We are fundraising $13,000 to purchase a van specifically with our college ministry needs in mind. This van will provide and hold space for fostering in-depth relationships and engaging discipleship methods beyond the daily coffeehouse grind by helping us take students on local and regional field trips, carpool to events/retreats/conferences, visit nonlocal students and their families during breaks, bring students along to visit supporting churches, etc...
Help us mobilize our ministry!
We are Micah and Olivia (The Lecourias'), and our life is totally wrapped up in a local college ministry. We serve college students together through The Potter’s House in Springfield, Missouri - a nonprofit coffeehouse where students find their "home away from home" and encounter the love of Christ. The coffeehouse is the frontline where we welcome, meet, and serve over a thousand students every week and host student outreaches (open 92 hours/week, split between 4 staff and beloved volunteers). And we spend another 40+ hours per week next door at The Studio facilitating small groups of students studying the Bible and working through topical books together, mentoring/discipling students who want to go deeper with God and make their faith their own, preparing young couples to take the next steps in their relationship toward marriage, and doing all the behind-the-scenes administration and planning to keep it all going.
Over the last few years, we have intentionally and prayerfully reoriented our whole way of life around following God's call for us to serve college students in this ministry. Our dreams, our energy, our finances, our home, our relationships, our schedule - our rhythm of life - have all been shaped around the mission to introduce students to Jesus, build them up, and equip them to go share God's love with others when they graduate and move on. And we believe the next faithful step for us is to purchase a van with that specific mission in mind.
The Vision of the Field Trip Van:
So much ministry happens when students get out of their normal routines and share life together! It happens on the carpool drive to students' arts performances or worship gatherings; it happens on the way to a hiking trail or a trip to the lake; it happens on a road trip to explore and retreat. We have made it work plenty of times with our daily driver + a collective caravan... But we believe the magic will really happen when we finally have enough room to say to numerous students: "Yes, YOU can come too!" That is why we are fundraising and praying for a reliable Eurovan-style maxi-van, with enough room for the two of us plus five to seven students - something practical and useful for the kind of ministry-filled life we already live. Put simply: we are not really fundraising for a vehicle, but for more room and availability - for conversations and shared experiences, for laughter and prayer, for memories in ministry. This van will help us:
- Carpool with students to local events and ministry opportunities,
- Take small groups on local and regional field trips (bonding experiences),
- Provide transportation when students need a ride, help moving, etc.,
- Visit nonlocal students and their families/churches during school breaks,
- Bring students along to supporting churches and ministry visits,
- Transport people, gear, supplies, etc. for outreaches and other opportunities that may not be hosted at The Potter's House or The Studio.
Our Goal -
Our fundraising goal is $13,000. That would allow us to shop seriously for a reliable van as well as cover fees, inspection and initial maintenance, registration and title, taxes, etc. If God provides the right van for less than the $13,000 goal, any remaining funds will go toward fuel, insurance, maintenance, and any other expenses; and if the right van ends up costing more than this initial goal, we will continue praying and saving.
We are also personally contributing toward this goal from money we have set aside exclusively for ministry use. This fundraiser is personal support for us, Micah and Olivia. Though it will be used specifically to serve our ministry and mission, the van will be personally owned and insured by us, not by The Potter’s House - gifts given toward this vision are personal gifts, not tax-deductible donations to The Potter’s House. Since our work is constant (24/7/365, day-and-night), a secondary blessing is that this van would also give us a means to sabbath when we have a rare day or two off.
Thank you for helping us take our ministry on the road by praying, giving, and sharing!
For more info: micahnliv@gmail.com
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