March Prayer Letter

Hello All!

I regrettably forgot to post our last newsletter on here! I am so sorry to those of you who only look for electronic updates! Here it is!

God Bless,
Matt

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 - Matthew 28:18-20

March 1, 2012

Dear Ministry Family,

Two young men that Matt meets with

 - no stripes are not a required dress 

code to meet with Matt.

Jesus spoke the Great Commission before ascending into heaven to a crowd of people including His most devoted followers. The Savior of the world had spent thirty-three years on earth, three of which had been fully devoted to ministry and Gospel-planting. He had spoken to countless crowds full of thousands of hungry souls. Often, though, I have wondered what (other than His divine omniscience) gave Him the confidence that some of that final crowd would listen and obey. How did He know the mission would move forward? Or, more appropriately, what had He done to ensure it?

Acts answers this question, as do the Gospels, by simply pointing to a small group of men who Christ had invested higher levels of effort in. These men, selected by Christ, appointed by the Father (Mark tells us Jesus prayed before calling the apostles), and eventually filled by the Holy Spirit had caught the “full fever” of Jesus’ vision and were the first “operatives” in Jesus’ global mission. Three years had shown them His character, His heart, and His intent for the world, and by the time of His ascension they had made His vision their own.

Reading this out of the Gospels has driven us to make discipleship an ever-increasing part of our role on campus. Meeting with students, caring about and pouring into their lives, teaching them, wrestling with the Truths of Scripture, showing them Jesus vision and helping them realize that they, too, can aid in advancing it, and showing them how God has specifically equipped them is – I believe – one of the most powerful parts of Church Age life. I am one believer, and even on my most sold-out, fired-up days I am still just one person. But, if a portion of my time is given over to meeting with even two students regularly and helping them see why I’m sold out for Jesus’ vision and why they ought to be as well, then I’m multiplying myself, making three where there was one. 

Two of the Christian Fellowship girls

 that God laid on Rebecca’s heart, 

with Arnie, the university’s mascot. 

Pray for us about this area called discipleship, please! Pray specifically that God will show us who to meet with, how to reach out to them, what to work on, and, ultimately, that God will bless our efforts by turning those students around and having them do the same and select others to pour into. I (Matt) currently meet with seven college men who I love working alongside and devouring Scripture with – pray that I can effectively meet their differing needs and care for their lives individually. Rebecca currently meets with three college women and is praying about three more whom God has laid on her heart. Pray for the launch of these new relationships as well as the continued deepening of the ones she has. Also, please pray that God will continue to help us balance this part of our job with the others, such as evangelism, training, etc.

Thank you for your efforts to empower us with spiritual and physical resources. You truly have freed us up to do this work and it blesses us so much to have you serving with us. May God continue to bless your faithfulness and continue to guide all our efforts for His Kingdom.

Your Fellow Laborers,

Matt & Rebecca Litchfield