The I-V Draw at Stanford

How do we develop an effective ministry in the dorms? The dorm outreach we do in the fall has its roots in decisions made the previous spring. Some I-V students intentionally join ministry teams and enter the “Draw,” the housing lottery system on our campus each spring at Stanford (CA).

Figuring out who to live with and where for the coming year makes the Draw a very complex process for most Stanford students. For our fellowship, the Draw is even more complex.

Over the past few years, some of our students have created ministry teams before entering the Draw’s housing lottery. These teams choose to “draw” together to grow deeper in Christian community, and to partner together in reaching out to the dorm they draw into.

A wide range of values are factored in when forming the teams. They consider the continuity of relationships, racial diversity, gender balance and support for leaders. There are usually more than 50 students who want to be part of the “I-V Draw,” so the weeks preceding the housing lottery are filled with a lot of conversations and prayer. The possible combinations seem endless!

For many, choosing to be a part of this process is very counter-cultural. Most Stanford students draw with others who are similar to themselves, often with the same interests, the same year in school and usually the same ethnicity or race. So God has been challenging our students left and right, and many are learning for the first time how to really seek his direction in this decision. Nine ministry teams entered last spring, dependent on God to be Lord, even of the Draw. And this fall, the ministry teams are seeing the fruit of those decisions in the lives of their dorm neighbors who are drawing closer to the kingdom.

—Jen Chou Blue served on staff at Stanford in the 2002-03 school year. She is currently working with students at the University of Southern California.