The Power of Prayer

“Never Miss an Opportunity to Pray for Someone”

This phrase is one of the new “axioms”we are trying this year - short, memorable phrases that help build habits in our community.  We teach them to our student leaders and bring them into conversations frequently.  We knew it was working when a student asked one of our campus pastors, “Why does everyone keep saying that?”  And we have seen more students praying for each other too!

Speaking of prayer, we wanted to share with you this beautiful painting (above) from Hugo, one of our interns this year.  He shared this at our Friday Night Fellowship a couple weeks ago as a reflection on what we have been teaching. 

Here’s his description of the painting:

Hugo Chow

“This painting is based on last Friday Night’s sermon on spiritual gifts in gathering. When I reflected on this sermon, I think prayer is where we can manifest the gifts of the Spirit. When we pray for someone, God gives us the gift to meet their need and to build up each other. When we gather to pray, there is healing, there is prophecy, there’s word of wisdom, miracles happen when we pray. The presence of God is among us when we pray, and the figure in white in this painting represents the presence of God. God give gifts to His people in all ages and races that is why I painted people in different races and children in this painting. I hope this painting can be an encouragement to all of us that when we pray, open and listen to what God has to give us and to realize there is power in prayer!”

Fall Retreat 2018

The last weekend in October our Community enjoyed a phenomenal weekend retreat together at Mount Baker Bibleway Camp! This weekend was a combination of fun, mixed with serious listening to God as he brought healing and peace to many, and strengthened our community relationships. There where over 170 of us gathered together, bonding through times studying the word to learn about our Identify in Christ, small group time and of course lots of laughter as we roasted marshmallows over the campfire, dressed up in crazy costumes as core groups and other fun activities! Check out the video and pictures below to see some of the times we shared together.

The Whole Group!

Costume Party Fun!

Worship and Teaching Times together!

Shenanigans around camp!

Opening Week at WWU!

Move in week is a time when we spread our nets wide! Every opportunity, every event possible...we do it. We set up games, blankets, and coffee on one of the lawns on campus and boy did we meet some people! These past few weeks have been filled with getting to come together alongside staff, interns, and student leaders as we get set to welcome others to Western and into our community! Below are some pictures from our kick off on Sunday night. We served hundreds of pizzas, played games, and met hundreds of students!

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Small Things Make a Big Difference…

This may look like just a stack of woods cards (which is still pretty awesome). But it is way more than that, each card represents one student who’s life could be dramatically transformed by Jesus this year! Each of our staff, interns, and small group leaders have been given two $5 gift cards to use to take new students out for coffee within the first week of classes. And we’ll give away 100 more at our first few Friday nights! A huge thank you to Woods Coffee for generously partnering with us to reach WWU students!

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The Power of a Cookie

Give a cookie — Make a friend!

During this time of year, we have a goal to welcome and build relationships with as many of the 3,000 new freshman and transfer students as we can! What is one way we don this? Through cookies! Our student leaders, interns, and staff utilize this small gift to bless and welcome students— and it makes a huge difference!

For example, a couple student leaders were going around residence halls giving out cookies, when they knocked on the door of a student who looked like she had been crying. They were able to talk with her and invite her to a game and pizza night later that evening. She came! Through this simple knock on a door with cookies, this girl was able to meet people in her residence hall and connect to a community as she adjusts to college life.

Meet our 2018-19 Interns!

We have some amazing interns joining our team for the 2018-2019 school year! We are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for each of them this year. Read a short bio of each of them below to learn more about their background, calling to the internship, and excitement for whats in store this year!

Megan Millard: I am from Renton, WA. I went to Western and studied Business Administration with a concentration in Management. I wanted to do the internship because my time in CCF has been so transformational. My faith in Jesus has grown so much and I have experienced such a wonderful community so I wanted to give back to CCF for a year.

Fun Fact about me: I have a vast knowledge of camp songs, and I think that everyone should sing camp songs whenever possible!

Jon Ville Dublan: I am from Davao City, Philippines. I went to WWU and studied Business Finance. What made me do the internship was God's serious calling to me to reach out to the students on campus that are lost and in need of His peace.

Fun fact about me: I graduated WWU at the age of 18.

Tailer Craner: I am from Spokane. I went to Western and earned my degree in Community Health. The thing that makes me most excited about the internship is being able to pour all my focus and attention towards knowing God more and growing to be more missional in all the areas of my life.

A fun fact about me is that I love when you can see the moon and sun at the same time; I think it's so crazy and cool!

Megan Parish: I am originally from Anchorage, Alaska! I went to Colorado State University and studied Health and Exercise Science. I felt strongly that God was calling me to do the internship for about the past year and a half! I am excited to be able to grow in my faith, disciple students on the WWU Campus, and for the friendships that will be built with students, interns, and staff.

Hugo Chow: I grew up in a Christian family in Hong Kong. I graduated from Western Washington University with a Studio Art major and Art History minor. I am really passionate about reaching out to students from all nations, and I think the university is a crucial place for international students to hear the Gospel.

Ana Kowalski and I am SO excited to be participating in the UCM internship! I'd known since I received my acceptance to WWU that God was calling me to learn how to be missionary on Western's campus and here I am getting to do that - praise God! I am most excited to have the opportunity to minister young women and encourage college students to reach out to their own campus.

Eishu Takimoto: I am from Japan. I studied Cell and Molecular Biology at the Aichi University of Education. I wanted and decided to do the internship because of my desire to commit to live as an evangelist of Jesus Christ. What I am most excited about in the internship is to see God’s love flow in International Students!

Muk de Guzman: I was born and raised in Seattle. I studied at Fairhaven College at WWU. I wrote my own degree titled, Sea Change: Community Connection to Conservation. I cannot wait to lead core with Makda and reach out to students in the Ethnic Student Center. A fun fact about me is I love being in, on, or around the ocean! This summer I went spearfishing around Puget Sound. 

Tyler Brotton: I am from Newton, Kansas. I went to Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas where I studied Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and Economics. God brought me out to Washington to pursue college ministry. I am excited to grow in my walk with God and be a light for students on campus. Fun fact is that I lived in Kansas my whole life before moving to Washington a year ago, and I have a lot of Kansas pride.

Sydney StilI: I am from Kent Washington. I went to WWU and earned a BA in Recreation and a minor in Leadership. During the internship, I want to gain ministry training to better equip me to be more effective in doing Kingdom work. Also, I want to give back to a community that has given me so much, and helped me grow in my faith immensely. I am excited to have ministry be my main focus, and I am excited for the opportunity to learn!! Fun fact: Anyone who knows me, knows that I love squirrels!

Makda Seyoum: My ethnicity is Eritrean and Ethiopian. I studied Human Services and  minored in Education and Social Justice at Western Washington University. I'm looking forward to see how God will use Muk and I to serve the Ethnic Student Center this year.

A fun fact about myself is that I was born in Saudi Arabia and went to preschool there.

Madison Kowalski: I went to Western Washington University where I majored in English Literature, and minored in Math and Sociology. God asked me to do the internship while I was in California by giving a guy a word to give me at their fellowship. I am excited about what this internship will teach me about what God wants me to do with the next chapter of my life.