Merry Christmas friends and family!
I hope you all have a wonderful time with your loved ones! The greatest gift I'll receive this year is the support of you all in allowing me to do ministry! Thank you abundantly!
Christmas with the Apprentice team! `. 
This was taken at our Staff Christmas party. It was such a sweet time with one another before we all parted for the break. It has been so special to have this team to walk with throughout the apprenticeship. As I've said before, we have monthly sabbath dinners to be intentional with one another outside of the work setting. It has really bonded us together, and each one I'm so thankful to know and love!
Denton Focus Christmas Party!
This is a photo of my core small group. Every year our ministry puts on a Christmas party for our students. This year's theme was formal attire! It was so fun getting to have an excuse to dress up and fellowship with one another. We ate food that our staff made for the students, some Christmas worship, Trivia, and some dancing to end the night. I feel like the energy this year for all activities that we put on is just higher than in years past. It's been a lot of fun to do ministry this year in Denton where God seems to be doing something new in the hearts of students when it comes to fun things, but especially with investing in their relationships with God which has been so neat, uplifting to see and to be apart of!
Staff picture at the party!
Here is a photo of our students worshipping with various Christmas songs. It was student-led by two of our students leading us in worship, and several students coming up between songs to read verses over us!
Core Dinner!During finals week, instead of meeting for our usual bible study, we got to grab dinner together for the girls who could join! We had two new people join us which was really encouraging because it reminded me that even though we have so many new students who are plugged into the community, there are still so many who have yet to even find a Christian community. These two new girls have been looking to be plugged into something, and were eager to have Christian friends. One of them is about to graduate next semester and never got to be a part of a Christ-centered community on campus. This just shows you the need for students to continue to be outreached to and connected with.
Worship Night!
During Finals week we don't meet for our usual weekly service with one another. However, one of our student leaders in our ministry hosted us at his family's home to worship with one another. There were times for reading of scripture, and of personal reflection. It was so special to witness so many of our students coming on their "night off" because of how much they are eager for fellowship with God and one another.
Finals Outreach!
Cathryn the other apprentice with me (on the very right) and I planned an outreach event on campus for students to "Fuel up for Finals." We made goodie bags with snacks and wrote different verses to go inside each one as well as various study materials to take if they needed them. We had three students from this event who joined our small groups that same night and the following day and who wanted to consistently be connected. This was completely unexpected. Praise God!
Last TNF of the Semester!
I wanted to capture this photo because it was a pivotal moment in our ministry that I've never seen before. The guy that they're gathered around to hug shared during our community sharing time that He had a recent encounter that was so impactful that he decided to turn his life around at that moment. He hadn't been a part of our community very much, but after he felt God prompting him to a relationship with him again, He made and has continued to make the decision to follow God more deeply. He has been showing up to every event we have big or small since this night. After he shared this, we ended the night with one more song, and it happened to be a song that was meaningful to him throughout his life. He began crying out praises to God, as well as expressing lots of emotion that just showed the sensitivity of his heart towards wanting to restore his relationship with God. I wanted to mention this not just because of this student, but also because of the impact that I saw on multiple students after our service. Seeing this student become so vulnerable opened up an opportunity for further vulnerability for many of our students who have or are just beginning to grow in having sensitive hearts toward Christ. All glory be to Christ!
Staff dinner!
A few days ago Ryan (the director of Denton Focus) hosted us for dinner at his house. His wife Nicole, made a beautiful display of food for us. It was a great way to wind down with just our team before break officially.
Apprentice classes:
With the semester being over, we have now completed three classes: Old Testament Foundations, Spiritual Leadership, and Evangelism. Each of these classes has personally impacted me greatly. The apprentice classes have been giving me lifelong ministry tools that I can use far down the road, and I'm so incredibly grateful for that, to have a more in-depth understanding of scripture and the character of God as a whole. Not just the classes, but the teachers who are staff members who love God so deeply and who don't just teach us things, but live out what they're teaching. I often wonder what could be better than getting to be doing this and learning as much as I am in this season of my life. It is truly something I can't express my deep gratitude for.
Apprentice sermons:
At the end of each semester, apprentices give sermons. This is the first sermon each of us has ever given. The prompt for the sermon is "What is your gospel" In order words, what has God uniquely done in your life that has impacted you, and caused you to follow him.
If you would like to listen to mine or any of the others here are the links!
Student Testimony!
Prayer requests:
-Please be praying for the students in our ministry to spend their breaks intentionally, not isolating, but spending time in community with others, and continuing to grow their relationships with God.
-Please be praying for our winter retreat that is coming up January 12th-15th. Be praying for their hearts to be open to what God wants to do at the retreat. For the students who have not fully made the decision to go, to be willing to go and experience God wanting to grow them in areas they may be unaware of.
I would love to also be praying for you all! Please reach out via email, text etc. to let me know how I can be praying for you! I hope you all can be filled with peace and joy in this season with your loved ones and in celebrating our precious King!
Blessings,
Keanna
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