As new students arrive on campus, InterVarsity members are welcoming freshmen and encouraging them to actively participate in large group meetings, Bible studies, and chapter social events. Handing out water bottles on move-in day, helping students carry boxes into their dorm rooms, and inviting students to join in discovering the truth of Jesus through God’s Word are a few of the events designed to build Christian community on campus. Social events such as cookouts, bonfires, and bowling also characterize New Student Outreach (NSO).
On campus, InterVarsity students and staff give away free food and drink and invite dozens of non-Christian students to respond to spiritual interest surveys. Some participants request help finding a local church, others ask for a Bible, and some join GIGs (Groups Investigating God)—Bible studies specifically designed for non-Christian students to feel comfortable asking their questions about Jesus and Christianity.
Some students have grown up in Christian homes, gone to Christian schools, and been following Jesus since they were young. Others have accepted Christ within the past year or two and are seeking to learn more about the Bible and sharing their faith with friends. Still others want to know what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
InterVarsity students and staff want to welcome all these students into their campus communities through building relationships with them and investing in their lives. Offering friendship allows chapter members to share the truth of Christ through everyday activities.
During freshman orientation over the summer, Tim and Jesse Ballard, InterVarsity staff at Western Illinois University, met several students interested in participating in the InterVarsity chapter on campus this fall. Robert told them about his mission trip to Mexico, Jennifer and Vicki were eager to learn how they could get actively involved, and Jesse invited Christian to join a dorm Bible study.
During student orientation over the summer at Northern Michigan University, Andy Liimatta, campus staff member, had spiritual conversations with twelve students, including a fraternity member and a pre-med student. It’s exciting to see people considering Christianity and investigating the gospel.
Chapter leaders on campuses throughout Texas are working towards the goal of inviting and encouraging 500 new students across the state to participate in InterVasity fellowships at their universities. In Portland, Oregon, students and staff want to meet 150 international students to share the gospel of Christ and welcome them into the InterVarsity chapter at Portland State University. Prayer for incoming students is the best action we can take. Unless new students were welcomed and encouraged to live for God’s kingdom, the ministry of InterVarsity on campus would vanish after four years as the current leaders and members graduated.
InterVarsity chapter members reach out to new students, sharing the gospel with many and helping others to live out their faith on campus. Students and staff welcome newcomers to campus with a variety of activities. New Student Outreach is designed to help InterVarsity accomplish its vision nationwide: to see students transformed by the gospel, campuses renewed, and world changers developed.
