Jayson & Carrie Whelpley

Pray for us! This week is the first week of classes for many of our campuses. Our team is headed to American University and the University of DC today to explore and to table and give out Freshmen Survival Kits.

Tonight is an info meeting at the Kay Spiritual Life Center where we’ll orientate new students to what Cru is about!

You will probably be able to see us at this link from 2-5!

Deans List!

As you may remember, this summer it was our turn to lug the books around campus, as we spent four weeks in Orlando underneath professors from respected seminaries around the country taking four Bible classes: Biblical Interpretation; Biblical Communication; Theology of God, the Bible and the Holy Spirit; and Old Testament Survey. Five years after graduation, we had forgotten the amount of work that goes into studies – especially masters-level courses that are only two weeks long. (Phew!) The good news is that we both feel like we’ve learned a lot and are even better equipped to teach faithfully from the Word, as well as feed on it ourselves more deeply. We even made the “Deans List” — all As and Bs – although Carrie, the non-Communications-Major in our marriage, is still having nightmares about the public speaking.

Overall, dorm life at Rollins College was refreshing, as we shared class and free time with staff friends and deepened some friendships. While we’ve all had to trade the beautiful Mediterranean architecture and Spanish-mossy trees for home and hectic Augusts, we’re looking forward to seeing our friends again in the winter, once the “conference season” starts.

Cheat sheet…

One of the big perks of working for a prominent international ministry is the abundance of good resources that get put in our hands. We thought we would share the wealth and pass on some of our favorites to you:

• The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones – Oh my. This book is written for kids but can I say this was one of our favorite required texts? I’ve never seen the Bible so clearly woven together in simple, childlike gospel language with great illustrations.
• God’s Big Picture by Vaughn Roberts –A short must-read (for grown-ups) that sheds light on the underlying storyline of the Bible.
• http://iTunes.rts.edu – free seminary course lectures on iTunes from one of our partnership seminaries
• ThirdMill.org – “Biblical education for the world for free.” Electronic books, video courses and goodies in multiple languages.
• DesiringGod.org – Pastor John Piper’s archived audio sermons, books, poems and countless great resources. For youth leaders, parents and teens, may we suggest the sermon entitled Let No One Despise You for Your Youth?

Coming in for a landing…

We are both glad to finally “land” back in Arlington as of yesterday. Connection in a community where you are ministering is vital to long-term success in ministry; since we’ve decided to stay in this area, it’s been refreshing to find friendships outside of just our staff team.

As we get back, there are constantly possibilities for what God could be calling us to in the future. We’re still unsure where God will have us next July, let alone 5 years from now, though we suspect that God may have us in DC for a while. Please continue to lift us up in prayer as we seek to follow God’s lead where ever that might be.

Please Pray For:

• Our team of 10 will now be a team of 9 because one of the interns support never came in. Pray that we would know how to lead well and that we would all be working out of an overflow of our relationship with Christ.

• Please continue to pray for our support needs. We have had quite a bit of new support come in over the summer, but we still are a little short. We are not in financial danger, but the needs are still there.

• Pray that this school year would start strong – there are a lot of incoming freshmen that are looking for Truth, pray that we would be able to powerfully proclaim the Gospel to them in a way that they will connect with.