The Shinn Digs

Many of you know this, but for some this may be the first official word … I’ve recently stepped down from my staff position with FCA, effective at the end of August. It’s been an emotional roller coaster to make this decision and move, and in some ways there are lots of unknowns that I just have to leave up to the Lord! Many of you will be receiving some information regarding your FCA financial partnership, but I thought I’d attach the letter here so others could read also! 2008-09-01-final-letter-to-donors.pdfI’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work for our good friend, Paul McLean, at Anchor Point IT Solutions.  It’s a huge learning curve, and quite a change in life schedule! Hopefully the letter will answer some other questions for you, but feel free to ask away! One thing I can promise you … I have always felt called to college ministry, whether it be through coaching basketball or working with FCA … that hasn’t changed! I just am not quite sure how that looks right now. I’m really praying God will give me opportunity to have a Bible study or book group or something of that nature with UCSB athletes here at our house on Tuesday evenings. I would absolutely love that! But, for now, I’m not exactly sure how “ministry” is defined in my life, which leaves me a little bit in limbo! Maybe it just finally gives me time to stay caught up with all the amazing young men and women I’ve gotten to know in the past 7 years!Changes are usually hard … I remind myself of that. I think I’ve had enough change in my life in the last 12 months to last for about a decade … so let it be known … no more changes for a while, please! I’d like this season to last for quite a long time! 

1. My last prayer list I indicated we would be meeting with a special friend of our FCA ministry. That meeting was just amazing! As always, our prayer going into any type of donor relations meeting is that we could bless them that day. It really was awesome to see that played out! We had a chance to pray for an encourage this special follower of Christ! It was a highlight of my week!
2. This week I will have many meetings with UCSB teams to tell them about FCA. Please pray particularly for open ears and hearts of the freshmen and transfer student-athletes. We will likely kickoff our regular Huddle meetings in two weeks.
3. Also scheduled this week is a meeting with some our graduating seniors who are still in town. This is an important group, as they were such a core part of our ministry the past 4 years! I feel like God has a special place for them in the direction of our ministry this year, though I’m not yet certain how that might look. Please pray for clarity for all of us as we navigate this!
4. It’s such a blessing for me to continue to stay in touch with alums … and as my years with FCA continue to grow (I’m now at 5 1/2 years!) there are more and more alums to stay in touch with! Please pray I’d do that effectively as I continue to see that as important part of  my calling with FCA!
5. I would like to ask you to pray for a senior athlete at UCSB. I received an email from her grandmother, a faithful follower of Jesus and friend of FCA, asking us to reach out to her granddaughter. Please pray for opportunities we might have with this young woman. We are committed to praying and watching to see how God moves!
6. Now, this is going to be a bit of a strange praise, because it reveals how crazy and unorganized my life feels like right now … but as many of you know, funding has continued to be an ongoing issue. In fact, I think my account has been in the negative for most of the last 12 months. The past 3 months or so it’s reached “critical mass” … It was hard for me to understand, as I’ve dropped my expenses considerably (having moved to 3/4 time) and gained several new financial partners. When Erin McGrath and I were talking last Wednesday, she said, “Jen, what is going on with your finances?” I said, “Ugh … I know … it’s bad! Let me see how many checks I’ll receipt today.” I proceeded to pull out my file and count the checks, which didn’t come close to equaling the amount I would need them too! Then I flipped through a couple of papers in that file, and suddenly there more checks, hiding behind and between a few financial reports. I started counting them, and all of the sudden, the total was up over $7000! WOW! Where had those been hiding? How did I miss those the last few Wednesdays when I receipted checks? It was a fun realization (once again) that God provides at the perfect time, even if it’s just to find something we’d previously lost! Despite such a great find, I’m not certain it’s enough to get my account in the positive for October, but it’s certainly enough to get me to the next miracle moment God brings along!

1. School has finally started at UCSB! We definitely start late, being on the quarter system! I’ll now be on campus most every morning, meeting with students (usually at the Starbucks!) Please pray for those individual times with students … it’s the heart and soul of what I love to do!
2. Westmont has started their own FCA Huddle, which I had the opportunity to attend on Monday night! It’s awesome to see these athletes get excited about the ministry they can have, even on a Christian campus. As much as is feasible, we’d like to do some combined events with this group, so pray for our ideas and directions. They have a very strong student leadership group, as well as an awesome adviser (my housemate - Kristen McKnight).
3. As Erin McGrath and I work on the early planning of the 2008 FCA camp, there are SO MANY things to pray for! We have some key staff positions that we are currently unclear how to fill. We also have some huge financial needs as it relates to Camp (both in paying the remaining bills in 2007 and planning for 2008). We’re excited about all God seems to be doing, but also moving cautiously to be sure we are following God’s lead, rather than get out in front of Him. Please pray for our weekly discussions (Wednesday mornings) and our discernment!
4. This Thursday bright and early (6:20 am!) I will begin a book study with the female volunteers of the UCSB Huddle. We are reading Divine Secrets of Mentoring: Spiritual Growth through Friendship. I can’t tell you how important the relationships of these women are to the athletes at UCSB! We want to catch an even great vision of how God can use simply our friendships in the lives of these college athletes! You can also pray that we are able to get up early enough! I’m thankful these volunteers are willing to be creative with their schedules, child care, etc to make this a priority!
5. Our Camp Office staff (including myself) has a meeting with an FCA friend on Friday. This woman has blessed our ministry financially, and our prayer is we could bless her as we thank her and continue to share the ministry of FCA with her! Please pray for that time!

Thanks for your prayers!

In an effort to simplify my life, I’m going to try to pare down to just one blog (shocking news for some of you!) So, if you are a member of my FCA Prayer Team, welcome to our personal blog! Feel free to browse around! If you’re a regular reader of TheShinnDigs.com (or javajesusjen.typepad.com), I have a team of about 80 people who have committed to pray weekly for the FCA ministry. Feel free to join in on those prayers as you read the list! If you would like to join this prayer team, please email me!

1. UCSB begins Fall Quarter next Thursday, September 27th. As you may know, we had many seniors graduate in the spring, so our “core” group has been really reduced! It’s exciting as we anticipate how God might use the FCA ministry on campus this year. I’m trying to be open to thinking outside the box as the Spirit would lead!
2. An exciting thing about this year is many of those graduating seniors have decided to stick around Santa Barbara for at least this year! Please pray that I figure out ways to continue to involve these young men and women in the ministry - they’re eager to continue to leave a legacy at UCSB among the athletes. This may take the form of some smaller groups (men’s group, team bible studies, etc).
3. We are excited to welcome Avery Blackwell as a new coach at UCSB with the track and cross country program. Avery and his wife are both believers and have a strong background in athletic ministry. I am hoping to have lunch with Avery later this week!
4. Jenny Kenyon, another track assistant at UCSB is currently on a two week trip in Israel with her church, Reality Carpinteria. We are praying this experience is a powerful one in Jenny’s life and spiritual walk as she literally walks the land Jesus walked during His time on earth!
5. Last week was our first FCA Coaches Breakfast of the year (we meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month). It was encouraging to have two new coaches attend! I know of two more new coaches who weren’t able to be there last week, but want to be involved in the future! Please pray for all the coaches at UCSB and the high schools in Santa Barbara as things get going this year. They are powerful influencers in the lives of young people!
6. As I typically do, in the next 2-3 weeks I will be visiting with each team at UCSB to introduce them to the FCA ministry. Please pray specifically for freshmen! It makes such a difference when we can get freshmen involved in FCA right away! Pray for hearts that are open. Pray for the scheduling of these team meetings … that coaches would be willing to have us speak with the teams.
7. Pray for my preparation time over the next two weeks as I make final plans and goals for the 2007-2008 school year. Pray I would have time to listen to God and discerning as I see where He is moving and what shape the UCSB FCA ministry will take this year.

Thanks for praying!