Updater Feb. 26, 2010

Here are some MORE reasons to praise God:
The H2O Project officially ended on Tuesday, February 23. As of that evening, we had raised OVER $1800 for clean water in Haiti. That's $300 more than our goal!! We've had some more $$$ come in since and will continue collecting through NEXT Tuesday, and I think we'll easily be over $2000 for new wells for thirsty people. Praise!

Last Friday was our first Friday Night (Outreach) Party. About 10 TCFers and 4 of their non-TCF friends came for free spaghetti dinner. We spent a couple of hours eating, talking, and having a good time. Praise!

TCF Tuesdays have been amazing times of deep spiritual growth and fellowship as we have continued to learn about having Arms Open Wide. This Tuesday we learned about standing firm in our faith and in who are are as Christians as we practice being all things to all people; and that if we want to bring people to the feet of Jesus, we have to bring them to where he resides -- our hearts. Amen! Praise!

STRONG Women: An Oshkosh Staycation, our women's retreat, starts tonight. I believe we'll have about 15 girls, including some special guests coming from WCCM's Madison Ministry -- their girls and our's have never met. I am excited about the building of new relationships!

We will being doing some girly things, like facials and manicures, watching chick flicks and getting dressed up to go out to dinner, but we're also taking in a little bit of Oshkosh that we don't usually get to see -- museums and the frozen lake (will we drive across?? This remains to be seen), and we have 5 sessions planned where we will learn how God makes women STRONG. Specifically our Leading Ladies have each chosen a topic (love, forgiveness, peace, humility and faith) that God has taught them through various circumstances that has strengthened their faith toward maturity. Please pray for Angie, Courtney, Sam, Abby, and Vicki as they vulnerably share how God has fashioned and formed them into STRONG Women.

Pray for our Women's Retreat! Relationships to be built and deepened, a deeper understanding of God and spiritual maturity, safety, and for true products of retreat: refreshment, relaxation, renewal.

• Pray for TCFer's relationships on campus, whether in class, other on campus organizations, work, or just random encounters, that they would use every opportunity to practice what we're learning about evangelism, and have the wisdom and discernment to do it God's way.

• Pray for students across campus to have open and hungry hearts for Truth and Godliness.

• Pray for me: I am giving the lesson at TCF Tuesday on March 16 called "Speaking the Gospel in Context"and greatly desire to speak God's truth clearly and concisely (I need help especially with the concise part).

Thank you for joining me in this adventure! Your presence in my little blog world is a ginormous encouragement to me. I hope to talk with you soon so that I can also hear how you are doing. I keep all of you in my prayers.

Are you able to also partner financially with me this week? If so, please click the link on the upper right hand side of this page, or send a check payable to WCCM, 833 Wright St., Oshkosh, WI 54901.

With steadfast love and faithfulness (see Pr. 3:3-4),
Katy Ahlrichs

Titan Christian Fellowship
262-344-2630
theophilus34ad@hotmail.com

Updater Feb. 19, 2010

There are many reasons to praise God, but here's a really good one: The H2O Project at UW-O has been a huge success. TCFers (and friends from Converge, another campus ministry) have been in a flurry of action over the H2O booth -- which is replete with lots of signs showing dirty and clean water, reminding people that 1.1 billion people drink water that is dirtier than what's in our toilets, and the toilet itself is there to grab attention AND to collect the money in! As of last night, there were over 95 participants signed up for the Challenge, which means that more than 50 people from OUTSIDE of TCF and Converge signed up. From the dollar-by-dollar donations at the booth, we have raised over $300, and the donations from those that took the Challenge should pretty easily make up the rest of our $1500 goal.

It has been a CHALLENGE to go for 10 days (so far) with no drinks other than water. The caffeine depravity is a regular topic of conversation among TCFers. I have discovered about myself that a tall vanilla latte is the answer to many of my problems, bad days, hurts, and desire for relaxation! By extension of the H2O Challenge, I am very intentionally practicing letting JESUS be my all in all. Praise and more praise to Him -- He IS sufficient in my weakness.

On the Women's Ministry front: I meet with 5 girls weekly for discipleship and accountability. This semester, we are doing an exercise in time management; I am leading them each through the Pauline letters of the New Testament, starting with Galatians; and I am going to follow God in obedience as He points out ways for me to show them tough love and grow them in places where, perhaps, they aren't yet asking to be grown (or are trying to avoid it).
We are also in the final stages of preparing for our Women's Retreat: STRONG Women, an Oshkosh Staycation, which is coming up February 26-28. More on this later!

TONIGHT is our first Friday Night Party. We have invited our neighbors (mostly Greek Fraternities and Sororities) on Algoma Blvd. over for FREE spaghetti dinner tonight at the Go House!!

PLEASE pray that our neighbors would come and be blessed by some free, yummy food and that they would feel comfortable as our guests.
Pray for our conversations with them to be full of acceptance, love, and light, and that relationships would find a solid foundation in the brief time we have with our guests.
Pray for my discernment and wisdom with ALL the students, but especially the 5 that God has placed most specifically under my care -- Abby, Angie, Courtney, Sam, and Vicki.
Pray for the continued success and completion of the H2O Project!

Thank you for being my prayer partners! Can you also partner with me financially this week? If so, please click the link on the right hand side of the page, or send a check payable to WCCM, 833 Wright St., Oshkosh, WI 54901.

Joy and peace by yours in Christ,
Katy

Updater Feb. 13, 2010

The gears have ground back into motion here at UW-O. We've just finished the second week of the semester (though it was MY first, as I spent the first week celebrating my mom's retirement with her and my sisters in the Bahamas!). Here's a quick update:


This past Tuesday night was the kickoff of the H2O Project. Many TCFers have committed to giving up all drinks except water for 2 weeks. The money we would have spent on those drinks is donated to a mission in Haiti that digs wells. $1500 will buy one well, and bring clean water to people who didn't have it even before the recent earthquake. Not only are WE taking this Challenge, though, but we are manning a booth in the student union for a couple of hours a day, raising awareness of the need for clean water, and asking students to give a dollar. 1 dollar will buy clean water for 1 person for 1 year. Amazing, isn't it? We also give THEM the opportunity to take the Challenge with us -- I think we're up to about 30 participants from the UW-O student body at large (some of them are even going to try giving up beer for two weeks)!! Through this Project, we are not only helping the people of Haiti, but moving hearts on campus to sacrificially give, AND pairing "good deeds" with the Name of Christ in the minds of students at UW-O.

The larger picture for TCF this semester is to continue expanding our knowledge of Lifestyle Evangelism (again, this is the sort of evangelism that happens through true and deep relationships and showing how Christ is relevant today, not through tracts and hit-and-run gospel sharing). Our knowledge will be grown by EXPERIENCE this semester -- as well as the H2O Project, TCF has its Arms Open Wide in many ways, including:

• Dorm parties, where each Lifegroup (there are 4) will pick a dorm and a way to bless the students there. No strings attached: this is just a way to get to know some new people and answer to a need that they have, even if it is just to offer a reprieve from their stressful studies.
• Mission Trip to Galveston, TX to work with One Mission-Galveston on Hurricane Ike relief. We are inviting the Greek Organizations on campus and will take our mission field with us.
• And, perhaps most importantly, each student in TCF is being encouraged this semester to get involved in another on-campus organization of their choice (and to their benefit) where they will have the chance to truly get to know their peers and engage them in friendships that will shine the light of Christ into their hearts.

Please pray for us!
That we would be successful in showing Christ's relevancy, character, and purpose.
That we would love students with His Love and accept them the way He accepts us.
That the hearts of students at UW-O would be soft and open to us and Him or that we would know the words to say to soften them.
That we would meet our goal of $1500 for clean water in Haiti!

Thank you for all manner of your support! Remember, God makes it possible for me to continue this work through your financial partnership. This is your work too! If you are able to give this week please click the Paypal button on the right of the screen, or send a check payable to Wisconsin Christian Campus Ministries, 833 Wright Street, Oshkosh, WI 54901.

Many blessings to you friends!
Katy Ahlrichs