January 2008

How God Used You:
Read more about most in the sections below

- House Church is a huge learning experience

-Peru mission trip being planned for Spring Break

-Bible Studies and discipleship keep getting better!

-Events for community

-Sanctuary and Christian Challenge students’ eyes are opened to human trafficking.

-Lots of students are being met through ASU events.

-Student leaders are being trained up. One is the youth pastor of our sponsor church!
-We have been able to have a lot of great one-on-one time with our students & new and/or unchurched students.

-We’ve been praying for you.

Made possible by God’s mighty power and your prayers & giving: thank you!



Sanctuary House Church

For New Readers (to catch you up): I (Bryan) got a heart for Church Planting while Jamie and I were commissioned as missionaries by the North American Mission Board. They shared that Church Planting is the most effective way to reach college students and where Christian Challenge, nationwide, will be heading. God has provided a co-planter/co-pastor, Jason Robinson, student leaders, a FREE place to meet ON CAMPUS and a serious passion to reach the unchurched on the campus. Sanctuary was planted in November, 2007 and has been going strong ever since!

Arizona State University does not offer it’s ballroom to student organizations during Christmas break so Bryan and Jason decided to turn it into an amazing learning experience for all of us and learn about New Testament churches by meeting in a home. One of our on-campus students who is always willing to let us meet in his home agreed to host. It worked well because many of our students go home for break so it’s a smaller group.

For four weeks we met as a House Church and learned about the different things New Testament believers did and changes since then that we consider “normal” or “traditional” and where the changes came from, etc. We took Communion as the early church did: a meal. It was a huge learning experience for many of us and made us want to learn more about early believers.

House Church was a very intimate group where ideas/discussion/wisdom were easily shared and bounced off of one another, fellowship followed naturally and it was a relaxed environment. I (Jamie) tried to envision our brothers and sisters in “closed” nations where it is illegal to have a Bible, etc. and imagine what it would be like to be risking my life to be worshipping with my fellow believers and how critical that worship is for people to risk their lives to share Christ with one another and learn about and praise Him together.






Taking Communion as a meal together, as the New Testament believers did

Children's Minister










Eddie on percussion

Volunteering at House of Refuge

One of our students works with the House of Refuge which ministers to the homeless by providing them a home to stay in and helps them feed their families.

Since he works there, we know what the needs are and we’re able to minister to those families as well as the other people on ASU Poly’s campus. We were able to volunteer and help these people do Christmas for their family as well. It was rewarding doing the work, but it was most rewarding helping our students get into volunteering this season.
Student Spotlight

Derek Powell is our Worship Minister at Sanctuary and has really stepped up to fill that position. The worship experience is so important to college students, and Derek’s dedication, God-given musical skill and heart for the people who come to Sanctuary has really impacted the ministry on the campus.

Derek came as a fill in, only one of three people that we would ask to lead worship, but after a while, he caught the vision and he’s taken it to a new level.

He has also been vocal in encouraging students to go on our Peru mission trip. We praise God for all of our leaders and are very blessed to serve alongside them.

Derek in action



Powers Update

We had a good Christmas. It made us very proud when we asked Dallas what he wanted and he said: “one present.” We decided to keep Christmas gifts simple and limited even when we’re more financially stable. My (Jamie’s) favorite part was Dallas’ look of excitement when putting out the cookies and pure happiness when they were gone the next morning!

We are thrilled and excited to have begun the surrogacy process. Kim and I have begun our injections and the doctor plans to implant on February 7th! It’s been an extremely long journey, and we praise the Lord for loving us & providing for us through our broken hearts with the loss of Madison. Although the surrogacy process has been demanding for all involved, it has given me a sense of hope and excitement. We still need your prayers: we miss Madison very much.

Dallas swimming with Santa!

Thank You for Your Prayers!

Please pray…

-Student who converted to Mormonism
-Missing 6 year old sister of one of our students.
-Healing with losing Madison Grace –it has been especially difficult for Jamie
-Our support
-PRAISE – Sanctuary’s amazing student leaders
-Mission trip plans for Spring Break.
-That students, especially unchurched/unsaved will continue to be drawn to CC & Sanctuary
-Prayer and PRAISE: In-vitro and surrogacy
-PRAISE: New church plant
-16 have accepted Christ
- C., G., S. & M. to accept Christ
-Sharing the Gospel on campus

How can we pray for you?