Fall Retreat

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FALL RETREAT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS

      This past weekend we at RUF Boise State escaped to Garden Valley, ID for a retreat. There we hung out and got to know each other in a stress free non school related environment. We played lots of spikeball, kickball, and other games that my joints are still sore from. In addition to games and fellowship we also joined together in worship and learning. John Stone, RUF Assistant Coordinated, came and spoke on how the gospel can and should transform our lives and what that should me for us as Christians. The importance of service of others (believers and non believers alike) and much more.

I believe that this weekend was truly beneficial and restful for all 25 of us who attended the retreat (not just the students). I know I learned a lot about myself and about the the others that will help me for many years into the future. The second night many of us (12) set up hammocks in the middle of 3 or 4 trees and camped out together. The picture above does not even begin to do the set up justice and that night was a great bonding experience for the students as many of them had never slept in a hammock before.

Coming up next we have a party and football viewing party at a house of one of our students to further build upon the community established at the retreat. In October I will be flying to Atlanta for more training and decompressing with my fellow interns. A great time to ask questions and share experiences with fellow interns and intern staff now that we have all moved to campus. Please pray for me and RUF as we continue ministering to the campus this fall.

In Christ,
Matt Arends

As Always, to support my ministry visit http://www.givetoruf.org/productlanding/1084
and visit me online at http://www.mattsministry.com

Virginia to Boise!

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Virginia to Boise: The start of my Ministry!

So I’ve made it! I have moved across country to begin work on campus! I have raised most of my budget for this years ministry and I am starting to meet students on campus! It’s hard to believe that I drove across country with my friend Jarrod and made found a place to live in Boise. (Particularly having run out of gas in Wyoming!) This past Sunday we had our annual “Picnic in the Park” event where we provided 33 Free pizzas to incoming freshman (about 175 students showed up), welcoming them to campus, loving them with food, and providing a place to relax in green grass by the Boise River and play games with their fellow classmates the day before classes.
A phrase I heard over and over again was “Its nice to be able to just hangout.” For most of these students the weekend up until that point was full of, sad goodbyes, the stress of moving in, learning a new campus and city and finding friends along with every other event, tour, and obligation put before the students by the University. This event allowed us to love students by providing a way to let them relax and get to know each other as well as learn about RUF.
This Tuesday we also held out first large group meeting! It was exciting to see a few freshman from the picnic show up as well as seeing returning students who have been a part of RUF for a while now.

Guys Group Picnic
Picnic In the Park

Pray With Me!

Please for the campus, that RUF can love the campus better this year than it did last year and that those touched by RUF will learn mroe about Christ. Pray for Fall Retreat coming in mid September, that many students will attend and that the time will be fun and relaxing and pleasing to God. Also, Pray as I continue to strive for 100% of my first years budget. I need to raise about $6,000 more to be 100% funded through May. $600 of that needs to be by September 9th.
The Lord has blessed me greatly through all of you thus far both in Prayer and in Finances. Please continue to pray with me and consider giving if you have not already.

Lord is doing great things on the college campus.  This is a boxed text block. You can use it to draw attention to important content.

You can be the one person I need to give $600 by the start of September by giving online at https://givetoruf.org/ProductLanding/1084

As always, All gifts are accepted and appreciated! For More information visit me How to give Page

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How do you give to Matt’s RUF account?

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Thank you for your support!

Important Details to remember: All Gifts are tax deductible and all gifts will be processed on the first of each month. This means that if you pledge to give $100/month this month, the first gift will be processed the following month on the first of that month.

Giving to my RUF account is very easy. You can do it a couple of different ways.

First: Automatic Monthly gifts online (Most prefer this method)

  1. Click the link www.ruf.org/donate 
  2. Click in the search bar “search by campus, ect.” on the donate website
  3. Type “Matt Arends”and click the name in the drop down menu
  4. Enter a gift amount in the box labeled “Gift Amount”Give to RUF pic 1.png
  5. Once you have added to cart, click proceed to checkout
  6. To check out you may click to make this gift “monthly, Once, or several other methods”

give to RUF 27. Enter payment method and click “donate now”

Thank you for any monthly or one time gifts! 

Second: Give by check

To give to my RUF account by check is simple.

  1. Make out your check to “pay to the order of Reformed University Fellowship”
  2. In the “for” or “memo” line write “Intern: Matt Arends (1602)”
    • The number is important for my account to be easily identified by RUF staff
  3. Mail all checks to the following address
    • Reformed University Fellowship
      Donor Processing
      P.O. Box 890004
      Charlotte, NC 28289-0004

If you would like to me to give you a preaddressed envelope or if you need any more information on how to give, please contact me at: Matt.Arends@ruf.org

DONATE NOW

September Update

Posted on by miarends

Hey Everyone!

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I hope that the end of your summer is going well. The semester is in full swing now at Boise State and a lo
t of exciting things are happening! Community groups are starting up, we are going through the Psalms this semester and have just completed Psalms 1 this week. Large group is heading into its 4th week this Tuesday and we are walking through the book of Mark. It is exciting to see new faces and old one (Though all are new faces for me).

We have had events such as Picnic in the Park where 170+ freshman showed up for free pizza and games in a nearby park. It was great to be able to serve the campus in such a great way. One highlight was some residence life staff telling us that we produced the largest turn out of freshman for any event during welcome weekend. Other events we have had thus far were a cookout and ultimate frisbee game as well as hanging out on Labor day on the lake.

bowling
Upcoming this weekend we have our fall retreat! This means we  are headed to Garden Valley just an hour north of Boise. There we will hangout, play games,  get to know each other, and learn from John Stone (RUF National Staff) and what he has to say about the Psalms. The weekend is always one of the major highlights of any RUF students year. I am very excited to get to know these students more and learn along side them from John Stone.

What’s coming up:

Fall Conference (THIS WEEKEND!)

RUF Intern Fall Training (October 16-20)

$2500 to GO!

Posted on by miarends

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Hey Everyone!

Thank you so much for you support! Without all of you, I would not be where I am today! Together we have raised  over 75% of my first years budget toward my internship and ministry with RUF at Boise State University! This means that I only need $2,500 in one time gifts to move to Idaho and start working on campus. If you have not already given but are interested in giving, please consider giving today! (the sooner I have the support given the sooner I can move to campus and begin my ministry!) You can give a quick and easy tax deductible gift Here! Please continue to pray for me as I prepare to move and that the Lord will provide a place for me to live affordably and a cheap way to travel across country.

This month I am reading 1 & 2 Timothy and 1 &2 Peter. These books have been encouraging and helpful in thinking about ministry as well as the calling we have all received as believers. That the Lord has called us to turn away from the ways of the world and that we should not be lead astray by the teaching of False Teachers.

I am very excited to be moving to campus! Please join me in this ministry through prayer and financial support! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at matt.arends@ruf.org or call me at 757-390-5939!

In Christ,

Matt Arends

Thank you for your support! Give online at: https://givetoruf.org/ProductLanding/1084

We are nearly there!

Posted on by miarends

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Hey Everyone!

Thank you so much for your prayer and su13422299_10105620930536990_5394385519451517579_opport over the past few months, weeks, and days. Now that I am home from training, I only have about $4,500 left to raise so that I can move! It’s hard to believe that I am nearly able to move and that we together have raised 70% of the budget set before me for my work in the ministry of RUF! (give now by visiting: https://givetoruf.org/ProductLanding/1084)

The Lord has blessed me greatly through my friends, family, and through His word. I just finished reading 1, 2, 3 John as well as Daniel and the Lord has lifted me up greatly though these books. They have better helped me understand what it is to act on faith and not rely on myself but of God.

This month I will be reading 1 & 2 Peter as well as 1 & 2 Timothy. Please be prying that I will learn and grow in understanding as I read these books and that they will benefit my ministry.

As always, feel free to contact me as I am continuing to raise support and as I prepare for my move to Boise to serve God and His church.

 

In Christ,

Matt Arends

 

July Fundraising and Spiritual Update

Posted on by miarends

It’s hard to believe that it is already July! The past few months have brought many new and exciting things. I am getting closer and close to moving to Boise, ID and I am ready to start my work on campus. I am at 50% of my needed budget (about 25% given in one time gifts and 25% pledged monthly) which means that I only need 10 families to begin giving $100 monthly to reach my goal of 85% to move to campus and about 15 more families partnering with me at $100 a month to be fully funded for the next two years! The Lord has truly blessed me!

Last Month I read the book of Mark which is full of assurance of provision and healing. Christ tells us that, if we have faith the size of a mustard seed that we can tell mountains to jump and they will jump. Right now,  I feel like I have a mountain in front of me and I am stepping out in faith to say that I will be fully funded in time to move to Boise on August first. Now I ask that you will please join me in faith and partner with me financially so that I can not only personally grow in faith and in service of Christ but also that you may grow in faith of Gods provision as well. For everyone that has given so far, Thank you! Please join me in prayer over the next 20 days as I raise the remainder of my support.

To give pain free online you can  CLICK HERE! Gifts are processed automatically on the first of every month.

This month I am reading 1, 2, 3 John and the book of Daniel and I am very excited for what God has to teach me through these books.

 

 

June Update

Posted on by miarends

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Just Finished Orientation in Atlanta!

My first week in June was spent in Atlanta with 56 other newly hired interns (see picture above) and I couldn’t have enjoyed getting to know everyone who are doing the same thing as I am for the next two to three years. It amazing to see how God is working on the college campus through RUF and how it has impacted so many of our lives is amazing ways.

The days were filled with information on policies, budgets and fundraising which was both exhausting and exciting. Though at times the task ahead seems daunting it was comforting to be surrounded by so many other people who are doing the same thing as I am and to constantly be reminded that the Lord will provide.

The week helped me realize how raising financial support ($31,000 per year) is an amazing opportunity to partner with individuals that care about me, my ministry, or the college campus. Asking friends, family, and even strangers for money can be difficult because often times we hold onto our money because we earned it but that same fondness for out money can also be shared with others by partnering with ministries as individuals. Recently I was told something that really spoke to me on the subject, “We are all called to missions, some are called to physically go out and make disciples while others are called to send others.” Fundraising the necessary money to both live by and serve with provides an amazing opportunity for others who can’t go themselves to send someone who can. “Its much easier for a recent college graduate to do ministry on the college campus than it is for someone who graduated 10 years ago and this ministry allows for those who can’t relate to college students to send someone who can.

As I move forward please pray with me for my ministry, for my potential supporters, and for those already supporting me. Pray that the ministry is a fruitful one and pray for the Lords provision in our lives. If you are reading this and have not yet given, please prayerfully consider joining me and those already giving. God is at work on the college campus join me in that work.

In Christ,

Matt Arends
RUF Intern
Boise State University