Engage the Campus
On your first visit to campus you’ll begin a rhythm of outreach and gathering people to encounter God and to be empowered as leaders.
The goal of this phase is to create a space where students experience community, encounter Jesus, and grow as leaders.
As you explore the campus and look for People of Peace (spiritually open, relationally networked, and action-oriented people who God has prepared to help launch this new community) this space gives these students the chance to see for themselves what a missional community looks like and to take first steps at leading one.
What you’ll do in this phase
As soon as you get to campus the search for People of Peace begins! Meeting new people and starting spiritual conversations will be your essential practice as you explore what God is already doing in the lives of students on campus.
This gathering is more than a Bible study. It’s a space to invite the campus to encounter Jesus, experience community, and to participate in mission. The Encounters with Jesus series will be your essential tool. You’ll practice hospitality and fun, facilitate scripture discussion, invite people to take steps forward on their spiritual journey, and send them back to their networks as missionaries.
Meeting new people and gathering them together are essential behaviors as you plant a new ministry on campus. But if you’re not empowering these students into mission then the movement on campus will be limited and will continue to depend on you. This phase is all about empowering others to be the ones who will lead the ministry.
Here's what a two hour visit to campus might look like during this phase:
Start Spiritual Conversations | 1 hour
Choose a busy location on campus and spread out in pairs with your partners. Use the Faith Journey Quiz to start spiritual conversations with 20-40 students.
Through these conversations you'll discover people who are open to what God is doing on campus. Invite them to experience God, community, and mission in InterVarsity.
Gather for Encounters with Jesus | 1 hour
Invite everyone you met to gather for food, fun, and a discussion about Jesus and faith.
• Build community over sharing food and playing a game. (15m)
• Facilitate an encounter with God through Scripture using the Encounters with Jesus series (35m)
• Empower People of Peace to explore and invite their networks on campus (10m)
You can start something new. We can help.