InterVarsity’s newly appointed regional director John Criswell is excited about helping students live out their faith holistically. “There's a strong cultural Christianity,” John said about the Southeast, where he will serve. Though students often grow up attending church, John said, “Many students haven't truly embraced faith in every area of their lives.”
From Kentucky to Florida, John will work with InterVarsity staff to develop leaders and find new ways to reach out to university students. "It's an extraordinarily diverse region," said John. “We gain new perspectives about people from listening to a variety of ethnic backgrounds.”
Creating Opportunities for the Gospel
Traditionally, there is a strong presence of Baptist ministries on this region’s campuses. For some students, participating in InterVarsity is a new experience because of our interdenominational nature. But even in areas where InterVarsity thrives, John sees much work to be done.
“The students and chapters we're reaching don’t just come to us,” said John. “We need to reach out to them and follow up.” He encourages staff to take time building relationships with students—relationships which often lead to sharing the gospel and forming witnessing communities on campus.
From Pastor to Missionary
John’s ministry to students spans a number of roles, both within and outside of InterVarsity. Over the last twenty years, John held leadership positions for Urbana 93, InterVarsity Link, International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) in Oxford, and Inter-Varsity of Canada, to name a few.
Growing up, John planned on being a Methodist pastor. "I felt a sense of calling to ministry in high school, but I didn't really know what that meant,” said John. His father, uncle, and grandfather were all Methodist pastors, and he assumed he would be one too.
To prepare for the pastorate, John studied English and public communications before going on to seminary. Upon graduating, John did serve in a Methodist church in Florida, but he longed to be more involved in missions. When he heard of a position in public affairs for InterVarsity’s Urbana 93 student missions conference, he applied. “I never thought I'd use my undergraduate major professionally,” said John. “God tends to weave things back through your life."
Learning on the Job
Another theme John has seen God weave into his life has been a passion for multiethnic worship. At Urbana 93, John saw thousands of students commit to sharing the gospel with diverse populations. Ten years later, John directed IFES’s World Assembly 03, gathering delegates from 140 countries. As he struggled to plan the program, God gave him a picture of the nations coming together to worship in heaven. John felt his calling to missions renewed.
Weeks later, during the World Assembly, John found himself again stressed over the details of the program. He paused and watched how those around him—people from all over the world—worshipped enthusiastically. They sang and prayed, jumping up out of their chairs or dancing in the aisles with joy. John realized the ways different cultures’ creatively worshipped God could be experienced now as well as in heaven.
Now as regional director, John tries to practice this lesson as he ministers to staff reaching out on diverse campuses and to students deciding who they will serve with their lives. Though he feels he still has much to learn, John said being a part of student ministry “is not only a joy, but a huge privilege.”
