Karla was reluctant to make a commitment to Jesus because she had been hurt by judgmental religious people and traditions in the past. Arriving at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Karla was intrigued by the friendly people she met and curious about InterVarsity. Karla began to learn about Jesus through the friendship of students during InterVarsity large group meetings and Bible studies.
During the first semester, as she attended InterVarsity activities, Karla discovered that she could have a personal relationship with Jesus. She met with Jeff Liou, InterVarsity staff, to study the Bible and discuss her questions about Christianity. She also attended Chapter FOCUS week, a training camp, with her InterVarsity community at the end of the school year.
During the training camp, when a speaker gave an invitation to accept Christ, Karla stood up. She invited Christ into her life. She prayed with Jeff and Lisa, saying, “I don’t want to fall back into doubt. I want to stay with Jesus.”
As Karla was learning about God and getting to know members of the fellowship, Tom seemed to have an instant connection with God and fellow InterVarsity students.
Tom, also a student from Ann Arbor, had only attended two InterVarsity Large Group meetings on campus. Tom had never read the Bible before, but he signed up for a class during Chapter FOCUS week where the students study the Gospel of Mark over the course of the week.
Tom wasn’t really seeking the Lord, but during Karla’s testimony of how she had accepted Christ earlier in the week, he realized that he could do the same. He stood in front of the group at camp and told the students that it was only the last 24 hours that he had even thought about God and that he was beginning to believe in Christ.
Sara, a junior in the fellowship, invited Tom to pray with her. Sara asked him if he acknowledged that he was a sinner. Tom responded, “Yes. I don’t see how anyone couldn’t acknowledge that. I believe that Jesus died for me and faith in Christ is the only way to enter into a relationship with God.” Sara and Tom discussed how he could allow Christ to be Lord over his whole life and how to let God guide his decisions. As he prayed with Sara, Tom accepted Jesus into his heart and thanked God for working in his life, especially during the last twenty-four hours.
InterVarsity trains students across the country to share the Gospel and love of Christ as they invite and welcome their brothers and sisters into God’s family.
