Positive Direction at LSSU

Hey all. God has really been blessing His ministry at LSSU this semester. While we have not grown a lot in numbers many of the students that we do have are beginning to see the importance of reaching out in love to their fellow students. The students that we do have are really blessed by being a part of  the ministry at LSSU and I am blessed by having the privilege of serving them. I have found a few new students that I get to meet with to care for their spiritual lives.

The main reason for this entry is to ask you to pray for our upcoming out reach events this week and next week. During the Men's Bible Study tomorrow (Feb. 9) we are serving pizza to Brady Hall. We are hoping to meet new people in the dorm and build relationships with people we do not know yet with the hope of one day sharing our faith with them.

Please pray that God gives us hearts to speak his truth lovingly and boldly.

On Monday the 13th the Co-ed Bible study is handing out invitations to our Bible study and bookmarks that we made inviting the women of Osborne hall to our Bible study cookie night on the 14th. We hope to share the knowledge of God's love with students on the day of love.

Please pray that God would prepare hearts to hear His Gospel message and that we would be faithful to preach it.

Please pray that Anchor House as a whole would have hearts that expect God to move in big ways.

On a personal note... I have until recently been experiencing some residual pain in my kidneys even though the stone I had passed. For a while it was quite difficult to get to sleep. God faithfully worked through the prayers of many to relieve my pain. He also has been blessing me in other ways. I have become more involved in my church up here, Rudyard Christian Reformed Church. It has been a blessing to be discipled by the Pastor there and to be getting to know some of the congregation. It means a lot to have a church that is behind what God is doing through me up hear. I have also really been blessed by my one-on-one meetings with students and with our Bible study discussions and with my encouraging discussions with my accountability partner who is my friends and brother in the LORD of 16 years.

Grace and peace to you,

Peter Jonathan Clegg

Winter Retreat: Thanks for praying!

Winter Retreat And Start Of New Semester

Hey all. Today marks the first official prayer entry of the new year and the first for this blog.

First, in ministry news... We have launched our weekly event for the semester. Last night God brough seven students to our first Bible study of the semester and God really blessed our conversation. One student even brought two of her room mates along with her. I am meeting with students one on one and I am excited to see how God grows them this semester. Still to come for the week are our Men's Bible study, prayer meeting, and large group meeting. Please pray that God uses these events, these students, and I to make Christ known to the LSSU campus.

Second, about our winter retreat... This weekend fifteen or so students, my supervisor Marty, and I will be traveling the whole forty-two miles to a now snowy Cedar Campus. Students will enjoy fellowship that will help build our community and will be trained in Group Investigating God (GIG) leader training. What is a GIG you may ask? A GIG is an opportunity for a Christian to examine the claims of Christ with at least one non-Christian in the Gospel accounts in the Bible. This is an important step in transforming the IV chapter at LSSU into a community that witnesses to Christ. GIGs give students opportunities to continue the conversation after they share their faith and develop relationships with non-Christians. Please pray that students catch the vision for GIGs, begin to invite other students to GIGs, and that God ultimately uses these GIGs to call people to Himself. Also pray that God uses this weekend to knit us together in love and grow into a community that witnesses to Christ.

Third, on a personal note... Despite finding out that I have a kidney stone and having a cold our Father has really been blessing me. God gave me the biggest month of support raising I have ever had! I have had some very encouraging times with friends and students and have just been feeling more joyful in general. A couple verses that I want to live out as I serve God in ministry are :

 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24 ESV)

 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. (Acts 20:28 ESV)

Please pray that our Father would strengthen and enable me to live out these verses as I seek to serve Him. Please Pray for the kidney stone to pass, renewed health, and strength for what God has set before me to do.

Also, I recommend the following books from my currently reading pile:

Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, And Roots by J.C. Ryle

Bloodlines: Race, Cross, And The Christian by John Piper

St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary: Mark by R.C. Sproul

Upheld with His righteous right Hand,

Peter Jonathan Clegg