David’s Dialogues

April- Easter & Leaning in to Campus Rhythms

Dear Friend,
The past month has been full; full of blessing, full of activities, full of challenges, and full of God’s Spirit moving around us.  When April rolls around each year, the weather warms up in Blacksburg and there is this new sense of energy and activity on campus.  At the beginning of the month, Ally and my “Hokie Family” collection of Engage Groups participated in Virginia Tech’s Big Event.  This event gathers Hokies from all around to give back and serve the local community by helping local residents with various household chores, spring cleaning, etc.  We were able to serve a family by painting and doing some mulching, but it also gave our people a chance to invite friends into community.  Also this month, I organized the third Life After College workshop, this time focusing around living missionally in the workplace.  If our jobs constitute a place where we spend 40-60+ hours per week of our time, it is vital that we work to bring the Kingdom there.

Another big weekend for Virginia Tech included the 3.2 for 32 Run in Remembrance, as well as the Virginia Tech Spring Football Game.  As events happen around campus, we strive to be present and involved in order to open up as many doors as possible for invitations, conversations, and movement of the Spirit.  Our Hokie Family collection of Engage Groups ran the 3.2 for 32 together, as well as had a tailgate for the Spring Game later that day.  Several new folks were invited and got a taste of what Christian community is like!

For the past several years, Ally and I have led our students in Hokie Family through a Messianic Passover Seder on the Thursday of Holy Week.  It has been a chance to slow down and walk through some of the practices that Jesus and his disciples walked through during the Last Supper.  We read scripture, worshipped, ate the ceremonial elements, and delved into this time right before Jesus was arrested, tortured, and crucified.  The next night, our entire church (both congregations) gathered to place ourselves at the foot of the cross during our Good Friday service.  We reflected back on the last phrases of Jesus, stepping into the pain and suffering our Savior experienced that day.  Then, on Easter Sunday, our celebration of the resurrection culminated in an amazing combined gathering with 344 people in attendance!

After the Easter sermon series, we stepped back into our series on the armor of God, “Stand Firm”.  I had the chance to preach about the “Helmet of Salvation” on April 28th at both our Sunday services.  It was a blessing to proclaim the gospel in a very direct and straightforward way, inviting people to accept Him as Lord of their lives.  Check out the video below!

In the midst of the busyness this month, Ally and I had a lot of prayers answered by going under contract on a house!  We had been praying for a while that God would open the door to a house that we can afford, is close to campus, and we can use to bless others.  A few weeks ago our offer was accepted and now we are in the whirlwind of paperwork leading to closing.  Right now the estimated closing date is May 17^th; what a birthday present!  Please continue praying for us during the closing process, and then as we begin moving to our new home (stay tuned next month for our new address!).  We are excited to lay down roots and continue ministering to students at Virginia Tech over the years to come.  Thank you for partnering with us in that!

In Christ,
David

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