The month of May marks the college graduation season. As I reflect on this year of ministry to students and faculty, I’m thrilled by the Lord’s active hand. Despite economic uncertainty and campus access concerns, we have been truly blessed. Five vignettes illustrate this sentiment.
Fresno City College
At Fresno City College, chapter planter Robert Madrid has faced many challenges. Commuter culture. Working adults. Two-year community college. High turn-over rate of student leaders. Despite these obstacles, the ministry has flourished. Recently, the chapter hosted a barbeque that drew nearly 600 students – the largest school event of any type in recent years. During the same week 100 students came to the ice cream social, and nearly 200 visited the evangelism Proxe Stations.
Over the past three years, a total of 43 new InterVarsity chapters have been launched nationally. The result? More than 1,400 new core students and faculty and over 150 new believers. This fall, another 18 new chapter plants will commence. I’m stoked!
New Orleans Urban Project
More than 600 students from New England – including a large number of non-Christians – volunteered over spring break to reconstruct houses in the Big Easy. This entailed riding on buses for more than 20 hours (each way), living in a tight community, and working long hours. In the evenings, students voluntarily participated in Bible studies. In the course of the week, 11 new believers were welcomed into God’s kingdom. To date we’ve had 36 Urban Projects nationwide.
We anticipate 700 people participating in this year’s 40 Global Projects. Overall, more than 100 students plan to participate in the Global Urban Trek this summer. I’m amazed by the opportunities these projects provide for service, discipleship, and sharing the gospel.
We’re closely following news about flu outbreaks around the world and, if necessary, we’ll look for other options for Global Treks.
Lunch with Student Leaders from the University of Houston and Rice University
Student leaders are the life-blood of our movement, and I covet my time with them. Recently, I spent two hours with 20 leaders from Rice University and the University of Houston. I particularly enjoyed talking one-to-one with a Latina senior student who is a pre-med/anthropology double major. She really blessed me. While I was in Washington, DC last January to attend the post-inaugural National Prayer Service, I had a similar lunch conversation with eight leaders from George Washington University.
Georgia Greek Chapter
Launched in the fall of 2007 by planter Paula Frances Gay, the Greek chapter at the University of Georgia now includes more than 80 core students. It’s so exciting to see such a vibrant ministry arise from nothing in less than two years. Perhaps no other ministry team has taken better advantage of our chapter planting strategy. Over the past three years, new Greek chapters have also been planted at Clemson, Virginia, New Hampshire, Central Michigan, James Madison, and Texas.
N.T. Wright
We ended 2008 at our Following Christ conference for graduate students and faculty in Chicago. I was privileged to co-lead a guest program with Anglican bishop and InterVarsity Press author Tom Wright. His humility, passion, and brilliant insights have inspired me for years. More than 900 participants were challenged to take the gospel message – and all of its implications – into the academy, the marketplace, and American culture at large.
While these vignettes merely scratch the surface of the Lord’s work on campus this year, they serve to illustrate the many good things that happened. Thanks be to God. May the Lord enable each of us to finish this season well.
