God is at work and is continuing to call people of every nation into his kingdom. InterVarsity staff participate in God’s world mission. Look at the chapter at Christopher Newport University (CNU) in Newport News, Virginia. This chapter was established five years ago and has grown to 250 students. Over the past two years, forty people at CNU have become Christians.
In the past five years, God has also added to the number of people in the national fellowship. We have 8% more undergraduate chapters than five years ago. Chapters ministering to graduate students and faculty have increased 15%. The number of black students involved in InterVarsity has grown by 14%, and the number of Greek students has increased 20% in just the past two years.
Since one of our national initiatives is to reach more campuses with the gospel, we are committed to seeing more students and faculty become Christians and to establishing new chapters on campuses. Jim Lundgren, vice president of Collegiate Ministries, has developed plans to realize this commitment. Staff gifted in the areas of evangelism and chapter planting will be encouraged to develop their gifts, and InterVarsity as a movement will grow as staff trained in chapter planting and growth mentor staff who will in turn instruct other staff.
Regional directors, the Staff Development and Training Department, and the Collegiate Ministries Department will identify staff members who are gifted in starting chapters on campuses not yet served by InterVarsity and will equip those staff to fulfill their callings. These chapter planters will receive special training from older staff who have experience establishing chapters. After the training, the more experienced staff will continue to work with newer staff, teaching them by example and encouraging them in the chapter building process.
Jim Lundgren also reported that another training course has been developed on chapter building. The staff taking this course will learn how to build the foundation for a growing chapter. The course will help the staff develop a vision for chapter growth, support that vision through prayer, and advance that vision through leadership training. With the foundation in place, the staff will then learn some of the logistics of organizing an attractive New Student Outreach, targeting small groups, planning quality large-group meetings, and sustaining strategic evangelism on campus. With this training, staff can return to their chapters and help them grow as more students and faculty respond to the gospel.
Christ commands us to go to the college and university campuses and make disciples of all people. The InterVarsity growth initiative to reach more campuses with the gospel demonstrates our obedience to Christ’s command. Please pray that God’s Spirit will renew campuses across the country.
