*unable to think of catchy title for today

Well, that time of year has come again. Dorm rooms are packed up, finals are winding down, fancy hats and long flowing robes are being worn, flocks of young adults are being released on the summer job market...to the delight of many, the school year is over!

For the students at Hamline, that means unwinding from the stress of finals, freedom from homework for a few months, and another year of ministry on campus has come to an end. For me, next school year has (in ways) already begun. This summer will be spent planning, reading, brainstorming, trying to meet with as many student leaders as I can (who's available next week?), basically doing whatever is possible to hit the ground running when students come back to campus in August.

Over the past several weeks, I have had a few opportunities to get on campus and meet with some of the student leaders. They are a fun group, excited to see God work on campus, and anxious to be used in that work. There are already plans in place for at least 5 Bible studies, with some of the students taking their first foray into the exciting world of small group leadership. As they head back to families, summer jobs, camps, and wherever else they might be going, please be in prayer that God would use many opportunities to prepare them for serving in the upcoming school year and that they would be always growing in their understanding of how they can be used on campus.

The end of the school year did come with a bit of sadness. Dan Stirratt, Hamline's InterVarsity staff worker for the past couple years, announced that he will be leaving his position as of May 31. Dan has worked with InterVarsity for the past 15 years, and his ability to engage with students will be greatly missed on campus. He has helped me quite a bit as I transition into the role of campus staff member, and I know his work at Hamline has paved the way for some amazing transformation in the coming years.

I will also continue the process of raising support over the summer. As of yesterday 65% of my initial funding goal has been committed. That means I have a further $6600 dollars to raise for this coming year of ministry. However, with the staffing changes on campus, if more funding comes in, I will be able to put in more hours. That is an unanticipated development that I'll know more about in the coming months.

I think that's all I have for updates right now. I have posted an updated copy of the ministry overview here:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B2S8P4fnqrcfYzhkOWY1OGYtMmM5Ny00YmIxLThiMDMtZjFmM2EwM2E5YTQw&hl=en

As always, if you have any questions, post in the comments or contact me directly. Thanks for reading.
-Deron