April Partner Letter

Trying to Move Faster than the 2006 Calendar
C.S. Lewis once said, “Humans are amphibians - half spirit and half animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time.” Lewis reasoned that our ongoing struggle with time was a subtle evidence and reminder that people were created for eternity in the hands of God, not for a daily fight with the hands of a clock.

I’ll be glad when we lay aside the temporary and mortal and put on the eternal and immortal. But until then, I’m going to keep running. Those of you who know me well, know that I’m always in a race with the calendar. My race with the year 2006 is very important and I’m going to need your help to win. As the director of development for CSF it’s my job to enlist as much prayer and financial support for our ministry as I can. We need people like you to regularly lift us up in prayer. That’s why I’m asking you to make a special effort pray regularly for CSF. I believe there is power in prayer and I believer there’s more power in more prayer.

We need to make substantial progress in increasing our financial support in 2006 if we are to sustain our current ministry goals and programs into 2007. I’m praying that God will help me find 20 new churches who will begin to support us by giving $100 per month. I’m praying that God will raise up 50 new individuals who have a heart for the mission of campus ministry to begin supporting our ministry by giving $50 each month. I’m praying that God will help me find 100 CSF graduates who can begin to support our ministry with monthly gifts of $20. If these can be found by the end of 2006, then CSF will have the necessary funds to meet our budget and move ahead in 2007.

Those goals aren’t outrageous; the people and funds are out there. The question is, will we find them in time? I can here the clock ticking away, but my hope is in the Lord. I trust that he can move the hearts of his people and that he can move the cause of Christ forward at the University of Minnesota. Most of you getting this letter are already faithful supporters of our ministry, so I’m asking you to please pray that God will raise up more partners like you for CSF in the months ahead. If you’re not a monthly support partner, please give it prayerful consideration today.

Just a couple ministry highlights before I close. Our Sunday night worship service, Evensong Worship Community, has been going very well. Many thanks to Calvary Church, in Roseville (not far from the St. Paul Campus), for graciously providing us a wonderful place to meet. Our weekly Together Groups are going well. Brad Dewing has recently begun a new Bible study in a fraternity on the St. Paul Campus. Rebecca Lehmer led a team of 36 people on our Spring Break missions trip to Mississippi. The Barnetts are connecting with dozens of international students every month. A number of our students are preparing for summer missions trips to Romania and Ukraine. The Gospel is being proclaimed; needs are being met; disciples are being made; leaders are being trained; and lives are being changed.

Thanks so much for caring, helping, praying, and giving. Thanks for loving us and having a heart for what we do.

Yours in the Cause of Christ,
Dave Burkum

Me with CSF alumnus Mike Lundell who has recently moved to Romania where he is now serving as a missionary with OC International.