Back in Full Swing!

Full FOCUS staff team across the metroplex at our retreat!

We have officially kicked off the 2022-2023 school year and it has been an incredible month! To start off the semester, our full FOCUS staff team across the entire metroplex took a retreat together to connect with the Lord and one another to recharge for the upcoming season. I enjoyed spending time with people from other campuses as well as getting to know the two apprentices we’ve welcomed on to our Collin team for the year. I definitely left our few days away feeing refreshed and excited for the semester ahead.

Our corefas at our Corefa prep day

After returning, we hosted a corefa prep day. Our corefas are our student leaders who basically run our ministry by their volunteered time. We wouldn’t do this is it weren’t for their dedication to bring others into community. They gave up an entire Saturday morning to learn and prepare to welcome new students to campus then facilitate small groups this year. 

Corefa team at worship night. Thankful for their silliness!

On the last Thursday evening of their summer, we gathered for a worship night to look back at what the Lord had done for us individually and as a community, and to vision cast for the year ahead.

As usual, we spent the entire first week of classes on campus playing games, serving coffee, asking intentional questions and more to welcome and meet new students. The picture above is a group of returning and new students playing Heads Up. I was so encouraged by our corefas for showing up and going out of their way to invite their peers along to whatever we were doing.

First TNF!

A generous church just down the road from campus has allowed us to meet for Thursday night fellowship every week in their space. This is a huge blessing to us and our students. We kicked off our year with a sermon series based on our theme of the year, “Come and See.” The first few weeks focused on Jesus’s character and the last half of the series will be about how we strive to be a community that looks like him. Our goal is that every student we meet is invited to experience Jesus’s power, love, and purpose.

First Core!

This year I get to lead a core - which I didn’t do last year. I’m leading with one of my coworkers, Renee. I’m excited to be back in a group with new students to our ministry. The picture above is from our first meeting of the semester and I cannot describe in words how sweet each one of these girls is. I was touched by each one of their stories and their willingness to come to a group of strangers and they all chose to open up on DAY ONE. They’ve all been through unique experiences that I can’t wait to hear more about and learn from.

This is my peer team for the year! We are all corefas and I have the honor of meeting with them as they navigate being ministry leaders on campus. From left to right we have Andrea, me, Renee, Madisyn, Aless (standing), and Katherine (sitting). Renee is my coworker and co-corefa, so I’m excited to have her help me plan worship activities and pastoral discussions for our peer team. Katherine is one of our apprentices this year and not only is she in my peer team, but I get to supervise her!

Please be praying for each one of these girls as they settle into the semester and juggle all of their commitments. So far they’ve done an awesome job and I’m so proud of them!

Thank you all for your consistency and partnership! These students bring a lot of joy to my life and the people around them and I'm honored to get to spend time with them.

With love,

Jacy Garcia