Encouraged...

It's been a long summer...encouraging, but long. After travelling all over the Southeast, I'm ready to get settled back in Knoxville, and I'm really ready for the year to begin!

I'll start off with a support update, since that has been my primary job this summer! Thanks to your continued pledges and new gifts, I have only $5,470 left to meet my annual budget for my second year. My ministry with RUF at Tennessee is funded completely by supporters like you, and I am very thankful for all of your prayers and contributions that have allowed me to stay in Knoxville thus far. For ways you can continue to support my ministry through prayer, please visit my Prayer Page. If you have not already, would you prayerfully consider supporting my ministry financially as well? To learn more, please visit my Support Page.


Well, I must say I'm a little exhausted after a week of RUF Staff Training in Atlanta. However, I am also refreshed and extremely encouraged about the upcoming year. Staff training is the annual gathering of all RUF campus ministers, staff, and interns from across the country...in total, around 250 people! In addition to the actual training that takes place, it's also a great opportunity to spend time with the other staff members, fellowship, share experiences from the past year, and yes, have a little fun.

2nd-year RUF Interns at our "Baby Shower" for fellow interns Mike and Deanna Ford

I've been blessed with my "class" of fellow 2nd-year interns that have all become great friends over the past year. Spending time with them and hearing how God has been at work in their lives and on their campuses is always a blast. They are such an encouragement to me, and I've learned a lot from their examples and our shared experiences. The fellowship with fellow staff has definitely been an unexpected benefit of the job!

But of course, what Staff Training would be complete without...well...training? I really appreciated all the different training sessions we 2nd-years had, all led by various campus ministers.

We started off with a review session on RUF's Philosophy of Ministry. (<<< Worth a look if you've never seen it) This was a big help, and a great reminder of our purpose on campus. We were reminded that our Philosophy of Ministry is neither a technique, strategy, nor a process. It is rather our attempt as RUF staff to biblically pastor people. Our theology (as found in Scripture) informs our Philosophy, and our Philosophy then informs our methodology. This is one of the things I love most about RUF. Our core beliefs are solid, rooted firmly in Scripture, however our methodology is extremely flexible. And it's not only flexible from campus to campus, it is also flexible from student to student. In the New Testament, we see both Jesus and the Apostles ministering to different groups and individuals using a wide variety of methods and approaches, but with one message of Truth. We as a staff are all very different people, and we serve very different campuses and very different students. However, RUF's purpose is always reaching students for Christ and equipping students to serve.

Other sessions included "What does it mean to be holy?," "How to study the Bible and lead a small group," "Evangelism," and "Dealing with 'that' student." On Tuesday night we had a staff worship service where we heard from Elbert McGowan, campus minister at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS. He shared with us the importance of reaching the outsiders on our campuses. Using the example of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well, he challenged us to pursue those who might feel out-of-place in a church setting, those who are despised, forgotten, or ostracized...and to love them as Christ has loved us. We can't tame the radical message of the gospel to fit in our neat Christian comfort zones...it's a raging river that is meant to rush far beyond our tiny little comfort zones and into every corner of the world...and every corner of our campus. This was a much-needed reminder and challenge, one we will especially be seeking to pursue by God's grace at the University of Tennessee.

In many ways this week, I was confronted and reminded of how I have let myself get in the way of the gospel this past year. I have tried to build my own kingdom instead of the Kingdom of God. I have let fear and insecurity keep me from what He has called me to, and I have let arrogance and pride lead me to what He hasn't called me to. These were sobering realizations, but all overwhelmed by the knowledge of God's grace in the wake of these failures and shortcomings. I am humbled by how He has used me and promises to continue using me, even in (and sometimes through) my weakness.

Because of what Christ did at the Cross, I can rejoice in my weakness because He has promised me His strength. He's promised to stay with me and guide me. He still uses me, even when I fail, and He gets all the glory!

This week has been a wonderful reminder of Christ's love for me, and His love for the world...in particular, the University of Tennessee. I have the awesome opportunity to share and embody that love to college students at UT. After a long summer, I'm am very encouraged and excited to get back to campus. I've been missing our students, and I can't wait to meet a whole new group of freshmen! I look forward to seeing what God has in store this year for the University of Tennessee!

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support. If you have time, drop me a message and let me know how you are doing and how I may pray for you!

God's Provision...

One of the main lessons I have learned throughout this internship is trusting in God's provision. Those of you who have been following my updates for the past year know that RUF staff are responsible for raising our support each year. RUF is funded 100% by the generous gifts of individuals and churches.

Last summer was certainly a test of faith as I faced the prospect of raising $31,800 in a little more than 2 months. I was so humbled to see God provide for me in amazing ways, through the faithful prayers and gifts of you, my supporters and partners in ministry.

With my second year right around the corner, I must again raise $31,800 so I can remain at the University of Tennessee with RUF through the end of the school year in May.

You can see a break-down of my support-raising needs for this year in the graphic above.

Monthly pledged support, continued over from Year 1, adds up to $20,700. If you have a pledge set up, any automatic withdrawal will continue until you change or end it, or until I am no longer employed with RUF. There is no need to renew the pledge for the 2nd year unless you are changing the frequency or the amount. If you have any questions about your pledge, please email me at stephen.moss@ruf.org or Bonnie in the RUF office at bstandridge@ruf.org

New gifts this year that have already come in add up to $2,400. A big thanks to those of you who have already given!

This leaves a remainder of $8,700 to be raised to meet my budget for the 2nd Year. Would you prayerfully consider making a gift or pledge towards this goal today?

Any amount that you are able to give is greatly appreciated and helps me stay here in Knoxville ministering to the students of UT-Knoxville. I can't do this without your support and prayers.

For more information about RUF and how to support, go to www.ruf.org/support-us. To give securely online, go to www.ruf.org/donate, (just make sure to select my name in the drop-down menu). If you are writing a check, make it out to Reformed University Ministries, put my name in the memo line, and mail it to Reformed University Ministries, 1700 N. Brown Road, Suite 104, Lawrenceville, GA, 30043. You will receive a receipt promptly, and all gifts are tax-deductible.

Again, I very much appreciate your faithful support, whether financial or through prayer. I am so blessed to have an army of prayer warriors at my back.

Please check back to this blog often, as I'll keep posting updates about support as well as ways that you can be in prayer. If you haven't seen it yet, check the last post for a quick wrap-up of the end-of-the-year goings on in RUF Tennessee!

I would also love to hear from you! Feel free to drop me an email at stephen.moss@ruf.org or even a phone call at 850.814.8727!

I learned a great lesson of trusting God last summer, and I know I can continue to trust Him this summer to provide for my needs.

Resting in His Promises,

Stephen

End of the Year...

I must apologize for my delinquency on keeping the blog updated. The end of the year and beginning of summer have gone by like a whirlwind! To keep this post relatively short, I'll just hit the highlights:

• Shenanigans: Tennessee RUF played it's first-annual round of Shenanigans the week after Spring Break. For those unfamiliar with Shenanigans (known to many as "Assassins"), each participant is assigned another participant that they must shoot with a water pistol. Once you get your target, they give you their target. The game continues until there is only 1 person left standing. For complete details: http://www.utk.ruf.org/shenanigans-2-11 The game can typically last more than a week, but our students took it very seriously, and we had a winner within 4 days. It was a great success, and students are already planning their strategies for next time. We were excited to have 91 students participate this year, and hope to have even more play next year!

• Rafting the Ocoee: At the beginning of April, we went camping down in southern Tennessee and rafted the Ocoee River the following day. Another great trip and great turnout! The weather was beautiful.
• End-of-the-year Cookout: We had our End-of-the-Year Cookout at the Reynolds' home. We are so very thankful for the Reynolds' hosting us for Sunday Night Fellowship each week throughout the year, and especially for this cookout, as they had to hurry to get a giant fallen tree from the storms that came through removed from their backyard and patio just in time for the cookout! It was a wonderful time of fellowship and a farewell to our many awesome seniors and departing interns, Anne and Mary Beth.

• Summer Conference: Tennessee RUF brought 25 students to RUF Summer Conference in Panama City Beach. Richie Sessions, pastor of Independent Presbyterian in Memphis, was the main speaker in the evenings, and our students had the opportunity to hear from many different campus ministers in various morning seminars. And of course, there was plenty of beach time. RUF Tennessee competed in many different sports and competitions throughout the week, but we placed highest in Tug-of-War (see below), where we unfortunately came up short in the championship match against Arkansas. It was a great week of learning, worship, and fellowship, and I was encouraged to see our group bond together over the course of the conference.

• Trip across Tennessee: I was already headed across the state to see my roommate Jeff get married in Memphis, so I was able to stay with families of some of my students in Memphis and then in Nashville on the way back to Knoxville this past week. It was great catching up with many of the guys and meeting their families...not to mention eating some fantastic food along the way. I even got to watch rising sophomores Ryan, Davis, and Jay play in a local summer basketball league...getting ready for RUF basketball next year!

• Moving! I am now settled in at my new house here in Knoxville. I'm living with three other guys, 2 of whom are on staff with Crusade here at Tennessee. It's been great so far! I love the new house, and it's much closer to campus. More pictures soon.

• Next? I will be headed to Birmingham on Friday. I'll be chaperoning the youth mission trip from my former church there, Faith Presbyterian, to Palmer Home for Children in Columbus, MS. After that, I will return to Birmingham and be there until the end of the month. For those of you in Birmingham, I hope to see many of you while I'm there!

So that's the short update. Thank you again so much for your prayers and support. I'll be keeping you updated on my support-raising for next year, as well as the ways you can be praying.

Stephen

Renewal for the City...

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jeremiah 29:4-7 ESV)

Where to begin? It was a very long, but very exciting and life-changing week in Chicago with Sunshine Gospel Ministries. The trip with Tennessee RUF didn't wind up panning out, however, my old RUF group from Samford was going the same week. They were kind enough to let me jump in with them, and what a week it was!

We (Samford) were there with other RUF groups from UT-Chattanooga and Birmingham Southern, as well as two other groups from Bethel University and Indiana University. We were participating in Sunshine's Bridge Builders Week. You can read a fantastic description of Bridge Builders here. In short, it's a short-term missions program where groups come to Chicago not just to serve, but ultimately to learn. In addition to work projects, there is teaching on a biblical perspective on the poor as well as other special experiences to enhance and accompany the teaching. These experiences included a tour of Pacific Garden Mission, Meal Share (going out into the city in teams of 2 with an extra bag lunch, with the purpose of sitting down and eating with a homeless person), and the "El" Experience (riding from one side of the city to the other on Chicago's "El" train, with the purpose of striking up friendly conversations with whomever wound up sitting next to us.) The combination of the excellent teaching with these experiences led to a life-changing, transformational week.

One lesson that stuck with me was when Sunshine's director, Joel Hamernick, led us in discussion about causes for poverty. We all volunteered reasons, which we noticed him grouping into 3 unlabeled categories on the white board. He then labeled one category "tragedy." This included death of a family member, loss of a job, natural disaster, etc. The next category he labeled "personal sin." This included drug and alcohol addiction, crime, laziness, etc. The final category only had 2 reasons that had been offered up, much smaller than the others. He labeled this one "injustice and oppression." We were realized that most of our reasons for poverty had been in the tragedy or personal sin realm. The only ones given for oppression had even been individual instances (like abuse and abandonment). We learned that as members of a cultural majority (especially in America), we rarely see injustice and oppression that is systemic rather than specific or individualized. While poverty coming from Tragedy or Personal Sin requires some act for it to occur, we saw that poverty coming from injustice only requires us to go on living naturally, maintaining the status quo.

The biggest lesson we learned was to view every human being as an image-bearer of God. Joel reminded us that "you can't minister effectively to someone you think less of." As image-bearers of God, every human-being deserves to be treated as such. Every person has a story, every person wants to be listened to and understood...every person wants to be treated like a person. Far from seeing ourselves as the "helpers" coming in to help the lowly poor, we had to see ourselves as poor and impoverished, helpless apart from the grace of God. As we took to the streets to sit and eat with the homeless, our mission was simply to engage with them as human-beings, listen to them, see them as image-bearers, perhaps even learn from them.

Throughout the week, we were split up into different work projects in the mornings. Some helped out with remodeling projects around the church that was hosting us (we slept in their gym. it's in the middle of one of Chicago's more dangerous Southside neighborhoods, Woodlawn, and 90% of the congregation is homeless. They are doing a lot in the neighborhood, and we were greatly blessed by their hospitality!). Some helped doing demolition work in another building nearby that would soon be home to a church plant. Some of us went into the schools to help out the teachers and staff, spend time with students, etc. One group went to a public elementary school (Wadsworth), and another group went to Hyde Park High School, where they were also able to talk to students about college and encourage them to continue their schooling.

Our group went to Master's Academy, a small Christian school there in the Woodlawn neighborhood. It only had 32 students in K-8th grades, 4 teachers, a principal, and some volunteers. We were so impressed. The founder of the school had grown up in the neighborhood and managed to graduate high school and attend college. He came back, and by God's grace, defying all naysayers, began a Christian school in one of Chicago's dangerous South side neighborhoods. We were able to help with all kinds of projects around the school (with so few staff, there was plenty to be done from hanging artwork to cleaning the kitchen! we soon realized that when volunteers weren't there, the principal would often have to clean the kitchen herself between breakfast and lunch.) We were also able to spend a lot of time with the students, and they were awesome. It was so encouraging to see their gifts, talents, and individual personalities being nurtured and encouraged by the teachers. These students were being affirmed, encouraged, and loved...and it was evident in their behavior. They were all very well-behaved and ambitious. One 4th grade boy told me he was going to go to MIT! Talking with the 4 middle school boys, I found that one was an excellent classical pianist, another was a extremely gifted (and self-taught) artist, and another was obsessed with the muppets and wanted to be a puppeteer. We also heard a few of them freestyling Christian rap, and couldn't believe our ears how talented they were! It was sobering to realize that so many students in the neighborhood didn't have these same opportunities to be creative, be themselves, be nurtured spiritually, and set their sights on college. However, it was so encouraging to see how God was working through the Master's Academy staff to make a difference in the lives of what students they could. Joel encouraged us all that whether we could make a difference in the lives of 10,000 students (like a social entrepreneur he knew with a plan to build a system of charter schools), 30 students (like Master's Academy), or just 1 student (like a family he knew who took a troubled student into their home, eventually sending her to college)...we could all make a difference.

We learned so much from our experiences in Chicago, and the staff at Sunshine were wonderful. In everything Joel taught us, he showed the upmost humility and winsomeness. He never relied on guilt or manipulation, but rather the gospel. We left feeling inspired and excited rather than browbeaten. True love and concern for others is born out of the gospel...not guilt.

I wish I could write about everything I learned this week, but this post is already so long! I'll say one of the biggest lessons I'm bringing home with me is seeing everyone as an image-bearer of God, someone with a story to tell, someone who longs to know and be known. Having to strike up conversations with total strangers on Chicago's "El" train has shown me I can do that very same thing back here in Knoxville...right here on Tennessee's campus!

Thank you all for your prayers. It was a very exciting week (not to mention exhausting!), and it was great to spend it with some old friends (and new ones) from Samford RUF. It was also great to spend some time in such a beautiful city. Chicago is such a cool place. Like all big cities, it's amazing to see both the utter brokenness of man and man's reflection of God's image juxtaposed in such a magnificent way. We are reminded of our need for redemption as well as the new creation to come, and the vibrant diversity gives us a taste of that new creation. Cities are tragically beautiful, but ultimately hopeful, places.

I will finish up the post now, but of course, there must be pictures...haha. Enjoy. (photo credit for some of the pictures goes to Rachel Freeny! thanks!)

Resting in His Promises,

Stephen

The Chicago River was dyed green for St. Patrick's Day! So cool!

Part of the Samford group by the river in downtown Chicago

The actual house from the true story "Raisin in the Sun" was based on...only a few blocks from where we stayed.

The church where we stayed in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood

Me with Samford intern Scott Morris...it was great to also be able to hang out with some of the other RUF interns!

The hallway at Master's Academy...so colorful and full of life! We loved it!

The students at Master's Academy had each painted Bible stories, and we helped them create a
Sistine Chapel ceiling in their library.

One of the middle school boys drew this version of the Mona Lisa...self-taught. We were amazed!

Some of the kids from Sunshine's after-school program came over one afternoon from Awana Olympics...so much fun!

Our Awana Olympics team!

With some of the Master's Academy students at recess.

Me and my football buddy at Master's Academy...he made sure I knew he was only in 1st grade when he beat me.

Deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati's in Chicago's west side

On top of Chicago's Hancock Tower

Such a beautiful city!!!