Summer
For InterVarsity staff, this single word conjures up a variety of images, not all of them particularly restful: student training camps, a global or urban project, new staff orientation, fund development, study and/or preparation for the fall.
But I hope your summer also includes a bit of vacation. My prayer is that the Lord will grant you some shabbat – a change of pace – during these months to bring much needed refreshment-time for journaling, long walks on a beach, and laughter with loved ones.
New Trustees
We are blessed to welcome three outstanding people to our Board:
• Samuel P. Pettagrue Jr. is the senior pastor of Sardis Missionary Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama – the home church of staffers Paul Hughes and Ahmad Jones. Early in his career, Sam was the personal assistant to Civil Rights leader Dr. Ralph Abernathy.
• David K. Clark is a professor of theology at Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. For nearly a decade, David served as Bethel’s Dean of the Center for Biblical and Theological Foundations. He is the author of eight books and a regular speaker at InterVarsity events.
• Charles Kwon is an entrepreneur who founded three high-tech companies. He is also a Trustee of Reba Development Corporation, a Chicago-area community development ministry. Charlie became deeply involved with InterVarsity while a student at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
LaFe Student Conference
I am very excited about the material I’ve seen describing our first LaFe National Student Conference to be held December 27-31, 2004, near San Diego, California. This initiative expresses so many of the values we hold dear, integrating personal identity, service, and outreach. Orlando Crespo and his team are putting together an excellent program. Please encourage all Latino students to attend. Check out the LaFe page on our website, and for more information about the conference, contact Diana Zuleta at dibestill@aol.com or by phone: 201/436-4140.
Books
Every now and then, I like to share what I’ve been reading:
• Commentaries: I am a huge fan of IVP’s The Bible Speaks Today series. If you haven’t yet discovered this treasure trove, you are missing a great deal. In recent months, my morning devotionals were guided by two superb commentaries: Jonah, by Rosemary Nixon and Ezekiel, by Christopher Wright. I am currently enjoying Samuel, by Mary Evans.
• History: Recent reads include two Pulitzer Prize winners: In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines, by Stanley Karnow; and Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies, by Jared Diamond. Biographies include Crazy Horse and Custer, by Stephen Ambrose; and A Good Man in Evil Times, by José-Alain Fralon.
• Islam: The Prophet and the Messiah (IVP), by Chawkat Moucarry, an Arab Christian, is a fascinating parallel study of Jesus and Mohammad. James Reston’s Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade is an excellent, though often painful, read. How could the medieval church have been so misguided? No wonder the Muslim world continues to view the West with such suspicion.
• Just for Fun: Lighter reading included Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue, by Robert Johnston; Never Mind the Joneses: Building Core Christian Values in a Way that Fits Your Family, by Tim Stafford (IVP); Under the Unpredictable Plant, by Eugene Peterson; Sandy Koufax, by Jane Leavy; and Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand.
Prayer Requests
• Vice President/Director of Strategic Ministries I hope to fill this position soon. Please pray that the Lord will bring the right person to lead the key areas of Training, Evangelism, International Students, Camps, Greeks, and Nurses Christian Fellowship. Hiring this new vice president will complete the Cabinet.
• Pilgrimage for Reconciliation I will be participating in the Trail of Tears component this month, visiting various Cherokee nation sites. Please pray that the Lord will touch my heart as well as others on the journey. Also remember staff and students who go on Phase II of the Pilgrimage in Croatia and South Africa this summer. Do you feel God’s tugging to be a part of this, too? Thirty new openings are available for staff who wish to participate in the 2005-2006 cohort. For more information, contact Jimmy McGee at jmc3pfr@earthlink.net.
