For months, many of you have prayed with me, encouraged me, given, shared the Road to USF story, opened doors, made introductions, and believed with me that God was preparing something at the University of South Florida.
Now we are beginning to see what those prayers were preparing us for.
The prayers are working.
In just one week, more than 100 graduate students have expressed interest in Graduate & Faculty Ministries at USF. I have also learned of more than 20 professors and faculty members who are interested in learning more, connecting, praying, gathering, and exploring what Christian community could look like on campus.
And we are already meeting with professors.
What amazes me is that these are not simply names on a list. Students are asking real questions. When are we starting? Where can I find a church? Can we have lunch? Is there a Bible study? How can I find Christian community? Some are looking for spiritual mentoring and formation. Others are simply looking for friendship and a place where they belong.
The demand is greater than I imagined.
I thought I would arrive on campus and spend the first season trying to find people who were interested. Instead, people are already asking when we can begin.
We are no longer preparing to do ministry at USF. We are doing ministry at USF.
That means the need has changed too. I am now looking for churches that are willing to welcome graduate students and faculty into their congregations and communities. I am looking for churches, homes, businesses, and organizations near USF that may have space for lunches, Bible studies, prayer gatherings, small groups, and upcoming Vision Nights.
I also need people.
If you would like to come to campus with me and meet students, help with follow-up, assist with administration, offer hospitality, pray, mentor, make introductions, or simply help people feel welcomed, there is room for you.
If you are a pastor or church leader, I would love to talk with you about how your congregation could become part of this ministry. If you know a professor, graduate student, Christian business owner, church, ministry leader, or organization connected to the USF community, please connect us.
And above everything else, please keep praying.
Pray for wisdom as we respond to the demand. Pray for the right student and faculty leaders to emerge. Pray for people who are far from home and searching for community. Pray for professors who may have quietly wondered whether there were other believers around them. Pray that everything we build is rooted in Christ and becomes something sustainable long after this first season.
I also want to say thank you.
Thank you to everyone who prayed when there was nothing visible to celebrate yet. Thank you to those who gave, shared posts, made introductions, encouraged me, invited me to speak, and believed that there was a reason God was sending me to USF.
You may not have stood at the table with me, but your prayers were there. You may not have personally met these students, but your support helped make those conversations possible.
We are seeing fruit.
The Road to USF was never simply about getting me onto a college campus. It was about reaching people once I got there. Now they are here, they are asking, and they are ready to connect.
So now we build.
We build community. We build disciples. We build places of prayer. We build relationships between the campus and the local church. We create spaces where graduate students and faculty can encounter Jesus, grow in their faith, find one another, and know they do not have to walk through this season alone.
There is much more ahead, but I want to stop long enough to celebrate what God has already done.
We prayed. God opened the door. Now we build.
If you would like to volunteer, host a gathering or Vision Night, connect me with someone at USF, introduce me to a church or business near campus, or become part of what God is building, please reach out.
The need is great. The opportunity is even greater.
And we are just getting started.
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