Summer 2016

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.  Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.              Jesus from John 4:34-36

To participate in the sowing and the reaping of a harvest for eternal life is incredible!  Incredibly challenging, demanding, rewarding and good.  I am grateful that God has put me in such a place where I can share Christ with those who do not yet know His love, power and purposes for their lives as well as equipping disciples so they too can be in this ministry!

After the hike . . . marvelous, but exhausting!

Precious children, made in God's image

In March, I took 11 students from Virginia Wesleyan College (VWC) and a staff person to Nicaragua.  This was my sixth trip with VWC!  As always the cross cultural service has a transforming effect!  Our dear Nicaraguan friends Gioconda and Wilfredo took us to the Jinotega District to San Jose de Bocay in the interior.  We partnered with a number of churches in building a sidewalk at a main ‘feeding center’.  This is a place where food is served to children in need as well as a location for other feeding centers to come and pick up their supplies for distribution.  I preached at three churches during evening services, the students shared testimonies and we sang a couple songs in Spanish together.  One afternoon while we were working on the long sidewalk with concrete and large stones, the Pastor asked if I would like to preach on the radio.  This central ministry had a new radio tower and had been broadcasting only for 1 month.  I agreed and the Pastor said, “Ok, five minutes.”  I questioned, “You want me to preach for five minutes?”  He replied, “No, you will preach for forty minutes.  You start preaching in five minutes!”  So with some quick prayer, laughter and confidence in our great LORD and Savior, I ventured in!  I do love the spontaneity and the unpolished ways in which the church in Latin America operates. 

It was the first time out of the United States for many of the students and the small group times of Bible study, worship, prayer and sharing were deep and moving.  One of the students recommitted their life to Christ shortly after returning and is eager to be a part of a new ministry to athletes at VWC that I’m working on!  Your financial gifts to ‘Life in His Name’ help to make this trip successful, thank you!

It was a tremendous year for ‘Marlin Ministries’, as God turned dozens of hearts around on our campus!  ‘Marlin Ministries’ is the banner name over all of the individual ministries at VWC. 

Student Leaders at our Home in Virginia Beach

Here are some happenings from this year:

Ø  Our overall participation was at an all-time high with twenty different ‘Marlin Ministry’ gatherings each week! 

Ø  The students started a second weekly worship time on Monday nights that grew into times of profound ministry in prayer, evangelism and deliverance!

Ø  We had a dozen students recommit their lives to Christ or receive Christ as Lord and Savior!  We celebrated this one evening knowing that the angels in heaven were rejoicing with us!  These conversions are deep and the students are actively growing in faith!

Ø  Two student interns served with me as a part of a new course entitled, “Servant Leadership” co-taught by Dr. Craig Wansink and me.  Both of these students, Luke Wentling and Ryan Fitzgibbon sense God’s call to serve in the future as Pastors in the United Methodist Church.

George Scott, top right & worship team

We have many students who have a real passion for Christ and his Gospel.  Our Sunday afternoon worship has a vibrancy and joy present that are having a great effect.  It is certainly the Presence of the Holy Spirit among us!  For years I had dreamed of having student testimonies at each worship service.  This year it happened!  The students were glad to share how God was at work and the redemption that they were experiencing!  One of my favorite testimony quotes from a freshman is this: “I’ve been playing this Christianity game my whole life, but now for the first time I’m on fire for the Lord!”  This is from a student who experienced God’s deliverance from some dark things going on in his life a few days before!  We heard from a number of students who are finding healing from past abuse and emotional trauma.  Our God heals and it is often through a community of disciples who love with Jesus’ love that it happens.  We are very excited about how God will work among us this fall.  We’ll have about 400 freshmen joining us at VWC.  Please pray for them and pray for us that we would be ready for the harvest and found faith in reaching out with love and truth.  It is powerful to see God using ‘Marlin Ministries’ to form us all as more faithful disciples of Jesus.  Please know my profound gratitude for your generosity and support!  You can track Marlin Ministries on Facebook.  Just ask to join.

We are working towards having a part-time ministry intern working with me this fall.  This would be a graduate of VWC, who has a passion for campus ministry.  I’m currently working with two May graduates, Forrest Teague and Gabe Higgins, who are exploring licensing and ordination in the United Methodist Church.  They are both currently serving in part-time ministry settings nearby. 

Mom and Dad at Oxford University, Magdalen College

In May I traveled to England and Scotland on a ‘Wesleyan Revival and Scottish Reformation’ trip with VWC.   We had 17 students, Dr. Terry Lindvall, Dr. Craig Wansink (both Religious Studies Professors at VWC) and other guests, including my parents!  It was a tremendous time of fellowship, learning and spiritual growth!  We helped the students to understand the theology, methods and power of the early Methodist movement, before it became a church.  The Wesley brothers, George Whitfield and other leaders were determined to take up their cross and follow Christ “spreading Scriptural holiness across the land.”  It started as a renewal movement on a college campus (Oxford U.) requiring weekly small group accountability, “How is it with your soul?”  Their field preaching with bold appeals to turn from sin to Christ and life combined with the small group shepherding and discipleship with active service to the poor, prisoners, needy and sick created a mighty movement.  I say . . . “Do it again, LORD!  And use me.”

In front of Wesley's Chapel, London England

May the Risen Christ make Himself known more and more in each of your lives so that you become like Him, a servant of all, the light of the world and a seeker of the lost!

Greg West