Top 10 Moments at UM-Flint

Named the country’s most dangerous city in 2011 for its violent crime, Flint, Michgan is also home to 30,000 college students.

There is a great need for the gospel in the city. But InterVarsity campus staff member Chad Schlosser is hopeful. During his first year on staff at the University of Michigan in Flint, Chad saw new students commit their lives to Jesus, believers step out in faith, and the gospel advance on the UM-Flint campus. Chad listed his top 10 highlights from the year.

10. Being welcomed by the students. Seriously, this was not a guarantee. I was so thankful for the way that the students were excited to have Laurie (my staff partner) and me here.

9. Playing soccer in front of the dorm and meeting students like Nikkie, who told me she was never coming to InterVarsity. Before the end of fall semester, she was not only coming to InterVarsity, she was a brand new follower of Jesus.

8. Having 12 students over to my house to make cookies, which we passed out around the dorm during small group that week. In order to get a cookie, students had to answer the questions, “What would you like to see change about the dorm?” At least 2 students we met during this simple outreach started coming to small group.

7. Bringing 37 students to Compelling, our state-wide conference in November. Six of them committed their lives to Jesus that weekend! Back on campus a week later, we had over 20 students help out with some evangelistic outreach, following through on commitments they made during Compelling.

6. Seeing a thriving community of Greek students develop on our campus. It took some time, but there is now a core group of 8 students who are very committed to the all-Greek small group, and they’re beginning to gain a vision to reach out to their fellow Greeks. Three students from this small group came with us to get trained in small group leadership at Chapter FOCUS Week!

5. Helping one of our students start a Bible study for music students. In a music department of about 70 students, they had 20 different students come to the Bible study at least once, with a core group of 5 or 6 students. They had wonderful discussions that everyone enjoyed so much they often stayed long past the one-hour goal.

4. Spending the first week of May at Cedar Campus with 20 Flint students getting trained in Bible study, discipleship, and evangelism. One student, Jane, committed her life to Jesus during the week, and many started to get excited about what God might want to do on our campus. There was talk of starting Bible studies for nursing, engineering, and business students!

3. Studying Ephesians in our summer InterVarsity meetings. Since many of our students are around this summer, we want to seize this opportunity to help them understand the gospel better and begin sharing with their friends and classmates. We’ve had 5-12 students attending these meetings.

2. Seeing dozens of students take risks in evangelism. We set up proxe stations — interactive exhibits to aide in starting spiritual conversations — every three weeks on campus. There are few things that bring me more joy than seeing a student step out in faith and talk to people about Jesus. Sasha, a very shy student who I met in September at a proxe station and has been involved with our chapter ever since, took a turn in working one in March. For her, just meeting new people is a step out of her comfort zone!

1. Seeing 8 students commit their lives to Jesus this year! It was a thrilling experience to see the gospel bear fruit in students that had been seduced by science, held captive by apathy, deceived by relationships, and even left in the dark by religion. Praise God for new life!

After a fruitful year of ministry, Chad is planning and preparing for the fall. This year, his chapter plans to reach out to the Greek community, in the dorms, among international students, and to commuter students in hopes of reaching more of the campus – and the city – with the gospel. 

Where do you hope to see the gospel advance?  

Lauren Anderson is an InterVarsity student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison studying Journalism and Mass Communication.