Every now and then, an event crystallizes a community's aspirations. Our National Staff Conference in St. Louis did exactly that. For five days, our community pondered what it might mean to see "campuses renewed."
For many of us, this was a watershed experience. Not only did we revel in being together, but we were also challenged — by testimonies, videos, plenary speakers and seminars — to dream about impacting the whole campus. My reflections focus upon four meta-themes.
1. Depend on the Lord
As Maite Rodriguez-Caballero, staff at Cal State Los Angeles (pictured above), shared her frustrations with building a chapter on an urban commuter school, I was struck by her solution — shut down all programs, gather student leaders and pray. The results have been remarkable. After hearing from the Lord, a completely new approach was taken and a vibrant chapter has emerged.
This message — utter reliance upon the Lord — came through time and time again in St. Louis. Far too often, we act first and expect the Lord to bless our efforts. I am certainly guilty of this approach. Rather than launching out on our own initiative, the Lord calls us to abide so deeply in him that we receive direction and strength from Him.
To experience this depth, we must seek Him daily through absorbing His Word and prayer. We must also engage in active reflection, taking regular Sabbaths and being active in local churches.
2. Engage the Campus
My soul quickened as I listened to a coach at the University of New Hampshire describe the role our chapter plays with his athletes. I was warmed by the story of Kevin Offner, our staff at Georgetown who has chaired an important council. And, I was deeply encouraged by our student leaders at University of California San Diego who serve as models of racial reconciliation.
God calls us to envision the impact that our chapters might have upon an entire campus. How might our missional students and faculty influence other groups — dorms, student newspapers, Greek councils?
I greatly appreciate the post-conference words of Rob Dixon, Divisional Director in California — "What's the most neglected word in our Purpose Statement? Yep, "faculty." And, as Ann Milner, President of Weber State University reminded us, administrators and staff should be included in our outreach as well.
3. Pray for Revival
When Mary Poplin, professor at the Claremont Graduate School, used the "R" word, my pulse skipped a beat. When she added that the Lord might very well use us as one of His select instruments to bring revival on campus, my heart raced.
We have a picture of what campus revival might look like. In the 19th century, revivals occurred on a variety of campuses such as Yale, Middlebury and Amherst. While times were different then — administrators and faculty actually fanned the flame of revival — the power of the Holy Spirit remains the same in both eras.
I was challenged by Jen Ball's exhortation from Acts 19 — we must not limit the Spirit — and by the vision emerging from the Evangelism Track. What would happen on campus, for example, if the number of new believers exploded tenfold?
4. Celebrate Robustly
Finally, the theme of thankfulness rang like a bell throughout the week. We praise the Lord for His provision — for chapters planted, leaders developed, books published, campers served, international students welcomed, Greeks reached and alumni sent.
Not surprisingly, a personal highlight was the celebration of the Vision Campaign — particularly Greg Jao's introduction (how does he do that?). Ours is a very serious culture and we don't tend to party very well, so it was great fun to clap, yell and pull confetti from our hair.
A special word of thanks to Tom Boyle, Conference Director, and his planning team. Several staff have commented that this was the best National Staff Conference they had ever attended. Amen. 
