My first talk at UCLA

I was able to speak and share my story at one of our last meetings of the quarter.  I tried to be open and honest of my journey to get to southern California.  I look forward to sharing more of my life to these student athletes in the coming months. 

I hope you enjoy listening to my story and road to get to UCLA.

Initial Support Raising COMPLETED!

Hello Team!

I write to you with some exciting news.  As of this past Friday, I have raised the minimum amount to get me on campus to work with UCLA student athletes!  I am very excited about this step in my journey toward seeing a spiritual movement grow inside of the Bruin’s athletic department. 

I will no be on campus some before the winter break, which I see as a key advantage heading in to the second quarter of school in January.  

Prayer Requests:
-To really continue to press in to God with fasting and prayer for his provision over my life and to provide more ministry partners
-To fall more madly love with Jesus
-To be connected well to the gate keepers of UCLA athletics: coaches, administration, managers, athletic trainers, and any other staff that would help gaining great relationships

The John Wooden statue outside Pauley Pavilion

A supernatural night in Dayton

This week I was in Xenia, Ohio at Athletes in Action Headquarters for some training for becoming a better coach and mentor for our new staff within AIA.  I was blessed to see old friends and have a great time of fellowship and remembering the great things God had done in my time here.

Working at the University of Dayton this past year was one of the greatest joys in my life.  I enjoyed each minute of building a movement that valued every single person and honored Jesus with every ounce of who we were.  I was able to visit these amazing people and speak once again at the large group meeting on Wednesday night. Over 50 athletes were in attendance at the weekly meeting along with several interns from all over the country.

I felt from the Lord this week that this talk was going to be the most important talk I have ever given up to this point in my life.  I felt his Spirit move in ways that I can't even put in to words in this blog. 

Now you have a chance to listen to what He told me to share:

Nov. 4th support update

Finally in Los Angeles

I am finally in Los Angeles. After a week and a half of driving west I have arrived.  I am so thankful to be here.  I am thankful to see a place that God has been preparing for me. Here is a small collage of some of the pictures from my trip out here.

I am now here to finish raising the remaining amount of my support and report to campus in January or as soon as I can report.  I am only $650/month away from being done and able to report!  So hopefully this amount comes in soon from people in this area and anywhere else.

I have sent out my October newsletter and I also wanted to share it with you.  I am excited to start this new chapter but do need people praying.  Prayer is essential to reaching my final support goal and having a firm foundation in a city where I don't know many people.  I am looking to be plugged in and serve this city with all that I am.  Please intercede for Los Angeles to experience revival and renewal through Jesus Christ.

Albuquerque to Phoenix

My time in Albuquerque was awesome. I got to see a great guy Trajuan Briggs who plays football for New Mexico. Trajuan used to attend Cal-Berkeley and I was able to meet him and pour in to his life some when I did some work there. He transferred to New Mexico last year for a new chapter and I was able to visit him and some of his team the other night in their team hotel the night before they played Utah State. I was able to pray wih him and a teammate and encourage them on their journey as college athletes. 

I am now in Phoenix for a few days with other AIA staff before heading to California on Tuesday! I was able to attend the Arizona State vs Washington game yesterday. My first Pac 12 game of many to come!

KC to OKC...

Kansas City was just a refreshing time in the Lord. I spent most of the time at IHOP(International House of Prayer).  It is a place where there is 24/7 worship and prayer. Literally all day every day.

 My friend Ben and I at IHOP.

 Touring some of the Tornado devastation in OKC. Just floored and heartbroken.

Got to see my great buddy Abraham Wright in Oklahoma City today. He was playing for the Dolphins when I worked in their video department.  He is now with FCA and an amazing man of God.

The road to LA

The time has come for me to move West. Athletes in Action recently granted me permission to move to Los Angeles to finish raising my support there. 

Over the next week I will be driving across country. I invite you to pray for supernatural adventures and many opportunities to share the Gospel along the way. Also I ask for your prayers to ask Jesus to raise up more ministry partners for my role at UCLA with AIA.

Here are some pics from today's journey from Lynchburg to Lexington, KY and then in the post below is my drive on to St. Louis.

Dad even made me a going away UCLA cake!

 West Virginia

Louisville

Great times in St. Louis

Last night I arrived in to St. Louis and was able to visit wih some amazing friends Joe and Becca Dewey. I reached out to Joe his first year at the University of Virginia when he was a first year lacrosse player there. Joe and his wife Becca are now in seminary in St. Louis and loving their journe God has them on. I am incredibly blessed to have stayed in touch over these years.

I was also able to meet up with a Dayton student athletes parents today. This athlete I helped disciple and pour in to last year so it was a sweet time of connecting and sharing about what God has done. 

Now on to Columbia, Missouri to hang out with our AIA staff at Mizzou!

How do we grow as Christian athletes?

How do we grow as athletes and as people in our lives?  That is a question that is important and needs an answer.

Here below is a video of me answering that very question. Its from earlier this year when I was a guest speaker at out Athletes in Action Speakers Training in Ohio.  Hope you enjoy!

AIA Principle 3 Chapel Version from jon demeter on Vimeo.

God is moving in our National Team

This summer has been a summer of seeing God do amazing work in the lives of many athletes. One group of athletes that I have even privilege to see the Holy Spirit pour out on is our US men's national soccer team. Just yesterday I attended chapel with our USA team and was able to encourage them about why it looks like to keep Christ first on the pitch.

I have now done several pregame chapels for them and developed relationships with a couple of the guys off the pitch. It's been a great journey of serving them and watching God move. The guys as a unit are growing personally, athletically, as spiritually. It's been eye-opening as many of the guys are growing in courage about where thy stand with faith and seeing it come together for many of them in their personal lives and families. 

As we now have qualified for Brazil 2014 it is my hope to continue to help them grow and mature in their lives by prayer and the occasional time to encourage them in their walks with Jesus.

Pray for these men that are Christians on the team as they seek to keep Jesus first in their lives as also pray for the ones who don't know Christ that God would draw them closer to himself (John 6:44).

UCLA is the destination and Kody shares his vision

UCLA it is! I will be heading to UCLA in the fall with Athletes in Action after I raise about another $1,000 monthly in support because the cost of living is higher there but I couldn't be more excited! It is a blessing from the Lord to see his path take me now to Los Angeles.

Check out this video of Kody, a UCLA football player, talking about what it would be like to have a new AIA staff member at UCLA.  I welcome your support to help create more of supernatural environment in UCLA athletics. Click the "give now" button on the right hand side to begin eternally investing in these athletes lives.

A video sharing the movement of God in Dayton Men's Soccer

Xenia Outreach

Today I am organizing an outreach to for the city of Xenia where I live. 200 college athletes are in town from surrounding states and we will be mobilizing to take the gospel forward.

If you read this at any point before or after this event pray over it. Pray for boldness for the people attending and also for seeds sown that would reap a great harvest in this town. I hope that people get saved today. I hope to see the dead come to life. We covet your prayers. Thank you in advance Team Eppes!