Sarah Bumgarner received a Bible for Christmas a few years ago and didn’t quite know what to do with it until she was invited to an InterVarsity small group Bible study at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). As she began to attend and learn, she saw God's spirit become active in her life. She discovered how to apply Bible teachings to her life and enjoyed opportunities to grow and lead in InterVarsity's weekly Large Group meeting.
Offering others the same opportunity
"That was my journey of faith," Sarah says. "Every step came when somebody invited me to take a risk." This fall Sarah and the students she works with at UNI will be looking for other students who may have attended church before but are now marked by spiritual apathy. "InterVarsity changed my life in such a drastic way, so why not do that for others? It’s an important job to be an InterVarsity missionary."
Sarah is one face in a crowd of 134 new InterVarsity staff members who travelled to Madison, WI, in June for this year's orientation and training. These new staff members include some who have just graduated from college and others who are nearing retirement. They are united to establish witnessing communities on campuses. Like Sarah, each of them carries along their own story.
Meeting mediocrity head-on
At the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Michael Siegrist faces a student body often happy with mediocrity. He says that his chapter is trying to push beyond that “to be a missional force on campus."
They run into people who are closed to any religion that is transformative, anything that calls them to deep change. But Michael and his chapter calls them anyway, getting more creative to reach commuter students, those who have left church behind, and other Hispanic students.
God can use me after all
Brittany Small has been a student at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and returns there this fall to serve full-time with InterVarsity. When a staff member she knew asked her to consider a two-year internship, she said, "No way! I’m not spiritual enough. God could not use me."
But in taking time to consider where God was leading her, by asking what God had made her passionate about, Brittany saw that what satisfied her deeply was seeing student leaders grow. She realized, "God did use me and could use me to impact students’ lives!" Brittany and the chapters she works with at UIUC are praying for the leaders of the school after a scandal rocked the administration. They are also wrestling with how to engage the campus on issues of homosexuality and racial tensions.
With people like Sarah, Michael, and Brittany serving nearly 860 chapters on campuses across the country, InterVarsity will continue to call students and faculty to clear commitments to Jesus Christ.
