We're migrating, why don't you come?

No, we aren't moving the blog already. The title is a quote from our first Epic speaker. Good stuff man!

First it opened with a GREAT video intro! It was highly amusing, and well though out, excellently executed ... well, I'll let you watch it for yourself!




and that was our kickoff. I see things like that and I am so incredibly proud of our students and impressed with how far they have come since i was in school. You know, back when we rode horses.


Originally i thought we had around 10-15 brand new people. Those who pay attention and calculate those things have advised me that about HALF our nearly FULL auditorium were NEW STUDENTS!!!!!!!

Praise God!!!!!


It was truly great to see. The start of a new year is always a fresh start for the chapter and our leaders and students. and a fresh start for all the new students and returning students. I truly felt that our prayers were answered. He is so faithful!


Then our speaker did his thing. He spoke on The Ugly Duckling and how that relates to his personal story and our individual stories of meeting and developing a relationship with Jesus. The title is his way of saying what the Swans said when they met The Ugly Duckling. Their acceptance was automatic because they could see he was a Swan and he ought to be included. They accepted him.


One of his points was that Love and Acceptance are not the same thing. Most of us have, or are, living a live seeking Acceptance from anyone and everyone around us. And losing our true self in the process. But to seek His Love is another matter entirely.


He left our students with 2 challenges for this school year.

1) To start a journal. Just jotting down the things of the day. But not just the simple events. He challenged them to consider their Why. Why did I go to lunch with those people? Why did I skip that class? Why didn't I speak up when that topic came up? Why didn't I do x, y or z. To help them notice patterns and places that they are changing or places they want to change. John Maxwell often points out that we don't think about the things we think about. Our minds are functioning and thinking and we're doing things and making choices, but seldom are we actually paying attention to where any of that comes from or where it is leading us.


2) To build a group, 2 people, 5 people, 10 people, whatever, that will challenge each other as they run into each other and say "What did you do to get to know Jesus better today?" I, personally, thought this was a great challenge. Sometimes the lack of official structure can result in something happening more often than if there were set times and places etc.


I didn't attend the after party, but I am hoping that was a Raving Success! I consider our evening, at this point, not having checked in with anyone else, to be a Raving Success. Praise God for what he is already doing in the students and our campus!!

In lieu of our regularly scheduled meeting

Due mostly to the Labor Day holiday, we didn't have a typical Staff Meeting this week. I checked with the team and we had 2 things we wanted mentioned to keep in prayer this week.

Short notice, I know, but tonight, Tuesday is a Bonfire just off campus at the campus ministry center (I believe) with free root beer! Pray that God leads and directs students to attend and engage in the evening and fun. Also pray that our leaders and the whole chapter can break out of their usual groups and away from the tendency to catch up with their friends to reach out to the new students. I remember some events I could do this no problem, but other events I barley noticed if there was a new person standing next to me! :)

Also, this week Thursday is our FIRST Epic! Matt Millar, recent alumni, is giving his testimony as an intro to community and to Welcome everyone and let them know What InterVarsity is All About. Please pray, again, that God leads and directs students to attend. Pray that Matt speaks from the Heart of God and that the hearts in the room are prepared to receive the message.

Thank you for your ongoing support! I'll try to post over the weekend how this week went.
~Kristine

Not for lack of looking

Hi, this is Kristine "Mouse" posting. I will likely be doing most of our posts as I have the most experience with blogging and Blogger, and probably the most time to post. And the ongoing desire to write. But that is another topic.

At our first official Volunteer Staff meeting Luke told a story about his boss that really struck me. He said his boss often asks for information, statistics type stuff I think, and Luke will often say 'I can try, but I'm not sure if I can get you exactly what you're looking for,' or something to that effect. And the boss will say:

Well, We're not going to not find it

for lack of looking.

Luke was using it as an example of the importance of prayer. And I couldn't possibly agree more. One of our major goals as a Volunteer Staff Team is to pray. Many of the goals we could set, the vision we have for our leaders, students and campus can't be relayed well to another person. It's hard to explain Luke's passion. It's even harder for him to transfer that drive and energy and enthusiasm to someone else. We all recognize, and hopefully most of you do as well, that without God's intervention in each and every leader, student, and person on the campus, nothing will happen.

That is what this blog is about. Building our prayer and support base. Sharing God's movement and work. Praising Him for all that He has done, is doing and will do; and, Praising Him simply for the Amazing God, Savior and King that he is.

Will you join us? In looking to Him? In seeking His face? In interceding for the students and campus?

We, as a whole team, thank you in advance for all the prayers you will pray this year. We thank you for any support and encouragement you will offer. We thank God that he has touched your life in some way through InterVarsity. And we Thank God that we can reach back out to you and, hopefully, be a blessing to you again.

~Kristine

New Blog

We, your Staff Team, are currently working on the format and design of this page. Please bear with us as we develop it.

Updates to be forthcoming soon!!

Meanwhile, feel free to check out our student page.

Click here.