Wesley is BACK!!!!!

Hey everyone - Let me first answer a question from the fan mail: "Clay, your blog is so totally boss. Can you please let me know why you have not been writing during the past month? I heard that you fast a lot - are you fasting blogging?"

No, I have not been on a blog 'fast.'

OK, so now that the fans are satisfied, let me give you an update on our ministry. We had our first wesley of the school year this past Wednesday. We are meeting this year in a large room in the new student center that is called, Tate 2 (since the original student center is called the 'Tate Center'). Tate 2 is located right in the middle of campus beside the stadium, and it is a perfect location for students who live both on and off campus to congregate.

We had been spending the majority of our time the past few weeks getting ready to load in our sound and lights, but two days before our service, we found out that we were going to be able to use the stage, lights, and sound that had been set up for the Kellie Pickler concert!!! As you look at the pics below, you will notice how 'professional' it appears. We certainly were blessed by it all, but this week we will be back to normal - Wesley level sound and lights, which is on a campus ministry budget level!

The night of the service, students started pouring in from everywhere once we opened the doors. Having been here for quite some time, both Deborah and I know that the first night is always the biggest. But, despite our prior experiences, it never gets old to see students hungry to meet with the Lord after being away from Wesley all summer. The crowds kept growing and growing till we were bulging out of every side of our new room! The front 'mosh pit' and all of the open areas in the back were jammed tightly. We are not sure of the exact number, but we do know that there were well over one thousand students there since we nearly had one thousand seats placed in the room.

We are geared up for an incredible year. Our staff is the largest we have ever had at Wesley, and thus far they have been amazingly willing to serve others and pursue the Lord eagerly. The student leadership team this year had an incredible retreat just before the school year began, and all of us could tell that as a corporate body, our leaders are going to go for it all this year. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel and have toward the Lord for all that He has already done and is doing at Wesley this year. We will be sure to keep you posted.

clay for the kirklands