Collaborative Effort Sees Almost EveryCampus in US Prayer Walked

For Immediate Release

(Madison, WI) – InterVarsity Christian Fellowship partnered with a host of other ministries, churches, and individuals during 2019, in an ambitious attempt to prayer walk every US college campus, all 4,948 of them. The EveryCampus collaboration was initiated, “seeking God for revival by making gospel communities on every campus a possibility” with prayer laying the foundation as the first step.

At the end of 2019, about 3,650 of the 4,948 US campuses had registered at least one prayer walk. “Our hope is that people start to experience what we in campus ministries see every day, that Jesus is alive and well on every single campus in the country already,” InterVarsity Vice President Jon Hietbrink said. ”We don’t bring God to those campuses. God is already at work in those places, we’re just joining Him.”

More than 50 ministries have joined the EveryCampus coalition initiated by InterVarsity and Cru campus ministry in 2017. Leaders of 30 of those ministries joined almost 1,500 InterVarsity staff and volunteers gathered in Orlando, Florida, at the beginning of 2020 for InterVarsity’s triennial National Staff Conference, to pray together under the theme of the conference, Longing for Revival. (Photo above)

Coalition partners together with InterVarsity staff are focusing on preparing for the next steps that will lead to transformational campus ministry at more US colleges and universities. One of those steps includes new Adopt-a-Campus resources that InterVarsity staff, students, and ministry partners can use to plant new chapters.

Many of those who have prayer walked campuses this year have unique stories to tell. InterVarsity’s North Texas Area Director, Benzi George, worked with a local church to plant a Bible study on a community college campus. When the effort started to falter, Benzi and several volunteers from the church prayer walked the campus. As they gathered in a circle for final prayers, they were surprised to find themselves joined by the college president, who encouraged them to continue their efforts.

Montana Area Director Kristin Wright took a 3,290-mile road trip to prayer walk 12 campuses in Montana last June, along with local volunteers at each location. She is excited that the EveryCampus initiative is part of InterVarsity’s 2030 Calling, to catalyze Christian community on every US college campus by the year 2030. “I don’t want to miss out on being a part of something only God can do,” she said.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has 1,119 student and faculty chapters on 772 campuses across the US, from the Ivy League to community colleges. InterVarsity is a founding member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students and a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

For more information:
Gordon Govier
608/443-3688