“Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.” – John Chrysostom

Discover the Latest: What STK Is Doing Right Now and Planning Next

Supporters and Friends of STK

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I’ve been teaching on Ephesians and the elegance of this greeting from Paul is now stuck with me so it’s going to be at the opening of each of these emails). As we step into this new year of 2026, my heart is full of gratitude for God’s faithfulness to Serve The King Ministries here at Michigan Tech. Amid the cold winter winds of the Keweenaw and ever growing snow piles, His mercies are indeed new every morning. He sustains us as we seek to serve Him faithfully on campus and in our community.

I want to begin by sharing some personal updates, because ministry is never just programs, it’s people walking together in dependence on the Lord. I’ve been under the weather these past months, as you know, dealing with a gluten allergy that requires me to slow down and be more careful, compounded by four days of congestion, headaches, and too little sleep. It’s been a humbling reminder that I am not invincible, and that rest is a gift from God. Thank you for your prayers, they are the lifeblood of the work up here, warming the heart and the soul in Christ.

Amid the challenges, there have been sweet joys too. We just celebrated my second daughter Elisabeth’s birthday with a special peanut butter frosted chocolate cake as a family (homemade, of course) her delight and the simple warmth of being together reminded me of God’s good gifts in the midst of everyday life. These family moments recharge my soul and point me back to why we do what we do: to see lives transformed by the same Christ who holds our families and futures. To see families that value their children, and children who long to be with their families for generations to come.

Ministry Highlights

Ministry highlights from recent weeks have been encouraging. Our Tuesday evangelism in Fisher Hall is the newest addition to our work: meeting students where they are, sharing the hope of the gospel, and inviting conversations about Christ. We have books to handout (More Than a Carpenter by Josh Mcdowell, a question each week, and are trying to be even more forward with the Gospel.

One sweet moment from our Hot Cocoa handout: a kind young woman asked why we don’t accept donations. I explained that we want to freely give as we’ve freely received (Matthew 10:8), pointing to the generosity of Christ Himself. It’s opportunities like these that open doors to share His love. If we were to accept donations we would be refusing to teach these students the profoundness of the freedom of the Gospel.

We also had a wonderful chili event (shoutout to Sion Han for documenting it so well on Facebook!), serving free hot chili to students waiting in line during the Tech vs. NMU home game. Seeing faces light up with warmth was a blessing. And our woodchopping event with Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly was a joy, serving alongside students to help our seniors in the community, chopping wood and building relationships that reflect Christ’s care for the vulnerable.

If that wasn’t enough, we wrapped up our retreat with Pastor Vander Galien. He is incredibly encouraging and many students shared in the benefit of his teachings! We spent time praying for our evangelism efforts, encouraging one another, seeking the Lord for our campus and school, and soaking in teaching from Pastor Vander Galien. We’ll be uploading the recorded sessions to YouTube next month so you and others can join in the blessing, stay tuned for that!

Campus House

A quick update on the campus house: We’ve hit some unexpected delays due to bank funding challenges. We’re trusting God’s perfect timing and provision, and our goal is still to secure the property in March. This space holds so much potential as a hub for discipleship, prayer, and fellowship right in the heart of campus—please keep praying with us for wisdom, favor, and the resources needed. We’re trying to find alternate ways to purchase it because we have only raised about 30k, which is insufficient for the down payment.

Future Events

We would like to have an annual event where we welcome you, all the prayer and financial partners of the Ministry, to come up for a weekend in the Keweenaw. We would provide an evening of dinner (and some event, currently looking at a boat cruise of the Keweenaw) along with an update with me about the Ministry and a meet-and-greet with Sion who is our Campus Minister at MTU. I’ll have more information on how the board wants to see this done, but keep your eyes peeled for more information in the weeks to come.

Prayers

Mental and emotional health amid winter isolation — With epic Keweenaw winters, long nights, and heavy snow, pray against seasonal depression, anxiety from high-pressure academics, loneliness in a close-knit but sometimes insular campus environment, and burnout. Pray students would find community in Christ-centered groups like STK, and turn to the Lord as their refuge.
​Spiritual growth and protection from distractions — Pray for hearts softened to the gospel, victory over common campus struggles like pornography, video game addictions, excessive drinking, or secular worldviews. Ask God to draw students into deeper Bible study, prayer, and obedience to Christ, especially through outreaches, Bible studies, and More Than a Carpenter distributions.
​Faithful witness and bold conversations — Pray for opportunities in dorms (like Fisher Hall), classes, labs, and events (e.g., Winter Carnival Feb 4-7) to share Christ naturally. Ask for courage, words of truth, and receptive hearts— that every student hears the gospel before graduation.
​Campus-wide revival and unity — Pray God would move across Michigan Tech’s 7,400+ students from 50+ countries, raising up faithful leaders who fear the Lord, love His Word, and serve others. Pray for unity among believers and for the campus house (when secured) to become a thriving hub for discipleship and fellowship.
​Wisdom and strength in balancing roles — Ask the Lord for supernatural energy, time management, and boundaries as you juggle finishing studies, full-time ministry leadership, family responsibilities, and health recovery (from gluten issues, recent sickness, etc.). Pray against exhaustion and for renewed strength each morning.
​Family life and protection — Pray for my marriage, my three children (2 of which have birthdays in the previous or near days), and overall home peace. Ask God to guard our family from stress, provide joyful times together, and help me model faithful parenting and dependence on Christ. Pray with us for the final $360/month in monthly support needed so I can remain fully focused on ministry and family without needing to take on a part-time job.
​Personal growth and protection — Pray for Sion’s spiritual walk, relationships, and balance: that he would grow deeper in Christ, resist burnout in an expanding role, and find encouragement in the community. (and a wife)
​Fruitfulness in ministry partnership — Pray that Sion’s efforts (e.g., capturing events on Facebook, helping with outreaches, teaching this semester) would multiply the gospel impact at Tech, drawing more students to Jesus and strengthening STK’s mission.

Thank you, dear friends, for your faithful partnership through prayer, encouragement, and support. You are truly part of God’s work here. If the Lord prompts you to partner financially or in other ways, we receive it with gratitude: every bit helps us continue pressing on.

May the Lord renew your strength in this new year, fill you with His peace, and use each of us mightily for His glory.

A fellow servant in Christ,
Brandon Charbonneau
Founder & Director, Serve The King Ministries