Belonging in God's Kingdom
Emily Husch, a Christian physical therapy student at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI, wanted to reach out to her sorority sisters and share the gospel of Christ but was not sure how. As president of Alpha Xi sorority, Emily wanted more for her sisters than belonging to a social group on campus. She boldly began inviting her sisters to Greek Conference, InterVarsity’s annual weekend designed for Greek students to come and learn more about the significance of Jesus and the difference a relationship with God could make in their daily lives.
Eleven women signed up, representing four different sororities on campus. Each of these students connected with the speaker’s message about the Prodigal Son and identified their need to “come home.” The girls not only connected with Jesus but with each other as they worshipped, studied Scripture, and experienced fellowship together. One of the participants made a first-time commitment to Jesus Christ, while several others recommitted their lives to Him.
Upon their return to campus, Emily and Sarah, who attended the conference, launched a Greek-specific Bible discussion. The group decided to study the book Jesus With Dirty Feet by Don Everts (InterVarsity Press), to help them consider what Jesus’ life and death means within their college experience. This study is building connections on campus between Christian Greek students, God, and non-Christians.
A junior fraternity brother on campus, although he did not attend Greek Conference, meets regularly with Amy Jacobsen, InterVarsity staff, for coffee and conversations about Christianity, Though he remains a sporadic attendee of small group and InterVarsity’s large group weekly meetings on campus, he continues to consider the meaning the Gospel has for his life.
Emily’s sorority sisters discovered they not only belong to a group on campus, but they also belong to the kingdom of God as his children. As students across the nation, like Emily, invite their friends into relationships through InterVarsity’s campus community, they discover their need for the most satisfying relationship: one with Jesus Christ.