. Thus, our carpool groups are assigned with purpose, and we do our best to mix staff from different campuses together while still making it convenient for the driver, of course. Everyone actually is in two different carpools for the drive down: Your first carpool group is the one that you depart from the DFW area and stop in Waco for lunch with, and your second is the one that you head from Waco to the retreat center with. I enjoyed both of my carpool groups and was grateful for the chance to talk to staff that I don't see all that often or don't know as well.
Staff retreat itself was a great time. We have several sessions across the four days. The most interesting session for me was one where we separated into discussion breakout groups according to our Enneagram numbers. I am an Enneagram 5 (The Investigator) and, as it turns out, there is only one other Type 5 on the entire FOCUS staff!
Retreat helped us ease back into the new semester and daily grind by kicking things off well and preparing our hearts to best minister to our students and be faithful disciples and disciplers.
Winter Retreat was the other major event that happened this past month. If you don't already know, winter retreat is a retreat that FOCUS hosts every year at Riverbend Retreat Center in Glen Rose, where all the FOCUS campuses across the entire DFW area come together over the long MLK Day weekend. This is usually the weekend before the spring semester starts back up.
Outside of these learning sessions, we also had tons of fun activities during free time. There were so many activities offered that I sometimes felt torn. Some highlights include a dance class, improv class, bonfire, pickleball tournament, zip lining, and so much more!
Overall, winter retreat was an amazing experience for not only my core guys and me, but just all of the students who had the opportunity to go. There was a sharing time during our first FNF of the new semester, during which students were encouraged to share about their retreat experience. All of the guys in my core who had attended winter retreat shared! It’s been such an honor to see how the Holy Spirit is working in our students' lives. Being able to see 600 students from different campuses get together and worship God together is just a testament of how awesome our God really is.
Please pray with me that, as we go into this semester, our students would continue to experience and learn more about God and His unending love.
Thanks for reading, and thank you for all of your support!
Student Testimony Time!
Every month, we feature a student’s testimony of how their time in FOCUS has grown and shaped them. Here is this month’s:
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