Praying for Sojourn

·  Move In Day
·  Ministry Update
·  Serving More Than Coffee
·  Office Space

Ministry Update

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Our Monday night core group study has been focusing around our own journeys to Boston (both staff and students), dreams of ministry in the city, and an exploration of God's word. We have enough commitments from students to register at BU, but we are taking our time to solidify these relationships (and others) into a cohesive group intent on one purpose. We are spending time discussing our values as a group of students on campus as well as drafting a statement of faith to be used in our registration process. Like many stages of this process, we resort simply, above all, to commit our work to our Lord whom we pray will guide our efforts so they may be both pleasing and glorifying to Him. Please join with us in this prayer as our efforts to get off the ground at Boston University are now fully underway.

UNIQUE CHALLENGES

In addition to students from Boston University, we continue to meet with students from many other Universities in Boston as well. Mostly this is being done through hospitality with hopes to build core groups on multiple campuses throughout the year. In many cases, when students are spread across the city, it can take as long as 45 min. just to get to a small group! Consequently, pray that God continues to raise up leaders across the city who are committed to making a difference on their campus.

EDUCATION AND VOCATION

As staff we continue to find ways to inegrate into the campus communities. Kim continues to work at the Rec Center at Harvard and Bobby is working at Starbucks across from BU. And this semester I have been taking a class at Boston University and Tim is taking a class at Harvard. Both classes provide an opportunity to become citizens of the campus, get to know faculty and students and better understand how to reach students on campus. Being vocational, or in this case, educational-vocational is both stetching and strategic. Continue to pray that God opens doors through relationships on campus.

by Nathan Griffith, Campus Staff @ BU

Serving More Than Coffee

In the two months that we have been in Allston God has been amazing in providing opportunity to engage people. Four of us have started gathering on Thursday nights for philosophical and theological conversation. Nothing that would be labeled a bible study or small group by most people, but nonetheless I do believe God is working within the lives of these people, and that their eagerness and excitement for honest conversation of a spiritual nature is encouraging to say the least. I admit there is some reservation in my heart. This kind of conversation holds no boundaries, which means there is little control over which topics might be brought up. I feel somewhat inadequate to explore these waters, but I do believe that God will meet all of us there, and that any pursuit of Truth will lead to the one in which Truth is defined.

by Bobby Van Becelaere, Campus Staff @ BU

Office Space

We are celebrating the use of our new office space, strategically located at 665 Beacon Street. Suite 301 is now the new office home of Sojourn Collegiate Ministries and Reunion Christian Church.

Also, would you prayerfully consider becoming a financial partner with us for office space? All of our staff have/are raising their own support, so the expenses for offices are in addition to our staff support.

Your partnership is helping change lives on campuses and in the city of Boston.

Move In Day

September 1st...a date which echoes through the ears of Boston and causes one to instantly cringe because to the people of the city, this date means the return of thousands upon thousands of college students. They bring with them nearly each and every U-Haul and Ryder truck ever built, and are instantly baptized into the maze of streets without names and wonders of double-parking.

Since we like college students, and we wanted to make their transition here a bit easier, we invited local students, friends, and our church planting partner, Reunion, to hit the streets with us during the big move-in weekend of September 1st-3rd. We broke off into two teams, complete with rolling coolers full of ice-cold water (not beer, as some suspected) and asked whomever we came upon if they wanted our help. we got a few "yes's," several weird looks, some flat-out "no's," and some great stories to tell.

One of the "yes's" came from three stranded students, trying to move their belongings from the sidewalk to their third floor apartment. many trips, a hide-a-bed, and about a half-hour later, we had everything moved in for them...and they were incredibly grateful and pretty speechless. Another positive response came from a group of three who, upon hearing our offer of help, replied with "yeah, you can help the people in our apartment move out!" so we did...and then we helped the new occupants with their things, and they thanked us over and over again.

Overall, the Move-In Weekend was a great success...we met some new faces, and made some new connections, but most of all, we just shared the love of Christ while working up a sweat. :)

by Kim Conrad, Citywide Staff