Patrick & Tara's Spot

National Conference

2011-07-08T09:17:00.000-11:00

http://conationalconference.com/

Keeping our eyes on the nations!

2011-05-29T08:18:00.001-11:00

OP Student Leaders Retreat

2011-04-13T02:38:00.002-11:00

Eternal Legacy

2011-03-16T03:53:00.000-11:00

In 2007 I started discipling five freshmen hoping to equip them to pass this on to other qualified men. Last weekend was the final retreat of those men’s senior year and the Lord has answered this prayer by using them to reach and train other men as well. Above you see the six of us and eleven others (8 of them came to Christ this year!).

Please pray for these new believers: Kyle, Danny, Leo, Greg, AJ, Cody, Scott, Kaleb, and Josh.

IUPUI Retreat: LEGACY

2011-03-04T03:49:00.000-11:00

We were all born into Adam’s Legacy as a slave to sin but now can be born into a new Legacy of life through faith in Christ. Christ life, death, and resurrection purchased redemption for us and 2000 years later we are still seeing it. This picture (which includes people from six foreign countries) is a glimpse of the continuing Legacy of Jesus. Our speaker challenged us to orient our lives in ways to walk in this Legacy and let our lives be used to extend Jesus’ Legacy.

USI Winter Retreat: CAPTURED

2011-02-01T03:43:00.000-11:00

I taught at the USI retreat on how mankind is Captured by sin with no hope of escape unless Christ rescues us and then re-Captures us to protect and shepherd us. I’ve never been around a group of so many non-Believers whom God is clearly moving within. Several have trusted in Christ since retreat, but please continue to pray for many who continue to live Captured by sin.

Milwaukee New Year's Conference: UNSEEN

2011-01-02T04:14:00.000-11:00

Thank you for praying for conference last week. In less than 24 hours after we arrived, the LORD was already stirring in people and the Word was penetrating hearts! I have seldom seen such movements internally so quickly at a conference. Please visit this website to check out the messages & videos from the conference:

http://www.milwaukee2010.com/media-page/

This year, Tara and I had the privilege of teaching a seminar together on dating and relationships. This is always a popular topic with college students. Around 400 of the 500 students came to our optional seminar). Please pray the things we shared will be used by God to help them date in a way that honors the Lord and trust Him in this important realm. Our message is available on the website above.

St. Louis Retreat

2010-11-05T04:01:00.000-11:00

Why would 325 college students leave campus on Halloween weekend, (one of the biggest opportunities to party all year) to drive to St. Louis for a weekend of no alcohol and plenty of Bible teaching? There is no reasonable answer other than God is moving on IUPUI and USI. Around half of these students have not yet put their faith in Christ, but this weekend was a powerful weekend where the gospel was clearly presented from multiple angles bringing people to a point of understanding some have never had before.

Here are a few things some students said:

"I came into this weekend thinking I was a Christian just because I always thought I was. Now I'm sure that I'm not a Christian and really see my need to place my faith in Christ." Brolin, Freshmen

"I've never heard the Gospel quite like that. I saw my need this weekend to respond and believe in Christ for the first time." Rachel, Sophomore

"I've been continually reminded that if I put my hope and life in the world then I'll never be truly satisfied. I see this clearly and it all stems from my core problem with sin." Michael, Freshmen

Student Testimony Video

2010-05-14T08:56:00.002-11:00

Getting Ready for the Summer

2010-04-23T06:07:00.000-11:00

Students serving the needs of the world

2010-04-23T06:06:00.000-11:00

MNYC Update

2010-01-09T08:30:00.001-11:00

Winter Memories

2010-01-08T05:13:00.001-11:00

Christmas keeps getting more fun with the boys. This year Lincoln made his first snow man and first ginger bread man and Isaiah enjoyed watching his brother enjoy it all!

New Campus: Same Role

2010-01-08T05:10:00.001-11:00

In Acts 16:7 Paul says he tried to come to Bithynia but the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let him. Sometimes as we serve the Lord we take steps one way only to be redirected by Him. I began the year working with staff to establish a ministry at Butler University, but after a few weeks met resistance and obstacles. After prayer, counsel, and consideration we now see that an ongoing work there will be a slow, gradual development. We will continue to cultivate our relationships there, but I am also beginning to oversee ministry at University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, IN. We have had a presence on this campus for several years & the ministry is in a similar season as the IUPUI ministry with many student laborers & graduates being exported. The Butler situation was disappointing, but my heart’s desire is to disciple and train students and staff to build more laborers and I am much more needed in this ripe harvest field!

Glimpses of Maturity

2010-01-08T05:09:00.000-11:00

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not ceased to pray for you.”Colossians 1:9
“Epaphras... is always struggling on your behalf in his prayers that you may stand mature.” Colossians 4:12

I always have exciting stories to share with you of God transforming students by the gospel of Christ. After they first put their faith in Christ we do not cease to pray for them and struggle in our prayers for them to reach maturity. I know many of you can say the same as you earnestly pray for the maturity of these young people when you hear of their new faith. This last month has been filled with glimpses of answered prayers as I’ve seen evidences of maturity in many people:
- With my oversight, the IUPUI ministry is being run by new staff who came to Christ in college less than five years ago. Under their leadership this year everything is growing, thriving, and expanding. It has been wonderful to watch them lead and shepherd this campus.
- I have sat down with several graduating seniors to discuss what’s next and have been impressed by the integrity of their lives, their devotion to leave staying closely connected & serving in a church, and eager to be used in the greater mission field of their career.
- I have offered full time jobs to a few graduates to come and work with us and lead other campus ministries. Each time I do this, I worship God over how completely He can change and develop someone in only a few years!
- I have recently challenged many other students to spend their summer with Campus Outreach in South Africa sharing the gospel with other college students. We only invite students with a stability of character, walk with Christ, and self-motivation to enable them to spend 8-10 hours a day meeting new people and sharing the gospel. To have the confidence in so many students who were non-Christians just a few years ago is another evidence of God’s powerful acts of maturation!

Halloween 2010

2010-01-08T05:02:00.001-11:00

St. Louis Retreat- How Far?

2009-11-06T05:48:00.002-11:00

Have you ever considered How Far you’re willing to go to get the things you want? Or How Far those desire sometimes end up taking you? When did you first come to see How Far sin had separated you from God and How Far He was willing to go to redeem His people? 195 IUPUI students spent last weekend in St. Louis engaged in discussions and self examination prompted by these questions.

We are still amazed from how much the Lord is moving to bring 195 students from to this event. I have never heard of anywhere near that many students on any campus attending a retreat in my 10 years of college ministry experience!

Thank you for praying for us all during this event. Already, 10 students have put their faith in Christ, but usually we see the real impact of these retreats in the six weeks following as the gospel seeds sink deeper into their hearts and produces repentance and regeneration.

The majority of these students are now meeting in smaller groups and reading daily verses and discussing them together back at school. Please pray the Word continues to pierce their hearts and opens blind eyes to see the beauty of Christ by faith!

Isaiah Paton Lewis

2009-11-06T05:41:00.002-11:00

On October 7 at 5:00 pm Isaiah Paton was born at 7 lbs and 13 oz. What a great joy it is to receive this wonderful blessing from the Lord.

TRANSFORMED: Orlando Project 09

2009-05-30T08:55:00.002-11:00

"And we who with unveiled face all reflect the Lord’s glory are being TRANSFORMED into His likeness which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” II Corinthians 3:18
Imagine 150 college students arriving at a Florida hotel ready to pile into a rooms and be stretched beyond their perceived capacity for nine weeks to grow closer to God. Picture everywhere you look students studying their Bibles early or for hours at night. Think about the interactions within rooms as complete strangers spend their first days living together, and from day one open up vulnerably about their past life, how Christ has changed them, current personal struggles, and their dreams for growth. If you can envision any of this you’ve just had a glimpse of the Orlando Project this summer. If you’re struggling to see it, I’m not surprised because it so uncommon it almost doesn’t seem real.
Our project has kicked off with full steam. More has happened in the first week than I could write. Our theme is Transformed, from the verse above. Our goal/prayer this summer is to direct students gaze to behold the Lord and as we fix our hearts/minds on Him, to be transformed into His likeness. After all, He is the author of our faith, the one who began the work within us to transform us, the one working right now to transform us, and who promises to complete this transformation, so to help students grow, we don’t trust in extra efforts spent from our own resources but upon the Christ who lives within us. As we see more of Him, He naturally changes us into His image..
We love you and will be praying for you.

New Laborers Raised Up

2009-05-08T16:15:00.003-11:00

As I spent time with students last week it was hard to tell if they were more excited finals were ending or that it was almost time to leave for the Orlando summer project. This year 60 from our campus will be going and 15 of them are returning as leaders. I also have the tremendous privilege of leading the entire project this summer! This is a large responsibility but has already been a joy to begin training our student leaders and teaching our staff how to plan and develop our project. Please pray for me as I lead and our family as we prepare to spend another summer in a hotel away from home. Also, please pray for the IUPUI students who are raising support spending time with family.

Laborers Sent to the Harvest

2009-05-08T16:12:00.001-11:00

Two weeks ago we had one of the greatest encouragements of our year as we celebrated a wedding with two IUPUI graduates that came to Christ and were discipled through school. It was wonderful to see this marriage begin in a godly manner and to look across the room and see dozens of students who had all come to Christ in college as well. Often we mention to young believers that God will provide a spouse at the right time and they will probably be surrounded at that time by best friends who have helped you walk with God during college. This was a chance to see this idea come to reality. The bridal party was filled with the discipleship group I had led for three years-mature, godly men who were lost wandering sheep when they started college. Please pray God continues to raise up more laborers!

REBEL Retreat 09

2009-03-07T07:28:00.004-11:00

You can’t measure or write in a short blog all that took place in the hearts of 135 students in one weekend, but lives were challenged, changed, and united. A central part of the teaching called the students to rebel against legalism (don’t slip into just living by a few rules and miss really walking with God) and to rebel against licentiousness (don’t slip into justifying sin and be comfortable with it in your life). I’ve heard countless things from them about how it helped their walk with God.
A personal highlight occurred Saturday night as our speaker was sharing about how the world needs Christians who will commit to being used to reach others. As I was listening I saw in front of me a group of guys who had just heard this for the first time one year ago. As a result of a talk like this they committed to get training and ask God to use them to reach others and this year they have been used to reach eight other guys!

Milwaukee Christmas Conference 08

2009-01-06T07:08:00.004-11:00

Lincoln Halloween

2008-11-03T03:51:00.000-11:00

St. Louis Retreat - Vantage Point

2008-10-31T09:02:00.001-11:00

Thank you for being so faithful to pray for this campus. Last weekend 125 students spent the weekend in St. Louis investigating Christ. Our theme was Vantage Point and we discussed the reality that we all have a vantage point from which we see the cross and for most people this perspective is limited or incorrect. We attempted to expose them to the truth about the cross and what it means for life. Many left understanding the cross for the first time. Many others finally see why Christ can claim to be the only way and how he can require you to surrender your life to him.
Now, on campus we encouraged students this week to take 30 days to learn more about Jesus and get to know Him by reading a passage each day. Each passage is one of Jesus’ teachings or an encounter he had with someone. Please pray that as people are investigating and reading, that Christ would become real to them and they would put their faith in Him.

“For God, who said Let light shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
II Corinthians 4:4

St. Louis Retreat

2008-10-23T05:15:00.002-11:00

Each year we invite many of our new friends and contacts to spend a weekend away from campus to go deeper in their friendships and to take time to investigate what it really means to know Christ. This retreat takes place downtown St. Louis this weekend. Last year we thought we were amazed as 100 students from IUPUI came. We had never had anything like that happen from our campus. This year God continues to amaze. 125 are coming from IUPUI!! This is in large part due to your continued prayers asking God to move on the campus and to use us. Thank you for being so faithful to care for this campus.
Attendance to the retreat is just the beginning. For many this is where a real investigation and evaluation of their life begins, but only if God is opening their eyes to see correctly. Will you please spend time this weekend praying for the retreat and all these interested students?
We will update you next week on how it turns out.

“I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”
II Corinthians 12:15

Lincoln's 1st Birthday

2008-10-23T05:09:00.002-11:00

Orlando Project IUPUI

2008-06-20T04:47:00.002-11:00

The Orlando Project is half way over and our family is leaving this Sunday for the month. It has been a joy to watch each of these students grow over the last five weeks. Each person in this picture has a story of redemption and of wonderful development in just a few weeks! Thank you for praying for them. We look forward to visiting many of you and telling you stories of how lives are being transformed this summer.

Orlando Project 08: PULSE

2008-05-30T04:25:00.002-11:00

“Yes Lord, walking in the way of your law. We wait for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our hearts.”
Isaiah 26:8
Sunday, as 115 energized students arrived in Orlando, FL, we kicked off our summer training project. This summer our prayer is Isaiah 26:8, that these students PULSE, or heart desire would be for God’s name and His renown. We are taking the entire summer to help them know God more deeply which will naturally overflow in a desire for His name to be renown.
We love being with such hungry students. Each morning I’m seeing 60+ people rising at 6:30 or 7:00 am to meet with God before work and every night I’m watching the same amount go out to share the gospel.

Senior Surprise

2008-05-10T01:58:00.005-11:00

As the school year ended, we were surprised one night when students began to pull up outside our house. As we opened the door we found our graduating seniors holding a cake. They came to share a night thanking us for helping them during the last 4 years and celebrating all God has done during this time.

Orlando Project Leadership Team

2008-05-10T01:53:00.003-11:00

As we continue to invest in the students at IUPUI, it is exciting to watch them mature and develop vision for the world. We have invited twelve students from our campus to return to the Orlando Project to serve as leaders. At the project they will have the privilege to share their lives with other younger believers and help establish them in walking with Christ. This is one of the most important aspects of our labor here, training believers to be able to reproduce spiritually - sharing thier lives with others and teaching them how to do the same with others.

Another Year Finished

2008-04-25T03:39:00.004-11:00

Usually people are so busy at the end of the year that no one shows up to any meetings, but not at IUPUI. Our last meeting was equal to our largest crowd all year!

All of these students pictured in the close-ups are going to the Orlando Project this summer. Please pray for their growth!

What's Real? IUPUI Winter Retreat

2008-03-17T00:51:00.002-11:00

115 IUPUI students withdrew from downtown Indy to spend a weekend in cabins nestled in IN forest to reflect on "What's Real" in life. There is an immeasurable amount of information and images hurled at us every day which influences our emotions, beliefs, and life direction. During this weekend, we were brought to the Reality that God is the only source of truth and that He must be the foundation of our life. Students were also challenged to evaluate if they have a "Real" relationship with God and spurred to live in ways to invest further into this.
All of the messages from the retreat can be downloaded or listened to from the internet at the following link:
http://http://coiupui.podOmatic.com

Lincoln's First Christmas

2008-01-03T13:07:00.000-11:00

Lincoln's First Christmas was so much fun for us. He intuitively knew he was supposed to wake up earlier. He enjoyed grabbing the paper and helping us tear it off, but then he wanted to eat it more than look inside the boxes to see what gift was inside. Below, he is holding his new friend, Jacques the peacock!

Chicago Christmas Conference

2008-01-03T11:48:00.000-11:00

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things." Romans 11:36

Over 65 students from IUPUI joined 300 others from different states to learn more about the God through whom all things exist and to grow closer to Him. Students left in awe of God and motivated to pursue Him as they understand how much they've been loved and changed through the gospel.

2007-11-04T16:22:00.000-11:00

Lincoln continues to get bigger and cuter and somehow we seem to love him more each week. He has begun to sleep through the night, make more funny noises, and smile more in the last few weeks.

St. Louis Retreat

2007-10-31T03:46:00.000-11:00

100 students from IUPUI spent last weekend discussing truth and sorting through lies they have believed about God, sin, and Jesus. It seemed that every message stirred hearts and that people were seriously engaged in discussion all weekend. At this point at least six students have come to Christ and many more are currently wrestling through Jesus' claims. Please continue to pray for these students.

Lincoln's Getting Big!!

2007-09-22T11:21:00.000-11:00

First Days at Home

2007-08-15T03:46:00.000-11:00

Lincoln James Lewis

2007-08-10T08:54:00.000-11:00

Sunday night at 11:53 pm Lincoln James arrived safe and healthy! (9 lbs 10 oz) It was a long day of labor that ended in a c-section surgery for Tara to deliver, but everything turned out great. We were able to leave the hospital Thursday and are thankful to be home now as we learn how to take care of our precious little boy!

IUPUI at O.P.

2007-07-18T16:40:00.000-11:00

Keep praying for our students in Orlando. Here's a picture of all 33 of them right outside of Universal Studios. Things have gone so well this summer. Thanks for really asking God to use this time in their lives. They have less than two weeks now. Then we will lead this crew back to dive into campus.

All the World at Our Back Door

2007-06-11T04:50:00.000-11:00

There are 250-300 students living at our hotel from Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Russia, Serbia, Moldova, Ghana, Thailand, Kazakstan, Ukraine, and other places. We believe God has put them here with us for specific reasons and we have been eager to get to know them. This night we had a huge ice cream party to meet them and begin to build relationships. It was a huge success. Since then we've been able to share the gospel with several and started helping a few who are Christians grow. Please pray for these opportunities to impact the world right here at our hotel.

Orlando Project Begins!

2007-06-11T04:32:00.000-11:00

All the excitement of 90+ students spending an entire summer growing in thier faith arrived in Orlando became reality as everyone arrived Sunday the 25th. God brought everyone here safely and with hungry hearts. The first days are always a blast as we begin to see relationships build and answers to prayer. (We have prayed for over a year for some of these students asking God to allow them to spend a summer here.)

As you can imagine, the first week was packed with fun as the students toured Universal, went out to share their faith for the first time, and began to invest in the things planned for the summer. We love to see what happens when you take hungry students away from the distractions of the world and surround them with peers just as hungry as they are. They have begun to take off in their growth!

IUPUI's Orlando Project Students

2007-04-30T04:21:00.000-11:00

This year over 30 students will be spending their summer with us in Orlando seeking to grow in their relationship with Christ and to learn how to effectively share Christ with others. We labor all year sharing the gospel and establishing young Christians but the summer is a special time to give more to those who want more.
It has been exciting to watch as God moves in hearts to make students want to sacrifice being at home, seeing family, taking classes, and other opportunities to invest this way.
We praise God for each of these students and dream about what God may do through them as they walk with Him for the rest of their life.
Thank you for your prayers all year. Please ask God to prepare their hearts for the summer and to open their eyes more to see His majesty!

First Baby Shower!!

2007-04-15T07:55:00.000-11:00

Saturday, Tara had her first baby shower. The girls in the ministry at IUPUI put it on for her. Thankfully, both of our mothers were able to attend as well. We are very thankful as well for the wonderful gifts we received for the baby. We are starting to stock up on cute outfits, toys, blankets, and even a high chair!

Concert with Lecrae & Trip Lee

2007-04-15T07:46:00.000-11:00

Last weekend, 20 of us from IUPUI traveled to Columbus, OH for a great concert. It was exciting to hear the artists passionately share about a relationship with Christ, the need for discipleship, knowing God through His revealed Word, and sharing the gospel with the lost. Our students were spurred to seek Christ!

Spring Break Road Trip

2007-03-31T05:02:00.000-11:00

The best place to spend a college spring break is on a road trip! These breaks give you extra time to invest in relationships away from distractions and the busyness of life. Also, as you spend hours together in a car you are forced to talk, even more than you want to. You can't just go do some activity to entertain yourself because you are trapped in the car together.
Once again I spent my spring break on the road with a few guys. I took two guys I'm discipling, Zac and Mike, and Roy who just came to Christ this fall. We traveled to Montgomery, Alabama to visit Byron Johnson; the speaker for our Winter Retreat. Byron works with four campuses in the Montgomery area. My prayer was:
-to encourage and challenge the guys by giving them exposure to other men who are laboring on other campuses,
-to further broaden their vision for their own lives as they see how God is using other ordinary men to expand His Kingdom,
-and to share my life with them informally for a more extended time period.
As we returned home, I was again thankful for the privilege I have to help shape these men's lives. The guys had a great time and returned home wanting to know God more. They have recently begun a 8:00 AM prayer time for other students to gather and ask God to move on our campus and draw people to Himself.

We're having a boy!!!

2007-03-21T16:17:00.000-11:00

On Thursday, March 8th we visited the doctor for Tara's 20 week ultrasound and were excited to learn that we will have a boy!!! For some reason, it seems everyone was guessing the baby would be a girl. Now we must put some serious thought into selecting a great boy name.