October 2026

Another month in the books! It’s been a crazy, hectic month, but one that has had me brimming with gratitude. I continue to be blown away by the generous attitudes of the community we have surrounded ourselves with. Steph returns back to work at the turn of the month, so please be praying as she makes that transition and we learn how to live the rest of our lives with this new addition to our family!

November is Keep FOCUS Growing (KFG) month! Without repeating the graphic too much, KFG is a vital part in funding our mission beyond our pastors being on campus. While keeping the lights on is not a glamorous expense, it’s still essential! If you’ve ever had to live an extended period of time without electricity or water (remember the icepocalypse of 2021?), you can understand. You may grumble about the electricity and water bill each month, but you’ll miss paying it when it’s not even an option. KFG funds our outreach, our legal and insurance costs, office expenses, and more! Throughout the month, you’ll see testimonies from students from all of our campuses posted on our social media (Facebook and Instagram) detailing how God has met them through the FOCUS community. I wanted to highlight Will’s as I met him at SICM this past May and was blown away by his heart for God. Please consider donating at anyfocus.org/kfg2025.

We also have Pizza Theology coming up this coming Sunday! Rikk Watts, a repeat guest speaker, will be flying in from Canada to talk about the book of John. If you’ve never heard him speak before, I would highly recommend giving him your afternoon and evening! Rikk has a way of speaking that makes the Bible come alive! You can register online at anyfocus.org/pizza.

Another thing to look out for is that UTD is having an Alumni Night on the 21st! If you’ve ever been in FOCUS at UTD or connected to FOCUS at UTD (or just want to see what God is doing at UTD), you are welcome to come and join in and see how FOCUS has grown and changed and how God is working through FOCUS today! The Grove (fka FNF or Friday Night Fellowship) will be held in trusty Hoblitzelle Hall.

One of my old coworkers and friends has been called to adopt. If you have looked into adoption, you’ll see that it is an expensive (and lengthy) process! They are currently in the last day of a fundraising competition. If they sell the most shirts, then their adoption fees will be covered completely! If you feel compelled to support them, please consider purchasing a shirt by clicking here!

Here’s the baby tax! Baby Lily all dressed up for culture day at church. :-)