Dear Epic students, staff, and friends,
It is surreal watching the events of the last few months unfold around the world due to COVID-19. Every 12 hours more things change and more realities are imposed upon us. This past week, I have had such a range of emotions and thoughts as I process the effects of COVID-19 on our personal lives and our ministry. Epic Movement is in the midst of sorting through how we ought to respond as campus ministers.
Students and staff are grieving the loss of graduations, the pain of racism connected to COVID-19, and the uncertainty of existing plans. We are committed to encouraging all of us to seek the Lord as we learn a new way to minister to our students, faculty, and communities.
Prioritizing Spiritual and Emotional Connection
As Epic, we prioritize staying emotionally and spiritually connected to one another during this time of physical separation. We encourage all of us to adopt spiritual practices such as Christ-focused meditation, prayer and/or fasting, which many people have found helpful during times of unusual stress. Our staff are also praying for family members, students, alumni, and ministry partners. If you have a prayer request you’d like to share with our staff, you can submit it here.
Adjusting to the New Ministry Environment
We want to share that love and light of Christ through this critical time in history. More than ever, people need the hope that Jesus gives us and Epic is committed to continuing to share that hope with others in new and creative ways.
As universities move away from in-person gatherings, our teams are still building community and connecting their peers and friends to Jesus. One of our staff led a bible study via google docs (a real-time collaborative writing platform). They noted that some students were sharing insightful things that they normally would not share in a live setting. Others are focused on connecting via social media and even video games. Epic Movement is continuing to provide coaching and resources to help navigate this new season.
Making Difficult Decisions
Given how connected our Asian American communities are, we in Epic have to make decisions that will ensure that we are thinking about ministry for the long-haul, as well as practicing care for our families and neighbors.
Following governmental guidelines to help “flatten the curve,” Epic and Cru have canceled all large gatherings including all of our spring break trips, summer missions, and training conferences. Other events are postponed or have gone online. As you can imagine, this significantly changes the trajectory of all of our ministry worldwide. (Keep an eye out for further communication regarding the changes for our Epic National Vision Dinner and other events!)
We implore you to join us in lament, prayer, and seeking the Lord as this unprecedented time will have ramifications for Epic Movement for years to come. Pray that we can process this new reality well as a community and for the Gospel to go forth in our ministry in powerful new ways.
Sincerely,
Margaret Yu
Epic Movement National Director
Psalm 121: A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.