So what has happened in 2005 from August to December that was not here before?

1. The Hawkins family was sent by the Campus Ministry at CMSU to help establish a campus ministry outreach for the Independent Christian Churches in New England.

2. God worked out a hundred details to get us on site by August 1st including the rental of our house back in Warrensburg and providing an amazing house in Somerville, MA.

3. Three more staff members were on site and found apartments/roommates by October 1.

4. All three staff members found jobs within a week on/near campuses at Harvard, Northeastern and Boston University.

5. Two churches in the New England now financially support the mission of Sojourn Collegiate Ministry.

6. We have met with leaders from various collegiate ministries in the city, attended events on campus and visited dozens of churches learning about the role and current state of campus ministry in Boston. And will begin participating in the city-wide staff gatherings this month.

7. Our staff, collectively has had dozens of spiritual conversations with co-workers, students and people they have met around the city.

8. Collectively, we have met with close to 10 students from both churched and unchurched backgrounds about our vision for collegiate ministry.

9. We have met consistently with the leaders of the Boston Partnership church plant to ground the campus ministry in the identity of the local church of the city.

10. We have developed a web-site that will be launched in January (the address is the same as our current site...just kicking it up a notch!).

11. We have also developed a book of campus profiles and a ministry handbook for new teams coming to New England.

12. Finally, we also began the first stages of creating a regional organization for campus ministry partnering with churches in New England.

We have, from the beginning, determined to launch from a relation based ministry rather than advertisement and gathering. We believe this approach is not only good for the long-term interest of the ministry, but also connects us with more people of an unchurched background.

Many people have asked about my assessment of the past few months. And I have come to value them as very successful. We have a long way to go, but these past few months have really put us on firm ground for 2006.

What lies ahead for us this year? Well, here is where we think we are headed, pending God's leading!

1. Each staff member will be meeting with 2-3 individuals for discipleship by the end of the semester.

2. Apply for student status at Boston University and/or Northeastern University.

3. We will become a registered 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit organization in Massachusetts.

4. We hope to have recruited another team for a couple of more campuses in Boston for the fall of '06 or spring of '07.

5. We will participate in the launching of the church in the fall of '06.

6. Become a financially secure team.

7. Begin participating with students with a homeless and/or youth outreach in Boston.

8. Continue to build relationships with people and be faithful to the message of Christ.

9. The Campus Ministry at CMSU will become debt free and be able to continue its investment to ministry in New England.

10. Advance our partnerships with churches, individuals and campus ministries to further advance the gospel on campuses in New England.

We hope that by the end of this team's 2nd year on site to have two established student ministries of 10-15 students that are connected to the church of the city and living missional lives on campus.

If you want to print this out and be in prayer for us, incorporate the things mentioned above within the general categories below organized by days of the week.

Sunday - Please pray for the unity and outreach of the Boston Partnership church plant and the Sojourn Collegiate Ministry as we work together to reach the city of Boston.

Monday - Please pray for our favor with the administration on the campuses of Boston University, Northeastern, Harvard, MIT, UMASS-Boston and Boston College.

Tuesday - Please pray for the spiritual, emotional and physical well-being of our staff: Kim Conrad, Bobby VanBecelaere, Nathan Griffeth and the Hawkins family. Pray for our boldness, spiritual strength, open doors of evangelism and unity.

Wednesday - Pray for the students at the campuses listed above. Pray specifically for us to be faithful with relationships and that God will bring us alongside students who will serve as leaders of the ministry and students who are ready to hear about Jesus.

Thursday - Please pray for our fundraising efforts. Through the year we will be meeting with many churches, individuals, campus ministries to secure multiple partnerships for financial stability for the ministry.

Friday - Pray for our kids and Stephanie as they continue home-schooling. Pray for our family to continue to build relationships with people around us and that we are able to get involved in activities in the community.

Saturday - Pray for Jenna Wright and Adam Glick and the student leaders at the CCH at CMSU.

God has been so good to us, and we are so blessed to be a part of the work God is doing here.

You will receive a second update from us updating you on the finances of the ministry. So don't be confused! Many people have asked about our finances and we are in a situation where we need to increase our support and plan for the future of the ministry.

One final note of prayer for the next two weeks. I will be in Tennessee for the Impact Conference from the 3rd - 7th and we have a full slate of meetings with churches, leaders and campus ministers the week of the 8th.

Love and Peace, The Hawkins'