What is IMPACT?

Impact seeks to glorify the Lord in every aspect of its existence by serving the incoming freshman class and showing them their first glimpse of the body of Christ at Texas A&Mand Blinn.

So... I didn't go to Impact my freshman year, and I hadn't even heard of it. My first year away at college I didn't know Jesus very well at all and didn't really have community, and if we're all being honest, trying to follow Jesus in college without community... is basically impossible. If you can do it, props to you, but I failed time and time again trying to follow Jesus without community.

As the years progressed, I started to hear about Impact and what it was and it sounded like a really cool opportunity to share God's love with others and had wanted to apply a few times but God had other plans those few years and showed the purpose that He had. Which first off, He has such purpose and vision for His plans. This last year, I wasn't even going to apply, but I just really felt like Jesus was pulling on my heart to apply but at the time, I was just really feeling discouraged and believing a lie that I was ineffective and could not be used - so I hesitated. It wasn't until about 30 minutes before the applications for counselor closed, and I rushed to go apply. I was content with whatever God had planned for me, whether that meant being a counselor or not. I was SO incredibly excited when I found out that I would get to be a part of what God was going to do in the incoming freshmen class.

But. The story doesn't stop there. This last semester and this summer, the Lord showed me what it meant to be consistent in prayer and be expectant for what He was going to do. I've always heard if you want to learn how to love someone - than pray for them every day. As retreat approached, my heart was bursting with love for these people that I had never met but was SO excited to get to help freshmen adjust to this new life called college and also just know that the Gospel is truth and to let it change the way we live and follow Jesus. I've never experienced anything like that before so getting to see how Jesus stirred our hearts as counselors, co-chairs, prayer teamers, etc., was so amazing to see how so many believers - men, women, different churches, different backgrounds - come together and be unified in getting to share Jesus with these freshmen. My heart has been so encouraged seeing the body of Christ be unified and have no other desire than to serve these freshmen and glorify Christ.

Impact focuses so much on The Gospel and how much God loves us, and how Jesus redeems us. One of my favorite parts was hearing fellow counselors testimonies of the freedom that Jesus has to offer, and the goodness and mercy that He so freely gives us. Impact knows what power Jesus has, and I love how much the Gospel is a center and focal point of the ministry.

Now let me just touch base again on the praying - GOD ANSWERED PRAYERS FAR BEYOND WHAT I COULD HAVE PICTURED. Seeing the freshmen that we all had been praying and just seeing how He was faithful to provide energy and strength when were were running on very little sleep and walking back and forth between Narnia(go Zeb and Simeon for getting those steps in), He was so faithful to provide all of it. Lack of voices, getting sick - He still moved and gave whatever we lacked and exceeded time and time again. There was no prayer that was too small or too big that God could not answer.

Impact really stretched me, but in some of the best ways possible. Being surrounded by people I didn't know at the beginning, was terrifying and completely out of my comfort zone. Multiple times I was like, man, Jesus, what did I get myself into? Some people were super loud and extroverted and some were really quiet, and there was such a diversity in the leadership at Impact. First off, diversity is such a beautiful and needed thing in the body of Christ and I think Impact does a wonderful job of really displaying how diverse and different it is, as well as how beautiful it is see everyone working together and growing. Don't get me wrong - it's not always gumdrops and daisies, but people actively laying their lives down for each other and for the freshmen, your heart can't help but feel encouraged.

If there's even a glimpse in your heart that wants to step out of your comfort zone, love on others, grow and be challenged, learn how to lay your life down, learn how to pray fervently, and get a chance to make an impact on the incoming class of 2022's lives, then PLEASE apply for counselor when applications open for Impact! Step out of your comfort zone if it's not something you normally would do, because trust me, you won't regret it. If this is something that the Lord wants for you, AWESOME!!!!! If this isn't in His plans, AWESOME!!!! He's got something else in store and He's the King of amazing plans! Either way, Impact completely changed my life, and so many other of my friends who I have gotten to know through this ministry. YOU WILL ROCK IT, SO HEY, GO GET YOUR LIFE IMPACTED IN SOME OF THE MOST AWESOME WAYS!