One Cry Fall 2012 Photos!

I completely forgot! Pictures from our One Cry event are up, if you want to see them - here's the link: One Cry Network Fall Photos.

It was an awesome time, as I stated before, and I love the picture journal of it. Enjoy!

Akpene's Adventures Volume 3 Issue 7

Yes, I'm still okay - this is my regular newsletter. To view my "I'm not dead, hurt, or otherwise suffering" update, click here. :) Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Akpene's Adventures Volume 3  Issue 7

Campus workers, Campus gatherings, Campus Transformation and more! It has been an exciting month, hasn't it? I am still in Colorado, but making my way out. I won't be able to return to New York before I go to Austin, so it should be an interesting 2 weeks there with only an overnight bag full of things! Sorry for the shopped photo - here is an article with some very real idea of what's going on in the North East! Anyway, Here is what has been going on... One Cry Wow! How do I describe our citywide gathering? The Presence of the Lord was definitely manifested, and students were engaged, encouraged, and commissioned for their campuses. We had some excellent student prayer facilitators that helped lead the rest of the students in interactive prayer. They were really involved, and many of them said afterwards that they wish there was more time to pray. We had a worship band from YWAM in Harrisburg, PA come and help us out, and that was a very anointed and precious time. I talked with a few students afterwards, and they said that it was the best One Cry yet. Having heard that last semester, I wanted to know why? One student said, “It was just… the Lord… the Presence…” How descriptive. Another one said, “Last year was a lot of fire, and that was good, it was needed. This year was like a breath of the Spirit, restorative and restful at the same time. It was like God was filling us up for the work He had planned for us.” Amen! Check out my blog in the next several days and weeks for photos, student interviews, and more comments! Campus Transformation Network Consultation Monday, we had a consultation meeting of the Campus Transformation Network. The vision of the CTN is to increase Christ-centered transformation on colleges and universities by uniting leaders who influence faculty, staff and students. About 30 influencial leaders met to plan and promote this tool to help leverage those interested in college ministry. It was incredibly powerful; halfway through the morning, I was just overwhelmed with the sense that I was in the middle of a history making and changing meeting. Other people - some of the most key influential leaders in college ministry - felt the same thing. The excitement, the ownership, the shared vision of creating a network that encourges, trains, and equips - I am so honored and blessed to be on the ground floor of this network! Come Hear What We Have Planned! In less than 2 weeks, we are hosting  our national vision dinner on November 9th, in Austin, Texas. This is a great time to hear more about what has been happening across the nation and in Austin with CRM, and see how you can partner with what God is doing in the colleges and university. Click here or let me know if you would like to attend, tickets are free, but limited. I look forward to see you! If you’d like to make a special gift or monthly pledge, you can click below, or mail a check to Campus Renewal Ministries, 2421 San Antonio St suite B, Austin, Texas 78705. If you would like to make a stock donation, please call 512.331.5991. Remember to check with your employers to see if they do matching donations. + All contributions to Campus Renewal Ministries are income tax deductible, and are made with the understanding that Campus Renewal Ministries has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. + KEEP IN TOUCH: Phone: (512) 293-9107 Office Phone: (512) 331-5991 Web: akpenesadventures.blogspot.com  Send me an Email   Much more is going on that I cannot fit into a monthly letter – check out my blog for different accounts and stories, or like my facebook page! I am still raising my full support; I need almost $2300 monthly to reach the $5000 monthly goal need for my part in Campus Renewal. Thank you so much for partnering with a recurring or special donation!

friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2012 Campus Renewal Ministries, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you wanted to be on Akpene's prayer update list. Our mailing address is: Campus Renewal Ministries 2421 San Antonio Street Suite B Austin, TX 78705 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Akpene's Adventures Special: I really am okay

Thank you for your love and concern. I am okay! Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Safety from the Storm HI friends! Thanks for checking in with me by phone, text, email and Facebook. I am doing well and am actually quite a bit removed from the storm. I am in Denver right now, having prepared for and hosted a meeting for key influential college ministry leaders to launch the Campus Transformation Network. It was a great and powerful meeting, and I'll fill you in in my regular newsletter later today or tomorrow. I'm sure you've all heard and seen the news. There is a lot of widespread damage. One thing that I think about is hearing that Union Square is under water. To most people, that's just a fact, but I can't get out of my head that I had a meeting there four days ago. My mind cannot wrap around the fact that it is now flooded. My roommate is doing fine, and other friends that I have in my area of Queens. They even have power - though they can't go anywhere. MTA (the transit system) has been shut down since Sunday, and running very limited bus service today. LaGuardia and JFK airports are flooded. This does pose a problem for me, and I would appreciate prayers; my flight back to NYC today has (obviously) been cancelled, and I'm rescheduled for a flight on Thursday. If the airport is still closed, there will be some excitement, as I am supposed to fly out of JFK on Saturday for Austin. This could get interesting... Jeremy's family is doing well. He was at the meeting on Monday, and speaking at another conference these next two days. It was touch and go for a bit, as he was planning on flying back after yesterdays meeting, but several things happened. He obviously couldn't get a flight out - the closest he could get was Detroit. That would be a 10 hour drive. Through a hurricane. But God was keeping his wife in kids in the palm of His hand. In a town just outside the city where, if you sneeze wrong, the power goes out, his house and the few surrounding kept their power. Even the closest town hod lost power. It was quite miraculous. So, I'm okay. Please continue praying for the Northeast, and for my travels. Thanks! Follow on Twitter   Friend on Facebook   Forward to Friend  Copyright © 2012 Campus Renewal Ministries, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you wanted to be on Akpene's prayer update list. Our mailing address is: Campus Renewal Ministries 2421 San Antonio Street Suite B Austin, TX 78705 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences

Sent to sweetspirit96.adventure@blogger.com — why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences Campus Renewal Ministries · 2421 San Antonio Street · Suite B · Austin, TX 78705

You just never know

There is so much to do here in NYC, and there are some things that are more tedious than others. When I first arrived, we had just finished a survey that mapped the spiritual atmosphere of the students and college workers of the city. It really is quite fascinating, and you can look at the NYC Campus Survey here. I don’t mind telling you, though, that it was very meticulous and sometimes agonizing work to get that compiled. I love the results, but the procedure has me looking at our next one with fear and trepidation. 

Well, had. I related how one Campus Minister used the summary in his report, and got a clear directive from his organization as to how to work more effectively, and he even received some much needed funding. Well, another story blessed me incredibly. In all the details of planning for One Cry next semester, Jeremy got a hold of another prominent leader of a college ministry that was holding an event around the same time. In conversation, he was surprised to learn that this campus minister was actually living in NYC, not in North Carolina, like we had supposed. And how did he get here? In considering his next steps, a copy of our summary was passed on to him, and while that wasn’t the deciding factor in his transplant, it had a huge influence.

One of the results of the survey was the glaring need for more workers in the harvest field. I’m not sure why I’m so surprised when God answers the prayers we pray that He in fact told us to pray (Luke 10:2)…

Akpene's Adventures Volume 3 Issue 6

A wonderful season of prayer and united gathering! Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Akpene's Adventures Volume 3  Issue 6

One Cry Citywide Gathering As I mentioned before, we are gearing up for our citywide student prayer gathering. One Cry is a special large united gathering of college students from every campus, ministry, and church in the NYC area. The focus is on uniting under Christ in prayer and mission. It is a once a semester chance to pray and worship together as a city of students. Everyone leaves encouraged. We believe that we won’t see our God-given hopes and dreams for our campuses come to pass without prayer. Many students will join with others from churches and campus ministries across New York City to seek God for revival and transformation. This year’s theme, Claiming God’s Promises, comes from Joshua 23:14. We are standing on the promises God has already given and proclaiming them for our college and university campuses in New York City! Jesus called us to powerful persistent prayer (Luke 18:1). God desires even more than us to bring awakening and revival. We desire to be waymakers who prepare the way for the Lord.od is going to  We are so excited for what God will do and manifest. Come, join us in prayer! College Fusion Visits So, I had the awesome opportunity to visit a couple of campuses outside of NYC this month. I went with a co-worker to Dartmouth College and Cornell University to visit and encourage several college minister prayer groups. It was an incredible, eye-opening experience - I wish I could tell you all about it, but you can click here to my blog to see more. What I really enjoyed, besides the beautiful campuses and meeting new folks, was seeing the concept of partnerships in prayer for the transformation of campuses in practice in different settings. This doesn't only work in Texas, or in a metro city like NYC, but it's a vision with far reaching effects. It certainly encouraged me and strengthened my resolve to keep pressing forward where God has placed me! Austin Vision Dinner Our annual fundraising dinner is coming up on Friday, November 9th, and I personally invite you to come join us if you are in Austin. I am so excited for this year's dinner - the speaker is Dave Butts, the chairman of the National Prayer Committee (of the National Day of Prayer), and we'll be sharing about the launching of the Campus Transformation Network, as well as testimonies of what God is doing across the nation. Check out this link to RSVP, or to host a table - no cost for either! If you’d like to make a special gift or monthly pledge, you can click below, or mail a check to Campus Renewal Ministries, 2421 San Antonio St suite B, Austin, Texas 78705. If you would like to make a stock donation, please call 512.331.5991. Remember to check with your employers to see if they do matching donations. + All contributions to Campus Renewal Ministries are income tax deductible, and are made with the understanding that Campus Renewal Ministries has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. + KEEP IN TOUCH: Phone: (512) 293-9107 Office Phone: (512) 331-5991 Web: akpenesadventures.blogspot.com  Send me an Email As you can see, I still need approximately $2500 monthly to reach the $5000 monthly goal need for my part in Campus Renewal. Thank you so much for partnering with a recurring or special donation! Click HERE to donate.

friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2012 Campus Renewal Ministries, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you wanted to be on Akpene's prayer update list. Our mailing address is: Campus Renewal Ministries 2421 San Antonio Street Suite B Austin, TX 78705 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

A Tale of Two Colleges

Dartmouth University

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure and privilege of participating in a couple of campus visits with my co-worker, Jeremy Story. We went to Dartmouth College in Hanover, and the following week, we visited Cornell University in Ithaca. I loved being able to see put into practice part of the vision of Campus Renewal - partnership in prayer. Though both Ivy Leagues, they each were very distinct, very different in the their own way.

Dartmouth University, and Hanover, was very beautiful. Jeremy described it to me as walking into a Norman Rockwell painting. When we got there, I found that he was not exaggerating. The campus was very peaceful, a sense of time outside itself, and seemingly idyllic. We met with campus ministers in their fusion group, and then with a few ministers and other leaders afterwards. The group was small, but in earnest. In talking with some of the leaders afterwards, we found a wonderful heart for unity but many obstacles. It was a good time for encouragement for them, and a glimpse for me to see how fusion groups work outside of the University of Texas and NYC.

Ithaca was gorges. I finally understood that phrase, seen on t-shirts and bumper stickers up here in the Northeast. Ithaca is filled with all these gorges, waterfalls, and the like that are simply breathtaking. Aside from the wonderful natural beauty of the place, their fusion group was simply amazing. It was a perfect, almost textbook example of what I envisioned a fusion group should be. It was very large, with many collegiate groups represented, and not only was their prayer united, but I saw evidence of cross-organization collaboration and an incredible amount of encouragement. It certainly blessed me in a huge way.

Sometimes, just getting out of my environment and seeing how God is moving is other places is just the thing needed to keep going with the plans and purposes in the place God has me now. What  great experience!

Akpene's Adventures Volume 3 Issue 5

My August Newsletter. What?!?! It's September?!?!?! Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Akpene's Adventures Volume 3  Issue 5

School Starting Already! Hey folks! As you can see, September got the jump on me! It has been a busy summer, planning for this coming school year and fund-raising. I'll fill you in on what this month holds in a couple of weeks - I promise it won't be October before my September update comes out :).  I spent about 3 weeks in Austin visiting with friends, but my main purpose was to raise support. I still need help with that. Currently, my projected budget for what I need to raise for my salary and ministry costs is $5,000 monthly, or $60,000 for the year. What I have coming in is about $2,500 monthly, or $30,000 for the year. As you can tell, I'm only about halfway of where I need to be. How can you help? I'm so glad you asked! You can give on a re-occurring basis; Monthly pledges can be $25 and up, or you can donate quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. You can also donate special gifts as the Lord leads. Click on the donate link to the right, or click HERE to give on-line by credit, debit, or bank transfer. As always, I update you on what we are doing in New York City and across the nation. God is doing some awesome things, and it is awesome to be able to link arms and partner together in this way! Staff/Student/Volunteer Highlight Last issue, I promised a staff or student highlight each month. I decided to include volunteers that have really donated a lot of their time and expertise to the work here in NYC. Enter Cassandra Fox. She is amazing, let me tell you! She already works with college students in her own business developing coupon books and deals for students. Having more of a heart to do ministry, she has volunteered with Campus Renewal for the last year, helping develop programs, share the administrative work, and minister to students. In the midst of all this, she has helped her parents with their business, and started another social marketing business. We wouldn't be where we are without her - thanks so much, Cassandra! The One Cry Network One Cry is basically the student branded name for Campus Renewal Ministries in New York City. It started out as one event, a solemn assembly of prayer and worship, crying out to the Lord for transformation of the colleges in the city. 4 years later, it has become a network of students and campus ministers connecting together, not only to pray together, but unite in the common purpose of actually seeing the campuses transform. This September and October, there will be One Cry Camapus Gatherings, our big One Cry City Gathering, and for the first time, a prayer chain, conducted across multiple campuses and multiple ministries, for five weeks before Once Cry Citywide. I am so excited for this, to see and hear all these students crying out to the Lord, claiming His promises! If you’d like to make a special gift or monthly pledge, you can click below, or mail a check to Campus Renewal Ministries, 2421 San Antonio St suite B, Austin, Texas 78705. If you would like to make a stock donation, please call 512.331.5991. Remember to check with your employers to see if they do matching donations. + All contributions to Campus Renewal Ministries are income tax deductible, and are made with the understanding that Campus Renewal Ministries has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. + KEEP IN TOUCH: Phone: (512) 293-9107 Office Phone: (512) 331-5991 Follow me on my blog: akpenesadventures.blogspot.com  Send me an Email As you can see, I still need almost $2500 monthly to reach the $5000 monthly goal need for my part in Campus Renewal. Thank you so much for partnering with a recurring or special donation! Click HERE to donate.

friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2012 Campus Renewal Ministries, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you wanted to be on Akpene's prayer update list. Our mailing address is: Campus Renewal Ministries 2421 San Antonio Street Suite B Austin, TX 78705 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences