Large Group Meetings Handbook

Large Group Meeting Handbook

Leadership Team Configurations

The following examples convey the basic pattern for organizing leadership in InterVarsity chapters. At the same, they also demonstrate the variety and creativity that is possible.

Your chapter’s leadership structure should be designed in light of the size and nature of your fellowship, the type of campus on which you are located, and the distinctive aspects of your vision and strategy. Choose a structure that is effective. For example, the larger your Exec, the more difficult it will be to find a suitable meeting time and to function efficiently. An Exec of four to six people, however, must devise ways to communicate with and coordinate the extended leadership team.

Typical State University (late 2Oth century)
If the chapter at TSU is small (25 to 40 students), a basic Exec will probably look like this:

  • President (might also coordinate small groups)
  • Chapter Meetings Coordinator (might also coordinate prayer meetings)
  • Outreach Coordinator (might include missions emphasis)
  • Secretary/Treasurer

If the chapter at TSU is somewhat larger, the Exec can be expanded to a more typical configuration:

  • President
  • Small Group Coordinator
  • Large Group Coordinator
  • Evangelism Coordinator
  • Secretary/Communications
  • Treasurer

Larger chapters may also have coordinators for such areas as prayer, missions, discipleship, socials, booktable, publicity, social justice, and New Student Outreach/Follow-up. If desired, one or two of these coordinators can be included on the Exec.

Florida State University, FL (1990)
In this configuration, each Exec member has at least a co-worker, and in some cases one or more Team Leaders, working with him or her . Each Team Leader has several other students on his/her team (or committee). This structure purposefully creates many opportunities for members to serve, while preserving clear lines of accountability.

  • President
    • Prayer Team Leader
    • IV Campus Rep (liaison to student government and other campus organizations)
  • Action Group Coordinator
    • Co-Action Group Coordinator
    • Action Group Leaders Trainer
    • Action Group Leaders
  • Chapter Meeting Coordinator
    • Skits/Team Leader
    • Worship Team Leader
    • Welcome Team Leader
  • Evangelism Coordinator
    • Literature Coordinator
    • Outreach Table coordinator
  • Missions Coordinator
  • Treasurer/Fund-raiser
  • Communications Coordinator
  • Social Coordinator
    • Intramurals Coordinator

Fort Valley State College, GA (1989)
At this predominantly African-American school, the IV chapter is called the Christian Fellowship Society. Its leadership structure is reflective of comparable student organizations on campus as well as certain campus traditions.

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Vice-President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Choir Director
  • Miss Christian Fellowship Society
  • Campus Advisor (faculty)

College of Dupage, IL (1990)
The chapter on this commuter campus totals around 80 students, including both day and night students. Given the difficulty of regularly convening a large group of commuting leaders, this chapter devised a two-team structure. The overall “Student Leadership Team” is divided into the “Exec” (concerned especially with chapter growth, via large group meetings and chapter organization) and the “Ministry Team” (concerned especially with outreach). The whole Leadership Team meets together two or three times each term.

The central chapter activity is the large group meeting. This same meeting is held twice each week, once during the day and once at night.

  • Exec
    • Chapter President
    • Large Group Coordinators (2), day meeting
    • Large Group Coordinators (2), night meeting
    • Treasurer/Fund-raiser
    • Secretary/Logistics
  • Ministry Team
    • Chapter President
    • Ministry Team Coordinator
    • Outreach Coordinator (plans monthly social events for outreach)
    • Evangelism Coordinator (coordinates booktable and “evangelism partners”)
    • Bible Study Coordinator
    • Missions Coordinator (usually an international student; focus on networking with internationals
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