Well about a month in a half ago on my 30th birthday, I started a new adventure…I became a college pastor! God moved in some amazing ways and led to me an amazing church that became my new home!
On my first day I was told that they would like me to restart and reboot the entire college ministry. This was an exciting surprise, but also I instantly felt overwhelmed. I instantly knew how much I needed God to take on a role and a task this big. I also knew that I did not have much time to get this thing going. So for the last month in a half, I have been praying and building what I believe the Lord is creating for the new wave of the vineyard college ministry. I have been blessed by the Lord bringing me a leadership team full of interns, young adult coaches, and college students to kick this ministry off! God has blessed us to find a place on campus and has also given us the vision and passion to bring this movement into life. There has been a lot of prayer, discussions, gatherings, meetings, planning, and straight up crying out to God for help, discernment, and provision. But now all of the logistics and planning are over. Now it’s the night before the game and tomorrow night starting at 8 pm, it’s gametime! Tomorrow night it’s time to put aside all of the planning and logistical thinking, tomorrow it’s time to get locked into the true reason for the season that I’m here. Tomorrow it’s time to walk into the room with My Dad and trust that He will use me for the true reason that he brought me to Champaign, Illinois – to awaken and inspire college students with his love and Holy Spirit to become “Alive” in their true identity and destiny in Christ!
So the new ministry that I believe God is speaking and creating is called “Alive: awakening college students to their identity and purpose in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. I’m so excited for all of the students and leaders that God has brought into my corner to lead and live this thing out with me. I believe God has called us to be a ministry that is real, relational, and that meets students where there at. Our ministry is called to awaken and inspire students to help them know that they are here in this world for an amazing purpose, there not a mistake nor an accident, but God has called them and chosen them to be His children and His people for such a time as this.
So please keep us in your prayers tomorrow night as we kick off this ministry. It will be our first service and I am so excited for what the Lord is going to do! For more info on our ministry check out our website or facebook page!
http://urbana.thevineyardchurch.us/alive/
https://www.facebook.com/vineyardALIVE?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Thank you for all of your prayers, support, and encouragement over all of the years of my missionary travels. I may not be traveling oversea’s anymore as much, but I’m still a missionary, it’s just now at a college with thousands of young students who need to know the true hope and love of their Father!
Know that wherever you are in this life today that you are here for an amazing reason and purpose! You too are a missionary just like me, to your family, friends, and the community you live in and the work place that you work at!
YOU ARE ALIVE FOR A REASON!!!
We are all made Alive in Christ!!!
– Ephesians 2:5 and 1 Corinthians 15:22
For we are all here for such a time as this…
Ryan
