#ReflectCampusMissions - Introducing the Goodpastures

Hello friends! We are James and Allie Goodpasture, and we have just started our journey to plant a discipleship-based campus ministry at Harding University. We are working alongside the Living Way Church of Christ to establish a culture of students reaching students, and we feel so blessed as we watch this opportunity unfold before us.

We have been married for almost three years now, and have just moved back to Searcy after some time in Little Rock. Both of us were students at Harding, so we know from first hand experience the culture of its student body. The two of us, plus our cat, Mara, make up our small household.

We have been spending our last few months fundraising our support for this position, and have been in a whirlwind of learning how to depend on God and look to Him for boldness. This time has been such an honor to experience as time and time again, we rediscover the generosity of God's people and get to share with them stories of His power.

These months have also been a time of prayer and fasting as we meditate on what it means to disciple others. How can we step out of the way and make sure others can see Him clearly? How can we find and meet those who need Him most desperately? How can we equip others to share Him with boldness? God has met us in this place of preparation and showed us how He is not only with us, but will meet us morning after morning. We believe this is why when Christ commanded His followers to make disciples, He immediately promised He would be with them always, so they would never have to wonder if they were sent out alone.

Finally this has been a season of connecting with current and former students to learn what the felt needs of Harding and Searcy are. We know that many students continue to feel disconnected from each other, from their churches, and from the Searcy community, especially in the wake of a global pandemic. We have talked about spiritual trauma, mental illness, doubts, and fears. We know that God does not ask us to have all the answers, but He is urging us to submit ourselves to be students of His son alongside the students we work with.

We humbly request prayers for our continued fundraising journey; God is asking us to depend on Him just a little longer as we search for those who will partner with us. Continue to pray over the students at Harding that we will meet and pour into. Finally, pray for clarity and discernment for us as we search for God's will above our own.

Prayer List for new campus missions:

• James and Allie Goodpasture - Harding - P.O.D. Missionaries
• Shane and Bekah Standerfer - Univ of Oklahoma - P.O.D. Missionaries
• Dean and Jasmine Thompson - Univ of North Carolina Charlotte - Plant
• Pray for Reflect as we help equip and guide them.