Ministry Update 06/2020
As if this year wasn’t awful enough, it has ruined everyone’s plans, including mine. As most people that stumble upon this website know, this is aimed to be a preparation space for my journey into full-time ministry. However, thanks to the coronavirus that journey came to a full halt. During this time, I have been faced trials of various kinds both in the search for a full-time job, and with the death of my father. To say these last few months have been rough would be an understatement. I do know that God is good, and that His plan is best, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t days that I struggle to keep that at the forefront of my mind. So for those of you who like to keep up with where I am in this journey, here I am.
At the end of last year, I was approached by Lee Woodmansee who is the campus minister at The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, and was asked if I would consider becoming staff at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry building. Given my three years of involvement there during my college years, this was exciting to me and something I had felt God was leading me towards for several months prior to this conversation. After praying more and seeking wise counsel, I felt this was something that I was being called to do. I also knew that there would be several hurdles to overcome, including financially.
Because of how the Arkansas Baptist Convention is organized, there are not enough funds in the state to provide an income for all staff members employed for ministry. This simply means that almost all additional staff members of BCM’s (besides the main campus minister), must raise their own support similar to most missionaries. What this would look like on a practical scale, is each staff member asks people they know to commit to a monthly “donation” of anywhere from $10-however much a person feels led to give. These monthly donations are then put in an account that is managed by the state convention, and out of which comes that staff members monthly salary. In return for this donation, staff members keep their ministry supporters updated on things like the spiritual conversations they’ve had recently, or opportunities they got to share the gospel with people.
At the beginning of this year, Lee Woodmansee organized a system for both myself and Alex Hopper (the other future staff member) to begin the process of learning what we need to do to start support raising. During January and February, we were having weekly meetings to discuss mental and emotional challenges we would have to overcome, as well as possible issues that might get brought up in our conversations with people. Right before the quarantine started, we were compiling a list of names of people that we believed would be willing to invest in our ministries. However, we were also told by the state at the time that we shouldn’t continue with that process due to the virus, which was devastating not only because of all the work we had already put in for this, but also because this was something we felt strongly called to do.
Fast forward to this past week, Lee Woodmansee got a call from his boss asking him where we were with the support raising process. Obviously this call shocked all three of us since Alex and I had already begun making plans for other jobs, and in Alex’s case, moving almost 13 hours away. This presented a whole new set of issues to address, such as if college campuses don’t re-open, then what would two new staff members really be able to do.
All this to say, that I’m not entirely sure if this will still be an option for me in the fall, so I have started looking into other avenues of income. Although full-time ministry is what I would love more than anything, I still trust God’s plan. At the moment, I still plan on living near Fort Smith, ministering to students at Calvary Baptist Church, and being involved in the BCM. As I struggle to figure out all the other details, such as where to work, I ask that you pray that God moves in very clear evident ways to me through conversations and open doors. This season of life has been incredibly discouraging for me in several different ways, and I’m praying that God just turns things around in a larger than life way.
Thank you for supporting me in whatever way you decide to, through encouragement or prayers. I’m glad I have an army of believers behind me.
Crystal