Every fall my coworkers and I get together for a little strategic planning for the year ahead. And I'm always reminded why I do what I do -- there are lost college students all over the world who don't know Jesus, and for some crazy reason God has allowed me to be a part of influencing them with the gospel, while using the skills and talents he's given me.
As if that weren't good enough, he gives me wonderful coworkers to serve alongside (!!) and a challenging, fun to role through which to impact students! Here is our team photo this year, with a quick breakdown below of my teammates and how they are using their gifts to honor the Lord and reach college students. Enjoy! ---- Bottom left: Erika is a mom of 3 boys, and one of the most efficient people I've ever met! She serves in a variety of ways: helping arrange childcare at our major conferences (did you know that there are more than 100 staff kids each year at TCX??), sending out a bi-monthly e-newsletter to staff in our region, and helping organize and run TCX, our regional winter conference. Her communication skills are a huge asset. Next is Rachel, new to our team as of December, but very gifted in all things finance! She has a masters in Accounting and is a whiz at keeping track of dozens of ministry accounts and finances. Her analytical skills and her background in finance gives us a huge boost in this vital area. Plus...Rachel likes Starbucks, maybe as much as I do, which is a plus! The guy on the bottom right is my boss! Steve's experience and wisdom run deep and he uses both to lead our team incredibly well. I've often said he's the BBE (Best Boss Ever), and I mean it! One thing he does especially well is coaching each of us without trying to solve our problems for us. Not only that, but he is a true servant leader, often pitching in with very menial jobs behind the scenes. Back Left: we have Luke, another finance professional for our region. Luke is a wise decision maker and his influence is actually felt on a national basis as he helps lead other finance professionals around the US. He also handles finances for Nations, Cru's ministry with Native American students. Luke is also a farm kid from rural Minnesota and I always enjoy hearing his stories and chatting with him about farm life. Next is Ward, who serves our region in the area of fund development. While each Cru staff raises their own personal support, we also have people on a regional level raising funds for our region's campus ministries. Ward helps with much of the operational details of different fundraising aspects. He and Erika also serve with me on the TCX leadership team. Ward brings empathy and compassion for others to our team in a significant way. Then we have Isaac, a man of many talents. He helps with on-campus outreaches, manages our office, dabbles in finances and many other areas. Isaac does each role well, and with a servant's heart. It's no easy task trying to manage the group that works in our office! I enjoy Isaac's passion for Biblical truth, and I always come away from team devotionals that he leads learning a lot about the Lord. Finally there's Matthew, who is married to Rachel, and is our regional conference and event planner. We have about 1 event per month so Matthew keeps very busy assisting with everything from registration, to working with hotels on site, and wrapping up finances at the end of an event. He reminds me of Ward in his care for others and concern for their well-being. His cubicle is behind mine so we often share laughs throughout the day. The Operations team exists to provide infrastructure to existing ministry, and to enable Cru to push past our boundaries to reach new campuses and student groups. We bring a lot of skills to the table. But I would say over the last few years I've seen how our character and our walk with the Lord have been important assets as well. They have a great impact on the work we do and how we serve others than our skills. We are all about reaching the million college students in our region, and 150 million college students of the world. This is a lofty goal! But I'm grateful for a ministry that dreams big, God-sized dreams. God goes before us and we can't wait to see what he has in store for our team and our ministries this year.
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Amy WellnerEncouraging others to intentionally live out their God-given identity. Archives
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