The Ups and Downs of Virtual Ministry

When God made us in His image, he made us to be a union of body and spirit. Having a body is a huge part of what it means to be human, and ultimately the resurrection of our bodies at Christ's return is a huge part of our gospel hope. So if you're like me, you must be feeling a great deal of loss over the necessity of virtual connection at this point. I'm extremely grateful for our ability to stay connected with one another this way, but I can't help but feel that so much is missing from our lack of physical presence. I've felt this a lot has we've continued to connect with student over Zoom for the last 9 months.

We had over 90 students sign up for food deliveries this semester. This is an amazing increase in the number of students we have had contact with. But unfortunately, only about half the students that sign up for food make it on the calls with us each week. Further, many students turn their video off during the call, or leave the call once we enter breakout rooms. I'm finding that its easy for students to dodge commitments and relationships when everything is virtual. It's hard not to feel used and frustrated at times, but then I catch a small glimpse of how God is at work, and I am reminded that our work in Christ is not in vain. Here are a couple recent examples:

A post graduate student from India has joined our call this semester after hearing about Table Talk from a friend and has really jumped in to help with food deliveries this semester. He apparently has been enjoying the conversations and has asked me for the Powerpoints I use every week so he can think through the material for himself. Each of these PowerPoints in filled with Scripture, so I'm praying the Lord would continue to make himself known to this student through His Word.

*Annie* [name changed for her protection], one of our superstar Christian students, has also been attending Table Talk from time to time. I’m always grateful for the perspective she brings to the conversation. One week, we discussing the topic of God’s love, and one of our questions concerned why it is so hard for us to love others. Annie shared how it’s hard to love others, especially when they mistreat you or persecute you for your faith. She has personal experience with persecution, and she shared that only God’s love for us in Christ could change the way we treat others, especially those who mistreat us. Apparently this had a big impact on one other students in our group who messaged her privately to thank her for a perspective that he had never encountered before. Even if there is a loss for us in the way we relate to our students, I am so grateful that we serve a gracious God who works through our feeble efforts to bring the gospel to the nations.

Shout out to my Volunteers!

One of the greatest privileges I have with this ministry is the inclusion of the Church into work of welcoming the nations here at Texas A&M. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that this ministry would not be where it is today without the selfless sacrifice of my volunteers who have opened up their homes, their lives, their finances, and their time to serve our students. Particularly, while we are living through this pandemic, I’ve been so grateful the volunteers who have jumped on our Zoom calls week in and week out to discuss the gospel with those who may have never thought about it before. So big shout out to my volunteers who have loved these students and extended the hospitality of Christ to them in these trying times.

Welcome Blair Elizabeth!

I'm excited to introduce to you the newest addition to the Bagby family. Blair Elizabeth made her way into the world on October 15th at 10:09pm. Both she and Crystal are healthy and doing well. We are so thankful that the Lord has blessed us by bringing Blaire into our family.

Prayer Requests

Here are some ways you can be praying for our students, our ministry and for us personally:

Please pray for our last Table Talk session tonight! Pray that the gospel would be proclaim and that the Spirit would work to turn student's hearts to faith in Christ
Pray for opportunities to stay connected with students that will be in the Bryan College Station area over the winter break
Pray for opportunities to host students for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and share the Christian significance of these holidays with them
Pray for the safety and health of our students, both those who are staying here and those who have decided to travel home for the winter break
Pray for Crystal and I to have a strong marriage as we continue to figure out life with the addition of Blaire Bagby to our family
Pray that God would give us grace to always point our daughters to Jesus as their only hope in life and in death

As always, I would love to be praying for you if you have any prayer requests. Please don't hesitate to drop me a line and let me know how you are doing. This winter break, I'll do my best to reach and see how you are doing.

Your gifts play a vital role in helping us to share the good news of Jesus Christ with students coming from all over the world through gospel deeds and gospel words.

Even in turbulent times, we continue to make progress towards meeting our financial goals for this ministry! Your generous gifts enable us deliver meals to students' homes while also giving us the opportunity to discuss the gospel with them. Would you consider a monthly gift of $50 or more to help this work continue?

If you would like to give to this ministry financially, please click the GIVE button below to make a contribution on the RUF-I Texas A&M donation page. If you would like to give by check, please write "RUF-I Texas A&M" or "account # 0512" in the memo line and send checks to:

Reformed University Fellowship

P.O. Box 890004

Charlotte, NC 28289-0004

RUF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Thank you for considering this opportunity!

May the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,

Titus, Crystal, Brighton, and Baby Blaire

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