Hersheys at Lion Shrine

 Christian Student Fellowship - Penn State Berks

 

August 2012 News

Another Year Begins...

     This month I would simply ask you to join me in praying for the beginning of another semester.  

 

*Pray for the new students coming to Penn State Berks - it is always a huge thing to move away from home for the first time.  Pray for the students moving into the dorms or apartments to adjust to their new life of freedom in college.  Especially pray that those who are Christians would not leave their faith behind as they go to college but that they would get involved in Christian community on campus.

 

*Pray for the new students at Penn State Berks who are commuters - it is a slightly different experience to commute from home to college.  Some things are familiar, such as living in the same place and perhaps having the same job.  But a college schedule is very different from high school, many of your friends have moved away to their own colleges, and the classwork is much more difficult.  So pray for these students to adjust to their new life also.

 

*Pray for CSF to reach out to the new students - New students are vital to CSF.  Many students only spend two years at PSU Berks, so without new students joining the group we would quickly cease to exist.  Pray that many students would seek out CSF as a spiritual home, but also pray that returning students make an effort to not just be comfortable with old friends but also reach out and make new students feel welcome.

 

*Pray for evangelism - Most new students who join CSF will be Christians wanting to find Christian community.  It is easy for this community to become inward-focused, providing a safe-haven for Christians from the rest of a crazy college life.  Pray that the students have a heart for their peers, reaching out in the name of Jesus Christ.

 

*Pray for the classroom - It seems that many Christians on campus divide their life, separating what happens in the classroom with what happens in the church or campus ministry.  This is similar to how many Christians in our world do not see how their faith relates to what they do the other six days each week.  Pray that students develop a vocation, realizing that God has called them into their major and future career.  Pray that the Christian students love God with all their mind and apply themselves fully to their studies as an act of worship.

 

*Pray for CSF's work on campus - This year we will meet weekly for worship, prayer and Bible study.  We will also have other regular activities from service projects on campus to game nights to spiritual discussion forums and much more.  Pray that we are open to the Holy Spirit's leading and that we represent Jesus well on this diverse campus.

 

*Pray that lives would be changed - Pray that people, whether Christians already or not, would encounter Jesus Christ this year and have their lives changed in positive ways.

Care Packages for Students!
Do you want to help reach out to students in the name of Jesus Christ this August?

 

 Every August many local churches generously donate care packages for students at Penn State Berks.  Members of CSF hand the packages out to their peers during the first week of school. This is a fantastic way to reach out to students on campus and for Christian students to connect with others who may never set foot in a Bible study.

To learn more about this ministry and how your church, or you as an individual, can take part, click here.

 

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In This Issue
Reflections on a Memorable Week
Care Packages
You Lost Me
Praises and Prayers
Donations
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Myths About Majors
I found this interesting list of myths about majors on the Penn State Division of Undergraduate Studies website (well, I found it because I read a great historian's blog and he found posted a link to it).  If you know someone in college, beginning college this fall, or preparing for college in the next few years this would be a great list to share.  I especially found the fifth myth, "my major will determine what I do for the rest of my life", thought provoking:

 

"Did you know that studies have shown that within ten years after graduation, most people are working in careers that aren't directly related to their undergraduate majors?

 

Just like students change their majors, graduates change their careers. There are doctors, for example, who decide to become lawyers, and lawyers who decide to become doctors. Although these are unusual examples, it's not unusual for most people to change careers several times during their professional lives. A teacher, for example, might become a principal or a superintendent, or an engineer might move into a management position.

 

Most jobs also change over time, whether people want them to or not. Many jobs that exist today will be very different five years from now or may even be obsolete by then. New types of jobs are emerging every year, and most of us have no way of knowing what those jobs will be or what type of education will be needed in order to qualify for them.

 

The current emphasis in career planning at the undergraduate level is on the development of general, transferrable skills (e.g., writing, speaking, critical thinking, computer literacy, problem solving, team building) that employers want and that graduates will need in order to adjust to rapidly changing careers.

 

People change; careers change. The connection between the major that you choose now and the career that you'll find yourself in ten years from now is likely to be very small."

 

 

Praises and Prayer Requests 
(Yes, more prayer requests!)

1. Pray for CSF's student leaders - Bryson Bugay, Scott Lohin and Elizabeth Boulanger.  Also, we need to find one more leader, so pray we quickly find the right person.

2. It always seems like there is a lot of change from year to year on campus.  I just learned yesterday that a few people who work for Penn State, who are able to provide help for me, are moving on to other jobs.  So please pray that whomever is hired to take their place would also be helpful to my ministry.

3.  Praise God for a wonderful summer.  With Emily off from school I have been able to get a lot of work done in preparation for the year (not to mention, I only have to get up at 6:30 AM to go to the gym rather than 5:15!).  We had a wonderfully relaxing time at a cabin in the middle of nowhere.  We are both prepared for the craziness of another school year!

4.  Pray for my continued ministry with the Korean Church of Lehigh Valley.  It has been a pleasure leading the English worship service there and meeting and ministering to many new people.  

 
 
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My ministry is not possible without generous donors.  If you would like to make a contribution to my ministry with CSF on Penn State Berks campus, just click the link below.
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Grace and Peace,

David Hershey
CSFPA