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Daily Bible Verse

The CMDA So. Calif. Campus Leadership Conference,
April 4, 2009

What a delight for those attending the annual SoCal Campus Leadership Conference on April 4th at Bethany Church in Sierra Madre, CA to be lead in worship by the USC dental worship team, the second year in a row. And with his inimitable form, Ken Jones wove story after story, challenging these student leaders in their walk with God, as they prepare to lead on their campuses next fall, and for the rest of their lives.

USC Dental School worship band

Holding a pop can throughout his second talk, while reminding us of the story of the potter and the clay, near the end of his comments, he squeezed the can in his hand, while asking if we were willing to allow the potter to have his way with our lives. "Really?" Here are some comments from some of the students who attended: "What a wonderful speaker with an incredible testimony." "I thoroughly enjoyed Ken Jones and would really love to hear more from him. He definitely left me wanting more. I wish I could have had an opportunity to speak with him. I had many questions I wanted to ask him.". "Ken Jones talked about God molding us like the potter. That image of the squished pop can and God's control was nice and continues to impact me."

Ken Jones

Also, the 'infamous' Nicholas Yphantides, MD from San Diego, "Put Health Back Into Health Care." Dr. Nick, as he is affectionately called, attended our west coast campus leadership conference at the Mt. Hermon Conference Center in 1987. We both reminisced and told the story about an unusual event that took place at that conference. In the middle of a teaching session on human sexuality, another student, a close friend of Nick's, suddenly jumped into the middle of the 50+ student circle, pointed right at me and shouted "You're Mike McLauglin." Willie was quite a sight: 6'4" with a huge Afro. I replied "Yes, that's my name." All the students laughed. "No," he replied. "You're Mike McLaughlin. You were my youth director at Hessel Church when I was in Junior High." He had been sitting there, obviously not listening to what I was teaching, trying to figure out where he knew me from and all of a sudden it hit him. And he couldn't contain himself. Good memories.

These annual student conferences serve so many different purposes, though identifying and meeting next year's leaders and orienting them to CMDA, and addressing some aspect of leadership percolate to the top. Without face time with them, it would be unlikely that they would invite me to speak on their campuses, nor would some of them continue as CMDA members. This is all made possible by your generous and faithful support. And I know that very well.

God bless you all,

Michael McLaughlin, MDiv.
CMDA Regional Director


10856	Non Ministrari Sed Ministrare - "Not to be ministered unto, but to minister"
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