“God is trying to call us back to that for which He created us, to worship Him and to enjoy Him forever” – A. W. Tozer

Want to know about what’s happening boots on the ground? This is where you’ll find stories, reflections, and what I have been reading on.

The End of Summer

The beauty of the work of campus ministry is that it’s so difficult. I know this may sound counter intuitive, but I love this work because it pushes me all the time to do better, strive to be more faithful, that it requires me to give everything and do it well.

I’ve never been a fan of the corner cutting, or trying to get something done just enough. I really enjoy the frustration that comes with having to do something meticulously when it requires the precision. It’s why I like woodworking so much. I get to be really intent on getting the 1/8th inch cut or whatever it is to make sure it all fits. I may not get it everytime, but when it works it feels so good.

All summer I have been trying to get all the peices to fit and praise God they’ve fallen into place. We’re less than $1000 a month to being able to give me a raise so that we are set for the next few years. I’ve solidifed the campus preacher and the schedule, we have a retreat speaker and a few locations available. The book is almost finished, the hot cocoa cart peices are all here just waiting to be put together. the octoball court just needs a cut on each board and to be painted. It’s a wonderful feeling to see it all come together.

It’s been a hard summer, balancing classwork I didn’t know I was going to have, being gifted the church, prepping for Asher, and these aren’t bad things! They just take time, capital, focus. Yet, there’s been a slowdown, I have started taking Tuesdays off since I preach on Sundays and we have bible study on Thursdays and will have our main meetings on Wednesday this semester.

Deuteronomy 30:6-10
​6 “Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. 7 The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; 10 if you obey the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

God has made it abundantly clear, that I have very simple tasks that I am just called to do. I live a very blessed life that we have our (soon) 3 children, our home, a job, the ability to worship and a growing congregation. We continue to see the fruitfullness is fundraising, family, and the work of our hands by simply just obeying what He said. This isn’t some “were” perfect idea, but that even in our sin, repenting and turning to God and obersiving all He commands. This whole section from Deuteronomy talks of our need to be obedient and if there’s one thing I have learned this summer it is this:

Do what God has commanded, yes it may be painful, tiresome, hard, and feel like pulling your fingernails off. But in every single instance it is more rewarding, more fruitful, establishes you in righteousness, and calms the fear and anxieties inside of you.

I look forward (a little worriedly) to this semester with Sion (who will be in my next post, don’t worry) and working towards reaching each and every student on campus with the Gospel. We have many things prepared, many things are coming together and with the Lord’s Grace and Power, I look forward to what will be a brand new step into the freedom of the Gospel at Michigan Tech.

Thank you for your prayers, for your time, for your vote of confidence in fundraising. This ministry is made possible by selfless people, choosing to pour into others that cannot or will not do it for themselves.

In Him,

Charb

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