2013 has been nothing short of a revolution for me, my life, my ministry.  God has done great things and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for this next chapter in New York and at NYU.

Helping out at Urbana12

A year ago tomorrow I met my wife.  It was New Year’s Eve, the last day of the Urbana ’12 Missions Conference, where some 18,000 students, young professionals, and missionaries from around the globe gathered to attend to God’s call upon their lives, network with people doing Kingdom work all over the world, and to step out in faith in Christ.

I had just helped facilitate the last Bible study focused on Business as Mission for that week when Alissa struck up a conversation with me, telling me about her non-profit anti-human-trafficking social enterprise, Nomi Network.  We wound up going out to dinner and ringing in the New Year together, launching what would be the most transformative relationship of both of our lives (excepting our relationships with Christ, of course). Five months later, I asked her to be my wife.  God has gone ahead of us in every step of this journey, paving my path to a new life and ministry in New York: Just when the New York/New Jersey Area Director began praying for God to send her an experienced staff person to take over at NYU, I called asking if she had any openings in New York; just when we thought I might not be able close the books in North Carolina to make the move, the needed funding came in; just when we were out of time to hunt for an apartment, the perfect place fell into our laps. Things are tight, but God has met our needs in extraordinary ways, giving us strength and courage to press on and to take risks in carrying out His mission in the city, the university, and the world.

Speaking at the November NYU Christian Medical & Dental Association meeting

I believe in my work with InterVarsity’s Graduate & Faculty Ministries more than ever before. Week by week, I am investing in the lives of future leaders, educators, and innovators—a young aspiring diplomat from China, a Haitian law student who is already fighting human rights abuses around the world, a doctoral candidate in chemistry whose love for God and love for science gohand-in-hand—helping them to live in light of the difference that Christ makes for every human endeavor.  I am eager to dive in again next semester, praying and working to see students and faculty transformed, the campus renewed, and world-changers developed at New York University. Having seen all that God has done in 2013, I have an inkling of what He can do in a year and I am all the more excited to see what He has in store for 2014.

To all of my current supporters, thank you.  Through your generosity God is graciously enabling us to make a difference in the futures of these students and of our world.  I thank God for you daily.

If you are not currently a donor, we need your help.  To maintain this ministry to the next generation of global leaders, we must maintain a budget of nearly $80,000 annually.  We are reaching mid-year and presently have only 54% of this years’ budget pledged.   Will you prayerfully consider supporting this strategic gospel mission by helping us to close this gap by making a special donation this Christmas or by pledging to contribute $25-$200 monthly? You can support my work either by donating online at this link or by mailing checks made out to “InterVarsity/USA” for “The ministry of David Williams at NYU” to:

Every dollar donated supports my work and is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Alissa and I celebrated our first Christmas together at historic Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn.

Season’s Greetings from the NYU Thursday night Graduate Student Bible study!

The NYU Christian Legal Fellowship is providing a powerful witness as a vibrant Christian community within the law school. Thank you for supporting them!

Please pray…

• That God would supply the financial needs of our ministry.

• That God would bless the efforts of the four graduate and professional student fellowships here at NYU.

• That God would lead me to people who would be willing to serve our students as mentors in their various fields after they leave NYU.

• That God would lead me to additional ministry partners in New York City.