I don’t know about you, but my Mondays are always hectic.

Mornings begin with a 9am conference call to pray with all our staff around the country, followed by organizing and planning for the week. Before I know it, it’s lunch time, and then onto our staff video conference call where we plan and discuss for the better part of an hour to an hour and a half.

After that it’s back to planning things for the media department, possibly squeezing in a meeting or two, and responding to emails that have stacked up over the weekend. (Save for my phone, weekends for me are technology free and I refuse to touch a computer on Saturdays and Sundays).

But then it comes to a close. I look up and the clock’s about to strike 5pm, and I smile. While this auspicious time of day might see others whooping for joy because it means they get to clock off work and go home, my day isn’t over yet. So why am I smiling?

Because it’s time for fusion group, and that always makes my day.

Fusion Groups

Every Monday at 5pm, a group of students make their way into the prayer room at the Campus House of Prayer (CHOP). They represent a variety of ministries from all different denominations, ethnic and church backgrounds.

And while some might speculate that these differences could result in arguments and misunderstandings, it’s never an issue. There is only one focus at fusion group and it is this – to worship Jesus together and interceed for our campus as the united body of Christ.

Strength in numbers

One of the reasons I love being a campus minister at The University of Texas at Austin is that there is such a strong sense of unity among the various campus ministries. There is a shared understanding that we need one another to effectively reach the campus, and that everyone has something to bring to the table. So we make time to pray together on a weekly basis. The campus ministers on Wednesday mornings, and the student leaders on Monday evenings.

We pray for the campus and for each other’s ministries, but more than that, it is also a time for us to rejoice in triumphs and share in struggles together. We believe that if we’re all working to reach the campus with the gospel, why not spur each other on? After all, even the bible says to continually “encourage one another and build one another up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

There is no “I” in TEAM

In my time praying with these student leaders at fusion group, it’s been neat to see how excited they are to hear about other ministries’ retreats and outreach initiatives. They rejoice and celebrate with one another, and invite each other to join in their individual ministry’s events.

These students understand that it is a team effort to bring the gospel to a campus, and furthermore, that true partnership is not about stripping people of their own uniqueness, but rather about sharing talents and resources to create an even greater result.

God delights when His children come together for the sake of His kingdom, and takes joy in their “partnership of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:5) So the next time an opportunity presents itself for you to pray and partner with other ministries, take it! You might just see God do something amazing, and make lasting relationships along the way.