Hello! I'm currently finishing up my last month at the Cross Church School of Ministry. What is the Cross Church School of Ministry, you ask? Essentially, it's a residential ministry program, where I work and learn side-by-side with the ministry staff team at Cross Church, as well as have missions opportunities locally and globally. I started on August 16th of 2015, and I will be graduating on July 31st.

As my time begins to end here, I've begun reflecting on the past year. I've grown spiritually as well as intellectually, I've built relationships and learned countless ministry lessons and things-to-know. I've grown as a leader and as a minister. I've experienced the hand of God in difficult and uncertain times, and my faith is stronger for it.

In September I had the opportunity to minister to orphans, widows, and local pastors at Esther's House in Malawi; in April I had the unique chance to aid and watch the launching of a new church plant in Colorado Springs called The Bridge Fellowship; and in June I was able to help out a church revitalization in the heart of St. Louis--formerly called FBC Affton, now called The Church at Affton--with their first ever local kids camp and a block party. While our team was in St. Louis, I experienced the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. This year's meeting turned out to be one of the most historically significant on record!

I've also been able to help out locally through Cross Church's Compassion Center, a non-profit thrift store/food bank/counseling center, as well as volunteer at the various youth events, such as Freedom Weekend (similar to Disciple Now), High School Beach Camp, Sky Ranch Middle School Camp, Vacation Bible School Extreme (VBX), and Kids' Day Out (for preschoolers). I've had the opportunity to minister to and teach middle school and high school students at the Pinnacle Hills campus as well as Shiloh Christian School.

The lessons I've learned, the ways I've grown, and the relationships I've built are priceless. However, the program does come at a cost. As of the beginning of July, despite hundreds of letters sent and much exposure of this page on Facebook, I still owe $5,500 to the School of Ministry. I heartily welcome your prayers for a miracle in the necessary funds to come in, but the reality is that prayers alone won't pay for the School of Ministry. There's no way around it: I need money, and I need it by August 1st. Will you please consider partnering with me financially? At the least, will you please share this page so that others might see it?

After I graduate from the Cross Church School of Ministry, I will be pursuing my Master of Divinity degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I have faith that I will leave Arkansas and arrive in Kentucky without the burden of $5,000 on my shoulders. God has called me to ministry and to missions. Will you join in what God is doing?