June Update: Where are we?

My official start date with RUF was June 1st - it's never been more real than now! The first week of June was spent in Atlanta, GA with 43 other first-year interns for our new staff orientation. John Stone (Intern Coordinator), Emily Larsgaard (Intern Administrator) and Emily Craft (Intern Administrator Assistant) helped us understand what our job would entail and what kinds of expectations would be realistic. It was incredible to meet the rest of my intern class and to begin building relationships with these co-laborers. They're truly amazing men and women of God and I am so excited to serve alongside them over the next two years.

This month has consisted primarily of getting the word out about what I am doing with RUF and starting to work on raising the financial support that I need. This has been an incredible learning experience that has been challenging, rewarding, and humbling. I have been so blessed to see the outpouring of prayers and support and encouragement that I have received since I sent out my letters and have been so thankful for the responses that I have gotten. As of now, I have raised about $9830 in one-time gifts and pledges! This is about 30% of the total support that I need! Praise the Lord! Thank you to those of you who have been able to support me financially already. It is so encouraging to see the ways that the Lord is providing for me with your generous help. It has also been encouraging to me to be able to sit down with many of you and talk to you about the ministry and work that I am so excited about! Thank you to those of you who have made time for me to be able to share with you about this work.

I'm excited to see the ways the Lord will continue to amaze me with his provision as this process continues! I appreciate your prayers so much, for endurance and perseverance through this challenging time.

RUF: Study Program

This month has also been the first month that I am working on my intern study program. The study program consists of reading assignments in different books each month, as well as reading through the Bible over the next two years. We'll do some reading in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Sorter Catechism as well. At the end of each month, we submit reports to our campus minister and to our area coordinator that try to draw out some of the more helpful truths from the books that we have read and the ways that we can apply our reading to our ministry and to our conversations with students.

This month we read a book called "Asking" by Jerry Panas and a book called "Trusting God" by Jerry Bridges and read through the Gospel of Mark.

Here's an excerpt from my report about "Trusting God" -

"While it may go without saying based on the title, this book is essentially trying to encourage the reader to believe that God should be trusted and that we are called to trust him. However, it seems to also be an exhortation to those who struggle to trust God completely because it addresses many of the questions and concerns that believers and nonbelievers alike encounter when considering the question of whether or not God can be trusted. Bridges empathizes with those who may find it difficult to trust a God who allows sin to continue or who permits “bad things” to happen to those who love him. I think that Bridges does a great job with many of the questions that seem to be most common in discussions about the goodness of God, such as How does sovereignty work exactly and What will God’s Love look like when manifested in my life. I think that Bridges provides some much-needed perspective and helps to make expectations realistic and to really help readers get a grasp of the larger picture of God’s glory and how His ultimate plan combines His desire for His glory with His desire for our good. "

We have a lot of really incredible books coming up in the program and I'm excited to see the things that I am able to learn and apply through the program.

RUF: Ways You Can Be Involved

The work of RUF is made possible through the faithful and generous support of the larger body of Christ. The work that I will do with RUF at the University of Washington will not be possible without your support in two essential areas:

Prayerful Support and Encouragement

Please be in prayer that my time spent with students will be fruitful and beneficial, that I will be able to communicate the love of Christ and the richness of his grace to them, and that the Lord will use me to be an encouragement and a support to them. Please pray that the Lord will grant me strength and endurance to maintain a busy and demanding schedule, and that I will be challenged but will also find rest in the Lord’s faithful provision.

Financial support

All of my expenses as well as my salary will come entirely through financial contributions and gifts from individuals and churches. Please prayerfully consider financially supporting my work with RUF for this next year. I will need to raise $34,500 for the year, but will need to have 85% of this raised before being able to move to campus in September. This will only be possible through contributions and monthly pledges from family, friends, community, church members, and RUF alumni. All contributions are tax deductible and the enclosed envelope outlines several ways you can support my work with RUF including monthly support, quarterly support, and one-time gifts. You can also give directly online at www.ruf.org/donate.

Personal Expenses: This covers my personal salary. Intern salary is determined by a standard base pay, cost of living, and student loans.

Benefits: Benefits include health insurance, dental insurance, workers compensation, life insurance and FICA. FICA is the employer’s portion of federal and state tax.

General Administration: This covers accounting, legal, receipting, and other general administration expenses.

Ministry Expenses: This includes all expenses related to my personal ministry. It covers student conferences, development, study program, moving, orientation, training, phone, and miscellaneous expenses.

Thank you for your support and encouragement and for being willing to partner with me and pray for me. I am excited to see the ways the Lord will be working in my life and through the work of RUF at the University of Washington over the next year. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions about my work with RUF.

RUF: What's the story?

Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) is a campus ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) whose mission is to reach students for Christ and equip them to serve in their churches, campuses, and communities. RUF has been instrumental in preparing and supporting me to serve in these ways. The importance of the Gospel and the freedom of its message is powerfully communicated through the preaching of scripture and through opportunities for fellowship, discipleship, and service in both the local and global communities. RUF’s primary purpose is to teach and demonstrate the love and grace of Jesus to college students from all walks of life: whether convinced or unconvinced, cynical or spiritual.

Starting in September, I will be moving to Seattle to serve as the RUF intern at theUniversity of Washington. My job will be to work alongside the campus minister to coordinate large group meetings, meet with students, plan RUF events, lead Bible studies, and be present at conferences. I am so excited to have the opportunity to serve RUF and the students of the University of Washington and the city of Seattle. Seattle is among the most unchurched cities in the U.S. and the city’s need for hope and healing from brokenness through the Gospel is an undeniable necessity.

I'd love to talk to you more about this or answer any other questions you might have. You can find out more about RUF at www.ruf.org or you can call or email me! I'm so excited about the work that the Lord has called me to and to partner with the existing ministry at the University of Washington.

Katie's Contact:

katie.tracy@ruf.org