Semester Round Up

Hey there! My name is Tim Barber, and I’m one of the #IgniteTexas2016 co-chairs! I have gotten to spend the past semester growing in my faith and building community with other staff members, and I hope to show you how all of that happens during the semester. First off, let me teach you some of the Ignite lingo so that you’re not scratching your head wondering what I’m talking about. In Ignite, a “camp” is a group of students who spend the spring semester together in weekly meetings where they build community with one another and prepare for the retreat in August. Each camp is led by their respective “co-chairs” and “prayer team.” The two co-chairs (one guy and one girl) are kind of like the mom and dad of the camp, and are primarily responsible for leading camp meetings and training the counselors to lead their small groups at retreat. The two prayer team members (also one guy and one girl) serve as the prayer leaders for the camp, and spend time every single day praying for our camp, Ignite in general, and the future campers we will get in August. Once retreat rolls around, the co-chairs, prayer team, and their 10-11 counselors receive the campers. Counselors are responsible for leading their campers in small group discussions and prayer after the speaker sessions at retreat. Alright, now that we’ve finished the vocabulary lesson, let me tell you about my experience in Ignite this past semester!

During camp meetings, Blair Lewis (my co-chair pair) and I equipped our counselors to lead small groups at retreat. Over the course of the semester, we split up the counselors into groups and had them dive into Biblical responses to the issues that lots of incoming students face when coming to college. Our counselors led discussions on how important it is to be involved in Christian community, to find our identity in Christ alone, to trust in God to provide for us as we look to the future, and how to live as a Christian when we face peer pressure and temptation. Discussing what scripture has to say about these topics was so beneficial to our counselors, since the freshmen and transfer students they will be leading in August may be worried about facing these challenges in college. Not only that, but our camp was reminded of how much they can learn about God’s guidance and love from reading scripture.

Even though camps spend a lot of time together in weekly meetings, the fun doesn’t stop there! Throughout the semester, my camp had various “camp hangouts” all over Austin. We spent one Saturday morning playing volleyball and football at Zilker Park early in the semester. Another week, Blair hosted a taco night at her apartment, and before finals our camp went to dinner and karaoke to take a study break. But that’s not where the excitement stops! In April, we all took a road trip to Houston for our camp retreat. We played games and ate dinner together, then finished up the night by sharing testimonies with one another. It was so cool hearing how God has been working in every one of our counselors’ lives, and we all grew quite a bit closer that night. We cannot wait to get our campers in August so we can share with them the joy we have experienced by living for Christ in college.

To whomever is reading this, whether you are a future camper, a proud parent or family member, or even on staff yourself, thank you for supporting Ignite Texas and for taking an interest in us and our mission. We have been praying for our future campers for several months, and are beyond excited to meet these incoming students we have been praying for so fervently this year. We care for our campers so deeply and we are eager to be able to guide them in living lives for Christ when they come to UT. Ignite has changed my life, and I can’t wait to give my campers an even better experience than I had.

Thanks for reading! This is Tim Barber, signing out.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” ~Ephesians 3:20-21

See me being dad in the back of this photo!

#SemesterRoundUp #IgniteTexas2016