Last Monday I spent a good part of the day assembling the latest RUF Northeast newsletter. In the afternoon I drove down to Glassboro, NJ to visit the RUF ministry at Rowan University. Brent Kilman had invited his student leaders to have dinner with me in the dining hall. It was a great opportunity to interact with the students who are building the RUF ministry at Rowan. After dinner Brent and I talked for a while with Adam, the RUF committee chairman for the New Jersey Presbytery. That night I completed a first draft of the newsletter.
I spent most of Tuesday with Brent, discussing the ministry at Rowan and prospects for RUF elsewhere in the state. Juli joined us at dinner and then we attended an impressive Bible study led by one of the students. This is the third year for RUF at Rowan, and the ministry is developing at a satisfying rate with significant strength. Brent plans to begin monthly Large Group Meetings in the spring.
On Wednesday I drove to Newark, DE and had lunch with Anthony, the RUF committee chairman for the Heritage Presbytery in Delaware. I spent the afternoon with Nick Owens and attended a Bible study he led in the evening. I spent Thursday with Nick, and Erin joined us at dinner. I met with a student leader on Thursday and with one on Friday. Nick’s students have great potential. Three are sophomores, so he has three years to develop them.
I wrapped up things in Delaware Friday morning and participated in the biweekly conference call with area coordinators on the way home. In spare moments during the week I made numerous edits to the newsletter and by Friday we had a final draft.
This was Missions Weekend at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, west of Philadelphia. Last night I visited one of their Bible studies and had a delightful time sharing about RUF. This morning I participated in a panel of missionaries during Sunday School, then preached in the worship service. A barbeque lunch rounded out the morning.
Tomorrow I head to Akron, Ohio, dropping Ruth off in West Virginia along the way so that she can spend the week with the grandchildren.
David Green 