I testify that God is doing a mighty work here at UTD.
In the last four years, I have witnessed the campus ministers consistently move toward collaboration, and constant steps toward united prayer be taken throughout the campus.
Campus Ministry Collaboration
This January, at a ground-breaking strategy meeting for campus ministers, more than 17 gathered to discuss united events for the campus – four years ago there were not even 17 campus ministers at UTD! More than eight of these campus ministers are now gathering weekly for devotional and intercessory prayer, and have planned five united events for this semester, including prayer and worship, outreach and evangelism, bringing a guest speaker to campus, and orchestrating prayer-walking teams to cover the campus.
United Prayer
During my first year at UTD, I was recruited to join a daily devotional prayer time with three other students from one campus ministry. We met daily on campus to pray for God to work in our hearts. This prayer time roughly continued over the next few years, at times stopping, at times having 8-10 students praying together each morning. Yet instead of being students from one ministry, it had become inter-ministry prayer. There is also a weekly inter-ministry prayer time (Fusion Group) now, which more than 18 students consistently attend from more than 5 ministries.
One ministry even started a weekly prayer meeting before its large group so that students may come together to intercede for the gathering and devote the evening to the Lord.
More than 20 students participated in the First Friday Fast this February, and at least two ministries want their entire fellowships to join the FFF in March. Furthermore, the UTD “Reflection Room,” which was created for self-reflection and prayer for all students – though it is mostly used for daily Islamic prayer – is being used daily to petition our great and merciful God for transformation of the campus for his glory! Some Muslims have even joined in prayer meetings out of curiosity to see what Christian prayer is like.
Praise the Lord with me for all He has done and is going to do at the University of Texas at Dallas!
*Photo credit: Charles Guo
Charlie is a new addition to the Campus Renewal team, coordinating ministry work at The University of Texas at Dallas, where he graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering last May. He is newly married to his high school sweetheart and enjoys reading and practicing speaking German in his spare time.
