2020 - 2021 Annual Report | InterVarsity
2021 Annual Report

This year we saw, once again, that God’s power is greater than any obstacle on campus. The Lord proved that nothing––not COVID-19, school closures, ministry disruption, nor racial injustice––can stop his transforming love from reaching students and faculty. God’s purposes can’t be thwarted. His love can’t be held back. The Lord used you to move his kingdom forward this year. His grace empowered your partnership to impact the campus in marvelous, unexpected ways—breakthroughs of the Spirit that no pandemic could constrain.

Fulfilling a Holy Ambition

Sam, a football player at The College of New Jersey, felt God calling him to reach his teammates with the good news of Jesus. He agreed to attend Ambition 21, InterVarsity’s triennial ministry planting conference, where he found a space that empowered and equipped him to lead his team into God’s Word.

Despite worrying that only a few people would be interested, Sam boldly invited everyone on his team to come to an online Bible study. God honored Sam’s courage, and over 15 of his teammates joined. One of them, Brady, even put his faith in Jesus for the first time! Brady saw that following Jesus was much more than a “moral code” and now has a true relationship with God that is deepening every day.

Where most people would see obstacles, Sam saw opportunities for God’s kingdom. And the Lord used his faithful obedience to break through in powerful new ways.

Building a Legacy for Jesus

Paul, a campus minister in California, was struggling to replant a chapter at Bakersfield College (Delano Campus). Many students at the high school next door are dual-enrolled at the college, and Paul saw a chance for an innovation. Joined by several teachers, Paul decided to start a Bible study at the high school, praying that God might use the group to have a gospel impact on both campuses.

Ten students joined, some of them dual- enrolled, including Jesús, a student who  became a Christian during the pandemic. He told Paul he was excited to lead the Bible study. “I realized I’m not good at sports, and I’m not really a great student. But what I can do is leave a legacy for Jesus.”

That legacy is already taking shape. Dani, a student who left the faith she grew up with, joined the group, saying, “I want to know why you’re all here. I don’t know your experience of God, but I want to learn more.”

Many of these students like Dani and Jesús will enroll at Bakersfield College after graduation. Thanks to this innovative approach, a pipeline of gospel witness to the college has been built. Despite being “new” students on campus, they won’t be new to InterVarsity or the gospel. They will already have Christian community in place. And they’ll be ready to help God’s kingdom transform even more of their campus.

Closed Campus, Thriving Ministry

Olivia felt the joy of seeing Jesus transform her sorority life, and she wanted her friends to have that too. So as a senior, she began planting a Greek InterVarsity chapter on her campus at the University of Connecticut (UConn).

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and
 in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV