September

This month has been just as successful as August. August is about getting people to come to Focus and September, in a lot of ways, is about keeping people there. That takes some work, especially from our corefas which have done an incredible job. Mostly, in order to really keep people around, they have to feel a part, they know people and are known, and make friends. We're not a ministry that is content with people walking in the doors, sitting in the back by themselves or with one friend and then leaving right after. If that happens, we failed. We work to meet every person that comes in our doors and get them included in some way, actually as many ways as we can :). That includes inviting them to dinner afterwards, getting their number, inviting them to core, or setting up another time to hang out. As I said, our corefas have done an incredible job. And don't think for a second this is an insincere process. It's the most sincere! They love and care about these people enough to put aside what's comfortable to them, to put aside the friendships they already have at the moment, and extend friendship and love to this someone they don't even know. So cool! And so much like Jesus!

With that said our cores are pretty huge. They are filled with girls that have been befriended and want to grow with their new friends in their faith. The only reports I get are about how excited they are and how much they love core and how well it's going! This has produced a problem, an awesome problem, we are scrambling to find people to study with all these kids! As I'm sure I've mentioned before we also try to study the bible through a study we call Focus on Jesus with everyone that comes to our ministry. Our student leaders are the main ones who do this and they're schedules are already full with people to study with, and there's still more need! We brought in a girl that already graduated from college and was a part of a Focus to study with a couple girls, we're taking corefas from other cores to study with people across cores, we're doing some studies 1-on-2 and 1-on-3 studies rather than our usually 1-on-1s. Like I said, a good problem to have! We have about 35 FOJ studies going on already and more are popping up every week!

I focus on that topic this week because it encompasses where were at stage-wise in the year, and also because it is such the heartbeat of our ministry. Pulling people in, giving them a community that loves then, and they can trust, and then offering them an opportunity to look at the bible probably closer than ever before. Our desire, as stated in the study, is that they would be brought face to face with Jesus and become as we are - radical, fired-up, crazy-in-love-with-Jesus disciples.

Pray that happens! Pray for these 35 students studying the bible, some for the very first time. Pray also for the students leading them.

God is good!

Much love,
Bri



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